Trip Reports
06-09-2006, 12:17 PM
Time of Year: Spring
Travel Method: Plane, Shuttle Service
Resort: ASR
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Infrequent
Comments: Daniel and his girlfriend spent several days at WDW in April. They did several things to keep costs down (Dan does a great job of describing those tactics) but didn't skimp on fun. They stayed at the ASMR and used Mears to move them around Orlando.
April 5 - 12, 1997
I decided to write this lengthy trip report as a thank you to everyone in RADP that helped us plan our vacation. While I can't thank everyone who answered my questions, I'd like to specifically thank everyone who contributes to Deb's Disney Digest. It was invaluable in helping us plan our trip. I hope this trip report helps others in planning their Disney vacations.
BACKGROUND:
My girlfriend Angie and I decided we needed a vacation, and started planning our vacation back in January. We booked a week in the All Star Music (ASM) at $84 per night ($93.24 with tax, the $79 rooms weren't available). We picked the week of April 5-12, since it was the last week eligible for the College Spring Break special, and was one week after the Easter rush.
In case you are wondering, we are actually two 30 year old professionals who still have valid college ids from graduate work. Disney accepted the ids without question and gave us the special price of $30 per day for a single park, with free Pleasure Island (same day), and an optional water park ticket for $12.50. What a bargain!
Also, since we have no kids, this trip was definitely planned and taken from a "Disney for Adults" perspective. You'll also notice that we avoided parks with early entry for Disney Resort guests.
If you found this trip report useful, please drop me a line. Also feel free to write me if you have any questions about this trip report!
APRIL 5, SATURDAY - TRAVEL DAY
We deliberately made both Saturdays our travel days, so that we wouldn't have to worry about doing parks the same day as travel. We took a flight from Raleigh to Orlando through Miami, arriving around 6pm. Bought two round trip tickets from Mears to the All Star Music, with our $3 discount coupon from Disney Reservations was $22 per adult.
Here's a tip, buy your Mears tickets before picking up your luggage. Mears usually has a short line, you'll save time waiting for both the bags and Mears.
Mears put us in a Lincoln Town Car with one person heading to the Swan and we were on our way. Very professional and quick. We were in the lobby of ASM by 7pm.
Once in ASM, we had no problem checking in. We were put in Jazz 2, which is the second closest set of buildings from the main building with guest services and the food court. Make sure you request Calypso (the closest) or Jazz when you make your reservations, otherwise you'll be in for a long walk. Jazz was actually better than Calypso for us, because the Calypso buildings border the guitar pool, which stayed relatively noisy. Also don't forget to request late check out when you check in. Thanks to the FAQ for these great tips we used!
The ASM is a great hotel, well worth the $84 price. We hardly spent any time in our room anyway, and never went in the hotel pools. Just be prepared for a lot of high school groups. We encountered a number of bands and a lot of students attending a robotics science fair.
After freshening up, we headed to the Contemporary for our 9:15pm dinner reservations at California Grill. Make sure you make those reservations at the 60 day mark, they are very hard to get! We had some time, so we decided to test out Disney transportation. We first boarded a bus from the ASM to EPCOT, and then took a monorail from EPCOT to the TTC. It wasn't busy so we got to ride up front, a great way to kick off the trip! From the TTC we switched to another monorail (the local) which makes a loop from TTC to POLY to GF to MK to Contemporary to TTC. This was the long way, it would have been faster to take the express monorail from TTC to MK and then take the local to the Contemporary.
We arrived at the California Grill around 8:45pm, a half an hour early. They had some empty tables, so we were seated right away. I asked for a table with a view of the MK fireworks, and we were seated right by the window with a beautiful view overlooking the MK. We ordered a chicken-goat cheese pizza for an appetizer (delicious) and both had the roasted chicken as a main course (good, but overpriced). For desert we had their triple chocolate desert (excellent) and pistachio creme brule' (good).
We timed our reservation just right, since the MK fireworks were at 10pm, about the time we were ordering deserts. We loved the California grill, but didn't think the food was worth the $100 total bill for both of us, which included 3 glasses of wine, tax and tip. The atmosphere made up for the difference. Make sure you walk outside on the platform through the door from the CG's lounge. The outdoor view is even better!
We took the monorail back to the TTC, only to discover that there isn't a bus from the TTC to the ASM. We headed back to MK via the monorail, and caught the bus there. Disney transportation is great for getting to the parks, but it's awful for going from resort to resort.
APRIL 6, SUNDAY - MAGIC KINGDOM
Got up early to make sure we were at MK for the 9am opening. Headed to the ASM food court for breakfast. Bought our refillable mugs ($7.99), good for sodas, coffee, tea, and breakfast. We ate at the ASM food court a lot, since their food was very reasonably priced and surprisingly good quality.
After breakfast we boarded the bus for the MK, and arrived around 8:30am. We were inside the park in front of the castle before the park officially opened, and were in prime position to head for Space Mountain for the first ride of the day. Once they opened the ropes it was mad dash (literally) to Space Mountain. We weren't first, but only had about a short 10 minute wait. We were glad we rode early, because the line got VERY long (40-60 minutes), and Space Mountain closed early (8:30pm). Thanks to Deb's Digest for the warning on the early closing.
From Space Mountain we went in the Alien Encounter, which was converted from the old Journey to Mars attraction. It was fabulous, Angie and I both agree that this was the scariest attraction in all the parks we visited (she just about took my arm off). I won't give away any of the secrets, I'll just say you better not be afraid of the dark (or aliens).
The park got busy very early, it was obvious that many people were finishing their Easter vacation with a last day at MK. Most rides had long lines, with Splash Mountain at one point having a 90 minute wait. We waited until dusk before riding Space Mountain, and had a 30 minute wait.
Lunch lines were long everywhere, we finally found a short line inside the Diamond Horseshow Saloon. It was between shows, so it was easy to get a sandwich. They had a singing cowboy entertaining everyone, so we had entertainment while we waited in line.
Try to scout your spot for the parades at least 15 minutes before the parade starts. Pick your spot somewhere near where the parade starts. That way when the parade is ending for you, you might be able to find a short line at one of the other attractions while everyone else is still watching the parade. We loved the Remember the Magic parade and the Spectromagic parade, they are both a great break from the rides and other shows.
I know everyone knows that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is closed, but nobody has the official word as to why. One CM told us that Disney decided to close the ride, and threw away all the parts for repairing all the subs. So even if they wanted to bring back the ride they can't.
The new Legend of the Lion King was great, mixing the movie with sophisticated stick puppets. However, both Angie and I agree, "Circle of Life" was the most overplayed song in the park. It was featured in several attractions, and played relentlessly. Not again, please!
We got in line for the Astro Orbiter at 9:15pm for our last ride of the day. We timed it just right, and reached our seats exactly at 9:30pm, so that the ride started exactly when the fireworks started. A great way to end the day!
We ate dinner back at the ASM food court, much cheaper and a good way to unwind after the crowds at MK.
APRIL 7, MONDAY - EPCOT
After breakfast at ASM, we arrived at EPCOT around 8:30am. We decided to head to Body Wars for the first ride of the day, before the lines got crowded. As luck would have it, the park was relatively empty for most of the day and the lines were short all day long. Body Wars was great, except Angie suffered motion sickness. I forgot that Body Wars featured Elizabeth Shue, must have been one of her early roles.
We walked by the new Test Track, not much to report here. Lots of construction noise but nothing else going on. They are currently saying a late June opening date.
We loved the Living Seas, especially seeing all the marine life. They had two large manatees in one tank, which were feeding on lettuce. I'd never seen them up close before, they were remarkable! This attraction was one of the more popular, and was fairly crowded.
The forecast called for a slight chance of an afternoon shower, which was actually an hour and a half of solid heavy rain. When it started to rain we headed to the Land, and did the Circle of Life, Living with the Land, and ate lunch in the food court. Try the barbeque sandwich and baked beans (excellent). When we walked out of the building it had stopped raining and didn't restart. Disney made a fortune off of ton of yellow rain parkas at $5 a pop.
If you want to save money, bring your own parkas. If the forecast calls for rain, take them to the park. If you don't want to carry them around all day, leave them in a locker at the front gate. That way you won't have to go all the way back to your hotel to get them. I also recommend you bring a ziplock bag with you. You can put items in it you don't want to get wet. Great for rainy days or wet rides like Splash Mountain.
We found 3 different talking water fountains, all near the large water fountain in Future World. Look for the fountains that have a button on the front of the fountain rather than on the spigot.
Honey I Shrunk the Audience consistently had the longest line of the day, but it moved quickly. The theater is very large, so we only had to wait about 20 minutes despite the long line. We loved this 3-D attraction, and voted it the second best 3-D movie we saw (first was Terminator 2 3-D at USF).
Visiting the countries was fun, but we kind of breezed through each one. We saw most of the movies, as well as the American Adventure. Our only regret was that we went on Monday, the one day that the acrobats from both Morocco and China weren't performing. Also the Maelstrom ride in Norway was fun, but not worth the line. For some reason it had a 20 minute wait, which at the time was the longest line in the park.
The line for the pastry shop in France was very long, so we skipped it. On our way out of France, we found a street cart that had some of the same pastries for sale, with a very short line. We got a croissant and apple tart, both delicious! You can also get great desserts (including Baklava) from the coffee shop in the back of Morocco.
Thanks for whoever gave me the tip to watch Illuminations from Norway, it had a great view of the fireworks and moderate crowds. Illuminations is designed to be viewable from all angles, but it is best to actually be in the 12;00 (America), 3:00 (UK), 6:00 (Future World), or 9:00 Norway) position on the lake.
After Illuminations we hung out in the shops to try and miss the crowds for the buses, but we still ran into a zoo. The waiting area for the buses at EPCOT is small, the lines easily overran the ropes set up for waiting. Luckily the buses were running very often, so we only had to wait around 15 minutes.
Our one regret for EPCOT was not planning our show schedule early enough. When we arrived in the World Showcase we couldn't see all of the shows because the timing was bad. Pick out the shows that are important to you and make sure you schedule your day around them.
APRIL 8, TUESDAY - BLIZZARD BEACH & BOARDWALK
We got up early again, ready for a full day at Blizzard Beach. By pure chance we asked guest services for the hours and found out that they had changed since we checked in, and were now 10am - 7pm instead of 9am - 6pm. So we ate a leisurely breakfast and took our time getting over to BB.
We got to BB about 9:45am and headed to the lockers. Locker rental is convenient, $3 for unlimited use of a small locker and $5 for a large locker, plus a $2 deposit. Go with the big locker, it's still pretty small. We split a large locker between Angie and I and had a hard time fitting our bag and shoes. FYI, if you get there late and all the lockers up front are taken, your locker will be on the other side of the park. You can also rent a towel for $1 for the day if you don't bring your own.
If you want a beach chair by the wave pool, claim one right away with your beach towel. They go pretty early, if you don't claim one you'll have to settle for a spot away from the pool.
Make sure you put on plenty of sunscreen and reapply it many times during the day. I reapplied about 3 times, and still had a lot of burn on my back and upper chest. As a result, make sure you pack some after-sun lotion, since you will likely get burned. If your hair parts in the same way all the time, make sure you put sunscreen on your scalp. Angie learned this the hard way and burned her part pretty good.
Also, buy some "water shoes", the kind that have a rubber sole and soft mesh on top. Everywhere you walk is concrete, and your feet will get sore quickly. We bought ours in Blizzard Beach for $10, you can get them a little cheaper if you bring your own. You can even wear the shoes on all the rides, except Slush Gusher and Summit Plummit, the 2 tall water slides. On those you take off your shoes and hold them in your hands across your chest on the way down.
The food at Blizzard Beach is pretty good. We ate at the Lottawatta Lodge, which had a good selection of sandwiches and burgers. Try the onion rings, they're large and tasty!
We rode pretty much all the rides, except for the Summit Plummit (didn't have the nerve) and the new Downhill Double Dipper. The Double Dipper had a long line all day long, so we skipped it for rides with shorter lines. The shortest line all day was for Runoff Rapids on the back side of BB. We never waited more than 10 minutes to get on Runoff Rapids.
Try to ride your favorite rides as many times as possible before noon. The lines were very long from noon until about 6pm. From 6pm till 7pm the park was emptying out, so we had short lines for everything. We ended the day with two rides on Slush Gusher in a row, with about a 5 minute wait.
The other thing that was deceiving to us is that the ski lift chair that goes to the top only accesses the Summit Plummit, Slush Gusher, and Teamboat Springs. For all the other rides you have to get a tube or sled at the bottom and carry it to the top yourself. The line for the ski lift can also be long, it can be faster just to hike to the top of the mountain.
Since Wednesday was our day off and we didn't have to get up early, we decided to check out the action at the new Disney Boardwalk. The first challenge was getting to the Boardwalk from ASM. There isn't any easy way to get there at night, we had to take the bus to the Disney Marketplace and change to a bus to the Boardwalk. The buses also stopped at Pleasure Island and Typhoon Lagoon, so it took almost an hour to reach the Boardwalk, so we didn't get there until around 9:30pm.
During the day an easier way to reach the Boardwalk is to take the bus to MGM and then take the boat to the Boardwalk, which took about 40 minutes. Still, if you're in a hurry, take a cab. We did one time and it cost us $6 without tip.
For dinner we selected the ESPN Club. The line was short, we were seated within 5 minutes. Angie had the grilled chicken sandwich ($7.95), which she said was very good. I had the penne pasta with sundried vegetables and cream sauce ($11.95). I didn't like this pasta dish very much, since the sun-dried vegetables were almost all onion. I guess if you like a lot of onion it's ok.
After dinner we walked the boardwalk, there wasn't much going on. We saw people riding 4 passenger bicycles, street vendors with food, and some games of chance. I thought we'd see some street performers, but no luck.
We weren't sure what to do next, so we gave Jellyrolls a try. Jellyrolls is a piano bar like you've never seen before. Picture two guys each playing a piano, and playing some of the most unconventional piano songs you can think of, like "Mony Mony", "I Will Survive", "Hand Jive", "Friends in Low Places", etc. They play requests from the audience, and you have to sing along (lots of audience participation). It was a great way to unwind without kids around, so we stayed there for 2 hours. Well worth the $2 cover per person, although drinks were expensive. We had one Bud Light and a Mai Tai, and the bill was $8.25.
We left about 1am and were stuck trying to get back to our hotel since Disney Transportation was done for the day. We asked at the bell stand for a cab, and they instead had a valet drive us back to our hotel in a Lincoln Town Car free of charge! We gave him a nice tip since they were so friendly and helpful.
APRIL 9, WEDNESDAY - MARKETPLACE
Wednesday was our day off from the parks, to recoup and recover. We deliberately didn't plan anything for this day, and didn't decide what to do until that morning. We slept in late, and decided to hit Disney Marketplace for lunch and shopping, and they visit some of the hotels.
We took the bus to the Marketplace (aka Disney Village), arriving about 12:30pm. We decided to try to have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. I know there's a lot of controversy over this place on RADP, but we had to see for ourselves. We were surprised that there was only a half hour wait, and were told to be back at 1:03pm (exactly). They called our name at 1:03pm, and we were seated in the Gorilla room about 5 minutes later.
Lunch was delicious, I had the Rasta Pasta ($11.95), and Angie had the Maui Club ($10.95), both excellent. The food was quick and service was decent. Our only complaints were that the jungle noise was so loud that we had a hard time carrying on a conversation, and the bathroom attendants were annoying.
From there we hit all the shops in the Disney Marketplace for shopping. If you have a Magic Kingdom Club card do your shopping here, since you'll get 10% off in the shops. If you look real hard, you'll find some sale merchandise. I found a nice Mickey golf shirt that was half price.
From the Marketplace we took a bus to the Wilderness Lodge, since we wanted to see what it was like. It's a beautiful building with nice surroundings, but we still couldn't see paying the price. If you decide to visit, try to time your visit so that you can see the geyser which erupts on the hour. We just missed it.
From WL we took the boat to MK, and then a boat to the Grand Floridian. We both selected this hotel as the hotel we'd stay at if money weren't an object. The architecture is beautiful and nice atmosphere with the beach.
From GF we took the boat back to MK to catch the bus back to ASM. We ate dinner in the food court, and called it an early night since we had to get up early to head to Universal Studios the next day.
APRIL 10, THURSDAY - UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA
We got up early to catch the Mears shuttle to Universal at 8:05am. Cost was $10 per person, make sure you call at least one day in advance to get a reservation. They pick up at ASM once per hour at 5 minutes past the hour, and leave USF once per hour at 15 minutes past the hour. We chose 8:15pm return time since the park closed at 7pm, and we wanted to watch the Dynamite Stunt Spectacular at 7pm.
We got to the park and immediately headed to Back to the Future before the lines got long. As it turned out it didn't matter, since the lines were relatively short all day long. Back to the Future is a great ride, but gave Angie motion sickness.
From there we rode Jaws, Earthquake, and Kongfrontation. For Jaws don't sit on the left unless you want to get wet and aren't afraid of fire (it's very hot). If you've done any of these attractions in California, you'll be pleasantly surprised that they're even better at USF. They're longer and more detailed. The Kongfrontation ride is especially good, since you are riding a cable car that gets attacked by Kong.
If you've got a AAA card make sure you present it in all the gift shops and restaurants. Virtually everywhere you'll receive a 10% discount.
The park was busy with a film crew setting up for "Blade Jam", a special on roller blading that was going to be filmed on Friday and Saturday. It's supposed to air on ESPN in a month or two.
We ate lunch at the Hard Rock. Food is very expensive in USF, so it wasn't much more to eat at the Hard Rock. Make sure you get there a little early, we arrived at 11:50am and had about a 10 minute wait. The line quickly grew and was pretty long when we left. I had the bacon cheeseburger ($8.99) and Angie had the country club ($8.29), both pretty good.
Terminator 2 3-D was by far the best simulator/live action show we saw on our trip. I don't want to give anything away, I'll just say it combines a 3-D movie with actors portraying the Terminator characters that jump in and out of the 3-D movie.
We loved all the shows. Make sure you pick times for the shows you want to see and plan your day around them. We were able to see the Blues Brothers, Beetlejuice's Rock & Roll Graveyard Review, Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show, and the Animal Actors show. All were good, Angie liked the Animal Actors show the best (she's an animal lover).
Ghostbusters was closed, we were told that that is where they are building the new Twister ride, which opens in 1998. They are building a new park called "Islands of Adventure", which will have nightlife to rival Pleasure Island. And they are building a Jurassic Park ride like the one in California.
For the Dynamite Stunt Spectacular, try to get a spot near the middle of the lake for the best view. Avoid the areas that area marked "splash zone" unless you want to get wet.
And save the Lucy Tribute for last, it is adjacent to a gift shop and doesn't close until at least a half an hour after the rest of the park closes.
Getting the Mears shuttle back to ASM was a little chaotic. Mears doesn't do much planning ahead, they basically take all the people that are waiting and split them up between the available vehicles. We were put on a van with others heading to WDW, and got back in about a half an hour.
APRIL 11, FRIDAY - MGM STUDIOS & PLEASURE ISLAND
Woke up in the morning with a cold, which I didn't plan on, and hadn't brought any cold medicine. The ASM gift shop had plenty of supplies. Prices weren't too bad, I got Tylenol Cold for $6.50, which helped.
We headed to MGM, arriving just after 9am when the park opened. Since I wasn't feeling 100%, we decided to wait on the Tower of Terror and head to Star Tours. The line was only about 5 minutes. This was the first and only simulator that we went on that didn't make Angie queasy, probably because she's such a Star Wars fan (she has all the original action figures).
The forecast called for intermittent rain all day, so we headed for the first Indiana Jones Stunt Show of the day. If it's raining (or has rained) they cut the show in half and don't do all the outdoor stunts. It was standing room only, so we split up and squeezed into two single seats near each other. It sputtered rain all day long after that, just a few drops that kept the weather cool, but no big rains.
We ate lunch at the 50's Prime Time Diner. I had made priority seating reservations about 2 weeks early for 1pm. Since we showed up exactly at 1pm, we had about a 15 minute wait. Still the service was quick and we were able to get out in time to see the Toy Story parade. I had the pot roast and Angie had the club sandwich, both of which were excellent. Cost for both with 2 iced teas was $28.25 without tip. I was scolded once to take off my hat, and received a "clean plate club" sticker for cleaning my plate.
We enjoyed the Toy Story parade, but the area we were in near SuperStar TV was swarmed with black "love bugs". They are black, look like mosquitoes but bigger, but are harmless. There were so many of them that we actually had a message from guest services back in our room that night telling guests that they were harmless (yet annoying).
Plan ahead for attending Hunchback of Notre Dame, it's the most popular show in WDW for good reason. You should plan on getting there a half an hour before the show starts, while you wait you'll be entertained by a comedy juggler, who was pretty good. Hunchback was our favorite stage show with a very elaborate set, marionettes, and live singing. Don't miss it!
Beauty and the Beast was also good, we got there early as well and the preshow was an interview with Dick Van Patten, who was signing books in Ellen's Buy the Book that day. Beauty and the Beast is a good show, but not as good as Hunchback.
From there we headed to the Tower of Terror, and only had a 10 minute wait. Angie and I both loved it, the new "double and a half drop" is great. Although I thought the ride was a lot scarier when they took you to the top and waited before dropping you the whole way. Also, they advertise the Tower of Terror as faster than gravity. I believe it, since on the last drop, we felt the free fall down and then the ride pulled us down the rest of the shaft. If you like roller coasters, don't miss the Tower of Terror.
After that we headed to SuperStar Television. Angie was selected to be Cheers guest #5, which is the beautiful woman who walks into Cheers and is hit on by Sam Malone. She enjoyed it very much, and only flubbed one line. It's too bad there's no way to get a good picture to take home.
From there we hit the Magic of Disney Animation. Since I last visited 2 years ago, they've added a room where an animator draws characters for you, and you can ask questions. Very interesting and fun to watch. He told us that the new animation building will be an additional 200,000 square feet in addition to the 90,000 square feet. Also Hercules will be the first film produced entirely at MGM, instead of both MGM and California. If you want to see the animators in their natural habitat, make sure you go between 9am and 5pm. We visited at 7pm and the place was pretty much deserted.
The last thing we saw at MGM was the Backstage Pass to 101 Dalmatians. This was interesting, I got to be the bike rider who gets led on a wild ride by Pongo through the park. They film you on a blue screen and insert you into the picture. If you want to be selected be the first one in line and just ask.
Inside the production stages they were filming a twelve episode HBO special on space travel that will air in 1998. While we were there Tom Hanks was directing one of the episodes. We didn't see him, but they said if he is in the studio he'll usually wave at the visitors.
The bus back to ASM was a zoo, the lines again easily overrunning the available space. The buses were quick, we got on the third bus and only had to wait about 10 minutes.
We took our time getting ready for and heading to Pleasure Island, arriving around 11pm. We thought that the rain sprinkles would keep the crowds down, but no luck, PI was packed. We couldn't get into the Comedy Show, so we walked around and visited all the clubs, which were also packed.
Both of us were exhausted from a long week, so we decided to relax and laugh in the Adventurers Club, only leaving to see the midnight New Year's Eve celebration. In the Adventurers Club we saw two shows in the Library and one in the Treasure Room. Pick up a schedule near the front door when you enter.
Our favorite show was the Maid's sing-a-long in the library. She really got into her part and got the crowd involved. She saw me pointing my camera at her and gave me a real wacky pose. A lot of fun and something you don't find anywhere else.
We headed back to ASM around 1:30am, the buses run all the way up till 2am so we didn't have a very long wait.
APRIL 12, SATURDAY - TRAVEL
Slept in after Pleasure Island, took a leisurely morning of packing with our requested 1:00pm late check out. Read through the bill they left on our door, and discovered we were charged twice for our tickets to Epcot. The charge read "Automatic Hotel Repost". We charged all our food, tickets, and some merchandise to our room, so our bill was a lengthy three pages. I called the front desk and the double charge was immediately removed, but I wonder how many people don't catch these errors. Read your bill carefully!
We took our bags to luggage storage outside the front door, and headed to the Boardwalk for lunch. Took the bus to MGM, and the boat to the BW, which took around 45 minutes. Ate lunch at the "Big River Restaurant". The food was okay, but not great.
We were short on time so we took a taxi back to the ASM, since we knew that the return boat would go to the Yacht club and Swan/Dolphin before heading back to MGM, and that the bus from MGM to ASM would stop at All Star Sports first. Taxi cost of $6 (without tip) was well worth the saved time.
Mears was right on time for our trip to the airport (make sure you call at least a day ahead for return reservations). We were lucky and didn't stop at any other hotels before going to the airport, so we made it in about a half an hour. Once there we discovered that our American flight was going to be an hour late, so the gate agent switched us to a non-stop flight on Midway to Raleigh. Very lucky, since the non-stop flight actually got us home 3 hours earlier than going through Miami.
ADDITIONAL TIDBITS
* After the Coronado Springs resort is completed the next resort to be built will be the All Star Movies resort. We didn't get any dates.
* Utilize the free package delivery service to your room. Only takes a day, and saves a lot of carrying of packages.
* If you have a Magic Kingdom card, do all your shopping at the Disney Marketplace. You'll save 10% off in the stores. They have pretty much all the same merchandise as the parks and hotel shops at the same prices.
* Get the park maps, park hours, and parade and fireworks times from guest services in your hotel before you head to the park. You can then plan your day before actually arriving at the park.
Whew, now we can finally start getting our lives back in our dull boring routine, and start planning our next vacation, Las Vegas this fall!
Write me if you'd like more details or if you have questions!
Daniel
GoH `80, '97
Travel Method: Plane, Shuttle Service
Resort: ASR
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Infrequent
Comments: Daniel and his girlfriend spent several days at WDW in April. They did several things to keep costs down (Dan does a great job of describing those tactics) but didn't skimp on fun. They stayed at the ASMR and used Mears to move them around Orlando.
April 5 - 12, 1997
I decided to write this lengthy trip report as a thank you to everyone in RADP that helped us plan our vacation. While I can't thank everyone who answered my questions, I'd like to specifically thank everyone who contributes to Deb's Disney Digest. It was invaluable in helping us plan our trip. I hope this trip report helps others in planning their Disney vacations.
BACKGROUND:
My girlfriend Angie and I decided we needed a vacation, and started planning our vacation back in January. We booked a week in the All Star Music (ASM) at $84 per night ($93.24 with tax, the $79 rooms weren't available). We picked the week of April 5-12, since it was the last week eligible for the College Spring Break special, and was one week after the Easter rush.
In case you are wondering, we are actually two 30 year old professionals who still have valid college ids from graduate work. Disney accepted the ids without question and gave us the special price of $30 per day for a single park, with free Pleasure Island (same day), and an optional water park ticket for $12.50. What a bargain!
Also, since we have no kids, this trip was definitely planned and taken from a "Disney for Adults" perspective. You'll also notice that we avoided parks with early entry for Disney Resort guests.
If you found this trip report useful, please drop me a line. Also feel free to write me if you have any questions about this trip report!
APRIL 5, SATURDAY - TRAVEL DAY
We deliberately made both Saturdays our travel days, so that we wouldn't have to worry about doing parks the same day as travel. We took a flight from Raleigh to Orlando through Miami, arriving around 6pm. Bought two round trip tickets from Mears to the All Star Music, with our $3 discount coupon from Disney Reservations was $22 per adult.
Here's a tip, buy your Mears tickets before picking up your luggage. Mears usually has a short line, you'll save time waiting for both the bags and Mears.
Mears put us in a Lincoln Town Car with one person heading to the Swan and we were on our way. Very professional and quick. We were in the lobby of ASM by 7pm.
Once in ASM, we had no problem checking in. We were put in Jazz 2, which is the second closest set of buildings from the main building with guest services and the food court. Make sure you request Calypso (the closest) or Jazz when you make your reservations, otherwise you'll be in for a long walk. Jazz was actually better than Calypso for us, because the Calypso buildings border the guitar pool, which stayed relatively noisy. Also don't forget to request late check out when you check in. Thanks to the FAQ for these great tips we used!
The ASM is a great hotel, well worth the $84 price. We hardly spent any time in our room anyway, and never went in the hotel pools. Just be prepared for a lot of high school groups. We encountered a number of bands and a lot of students attending a robotics science fair.
After freshening up, we headed to the Contemporary for our 9:15pm dinner reservations at California Grill. Make sure you make those reservations at the 60 day mark, they are very hard to get! We had some time, so we decided to test out Disney transportation. We first boarded a bus from the ASM to EPCOT, and then took a monorail from EPCOT to the TTC. It wasn't busy so we got to ride up front, a great way to kick off the trip! From the TTC we switched to another monorail (the local) which makes a loop from TTC to POLY to GF to MK to Contemporary to TTC. This was the long way, it would have been faster to take the express monorail from TTC to MK and then take the local to the Contemporary.
We arrived at the California Grill around 8:45pm, a half an hour early. They had some empty tables, so we were seated right away. I asked for a table with a view of the MK fireworks, and we were seated right by the window with a beautiful view overlooking the MK. We ordered a chicken-goat cheese pizza for an appetizer (delicious) and both had the roasted chicken as a main course (good, but overpriced). For desert we had their triple chocolate desert (excellent) and pistachio creme brule' (good).
We timed our reservation just right, since the MK fireworks were at 10pm, about the time we were ordering deserts. We loved the California grill, but didn't think the food was worth the $100 total bill for both of us, which included 3 glasses of wine, tax and tip. The atmosphere made up for the difference. Make sure you walk outside on the platform through the door from the CG's lounge. The outdoor view is even better!
We took the monorail back to the TTC, only to discover that there isn't a bus from the TTC to the ASM. We headed back to MK via the monorail, and caught the bus there. Disney transportation is great for getting to the parks, but it's awful for going from resort to resort.
APRIL 6, SUNDAY - MAGIC KINGDOM
Got up early to make sure we were at MK for the 9am opening. Headed to the ASM food court for breakfast. Bought our refillable mugs ($7.99), good for sodas, coffee, tea, and breakfast. We ate at the ASM food court a lot, since their food was very reasonably priced and surprisingly good quality.
After breakfast we boarded the bus for the MK, and arrived around 8:30am. We were inside the park in front of the castle before the park officially opened, and were in prime position to head for Space Mountain for the first ride of the day. Once they opened the ropes it was mad dash (literally) to Space Mountain. We weren't first, but only had about a short 10 minute wait. We were glad we rode early, because the line got VERY long (40-60 minutes), and Space Mountain closed early (8:30pm). Thanks to Deb's Digest for the warning on the early closing.
From Space Mountain we went in the Alien Encounter, which was converted from the old Journey to Mars attraction. It was fabulous, Angie and I both agree that this was the scariest attraction in all the parks we visited (she just about took my arm off). I won't give away any of the secrets, I'll just say you better not be afraid of the dark (or aliens).
The park got busy very early, it was obvious that many people were finishing their Easter vacation with a last day at MK. Most rides had long lines, with Splash Mountain at one point having a 90 minute wait. We waited until dusk before riding Space Mountain, and had a 30 minute wait.
Lunch lines were long everywhere, we finally found a short line inside the Diamond Horseshow Saloon. It was between shows, so it was easy to get a sandwich. They had a singing cowboy entertaining everyone, so we had entertainment while we waited in line.
Try to scout your spot for the parades at least 15 minutes before the parade starts. Pick your spot somewhere near where the parade starts. That way when the parade is ending for you, you might be able to find a short line at one of the other attractions while everyone else is still watching the parade. We loved the Remember the Magic parade and the Spectromagic parade, they are both a great break from the rides and other shows.
I know everyone knows that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is closed, but nobody has the official word as to why. One CM told us that Disney decided to close the ride, and threw away all the parts for repairing all the subs. So even if they wanted to bring back the ride they can't.
The new Legend of the Lion King was great, mixing the movie with sophisticated stick puppets. However, both Angie and I agree, "Circle of Life" was the most overplayed song in the park. It was featured in several attractions, and played relentlessly. Not again, please!
We got in line for the Astro Orbiter at 9:15pm for our last ride of the day. We timed it just right, and reached our seats exactly at 9:30pm, so that the ride started exactly when the fireworks started. A great way to end the day!
We ate dinner back at the ASM food court, much cheaper and a good way to unwind after the crowds at MK.
APRIL 7, MONDAY - EPCOT
After breakfast at ASM, we arrived at EPCOT around 8:30am. We decided to head to Body Wars for the first ride of the day, before the lines got crowded. As luck would have it, the park was relatively empty for most of the day and the lines were short all day long. Body Wars was great, except Angie suffered motion sickness. I forgot that Body Wars featured Elizabeth Shue, must have been one of her early roles.
We walked by the new Test Track, not much to report here. Lots of construction noise but nothing else going on. They are currently saying a late June opening date.
We loved the Living Seas, especially seeing all the marine life. They had two large manatees in one tank, which were feeding on lettuce. I'd never seen them up close before, they were remarkable! This attraction was one of the more popular, and was fairly crowded.
The forecast called for a slight chance of an afternoon shower, which was actually an hour and a half of solid heavy rain. When it started to rain we headed to the Land, and did the Circle of Life, Living with the Land, and ate lunch in the food court. Try the barbeque sandwich and baked beans (excellent). When we walked out of the building it had stopped raining and didn't restart. Disney made a fortune off of ton of yellow rain parkas at $5 a pop.
If you want to save money, bring your own parkas. If the forecast calls for rain, take them to the park. If you don't want to carry them around all day, leave them in a locker at the front gate. That way you won't have to go all the way back to your hotel to get them. I also recommend you bring a ziplock bag with you. You can put items in it you don't want to get wet. Great for rainy days or wet rides like Splash Mountain.
We found 3 different talking water fountains, all near the large water fountain in Future World. Look for the fountains that have a button on the front of the fountain rather than on the spigot.
Honey I Shrunk the Audience consistently had the longest line of the day, but it moved quickly. The theater is very large, so we only had to wait about 20 minutes despite the long line. We loved this 3-D attraction, and voted it the second best 3-D movie we saw (first was Terminator 2 3-D at USF).
Visiting the countries was fun, but we kind of breezed through each one. We saw most of the movies, as well as the American Adventure. Our only regret was that we went on Monday, the one day that the acrobats from both Morocco and China weren't performing. Also the Maelstrom ride in Norway was fun, but not worth the line. For some reason it had a 20 minute wait, which at the time was the longest line in the park.
The line for the pastry shop in France was very long, so we skipped it. On our way out of France, we found a street cart that had some of the same pastries for sale, with a very short line. We got a croissant and apple tart, both delicious! You can also get great desserts (including Baklava) from the coffee shop in the back of Morocco.
Thanks for whoever gave me the tip to watch Illuminations from Norway, it had a great view of the fireworks and moderate crowds. Illuminations is designed to be viewable from all angles, but it is best to actually be in the 12;00 (America), 3:00 (UK), 6:00 (Future World), or 9:00 Norway) position on the lake.
After Illuminations we hung out in the shops to try and miss the crowds for the buses, but we still ran into a zoo. The waiting area for the buses at EPCOT is small, the lines easily overran the ropes set up for waiting. Luckily the buses were running very often, so we only had to wait around 15 minutes.
Our one regret for EPCOT was not planning our show schedule early enough. When we arrived in the World Showcase we couldn't see all of the shows because the timing was bad. Pick out the shows that are important to you and make sure you schedule your day around them.
APRIL 8, TUESDAY - BLIZZARD BEACH & BOARDWALK
We got up early again, ready for a full day at Blizzard Beach. By pure chance we asked guest services for the hours and found out that they had changed since we checked in, and were now 10am - 7pm instead of 9am - 6pm. So we ate a leisurely breakfast and took our time getting over to BB.
We got to BB about 9:45am and headed to the lockers. Locker rental is convenient, $3 for unlimited use of a small locker and $5 for a large locker, plus a $2 deposit. Go with the big locker, it's still pretty small. We split a large locker between Angie and I and had a hard time fitting our bag and shoes. FYI, if you get there late and all the lockers up front are taken, your locker will be on the other side of the park. You can also rent a towel for $1 for the day if you don't bring your own.
If you want a beach chair by the wave pool, claim one right away with your beach towel. They go pretty early, if you don't claim one you'll have to settle for a spot away from the pool.
Make sure you put on plenty of sunscreen and reapply it many times during the day. I reapplied about 3 times, and still had a lot of burn on my back and upper chest. As a result, make sure you pack some after-sun lotion, since you will likely get burned. If your hair parts in the same way all the time, make sure you put sunscreen on your scalp. Angie learned this the hard way and burned her part pretty good.
Also, buy some "water shoes", the kind that have a rubber sole and soft mesh on top. Everywhere you walk is concrete, and your feet will get sore quickly. We bought ours in Blizzard Beach for $10, you can get them a little cheaper if you bring your own. You can even wear the shoes on all the rides, except Slush Gusher and Summit Plummit, the 2 tall water slides. On those you take off your shoes and hold them in your hands across your chest on the way down.
The food at Blizzard Beach is pretty good. We ate at the Lottawatta Lodge, which had a good selection of sandwiches and burgers. Try the onion rings, they're large and tasty!
We rode pretty much all the rides, except for the Summit Plummit (didn't have the nerve) and the new Downhill Double Dipper. The Double Dipper had a long line all day long, so we skipped it for rides with shorter lines. The shortest line all day was for Runoff Rapids on the back side of BB. We never waited more than 10 minutes to get on Runoff Rapids.
Try to ride your favorite rides as many times as possible before noon. The lines were very long from noon until about 6pm. From 6pm till 7pm the park was emptying out, so we had short lines for everything. We ended the day with two rides on Slush Gusher in a row, with about a 5 minute wait.
The other thing that was deceiving to us is that the ski lift chair that goes to the top only accesses the Summit Plummit, Slush Gusher, and Teamboat Springs. For all the other rides you have to get a tube or sled at the bottom and carry it to the top yourself. The line for the ski lift can also be long, it can be faster just to hike to the top of the mountain.
Since Wednesday was our day off and we didn't have to get up early, we decided to check out the action at the new Disney Boardwalk. The first challenge was getting to the Boardwalk from ASM. There isn't any easy way to get there at night, we had to take the bus to the Disney Marketplace and change to a bus to the Boardwalk. The buses also stopped at Pleasure Island and Typhoon Lagoon, so it took almost an hour to reach the Boardwalk, so we didn't get there until around 9:30pm.
During the day an easier way to reach the Boardwalk is to take the bus to MGM and then take the boat to the Boardwalk, which took about 40 minutes. Still, if you're in a hurry, take a cab. We did one time and it cost us $6 without tip.
For dinner we selected the ESPN Club. The line was short, we were seated within 5 minutes. Angie had the grilled chicken sandwich ($7.95), which she said was very good. I had the penne pasta with sundried vegetables and cream sauce ($11.95). I didn't like this pasta dish very much, since the sun-dried vegetables were almost all onion. I guess if you like a lot of onion it's ok.
After dinner we walked the boardwalk, there wasn't much going on. We saw people riding 4 passenger bicycles, street vendors with food, and some games of chance. I thought we'd see some street performers, but no luck.
We weren't sure what to do next, so we gave Jellyrolls a try. Jellyrolls is a piano bar like you've never seen before. Picture two guys each playing a piano, and playing some of the most unconventional piano songs you can think of, like "Mony Mony", "I Will Survive", "Hand Jive", "Friends in Low Places", etc. They play requests from the audience, and you have to sing along (lots of audience participation). It was a great way to unwind without kids around, so we stayed there for 2 hours. Well worth the $2 cover per person, although drinks were expensive. We had one Bud Light and a Mai Tai, and the bill was $8.25.
We left about 1am and were stuck trying to get back to our hotel since Disney Transportation was done for the day. We asked at the bell stand for a cab, and they instead had a valet drive us back to our hotel in a Lincoln Town Car free of charge! We gave him a nice tip since they were so friendly and helpful.
APRIL 9, WEDNESDAY - MARKETPLACE
Wednesday was our day off from the parks, to recoup and recover. We deliberately didn't plan anything for this day, and didn't decide what to do until that morning. We slept in late, and decided to hit Disney Marketplace for lunch and shopping, and they visit some of the hotels.
We took the bus to the Marketplace (aka Disney Village), arriving about 12:30pm. We decided to try to have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. I know there's a lot of controversy over this place on RADP, but we had to see for ourselves. We were surprised that there was only a half hour wait, and were told to be back at 1:03pm (exactly). They called our name at 1:03pm, and we were seated in the Gorilla room about 5 minutes later.
Lunch was delicious, I had the Rasta Pasta ($11.95), and Angie had the Maui Club ($10.95), both excellent. The food was quick and service was decent. Our only complaints were that the jungle noise was so loud that we had a hard time carrying on a conversation, and the bathroom attendants were annoying.
From there we hit all the shops in the Disney Marketplace for shopping. If you have a Magic Kingdom Club card do your shopping here, since you'll get 10% off in the shops. If you look real hard, you'll find some sale merchandise. I found a nice Mickey golf shirt that was half price.
From the Marketplace we took a bus to the Wilderness Lodge, since we wanted to see what it was like. It's a beautiful building with nice surroundings, but we still couldn't see paying the price. If you decide to visit, try to time your visit so that you can see the geyser which erupts on the hour. We just missed it.
From WL we took the boat to MK, and then a boat to the Grand Floridian. We both selected this hotel as the hotel we'd stay at if money weren't an object. The architecture is beautiful and nice atmosphere with the beach.
From GF we took the boat back to MK to catch the bus back to ASM. We ate dinner in the food court, and called it an early night since we had to get up early to head to Universal Studios the next day.
APRIL 10, THURSDAY - UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA
We got up early to catch the Mears shuttle to Universal at 8:05am. Cost was $10 per person, make sure you call at least one day in advance to get a reservation. They pick up at ASM once per hour at 5 minutes past the hour, and leave USF once per hour at 15 minutes past the hour. We chose 8:15pm return time since the park closed at 7pm, and we wanted to watch the Dynamite Stunt Spectacular at 7pm.
We got to the park and immediately headed to Back to the Future before the lines got long. As it turned out it didn't matter, since the lines were relatively short all day long. Back to the Future is a great ride, but gave Angie motion sickness.
From there we rode Jaws, Earthquake, and Kongfrontation. For Jaws don't sit on the left unless you want to get wet and aren't afraid of fire (it's very hot). If you've done any of these attractions in California, you'll be pleasantly surprised that they're even better at USF. They're longer and more detailed. The Kongfrontation ride is especially good, since you are riding a cable car that gets attacked by Kong.
If you've got a AAA card make sure you present it in all the gift shops and restaurants. Virtually everywhere you'll receive a 10% discount.
The park was busy with a film crew setting up for "Blade Jam", a special on roller blading that was going to be filmed on Friday and Saturday. It's supposed to air on ESPN in a month or two.
We ate lunch at the Hard Rock. Food is very expensive in USF, so it wasn't much more to eat at the Hard Rock. Make sure you get there a little early, we arrived at 11:50am and had about a 10 minute wait. The line quickly grew and was pretty long when we left. I had the bacon cheeseburger ($8.99) and Angie had the country club ($8.29), both pretty good.
Terminator 2 3-D was by far the best simulator/live action show we saw on our trip. I don't want to give anything away, I'll just say it combines a 3-D movie with actors portraying the Terminator characters that jump in and out of the 3-D movie.
We loved all the shows. Make sure you pick times for the shows you want to see and plan your day around them. We were able to see the Blues Brothers, Beetlejuice's Rock & Roll Graveyard Review, Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show, and the Animal Actors show. All were good, Angie liked the Animal Actors show the best (she's an animal lover).
Ghostbusters was closed, we were told that that is where they are building the new Twister ride, which opens in 1998. They are building a new park called "Islands of Adventure", which will have nightlife to rival Pleasure Island. And they are building a Jurassic Park ride like the one in California.
For the Dynamite Stunt Spectacular, try to get a spot near the middle of the lake for the best view. Avoid the areas that area marked "splash zone" unless you want to get wet.
And save the Lucy Tribute for last, it is adjacent to a gift shop and doesn't close until at least a half an hour after the rest of the park closes.
Getting the Mears shuttle back to ASM was a little chaotic. Mears doesn't do much planning ahead, they basically take all the people that are waiting and split them up between the available vehicles. We were put on a van with others heading to WDW, and got back in about a half an hour.
APRIL 11, FRIDAY - MGM STUDIOS & PLEASURE ISLAND
Woke up in the morning with a cold, which I didn't plan on, and hadn't brought any cold medicine. The ASM gift shop had plenty of supplies. Prices weren't too bad, I got Tylenol Cold for $6.50, which helped.
We headed to MGM, arriving just after 9am when the park opened. Since I wasn't feeling 100%, we decided to wait on the Tower of Terror and head to Star Tours. The line was only about 5 minutes. This was the first and only simulator that we went on that didn't make Angie queasy, probably because she's such a Star Wars fan (she has all the original action figures).
The forecast called for intermittent rain all day, so we headed for the first Indiana Jones Stunt Show of the day. If it's raining (or has rained) they cut the show in half and don't do all the outdoor stunts. It was standing room only, so we split up and squeezed into two single seats near each other. It sputtered rain all day long after that, just a few drops that kept the weather cool, but no big rains.
We ate lunch at the 50's Prime Time Diner. I had made priority seating reservations about 2 weeks early for 1pm. Since we showed up exactly at 1pm, we had about a 15 minute wait. Still the service was quick and we were able to get out in time to see the Toy Story parade. I had the pot roast and Angie had the club sandwich, both of which were excellent. Cost for both with 2 iced teas was $28.25 without tip. I was scolded once to take off my hat, and received a "clean plate club" sticker for cleaning my plate.
We enjoyed the Toy Story parade, but the area we were in near SuperStar TV was swarmed with black "love bugs". They are black, look like mosquitoes but bigger, but are harmless. There were so many of them that we actually had a message from guest services back in our room that night telling guests that they were harmless (yet annoying).
Plan ahead for attending Hunchback of Notre Dame, it's the most popular show in WDW for good reason. You should plan on getting there a half an hour before the show starts, while you wait you'll be entertained by a comedy juggler, who was pretty good. Hunchback was our favorite stage show with a very elaborate set, marionettes, and live singing. Don't miss it!
Beauty and the Beast was also good, we got there early as well and the preshow was an interview with Dick Van Patten, who was signing books in Ellen's Buy the Book that day. Beauty and the Beast is a good show, but not as good as Hunchback.
From there we headed to the Tower of Terror, and only had a 10 minute wait. Angie and I both loved it, the new "double and a half drop" is great. Although I thought the ride was a lot scarier when they took you to the top and waited before dropping you the whole way. Also, they advertise the Tower of Terror as faster than gravity. I believe it, since on the last drop, we felt the free fall down and then the ride pulled us down the rest of the shaft. If you like roller coasters, don't miss the Tower of Terror.
After that we headed to SuperStar Television. Angie was selected to be Cheers guest #5, which is the beautiful woman who walks into Cheers and is hit on by Sam Malone. She enjoyed it very much, and only flubbed one line. It's too bad there's no way to get a good picture to take home.
From there we hit the Magic of Disney Animation. Since I last visited 2 years ago, they've added a room where an animator draws characters for you, and you can ask questions. Very interesting and fun to watch. He told us that the new animation building will be an additional 200,000 square feet in addition to the 90,000 square feet. Also Hercules will be the first film produced entirely at MGM, instead of both MGM and California. If you want to see the animators in their natural habitat, make sure you go between 9am and 5pm. We visited at 7pm and the place was pretty much deserted.
The last thing we saw at MGM was the Backstage Pass to 101 Dalmatians. This was interesting, I got to be the bike rider who gets led on a wild ride by Pongo through the park. They film you on a blue screen and insert you into the picture. If you want to be selected be the first one in line and just ask.
Inside the production stages they were filming a twelve episode HBO special on space travel that will air in 1998. While we were there Tom Hanks was directing one of the episodes. We didn't see him, but they said if he is in the studio he'll usually wave at the visitors.
The bus back to ASM was a zoo, the lines again easily overrunning the available space. The buses were quick, we got on the third bus and only had to wait about 10 minutes.
We took our time getting ready for and heading to Pleasure Island, arriving around 11pm. We thought that the rain sprinkles would keep the crowds down, but no luck, PI was packed. We couldn't get into the Comedy Show, so we walked around and visited all the clubs, which were also packed.
Both of us were exhausted from a long week, so we decided to relax and laugh in the Adventurers Club, only leaving to see the midnight New Year's Eve celebration. In the Adventurers Club we saw two shows in the Library and one in the Treasure Room. Pick up a schedule near the front door when you enter.
Our favorite show was the Maid's sing-a-long in the library. She really got into her part and got the crowd involved. She saw me pointing my camera at her and gave me a real wacky pose. A lot of fun and something you don't find anywhere else.
We headed back to ASM around 1:30am, the buses run all the way up till 2am so we didn't have a very long wait.
APRIL 12, SATURDAY - TRAVEL
Slept in after Pleasure Island, took a leisurely morning of packing with our requested 1:00pm late check out. Read through the bill they left on our door, and discovered we were charged twice for our tickets to Epcot. The charge read "Automatic Hotel Repost". We charged all our food, tickets, and some merchandise to our room, so our bill was a lengthy three pages. I called the front desk and the double charge was immediately removed, but I wonder how many people don't catch these errors. Read your bill carefully!
We took our bags to luggage storage outside the front door, and headed to the Boardwalk for lunch. Took the bus to MGM, and the boat to the BW, which took around 45 minutes. Ate lunch at the "Big River Restaurant". The food was okay, but not great.
We were short on time so we took a taxi back to the ASM, since we knew that the return boat would go to the Yacht club and Swan/Dolphin before heading back to MGM, and that the bus from MGM to ASM would stop at All Star Sports first. Taxi cost of $6 (without tip) was well worth the saved time.
Mears was right on time for our trip to the airport (make sure you call at least a day ahead for return reservations). We were lucky and didn't stop at any other hotels before going to the airport, so we made it in about a half an hour. Once there we discovered that our American flight was going to be an hour late, so the gate agent switched us to a non-stop flight on Midway to Raleigh. Very lucky, since the non-stop flight actually got us home 3 hours earlier than going through Miami.
ADDITIONAL TIDBITS
* After the Coronado Springs resort is completed the next resort to be built will be the All Star Movies resort. We didn't get any dates.
* Utilize the free package delivery service to your room. Only takes a day, and saves a lot of carrying of packages.
* If you have a Magic Kingdom card, do all your shopping at the Disney Marketplace. You'll save 10% off in the stores. They have pretty much all the same merchandise as the parks and hotel shops at the same prices.
* Get the park maps, park hours, and parade and fireworks times from guest services in your hotel before you head to the park. You can then plan your day before actually arriving at the park.
Whew, now we can finally start getting our lives back in our dull boring routine, and start planning our next vacation, Las Vegas this fall!
Write me if you'd like more details or if you have questions!
Daniel
GoH `80, '97