Trip Reports
01-07-2007, 11:21 AM
Friday August 8th
Spent the afternoon packing the Van and finally my wife and four daughters jumped in and left Home (near Philadelphia International Airport) at 6 PM to get a jump on traffic for the weekend. We traveled to about ½ hour past Richmond, VA and stayed at a Comfort Inn there.
Saturday August 9th
Left the Comfort Inn at 8 AM and traveled to Petersburg, GA stopping at 6 PM. We did stop for a roadside lunch and shared our lunch with a stray dog left behind at the rest area. Hopefully someone picked him up and gave him a good home.
Sunday August 10th
Left the Quality Inn at Petersburg at 9 PM and arrived at The WL at 1 PM. We checked into our Junior Suite which was ready when we arrived. The family had stayed at the Contemporary on our last 2 recent visits so this was a bit different. I like it. A lot different than the Contemporary and the CM's go out of their way. The Bell Service was fast and friendly and the entire staff made us feel at home. Angie who checked us in called the room about ½ hour past check in to make sure all was fine.
We unpacked and I went down to check out the menu at the Artist Point where we had made dinner reservations. As I was pondering the menu a small tour was going into the restaurant and I was invited to tag along. I got a quick history of the artwork in the restaurant and the chef let us sample some of the dishes. WOW the Salmon was great so I knew what I would order.
We had dinner. It was great. After dinner it had started to rain so we got some ponchos and hit the MK at 8:30. It was great between 8:30 PM and 10:30 we rode FF, SW, PP, CB, HM and TC. We retired back to the room at 11:00 and all feel fast asleep.
Monday August 11th
Had breakfast at Chef Mickeys. After Breakfast we looked around the shops at the Contemporary then headed back to the WL to hit the pool and rent 3 water sprites for an hour. This is included in the Food and Fun.
We headed to MK and dinner at Tony's. While we were having dinner a bad storm rolled in. Lightening struck what looked like the top of the Main Entrance and everyone in Town Square literally dove for cover. Dinner was great.
After we hit the Welcome center and an interesting film on things to come at WDW. The animal kingdom looks great. Five times the size of MK. We got our commemorative pins and lithograph.
By then it stopped raining so we headed to Toon Town Fair so the little ones could see Minnie's house and Mickey's house. You walk through Mickey's and everything is roped off but in Minnie's house you can touch and play with things in her living room and Kitchen.
We then went on the Roller Coaster there. Thought it would be a mild little thing but kind of more than expected. My 5 year old's first ride on a roller coaster and she loved it.
We then went to Carousel of Progress and People Mover. After we walked around the park and got Arial's autograph and picture for the little ones and watched the fireworks. Back to the WL for a few games in the game room and off to bed.
Tuesday August 12th
Had breakfast at Park Fare at GF. And explored the GF after.
We headed back to WL and due to extreme heat hit the pool right of way.
We headed over to MGM about 2:30 to catch the 3:30 Hercules parade. It was worth standing in the hot sun for ½ hour.
Then onto 101 Dalmatians Tour, Star Tours and dinner at the Sci Fi. Dinner was good and enjoyed the waiter. I like how they interact with the B Sci Films playing on the screen.
After dinner it was still hot so we walked around to digest our diner before heading over to the TofT while the little ones took in Little Mermaid. Tof T was worth the wait according to my 13 yr. Dad decided to sit this one out. We watched the fireworks and headed back to WL.
Wednesday August 13th
Had breakfast at Artists Point. This by far was the best character breakfast I have been at in the last 3 years. Artists Point was not too crowded which gave the Pocohontas, Jon Smith, Meko and Gov. Ratcliffe time to spend at each table and kid around with the guests. Meko kept stealing our food and Gov Ratcliffe kept throwing crayons at my older 2 daughters. They also had a trivia game for the little ones about Pocohontas. Meko grabbed by 5 year old and made sure she won a prize.
Unfortunately it was that dreaded day. Laundry Day. So the wife and me hit the laundry with quarters in hand while the kids hit the game room with more quarters then us. We then hit the pool for the afternoon. We were going to hit a water park but we were all a bit tired. Left for dinner at the Concourse Steakhouse at 5 PM.
Thursday August 14th
Breakfast at Cinderella's Table in the castle...a sampler plate of all the breakfast entrees with the option to order more of what you like.
Then on to ride Dumbo, Space Mountain, Snow White, Mr. Toad's Ride and It's a Small World.
Picked up our picture of the Kids In Front of the Castle and back to the WL for a swim in the pool. A few minutes to relax before heading to Epcot for Dinner at the Teppanyaki Dining Room in Japan. Always one of our favorites. After we walked around World Showcase and ended up at Spaceship Earth before heading back to the Contemporary Game Room and then to the WL.
Friday August 15th
Breakfast at the Garden Grill. Food was OK and the revolving restaurant was a treat.
After we took in the land, the Figment imagination ride, Innoventions and Horizons. This was the first time I did Horizons and it is really a good and educational attraction. Unfortunately the Test Track is still not open.
We then headed back to the WL for some fun and sun.
We had reservations at the Polynesian Luau and when we arrived it was getting very cloudy. We were seated and it started to rain followed by thunder and lightning and wind and more rain. I thought we were eating at Typhoon Lagoon. As a result of the weather they canceled the show after dinner and refunded the complete price of the dinner. Of course being as I was on the food and fun plan this was credited back to my account. Have some catching up to do now on our spending. I thought it was nice of Disney to give us a full refund even though we got the complete dinner.
The little ones were tired so dispite the fact that it was clearing up we headed back to WL to the game room and an early night.
Saturday August 16th
Breakfast at the Concourse Steakhouse and onto the Boardwalk for some sightseeing.
We were going to hit one of the water parks but deferred it to after the weekend because of the weekend crowds. We went back to the WL for some Volleyball, swimming and we took out the water sprites for an hour.
We had dinner at the Crystal Palace. It started to rain and we had to wait for an hour after our priority seating time for a table. We had scheduled dinner with another couple and their daughter and niece and ended up seating at separate tables away from one another. It was the first time this trip with a meal that Disney did not seem to have their act together due to the number of people in the park. After dinner it had stopped raining and we heading back to Mickey's Toontown when it started to thunder and lightning again so we decided to head back to the WL.
Now this was the first time we encountered a lot of people in the park, more than normal that is, and the reason Disney has to come up with a better way to get people around during the nighttime parade. In order to get to the main gate 45 minutes before the parade we had to fight our way though the crowd. While attempting to cross the street some women purposely tried to trip my wife and 5 year daughter with her bag and they almost fell in the middle of the street. When she tried the same with me and my 8 year old daughter the bag went flying via my foot. She yelled that she was sitting there for two hours waiting for the parade and I said what has that got to do with us crossing the street (if we were trying to get in front of her that would be another story) and told her how a bolt a lightning hitting her head would improve her looks and with that I waved good-bye with an international gesture if you get my drift. Well so much for that encounter.
We managed to reach the entrance without further confrontation. However Disney has to come up with a much better way to accommodate guests attempting to leave the park during parades and such.
Sunday August 17th
Had breakfast at Whispering Canyon. Family style and a lot of fun. I will not ruin it for you but ask for Ketchup and see what happens or ask where the men's room is or ask for another fork or wear a T-shirt from an Orlando attraction other than Disney.
Well after breakfast I did something I had put off. I had a Sinus headache for 2 days and it was really bad this morning so I drove over to the Walk In Medical Center that is in the Disney WL Directory. It is not part of Disney but is near the Marketplace. The Medical Center is well staffed and after I had said that I would pay via credit card and file a claim with my insurance company so that I would not have to wait for a referral from my doctor they saw me right away. After the doctor gave me a good exam and prescribed medication which you can have filled at the pharmacy there, I was surprised when I went to pay and was told that they took the liberty to call my insurance carrier and get authorization to treat me with a $10 co-pay. I thought that they really went out of there way to accommodate me and my wallet. Back home they would have taken the money and left it up to me to file the claim. Well the medication kicked in by mid-afternoon when I was at the pool.
We originally had reservations at Coral Reef at Epcot but I changed them to Artist Point -- could not resist the Salmon for a second time and it was just as good.
We headed to MK at 8 PM and found out that the park now closes at 10 PM. From past visits I remembered that they do cut back on the operating hours but I remember 11 PM. Well, rode PofC, Small World and my 5 year old got to ride the Barnstormer roller coaster at ToonTown 3 times with no wait. We headed back to WL at the end of the parade to avoid the rush.
Monday August 18th
Had breakfast at Tony's in MK. It is always a good meal and nice atmosphere in the morning.
After we rode Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Pirates again, Dumbo and Astro Orbitor.
We then watched the 3 O'clock parade. My 2 little ones were picked to be part of the Lion King float. They loved it.
After we headed back for a quick dip in the pool before heading back for dinner at Liberty Tavern. We needed to cool off after watching the parade as the sun got to all of us. The meal was good and it was nice and cool.
After we rode Splash Mountain and got onto Thunder Mountain Railroad 3 times with absolutely no wait at all. The little ones rode Small World and Pirates (by now one of their favorites) 2 times with no wait.
We then watched the parade and fireworks and headed back to WL. This was a problem we had to wait in line 45 minutes before we could get onto the boat. They need a bigger boat or to divert more boats to transport people to the WL when the park closes. After holding my sleeping 5 year old I was ready for bed when we hit the room while the others headed to the pool for a late night swim.
Tuesday August 19th
An early breakfast at the snack bar at the WL and onto Blizzard Beach for the opening at 9 AM. By 10:30 AM the gates were closed.
In the first 2 hours we got to get on a lot of the rides a couple of times. By 1 PM it was crowded and lines were long so we headed back to WL.
We had dinner at Cinderella's Castle and it was a very good meal but we had to wait almost an hour even though we had priority seating.
After dinner we headed back to the Barnstormer once again now my 5 year olds favorite ride and rode it several times, she was in her glory.
It was time for the 9 PM Parade so we took the train and headed to the main gate to avoid the rush.
Wednesday August 20th
Early entry into MGM and breakfast at the Soundstage. Dad's turn to pose with Esmeralda. Oh the food was good also.
We then road Star Tours and the little ones got autographs. We caught the sound shows and then TofT before the heat got us and back to WL for our afternoon swim.
We had dinner at Chef Mickey's and after dinner we went to the MK and rode GPR, MTR, SN we then watched the Spectromagic Parade and the wife and little ones headed back to Toontown to ride the barnstormer once again as myself and the older kids headed for the AstroOrbiters. I must admit that I am OK on rides that go up and down like SM but the AstroOrbital ride going around in circles high up got to my stomach a bit.
I should mention at this time that this week Disney started a thing called the E Express Ticket. For an additional $10, length-of-stay ticket holders can stay in the park from 10 PM (Closing) till 1 AM and ride a lot of the main attractions like SM, PofC, Splash Mt, etc. We did not take advantage of this as we had ridden these rides several times already.
Thursday August 21st
We had Breakfast at the Coral Isle at the Polynesian. After we headed to the Marketplace to do some shopping, or should I say for my wife to do some shopping while I complained the whole time. I am not big on shopping as you can see but she was in her glory at the Marketplace. I heard that that Disney Stock went up 10 points when they heard she was starting her shopping spree.
After we went back to the WL and rented bikes and rode over to the campground. It was nice ride through the woods on a paved path. Once there we visited the petting zoo and the 2 little ones got a pony ride. Then back to the WL to get ready for dinner at Alfredo's in Italy at Epcot.
It was a great meal as usual and everyone ate the delicious desert.
Afterwards we walked around World Showcase and caught Illuminations. We departed Epcot and went to the Contemporary so the kids could cash in their tickets from the game room for prizes. Then onto the WL to get ready to depart the next day.
Friday August 22nd
We had a 9 o'clock breakfast at Artist Point to say goodbye to Pocohontas and friends.
We loaded the car. The WL had canceled all days off so they would have plenty of people to help us load our van.
We then drove over to the Contemporary and went to the MK one last time. The little ones rode some rides in FL and myself and the older ones hit SM and AE one last time.
We left the park at 4 PM and went back to the Contemporary we attempted to spend what was left on our food and fun card. The kids loaded up with cookies, cereal, chips and soda. I grabbed several liter bottles of wine, a dozen bottles of Margueritas and 2 six packs of 7 oz white wine. Figured a perfect gift for those we forgot to buy for.
We left the Disney complex at 5:30 and headed north. We drove as far as Savannah before stopping for the night.
Saturday August 23rd
Travel day made it as far as Fredericksburg, of course stopping at South of The Border. The place never changes.
Sunday August 24th
We slept in a bit as we only had a 3 ½ ride home. We arrived home at 1 PM and looked up the number to make reservations at Disney for next year.
Comments:
Accommodations: GREAT. I thought the Wilderness Lodge was a great choice. My daughters were disappointed when I did not book the Contemporary as I would have needed two rooms but by the second day openly admitted that they liked the WL Better. It was a lot more quiet than the CR and more relaxed atmosphere. We had a Junior suite and it was great. The suites are on the corners and we overlooked the water with a great view of the geyser, beach and water show. The suite was more square with a hallway leading to the living room which had a pull-out sofa, table, chairs, TV, sink, coffee maker, refrigerator, two lounge chairs and a balcony. Off to the right were two french doors leading to the bedroom with 2 double beds, TV and Chiffarobe. It also had a small private balcony and windows on the adjoining wall. The staff was great. They replenished the coffee daily and brought up more with the touch of the phone. Nightly they would come in and replace the used towels, empty the trash cans and turn down the beds and make up the sofa bed. Also arranging our little ones stuffed animals and leaving us mints on each bed. The valet staff, recreational staff, housekeeping and all the rest were great catering to your every need.
Food-n-Fun: I liked it. Unlike the coupon system of the past you could use it for any meal or snack including alcoholic drinks even at the pool. I did leave about $100 behind due to the $250 dollar credit I got when they canceled the Luau because of rain but gave us the meal part of the Luau. If you are planning on eating well while you are there go for the plan if your looking at buffets and fast food it would not be worth it. We also took advantage of the recreational part of it renting the water sprits many time, bike rental and pony rides. There are no restrictions on the food that you can order or number of courses when using the card and 15% gratuity is added in for you. Just sign and go.
Crowds: Not as bad as last year and we encountered very few Brazilian with whom we got aggravated last year due to the large number of them. If you took advantage of the early openings and short lines during the parade you could get a lot done in a short time.
Weather: The same everyday. High of 94, Low of 78 with chance of PM T-Showers. It rained briefly 7 of our 12 days there however the rain came every time as we were having dinner.
Disappointments: The Test Track was not open as of yet.
Overall: A great trip.
Bob Pescatore
macdade@voicenet.com
Spent the afternoon packing the Van and finally my wife and four daughters jumped in and left Home (near Philadelphia International Airport) at 6 PM to get a jump on traffic for the weekend. We traveled to about ½ hour past Richmond, VA and stayed at a Comfort Inn there.
Saturday August 9th
Left the Comfort Inn at 8 AM and traveled to Petersburg, GA stopping at 6 PM. We did stop for a roadside lunch and shared our lunch with a stray dog left behind at the rest area. Hopefully someone picked him up and gave him a good home.
Sunday August 10th
Left the Quality Inn at Petersburg at 9 PM and arrived at The WL at 1 PM. We checked into our Junior Suite which was ready when we arrived. The family had stayed at the Contemporary on our last 2 recent visits so this was a bit different. I like it. A lot different than the Contemporary and the CM's go out of their way. The Bell Service was fast and friendly and the entire staff made us feel at home. Angie who checked us in called the room about ½ hour past check in to make sure all was fine.
We unpacked and I went down to check out the menu at the Artist Point where we had made dinner reservations. As I was pondering the menu a small tour was going into the restaurant and I was invited to tag along. I got a quick history of the artwork in the restaurant and the chef let us sample some of the dishes. WOW the Salmon was great so I knew what I would order.
We had dinner. It was great. After dinner it had started to rain so we got some ponchos and hit the MK at 8:30. It was great between 8:30 PM and 10:30 we rode FF, SW, PP, CB, HM and TC. We retired back to the room at 11:00 and all feel fast asleep.
Monday August 11th
Had breakfast at Chef Mickeys. After Breakfast we looked around the shops at the Contemporary then headed back to the WL to hit the pool and rent 3 water sprites for an hour. This is included in the Food and Fun.
We headed to MK and dinner at Tony's. While we were having dinner a bad storm rolled in. Lightening struck what looked like the top of the Main Entrance and everyone in Town Square literally dove for cover. Dinner was great.
After we hit the Welcome center and an interesting film on things to come at WDW. The animal kingdom looks great. Five times the size of MK. We got our commemorative pins and lithograph.
By then it stopped raining so we headed to Toon Town Fair so the little ones could see Minnie's house and Mickey's house. You walk through Mickey's and everything is roped off but in Minnie's house you can touch and play with things in her living room and Kitchen.
We then went on the Roller Coaster there. Thought it would be a mild little thing but kind of more than expected. My 5 year old's first ride on a roller coaster and she loved it.
We then went to Carousel of Progress and People Mover. After we walked around the park and got Arial's autograph and picture for the little ones and watched the fireworks. Back to the WL for a few games in the game room and off to bed.
Tuesday August 12th
Had breakfast at Park Fare at GF. And explored the GF after.
We headed back to WL and due to extreme heat hit the pool right of way.
We headed over to MGM about 2:30 to catch the 3:30 Hercules parade. It was worth standing in the hot sun for ½ hour.
Then onto 101 Dalmatians Tour, Star Tours and dinner at the Sci Fi. Dinner was good and enjoyed the waiter. I like how they interact with the B Sci Films playing on the screen.
After dinner it was still hot so we walked around to digest our diner before heading over to the TofT while the little ones took in Little Mermaid. Tof T was worth the wait according to my 13 yr. Dad decided to sit this one out. We watched the fireworks and headed back to WL.
Wednesday August 13th
Had breakfast at Artists Point. This by far was the best character breakfast I have been at in the last 3 years. Artists Point was not too crowded which gave the Pocohontas, Jon Smith, Meko and Gov. Ratcliffe time to spend at each table and kid around with the guests. Meko kept stealing our food and Gov Ratcliffe kept throwing crayons at my older 2 daughters. They also had a trivia game for the little ones about Pocohontas. Meko grabbed by 5 year old and made sure she won a prize.
Unfortunately it was that dreaded day. Laundry Day. So the wife and me hit the laundry with quarters in hand while the kids hit the game room with more quarters then us. We then hit the pool for the afternoon. We were going to hit a water park but we were all a bit tired. Left for dinner at the Concourse Steakhouse at 5 PM.
Thursday August 14th
Breakfast at Cinderella's Table in the castle...a sampler plate of all the breakfast entrees with the option to order more of what you like.
Then on to ride Dumbo, Space Mountain, Snow White, Mr. Toad's Ride and It's a Small World.
Picked up our picture of the Kids In Front of the Castle and back to the WL for a swim in the pool. A few minutes to relax before heading to Epcot for Dinner at the Teppanyaki Dining Room in Japan. Always one of our favorites. After we walked around World Showcase and ended up at Spaceship Earth before heading back to the Contemporary Game Room and then to the WL.
Friday August 15th
Breakfast at the Garden Grill. Food was OK and the revolving restaurant was a treat.
After we took in the land, the Figment imagination ride, Innoventions and Horizons. This was the first time I did Horizons and it is really a good and educational attraction. Unfortunately the Test Track is still not open.
We then headed back to the WL for some fun and sun.
We had reservations at the Polynesian Luau and when we arrived it was getting very cloudy. We were seated and it started to rain followed by thunder and lightning and wind and more rain. I thought we were eating at Typhoon Lagoon. As a result of the weather they canceled the show after dinner and refunded the complete price of the dinner. Of course being as I was on the food and fun plan this was credited back to my account. Have some catching up to do now on our spending. I thought it was nice of Disney to give us a full refund even though we got the complete dinner.
The little ones were tired so dispite the fact that it was clearing up we headed back to WL to the game room and an early night.
Saturday August 16th
Breakfast at the Concourse Steakhouse and onto the Boardwalk for some sightseeing.
We were going to hit one of the water parks but deferred it to after the weekend because of the weekend crowds. We went back to the WL for some Volleyball, swimming and we took out the water sprites for an hour.
We had dinner at the Crystal Palace. It started to rain and we had to wait for an hour after our priority seating time for a table. We had scheduled dinner with another couple and their daughter and niece and ended up seating at separate tables away from one another. It was the first time this trip with a meal that Disney did not seem to have their act together due to the number of people in the park. After dinner it had stopped raining and we heading back to Mickey's Toontown when it started to thunder and lightning again so we decided to head back to the WL.
Now this was the first time we encountered a lot of people in the park, more than normal that is, and the reason Disney has to come up with a better way to get people around during the nighttime parade. In order to get to the main gate 45 minutes before the parade we had to fight our way though the crowd. While attempting to cross the street some women purposely tried to trip my wife and 5 year daughter with her bag and they almost fell in the middle of the street. When she tried the same with me and my 8 year old daughter the bag went flying via my foot. She yelled that she was sitting there for two hours waiting for the parade and I said what has that got to do with us crossing the street (if we were trying to get in front of her that would be another story) and told her how a bolt a lightning hitting her head would improve her looks and with that I waved good-bye with an international gesture if you get my drift. Well so much for that encounter.
We managed to reach the entrance without further confrontation. However Disney has to come up with a much better way to accommodate guests attempting to leave the park during parades and such.
Sunday August 17th
Had breakfast at Whispering Canyon. Family style and a lot of fun. I will not ruin it for you but ask for Ketchup and see what happens or ask where the men's room is or ask for another fork or wear a T-shirt from an Orlando attraction other than Disney.
Well after breakfast I did something I had put off. I had a Sinus headache for 2 days and it was really bad this morning so I drove over to the Walk In Medical Center that is in the Disney WL Directory. It is not part of Disney but is near the Marketplace. The Medical Center is well staffed and after I had said that I would pay via credit card and file a claim with my insurance company so that I would not have to wait for a referral from my doctor they saw me right away. After the doctor gave me a good exam and prescribed medication which you can have filled at the pharmacy there, I was surprised when I went to pay and was told that they took the liberty to call my insurance carrier and get authorization to treat me with a $10 co-pay. I thought that they really went out of there way to accommodate me and my wallet. Back home they would have taken the money and left it up to me to file the claim. Well the medication kicked in by mid-afternoon when I was at the pool.
We originally had reservations at Coral Reef at Epcot but I changed them to Artist Point -- could not resist the Salmon for a second time and it was just as good.
We headed to MK at 8 PM and found out that the park now closes at 10 PM. From past visits I remembered that they do cut back on the operating hours but I remember 11 PM. Well, rode PofC, Small World and my 5 year old got to ride the Barnstormer roller coaster at ToonTown 3 times with no wait. We headed back to WL at the end of the parade to avoid the rush.
Monday August 18th
Had breakfast at Tony's in MK. It is always a good meal and nice atmosphere in the morning.
After we rode Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Pirates again, Dumbo and Astro Orbitor.
We then watched the 3 O'clock parade. My 2 little ones were picked to be part of the Lion King float. They loved it.
After we headed back for a quick dip in the pool before heading back for dinner at Liberty Tavern. We needed to cool off after watching the parade as the sun got to all of us. The meal was good and it was nice and cool.
After we rode Splash Mountain and got onto Thunder Mountain Railroad 3 times with absolutely no wait at all. The little ones rode Small World and Pirates (by now one of their favorites) 2 times with no wait.
We then watched the parade and fireworks and headed back to WL. This was a problem we had to wait in line 45 minutes before we could get onto the boat. They need a bigger boat or to divert more boats to transport people to the WL when the park closes. After holding my sleeping 5 year old I was ready for bed when we hit the room while the others headed to the pool for a late night swim.
Tuesday August 19th
An early breakfast at the snack bar at the WL and onto Blizzard Beach for the opening at 9 AM. By 10:30 AM the gates were closed.
In the first 2 hours we got to get on a lot of the rides a couple of times. By 1 PM it was crowded and lines were long so we headed back to WL.
We had dinner at Cinderella's Castle and it was a very good meal but we had to wait almost an hour even though we had priority seating.
After dinner we headed back to the Barnstormer once again now my 5 year olds favorite ride and rode it several times, she was in her glory.
It was time for the 9 PM Parade so we took the train and headed to the main gate to avoid the rush.
Wednesday August 20th
Early entry into MGM and breakfast at the Soundstage. Dad's turn to pose with Esmeralda. Oh the food was good also.
We then road Star Tours and the little ones got autographs. We caught the sound shows and then TofT before the heat got us and back to WL for our afternoon swim.
We had dinner at Chef Mickey's and after dinner we went to the MK and rode GPR, MTR, SN we then watched the Spectromagic Parade and the wife and little ones headed back to Toontown to ride the barnstormer once again as myself and the older kids headed for the AstroOrbiters. I must admit that I am OK on rides that go up and down like SM but the AstroOrbital ride going around in circles high up got to my stomach a bit.
I should mention at this time that this week Disney started a thing called the E Express Ticket. For an additional $10, length-of-stay ticket holders can stay in the park from 10 PM (Closing) till 1 AM and ride a lot of the main attractions like SM, PofC, Splash Mt, etc. We did not take advantage of this as we had ridden these rides several times already.
Thursday August 21st
We had Breakfast at the Coral Isle at the Polynesian. After we headed to the Marketplace to do some shopping, or should I say for my wife to do some shopping while I complained the whole time. I am not big on shopping as you can see but she was in her glory at the Marketplace. I heard that that Disney Stock went up 10 points when they heard she was starting her shopping spree.
After we went back to the WL and rented bikes and rode over to the campground. It was nice ride through the woods on a paved path. Once there we visited the petting zoo and the 2 little ones got a pony ride. Then back to the WL to get ready for dinner at Alfredo's in Italy at Epcot.
It was a great meal as usual and everyone ate the delicious desert.
Afterwards we walked around World Showcase and caught Illuminations. We departed Epcot and went to the Contemporary so the kids could cash in their tickets from the game room for prizes. Then onto the WL to get ready to depart the next day.
Friday August 22nd
We had a 9 o'clock breakfast at Artist Point to say goodbye to Pocohontas and friends.
We loaded the car. The WL had canceled all days off so they would have plenty of people to help us load our van.
We then drove over to the Contemporary and went to the MK one last time. The little ones rode some rides in FL and myself and the older ones hit SM and AE one last time.
We left the park at 4 PM and went back to the Contemporary we attempted to spend what was left on our food and fun card. The kids loaded up with cookies, cereal, chips and soda. I grabbed several liter bottles of wine, a dozen bottles of Margueritas and 2 six packs of 7 oz white wine. Figured a perfect gift for those we forgot to buy for.
We left the Disney complex at 5:30 and headed north. We drove as far as Savannah before stopping for the night.
Saturday August 23rd
Travel day made it as far as Fredericksburg, of course stopping at South of The Border. The place never changes.
Sunday August 24th
We slept in a bit as we only had a 3 ½ ride home. We arrived home at 1 PM and looked up the number to make reservations at Disney for next year.
Comments:
Accommodations: GREAT. I thought the Wilderness Lodge was a great choice. My daughters were disappointed when I did not book the Contemporary as I would have needed two rooms but by the second day openly admitted that they liked the WL Better. It was a lot more quiet than the CR and more relaxed atmosphere. We had a Junior suite and it was great. The suites are on the corners and we overlooked the water with a great view of the geyser, beach and water show. The suite was more square with a hallway leading to the living room which had a pull-out sofa, table, chairs, TV, sink, coffee maker, refrigerator, two lounge chairs and a balcony. Off to the right were two french doors leading to the bedroom with 2 double beds, TV and Chiffarobe. It also had a small private balcony and windows on the adjoining wall. The staff was great. They replenished the coffee daily and brought up more with the touch of the phone. Nightly they would come in and replace the used towels, empty the trash cans and turn down the beds and make up the sofa bed. Also arranging our little ones stuffed animals and leaving us mints on each bed. The valet staff, recreational staff, housekeeping and all the rest were great catering to your every need.
Food-n-Fun: I liked it. Unlike the coupon system of the past you could use it for any meal or snack including alcoholic drinks even at the pool. I did leave about $100 behind due to the $250 dollar credit I got when they canceled the Luau because of rain but gave us the meal part of the Luau. If you are planning on eating well while you are there go for the plan if your looking at buffets and fast food it would not be worth it. We also took advantage of the recreational part of it renting the water sprits many time, bike rental and pony rides. There are no restrictions on the food that you can order or number of courses when using the card and 15% gratuity is added in for you. Just sign and go.
Crowds: Not as bad as last year and we encountered very few Brazilian with whom we got aggravated last year due to the large number of them. If you took advantage of the early openings and short lines during the parade you could get a lot done in a short time.
Weather: The same everyday. High of 94, Low of 78 with chance of PM T-Showers. It rained briefly 7 of our 12 days there however the rain came every time as we were having dinner.
Disappointments: The Test Track was not open as of yet.
Overall: A great trip.
Bob Pescatore
macdade@voicenet.com