Trip Reports

November 10-14, 1999

The Cast:

Sandy (30 yrs), WDW veteran-in-training, trip journalist (suffering through a nasty cold on this trip, hoping the Florida sunshine will bake me back to good health)
Jean (23 yrs), Disneyana collector, trip co-journalist (grossed out when someone around her has a nasty cold, hoping the Florida sun will work its magic quickly)
Jean and I are sisters from Minnesota whose parents met at Disneyland in 1965. How could we not be Disney fans? We’ve both been to Disneyland several times, but this was just the second trip to WDW for each of us-my first was in March 1998; Jean spent a day at the Magic Kingdom on her Senior Class Trip in May 1994. Jean’s into collecting more than I am; I’d rather collect the memories of another trip to a Disney park.

Transportation: Airplane (Northwest Airlines) and Tiffany Towncar
Hotel: Doubletree Guest Suites, Downtown Disney area
Wednesday, November 10, 1999

The morning started off with me coughing myself awake way too early-3 a.m.-after only 3 hours of sleep. I’ve been fighting this cold for weeks, and I was hoping it would be gone by now. Bring on the Florida orange juice! I tried to go back to sleep, but I was wide awake (hmmm, wonder why?), so I just got up and worked for an hour, then took a bath and finished packing. Jean and I decided to share one big bag, and each take one carry-on. It’s sort of a travel tradition for me to buy a new souvenir tote bag on vacation-small enough to carry on, big enough to carry the rest of my souvenirs-so I expect we’ll check two bags on the way home.

We got to the airport shortly before 6:30 a.m. (7:30 flight), checked our shared bag, and headed for the gate. Of course, the gate was all the way at the end of the concourse! (Northwest’s way of helping us get used to the extra walking we’re about to encounter in Orlando??) When we got to the gate, Jean noticed immediately that they were asking for volunteers to give up their seats. I think they were guaranteeing a seat on a flight later in the day and several hundred dollars in travel vouchers. We thought about it for a minute, but decided we’d waited long enough. It’s a smart way to get a ticket for another trip, though, if you can build the extra time in your itinerary. We boarded the plane about 7 a.m., but boarding wasn’t finished until about 7:45, and we finally took off an hour and 20 minutes late, at 8:50! That’s the most overdue flight I’ve ever been on; usually I have pretty good luck.

The flight was fine after a bumpy first 30 minutes or so, and I was able to sleep a little bit. I had a horrible earache in both ears during the descent, and nothing (gum, water, hard candy, yawning) helped relieve the pressure. Ouch. I was in a lot of pain, and Jean was worried enough that she temporarily forgot her own intense dislike of flying. I think it took about an hour before my ears popped completely.

We arrived at the baggage claim to find our Tiffany Towncar driver, Peter with-the-long-last-name, looking for us-we were the last people off the plane. He was very nice, even though he had to wait for our late flight, and the car and service were great-I’ll never try anything else.

We got to the hotel about 1:30 p.m., and luckily, we were able to check in early. I should say here that I made the big mistake of not calling CRO as soon as we set our trip dates, and by the time I did call, there was a block on all the WDW rooms, so we decided to try the next best thing and stay at one of the Hotel Plaza hotels. We picked the Doubletree because we’d both had good luck with their hotels on previous vacations in other cities. I admit, though, I went into the hotel feeling that nothing would live up to the standards set by Port Orleans on my last trip to WDW, so that may have kept me from really enjoying the Doubletree. The suite was great as far as the size and décor, but the bathroom needed some fairly extensive renovating and there was a hole in the wall behind the door. We didn’t make a big deal of it when we checked in (we wanted to get to the parks!), but kept a mental list of things to report on a guest comment card at the end of our trip.

A quick description of the suite: right inside the door is a kitchen/dining area, with a small refrigerator, microwave, sink, coffeemaker, and an honor tray of drink packets including coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. There was also a table with four chairs. Beyond that was a nice-sized living room area with a sofa, coffee table, end table, phone, a desk and chair, and a big TV. That room was separated from the bedroom by a set of folding doors. The bedroom had all the usual: two double beds, a dresser, another TV, night stand, phone. The vanity area near the bathroom had 4 huge dresser drawers, a monstrous mirror, and a closet with extra pillows and blankets. The bathroom was unremarkable except for the tiny black and white TV on the counter.

We got Jean’s ticket (5-day length of stay) at the Disney Store in the hotel lobby. The cashier gave us several stern warnings about making sure we selected the proper ticket-I got the impression she’s had trouble with people buying the wrong tickets because they didn’t understand them, and then wanting to switch.

Off to the Magic Kingdom! We waited only about 10 minutes for a shuttle; got on the bus at 2:30 and arrived at the TTC 20 minutes later. Took the monorail to the MK, and then the fun began.

Our first stop was Guest Relations, so I could get my annual pass. Had a little trouble at the turnstiles, getting the reading on my fingerprints, but after a couple attempts, we were good to go. Went in, jumped on the train to Frontierland, and worked our way back to Pirates. Remember I mentioned that Jean intensely dislikes flying? Well, she made it through a good chunk of the flight by thinking about Pirates, singing “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me,” so we knew that had to be first. The best part was, we had practically no wait, and that trend continued the entire four hours we were there.

Next was a quick meal at El Pirata y el Perico-nachos for Jean, meatless taco salad for me. (By the way, the salad is normally $4.99; without meat was only $3.15. Generous vegetarian discount! Wonder if that will continue?) Also had a bottle of water (17 oz.) for $2.00. Very filling meal; Jean and I agreed we could have shared either dish and been more than satisfied.

After eating, we saw the new Tiki Room show, which I loved. On Jungle Cruise, we had a 10-minute wait, but we didn’t mind. Neither one of us could hear our skipper (couldn’t even hear her name), and she kept looking at all of us with this “why aren’t you laughing?” expression. Country Bear Jamboree had little or no wait and a pretty small crowd. My notes from the day say we saw a “very spooky CM!” at Haunted Mansion, but I can’t remember what was spooky about him/her. Jean remembers him being Lurch-like, with a deadpan expression on his face-an overall creepy guy. Next was Small World, where we had no wait but the usual bottleneck of boats toward the end; Legend of the Lion King, which I really enjoy; and, finally, the fireworks. We watched from a pretty good spot in Toon Town, near Donald’s Boat and the train station. Afterward, we took the train back to the main entrance, and a ferry back to the TTC. We were both surprised and happy that we had been able to do so much in the short time we were there. I think we expected monstrous crowds, especially since we hadn’t been able to get a room at a Disney hotel, and the no-wait rides were almost startling. We had also attempted Big Thunder Mountain RR and Peter Pan, but the lines were pretty long (oh, so that’s where all the lines are!), and we decided to try again Friday or Saturday.

Got back to the hotel about 8 p.m., after a pretty long first day. Tomorrow is an E-ticket night, but we’re not getting tickets this time, since the lines have been generally short and we’ve already been able to cover a good chunk of MK. We’ll save the money for something else.

Had a late supper from room service ($32.00 total, with lots of leftovers in the fridge). My only other expenses today: postcards ($2.81), groceries and cough syrup ($17.89).

This hotel room, by the way, does not have enough garbage cans.

Thursday, November 11, 1999

Another night of coughing. I ended up getting the extra pillows and blankets and propping myself on the couch about 1:30 a.m. Already, I’m grateful for those doors between the rooms, so at least Jean can sleep. I slept okay once I moved, so I guess all’s well that ends well.

We got a later start than we expected, and got on the 8 a.m. bus to the Animal Kingdom. (We had hoped to get on the 7 a.m. bus.) This park is new to both of us, and we both loved it. What a great park! We expected to stay just for a few hours, but instead spent most of the day there.

The first thing we did was get in line for the Safari, without FastPass, although we saw LOTS of people going that route. Our logic went something like this: if everybody’s getting a FastPass, then who’s getting in line? We are! The expected wait was 30 minutes, but I think it was closer to 20, and we enjoyed looking at the signs and scenery in the queue area. We also met a very smart girl who was in line with her grandfather. Their conversation went something like this:

Grandpa: Honey, look over there. What’s that animal?

Girl: Oh, it’s a [very long Latin name for a bird-like thing I’ve never seen before].

The line went much faster after that, as it always does when you strike up a conversation with friendly folks in line with you. They told us the schools in New Jersey had this week off, so we weren’t surprised later when we heard more (and more and more) people say they were from NJ.

The Safari was great! We were glad, and lucky, to see so many different animals. We had a good driver, too, although I don’t remember his name. The Big Red/Little Red plot was a little hokey, but mostly we just ignored it and watched for animals, trying to match them to the pictures on the seat in front of us.

Had breakfast at the Tusker House-a huge fruit plate that Mom will love when she and I come in July (orange slices to die for), a huge cinnamon roll (they were out of muffins, so we had to go with the roll, oh darn), a bacon and egg biscuit meal for Jean, and orange juice for both of us, for about $16.00. The sad part was, we could have invited a stranger to join us and still had leftovers. We’re quickly learning a big lesson-order less food and share! You can always get back in line for more if you need it.

Next was “It’s Tough to Be a Bug.” The effects are incredible, and we both loved it. My only disappointment, believe it or not, was that the line moved too fast and I couldn’t take more time studying the Tree of Life. It’s just gorgeous.

Oh, I forgot-we had our photo taken on the way in, crossing the bridge from the Oasis to the Tree of Life. It turned out beautifully, so I got one for each of us. I don’t remember what they cost, but I know the second copy was a couple dollars cheaper (maybe about $16 for both?). To tell you truth, I didn’t really care what they cost: it’s pretty rare that we get such a good picture of both of us, plus with the Tree in the background, it made a great souvenir.

From “Bugs” to “Birds”-the Flights of Wonder show. So much fun! The CMs were very good at making the show informative, interesting, and funny. One bird sang “How much is that doggy in the window” among other things, and one bird had a very funny name, but I won’t spoil it for you.

From there, we went to the Tarzan show. I think the best seats in this house are NOT the ones closest to the stage. Instead, try to get a spot near the railing at the front of the second section. Part of the show happens on the landing between the two sections, and if you sit way in front, you’ll miss some of the best stuff.

We both were a little disappointed with Countdown to Extinction. The cars and track sort of reminded us of Disneyland’s “Indiana Jones,” but it wasn’t nearly that good. The ride was jerkier than I expected.

Then we had lunch at the Flame Tree Barbecue. I ordered one of their bread bowl salads without the meat, but I was a little disappointed with the results. It wasn’t bad, just not my cup of tea: cold veggies and cold kidney beans in a bread bowl. That and a Coke came to $9.43. I’ll try another restaurant next time.

The last show of the day was Festival of the Lion King. By that time (4:15 p.m.), we were hot and tired, but standing in line there was great-they had spritzers on the fans, pointed right at those of us in line! It got my vote for “Best Idea Ever at a Florida Themepark.” It was pretty humorous, though, to see the kids getting out the umbrellas and their parents basking in the cool mist. The show, as I’d expected, was great. Music, singing, dancing, colorful costumes, etc., etc..

Picked up our pictures and did some shopping-I bought a Tigger t-shirt-and headed for the bus. We had the same driver as this morning; I guess it’s not just the guests who have long days at WDW!

Our overall impressions of Animal Kingdom: beautiful, hot, incredibly detailed, and somewhat confusing to find your way around. (To give you an idea how confusing this park can be, one frazzled guest asked a CM how to get out, and the CM pointed her in the wrong direction!) Maybe it needs a few more signs? Or maybe I just need to visit the park a few more times. Either way, Jean now ranks this park as her favorite. I think I still like the Magic Kingdom better.

Quote of the day (with thanks to the Kilimanjaro Safari): “What you see with your eyes, you treasure with your heart.”

Friday, November 12, 1999

Another big huge day! By the way, I had to move to the couch again after a midnight coughing jag.

Jean and I got the last two seats on the 8 a.m. bus, and more folks kept getting on at other hotels. This is already my least favorite thing about staying at the Doubletree-sharing the bus system with all of the other Hotel Plaza hotels. Too many people using too few buses! We arrived at the TTC just as the monorail gates were opening, and got on the third monorail to the MK. Our priority seating at the Crystal Palace wasn’t until 10:40, so we had time to do a few things before breakfast.

We decided on the bus that we’d try Tomorrowland this time, so we first went to Alien Encounter. Jean gave it thumbs down, and I didn’t like it as much as I remembered. The only thing that was different this time, of course, was the crowd, but I can’t put my finger on exactly how this crowd was different. I was surprised to look over and see a spotlight on the “chosen” guest. I didn’t remember seeing anyone spotlighted the last time, but then that’s about where my seat was during my first “Encounter,” so I guess maybe the spotlight was on ME last time, and I didn’t realize I was being singled out! And I call myself observant. (Can anyone verify that it’s the same seat spotlighted each time?)

Next, we went on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, which I’d never done before. We got stuck shortly after Space Mountain, which thrilled Jean beyond belief (she kept saying “I’ve always wanted to get stuck on a ride at the Magic Kingdom”) and we took a picture to capture the moment. I was thinking it was lucky that we got stuck on a tame ride like TTA, as opposed to, say, getting stuck at the top of the Tower of Terror. After TTA, it was time to get over to the Crystal Palace for breakfast. We got there at least 20 minutes before our PS, but stood in line just to check in for at least 10 minutes. Next time, I’d have one person go earlier to check in, with the others not far behind.

Breakfast was pretty good and the characters were fun! This was the first time either of us had been to a character meal. Jean had her pic taken with Eeyore, Pooh, and Piglet; I did with Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet. After Jean’s Piglet pic, she went back to the buffet, came back to our table and said, somewhat chagrined, “I just realized-PORK!” Ah, yes. Yet another reason I’m a vegetarian.

Next we went shopping on Main Street for a little while. I spent about $17 on a couple figurines. Hopped on the monorail to the TTC, then a bus to MGM. Right away, we checked the board for wait times and saw “no wait” at Muppets 3D, so we headed over there. FUNNY show! Lots of puns and jokes meant for the adults in the crowd. I missed this show on my first trip, and I was glad we had a chance to catch it this time. I’d read lots of suggestions about taking your time in the pre-show area, and I definitely agree with that idea!

Next was the Backlot Tour, which bored Jean to tears. I liked it as much as I did last time, especially since we didn’t really have a wait here, either. Next was Little Mermaid! I love that show. We got there just as the doors were closing for the previous show, so we had about 25 minutes to wait. They had fans running, though, so it was bearable. A CM came up to us and commented on our “suntans,” asking where we were from. He was from Michigan … their tans are pretty close to our Minnesota ones.

After Mermaid, we rode the Great Movie Ride twice with less than a minute wait each time. Saw the gangster storyline first, then asked if we could see the cowboy side. The CM looked a little surprised that we knew there were two versions (or maybe he was surprised that we asked), but he was perfectly willing to let us in the other side. During the second ride, Jean was sitting next to the CM driving, and the bank robber kept getting in her face, yelling “What’s so funny?!?” every time she laughed.

Next was a quick bite at Rosie’s Red Hots, on our way to see Beauty and the Beast. Jean had a burger; I had a WDW grilled cheese (that is, a cheeseburger without the burger). We shared fries and a brownie, and spent about $7.50 each. Only so-so food. Too much cheese on mine, and believe me, it’s unusual for me to say that.

Jean told me after BatB that she thought it was boring. (She saw the national tour when it was in Minnesota and loved it, so I guess a 20-minute version just doesn’t compare.) I remember liking it much more the first time: some of it was just as good this time, but other parts were almost embarrassingly overacted. Different CMs? Not sure. I’ll see it again when I’m traveling with people who want to see it, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it if I went alone. We both liked the pre-show entertainment, though-an a capella group called “Four for a Dollar.”

Jean wanted to wander back toward NY Street to do some shopping, but she didn’t have much luck there. We were surprised, though, to find a showing of “Hunchback” about to start. Jean loved it, and it was better than I remembered. The CM who plays Quasimodo has an incredible voice, and I had forgotten how good he was until I saw him again this time. I’m beginning to think I was too busy taking pictures last time, and I forgot to just sit back and take it all in. (That brings up Jean’s big tip: don’t bother taking pictures at shows unless you’re close to the stage and/or have a better camera than a basic point-and-shoot kind. You’ll miss the show if you’re only looking at it through a camera lens, and the photos won’t really depict how good the show is anyway. Take pictures with your memory instead.)

Afterwards, we walked out behind the theatre to find a million Christmas lights. We wondered, at first, if they were going to be filming something, but I found out later they were the Osborne lights. Wow! Truly amazing. I remembered later that I had also seen CMs putting up lights when we were on the Backlot Tour.

We caught a very crowded bus back to the hotel and took care of our blistered feet, called Mom, and decided to go to Pleasure Island. We didn’t get there until about 10 p.m., and wanted to try the Comedy Club, but the line was too long. We went to the Adventurer’s Club instead. It was fun-we sang the Beer Song and listened to the professor’s speech in the artifact room. I doubt I’ll spend a lot of time at Pleasure Island on future trips though. I might go shopping there during the day, but the bar scene just isn’t my thing. It didn’t feel like Disney to me.

Other expenses today: a postcard for our nephew ($.80), some groceries at Goodings ($11.54), and a Coke at the Adventurer’s Club ($2).

Epcot and MK tomorrow - I’m hoping for a sleep-in morning on Sunday.

Saturday, November 13, 1999

Late night = EARLY morning. Yes, I slept on the couch again. We both felt like we didn’t get enough sleep, but since it was our last full day, we took off at the crack of dawn-or 8 a.m. in this case. Off to Epcot we go, for the first time this trip.

Walked onto Spaceship Earth first thing-we both loved it. Had to wait for the rest of Future World to open (only a couple of minutes), then saw the first showing of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience and then another walkon-the new Journey into Your Imagination. I had read lots of negative reports about this ride, but we both liked it. Of course, you have to consider that neither one of us ever saw the original, so we had nothing to compare with it, and there was no wait. I’m not sure how we’d feel if there had been an hour-long line.

Next was The Living Seas (Jean was more interested than I) and The Land (I was more interested than Jean, but since I’d seen it before, we skipped anything Jean didn’t feel like doing). We didn’t have breakfast today, so we ate an early lunch (broccoli and cheese on a baked potato, chocolate chip cookie, and bottled water for me, about $8) and then saw another new show for both of us, Food Rocks. Pretty funny, but not many other people were there (big surprise). Next we went over to Wonders of Life for Body Wars. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Jean didn’t like it either, and came out feeling a little ill. After that, we tried Cranium Command (very funny), The Making of Me (cute), and the Anacomical Players (cute, but only if you like endless bad puns).

We wanted to go to the Universe of Energy, but the line was huge (we’ve been spoiled by walkons this week!) and the line wasn’t shady at all. So we skipped it and headed to World Showcase, working counterclockwise. We saw “O Canada” and enjoyed it except for the standing. (Note to me: do the standing shows early in the day and/or early in the trip, before the feet are blistered.) Did mostly shopping after that; ate a late lunch at America (sandwich, fries, and Coke, about $7.50. I know, how boring, huh?). Shopping, more shopping, street shows, and sunshine. That about sums it up! My favorite street show was the statue in France. Very cool! We didn’t spend a lot of time at the World Showcase, but I think we’d be more likely to slow down here if we had more time. Just another reason to plan another trip, as if I need another reason.

Finished up World Showcase, then went back to check on the line at Universe of Energy-only 5 minutes this time, so we did that (cute show, although I actually had trouble staying awake. That is not a reflection on the show-it just proves that I haven’t had enough sleep this week!) and then headed back to the hotel. Hopped on the monorail to the TTC, found a bus waiting, and were “home” by 7:30 p.m. I stopped in the Disney store in the lobby to buy a new Mickey bag, watched a little TV, ordered room service pizza (too much $$ for not enough flavor), then we were off to bed.

Oh, I hate the thought of going home. I hope the flight home isn’t painful on my ears. I hope I don’t have a cold when I come back in July! This trip’s not even over yet, and I’m thinking about planning the next trip. I think I’m officially addicted.

Sunday, November 14, 1999

I DIDN’T HAVE TO MOVE TO THE COUCH! Can’t tell you how happy that made me.

Finished packing, checked out, stored our baggage, and discussed our goals for the morning while waiting for the bus. We came up with three: take the monorail from Epcot to the TTC so Jean could see that route in the daytime; swing by the Polynesian to pick up resort maps for my July 2000 trip companions; and end our trip the way we started-at the Magic Kingdom.

Took the bus to Epcot, and I had a melancholy moment, knowing we didn’t have time to actually go back inside the park. (Heavy sigh.) But at least we could take care of Goal #1, and I made myself remember my new WDW mantra: It will be here next time. It will be here next time. Reminding myself of that keeps me from stumbling into Commando Mode.

Switched to the resort monorail and rode over to the Poly. I am so glad we decided to stay here in July (trip planning report coming ASAP). It will be nice to be so close to both the TTC and the Magic Kingdom. Jean and I looked around the Great Ceremonial House for a little while, checking out the shops and the restaurants. We wanted to eat lunch, but the restaurants were still serving breakfast, so I picked up the resort maps and we took the monorail to the MK.

We wandered down Main Street and decided to see how long the wait would be at the Plaza Restaurant. It couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes, and we enjoyed the sunshine, knowing it was probably at least 50 degrees colder at home. We were seated at a table in the corner room and served by a CM who looked a little worn out. He introduced himself to us with “Hello, my name is Jerry and I’ll be your server today.” I couldn’t resist responding “Hello, our names are Sandy and Jean, and we’ll be your guests today.” Funny how he looked a little less worn out after that. He smiled and called over another CM, telling her that our names were Sandy and Jean, and that we were his guests today.

Jerry was the friendliest server we had the entire trip, and he really went out of his way to find out our tastes and then suggest things he thought we’d enjoy. One of my favorite things to eat on a hot day is a cheese sandwich with really good bread and a ton of fresh veggies. Jerry went out of his way to find out exactly which veggies I did and didn’t want, and came back to check on us several times. A great lunch for our last day! The only complaint was … the water! Ewww. Can anyone say chemically treated?

We still had a couple hours after lunch, so we headed for Fantasyland. The line at the Pooh ride was too long, but we were able to take one more ride on both Peter Pan and Snow White. Somewhere in line, we saw a guy wearing a Vikings jersey. Jean said she’d seen him with a Watchman earlier, so I asked if he knew what the score was. (I’m writing this part of the trip report three months later, and I really don’t remember what he said, but since we were in Fantasyland, I’m just going to say the Vikings were winning. By a lot. Heading for the Super Bowl. Yeah, yeah, that’s what he said.)

Headed back down Main Street for one last time, took the monorail back to the TTC, and then a bus back to the Doubletree to collect our luggage. An online friend of mine had offered to take us back to the airport, so while we waited for her, we did some people watching. My favorite was an adorable little girl, not more than 3 years old, who proudly proclaimed to her mom and everyone else in the lobby that she had a wedgie. Too darn cute.

The flight home was a few minutes late, but otherwise uneventful (no painful ears; thank you, Florida!). All in all, it was a great trip. I’m sure the little bit of post-Disney letdown I felt will always find its way home with me after a WDW trip, but the memories of the trip will undoubtedly outweigh the letdown. And if the letdown can’t be soothed by the time the pictures are developed and the trip report is finished, then I guess it’s time to start planning another trip!

Final Thoughts, Tips, etc.

Call CRO as soon as you know your trip dates! You can always make adjustments later, but you’ll regret not having reservations if your heart is set on staying onsite. This is a mistake I won’t make again.
Don’t get on a plane with a cold if at all possible. (Ha.)
Pay attention to the FastPass line and how it looks compared to the regular line. We didn’t find it necessary to get a FastPass, since it seemed that everyone else was. We rarely had to wait more than 10 minutes. I think I’d personally feel more pressure at having to come back to a ride in a certain time frame (no matter what else I might be doing at the time), which might be just the thing that would send me into Commando Mode. For me, at least when the crowds aren’t at their worst, FastPass isn’t necessary. My opinion, of course, could change totally after my July 2000 trip.
Share food when possible. We ended up throwing away far too much food.
Don’t feel like you have to take pictures or videotape of everything. You’ll miss out on really seeing it if you’re only looking through a camera. As my mom always says: before you shoot a whole roll of film, hoping for one good shot, see if there’s a postcard of it. A postcard is likely to be a better shot of the Castle, or Spaceship Earth, or the Walt-and-Mickey statue, etc.
Water, water, water. Oh, and comfortable shoes, comfortable shoes, comfortable shoes.
Avoid Commando Mode. It will be here next time.
Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or comments…

Sandy Zilka

SanDisney3@aol.com

__________________
You just read a trip report that was originally published in our MousePlanet Trip Reports column.

Reader-submitted trip reports have always been an extremely popular feature here at MousePlanet. In order to improve the search functionality and shorten the time from when you submit a trip report and the report gets published, you can now post your trip reports directly to our Trip Report forums. The forums are moderated, but reports should become available for reading very quickly.