Trip Reports
01-07-2007, 06:01 PM
The family consists of : Mom (52), Dad (49), my brother Andrew (10), and me (25), my third visit, mom's second, brother and dad's first.
Thursday, April 8 1999
The day began very early for all of us. Even though none of us slept much the night before, we were all up by 4 a.m. Andrew and I were the most excited of course. We were bouncing off the walls. I think our mom and dad were still trying to wake up. Our flight was scheduled to leave BWI at 6:40 a.m. So by 5:00 a.m. we were on the road to meet Dave (our airport chauffeur). We got a little lost trying to find his house. But all ended up fine and we made it to the airport in plenty of time.
Once at the airport, I checked us all in and we went to the gate. There was a high school band on our flight so the area was really noisy. We only had to wait about fifteen minutes before boarding began. Since our seats were in the back we got on first. Our seats were together, two on one side of the plane and the other two in the same row but across the aisle. Mom and dad sat together one side and Andrew and I sat on the other. The fun started right away. I think taking off was Andrew's first "ride". He held on tight to my hand all the way through take-off. Once up in the air, he relaxed. We were both so excited that we looked at our Disney book most of the flight planning out what we would do when we got there.
Our flight landed in Orlando right on time. The weather was sunny and warm. It put us all in that vacation mode. We had no problem finding our bags or catching the Mears Shuttle. We only waited about ten minutes for our shuttle. From the airport we went straight to our hotel. We stayed at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort. On our drive from the airport, we got our first glimpse of the Disney "magic". We drove by Blizzard Beach and also passed a McDonalds on the Disney property that was completely amazing! We got to the hotel and I pre-checked us in. They gave us our park passes and hotel keys, which were conveniently all on the same card. We were told our bags would be put in our room and our "key" activated. It was still early, only about 11:00 a.m., so off we went to Magic Kingdom!
We didn’t have to wait long for our bus. The ride to Magic Kingdom only took about 15 minutes. We rode by the Polynesian Resort and the Contemporary Hotel. They are two of the most beautiful resorts in Disney World. The bus dropped us off and my brother and I hurried our parents into the park. As always, rounding the corner and catching the first glimpse of Cinderella's Castle took my breath away. But watching my brother's eyes light up as we started down Main Street was the best feeling I've ever had. As we walked by the Emporium, we notice the seven dwarfs out singing autographs and taking pictures. Andrew and I dashed into the Emporium to buy autograph books and pens. I was so excited! We got our pictures taken with the dwarfs. My dad became our official photographer.
We were all pretty hungry since no one really ate breakfast. We headed towards Adventureland to find some lunch. We didn't get too far before we spotted more Disney characters. My parents were anxious to eat but agreed to spot long enough for Andrew and I to get a picture with Aladdin. Who-hoo! We decided to eat at El Pirata y el Perico. I had nachos and everyone else ate tacos. The food was good and the prices reasonable. Our first official ride was Pirates of the Caribbean. We didn't have to wait long at all. We stood in line about 15 minutes. Andrew really liked the "drop" and the Pirate ships. This was he and my dad's first Disney experience.
Next we wandered over to Liberty Square. We decided to hit the Haunted Mansion. We waited for only about ten minutes. My brother was a little scared. Especially when we were in the stretching room and all the lights went out! I tried to scare him a few times during the ride but it never worked! Our ghost hitchhiker was the scariest one of all and was planted right in Andrew's lap. On the way of the Mansion, my brother spotted the invisible dog. Needless to say, he really wanted it. We managed to convince him to wait until later. Next we went to the Hall of Presidents. We got there right in time for the show. I must say that I appreciate this attraction more now then I did when I was younger. Plus, it was a hot day and the air-conditioned theater was a huge relief! We got out of the Hall of Presidents and walked back towards Main Street. Mom wanted Andrew to get a haircut. We all bought ice cream from a cart along the way. We got to Main Street and the line was too long. My mom decided we could wait and we made our way to Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland had been completely redesigned since my last visit. We wandered over to the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. I thought our parents would say now way to this ride. But to my surprise they decided to join us. We waited in line for about 15 minutes. We all thought the Pre-show was cute. Little did we know what was about to happen! We got inside and sat in seats in the back row. It started out great! Great until the alien got out, that is. I was so scared! The lights went out and came back on to reveal a very realistic monster. Out the lights went again. When they came back on this time, the alien was gone. It was mean and hungry and loose among the audience. This attraction was one of the scariest things I have ever experienced. Once outside of the ride we all laughed at ourselves. My dad said he had claw marks in his hand from me holding on so tightly.
Next we hit Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. We waited about 15 minutes. It was like being inside of a video game. Our parents killed us with their scores. My dad beat everyone. Next came my mom, my brother, and me last. Carousel of Progress was our next ride. We only waited about 5 minutes. The theme song had changed since the last time I was there. I like the old music better but still thought the ride was cool. When we finished with this, it was close to being time for dinner. We had Priority Seat at and all-you-can-eat character meal at the Liberty Tree Tavern (on the other side of the park). While walking through Fantasyland, we spotted Gipetto and the mice from Cinderella. After getting autographs and taking pictures, we hustled to get to our dinner on time.
We waited about 5 minutes for our table. The atmosphere at the Liberty Tree Tavern was amazing. It felt as if we had been transported back through time. Everything from the furniture and silverware to the pictures on the wall fit the colonial era. We saw Goofy and Minnie Mouse wandering around as we got seated. My brother and I got really excited. Our waitress informed us the characters were on a set route and would be by our table soon. Our food was brought right out. We had turkey, ham, steak, vegetables, mash potatoes and gravy, and rolls. Through the course of our meal, Goofy, Pluto, Minnie Mouse, Chip, and Dale visited us. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. We were all completely full by the time we left.
After dinner my parents decided to head back to the hotel and make sure everything was situated. We decided to meet around 8:00 at the Partners statue in front of the Castle. Andrew and I headed directly for Splash Mountain. The line was deceiving. It was much longer than we thought. We ended up waiting in line for more than an hour and a half. Andrew didn't have his Game Boy so the wait was a little boring for him. After we rode Splash Mountain, though, we both agreed the wait was well worth it. Your picture gets snapped on your way down the hill. Andrew looked so terrified that we had to get it! The long line prevented us from doing anything else before meeting our parents. So Andrew got ice cream, I got coke, and we went to wait for them.
We met our parents and headed to Fantasyland. The lines here were still pretty long. We decided to get on Snow Whites Scary Adventures. We waited about 15 minutes. I remember this ride being much scarier than it seemed now. We wanted to get on Peter Pan's Flight next but the wait was still 40 minutes. We headed back towards Liberty Square and hit the Haunted Mansion again. After getting off this time, my brother brought his invisible dog. This turned out to be quite a lot of attention. Next we headed to Liberty Belle Riverboat, a huge paddlewheel boat. My brother got to steer the boat. It was quite an experience! We decided to go to It's A Small World next. This ride was much better than I remembered. After getting out, I couldn't stop singing the song.
We were all thirsty by now and went to Scuttles Landing in Fantasyland. While there, the nightly fireworks show began. We ended up having the perfect view! I don't think fireworks anywhere else will ever be the same. After the fireworks, we decided to wait in line for Peter Pan's Flight. There was still a 25 minute wait but Andrew really wanted to go. However he was falling asleep while standing in line so we knew the day was coming to an end. We rode Peter Pan and then headed for the exit. We got back to our hotel a little after midnight. Andrew was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. We all went straight to bed so we would be ready to go bright and early the next morning.
Friday, April 9 1999
Friday was another early morning. Andrew and I were up early and ready to go. Mom and dad were moving just a little slower. We let them have some more time to get ready and went to breakfast. We ate at the food court in our hotel. Andrew was hungry! He ate a doughnut and a cherry pastry. I had a cinnamon bun. The food was just okay but the prices were really good. We finished breakfast and went to get our parents. We caught the bus to MGM Studios and were there by 8:30 a.m. Cast members snapped our picture on the way in which I ended up buying later. The pictures are really cute! None of the rides were opening until nine, so we got in the growing line headed for The Tower of Terror.
The Cast Members told us when the ride opened to walk beyond them. But as the roped were dropped, a couple of kids took of running which resulted in a major (and dangerous) stamped towards the Tower. Due to a very helpful cast member, we ducked under the rope and got pretty close to where we should have been. Everything about the interior of The Tower of Terror made it scary. When Andrew and I got into the Library, (our parents decided to skip this ride) we both started to get scared. Once seated in the elevator…..terrified! I have to admit my eyes were closed for most of the ride. The scariest part is not knowing when the drop is coming. The ride begins with the ghosts of the missing people beckoning you off the elevator. They disappear and the sky turns black and starry. Doors open and you move along a track seeing different scenes from The Twilight Zone. Then all of a sudden…..down you go!!!! Again and again!! We were dropped three times. Our parents met us in the gift shop when we were done. We wanted to go again but the line was already too long.
We headed next to The Great Movie Ride. It was still early so there was no wait. We were seated in the front, which I don't think is the best spot because the narrator seems very loud. The ride was great! Having watched some of the movies represented over and over again it brought back a lot of memories. When we got out, we decided to try Muppet Vision 3-D. It was closed. No one was quite sure when it would open again. So we went to the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set. Andrew played for a little bit and we took some great pictures. It was really crowded so we didn't stay long. The Backlot Tour was next. It was so cool! Andrew and I made sure we sat on the side where we could get wet at Catastrophe Canyon. Coming out of this ride we ran into Winnie the Pooh. It was autograph and picture time once again. We decided to try the Muppets again. Unfortunately they were still closed.
We had made Priority Seating for dinner at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano. We noticed in our guide map that you could get guaranteed seating, in a special section at Fantasmic, if dining there. So we made a quick stop at Mama Melrose's to inquire. That special only had certain dining times, but we were still able to get a seat very near to the time we already had. After taking care of this, we headed to Star Tours. We waited about 15 minutes. Dad is a huge Star Wars fan so he really enjoyed! We got our picture taken with a not very nice Ewok on our way out. He didn't seem too interested in interacting with us. Andrew wanted to play video games so we went to the Toy Story Pizza Planet arcade next. They had some pretty cool games and Andrew played for a while. When we came out, Muppet Vision was finally open! It is the coolest movie! We all laughed so hard. We had Priority Seating at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at 12:30, so that was our next stop.
We waited about ten minutes for our "table". What we really sat in was a car. We were right up front by the screen. The clips shown were great. They were old (and corny) Sci-Fi movies and cartoons. The food was really good. Andrew, my mom, and I had hamburgers. My dad had a pasta dish. The food was a little expensive but the atmosphere made it worth. All the kids were so into the movies that it was the quietest place at Disney World! We decided to go back to the hotel after lunch to swim. On our way to the exit, we ran into a bunch of characters. Among them were Jafar and the Genie. We got some autographs and pictures then headed back to the hotel.
It was a beautiful day and the pool was great. It was crowded but the water was perfect. I sat out to catch a little sun. My mom and I bought refillable mugs. That was a great investment! They cost $8.95 and could be filled for the length of our stay. We played in the sun until about four and then got cleaned up and headed back to MGM Studios. We did a little souvenir shopping when we got back to MGM. Then we headed to Mama Melrose's for dinner.
Dinner was wonderful. My parents could not decide on what to eat. The menu was small but the choices very interesting. It was rather expensive, but we thought it was worth it. When our food was brought out, it looked like something that belonged in a magazine. After dinner, we checked the schedule of shows to decide what we might want to do. We headed to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. I thought it was wonderful! The movie has always been one of my favorites. We walked across the park after this to see Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. We waited for about 20 minutes while they cleaned up after the last show. This has to be on of the greatest shows at Disney World. It felt like we were inside the movie!
When the show was finished, it was close to time for the 10:30 show of Fantasmic. We wandered back to The Tower of Terror hoping to ride it again. Even though it was only half an hour until park closing, the wait was still more than an hour and a half. We bought some things at The Tower Gift Shop and then headed for Fantasmic. As it turned out, the late show is not as crowded. Our "guaranteed" seats were not that great and we found better seats on our own. Fantasmic is an amazing show! The special effects are incredible. The show ended after eleven and we headed back to the hotel. Andrew was convinced he wanted to swim, but he was out again as soon as we got back to the hotel. Another perfect day at Disney!
Saturday, April 10, 1999
Saturday was a very busy day! We had planned to get up and be at Animal Kingdom when it opened at 7:00 a.m. When I got out of the shower, however, everyone was still fast asleep. I woke everyone up and we got to the bus stop in record time. We arrived at Animal Kingdom just a few minutes after seven. We headed straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris. We encountered Safari Minnie and Mickey on our way and took pictures. Since Kilimanjaro didn't open until 7:45, the line was already crazy. We all grabbed breakfast from Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery and stood in line. Once the ride opened, we waited about 20 minutes more. We got to see all the animals except the lions. They were hiding from us! The coolest thing to see were the cheetahs. Even at the zoo back home, you can never spot one.
After the safari, we headed to Asia. My brother and I convinced our parents to get on Kali River Rapids with us. I guess since it was so early in the morning, there was no wait. The ride itself is very short but you do get soaked. And the hill at the end is cool. Next we headed to Dinoland, U.S.A. to hit Countdown to Extinction. Once again we convinced our parents to go on it. Andrew and I loved this ride! It was a little scary and turbulent, but a great thrill ride. My mom had enough of rides for awhile after getting on this one. She voted that we do something a little tamer.
Our parents voted for the boat ride next. It was relaxing and the scenery nice. Even thought it was their idea, our parents both promptly fell asleep. I wouldn't recommend this ride on a hot day when you are tired! Animal Kingdom was fun but there just didn't seem to be a whole lot for someone Andrew's age to do. We decided to head to Epcot. It was about eleven and we had a 1:30 p.m. Priority Seating at the Garden Grill (located in the Lane). On our way out we stopped by the Rainforest Café gift shop. That is a pretty cool place but we have one back home so we didn't stay long.
We arrived at Epcot around 11:30 a.m. The first thing we did was to find out where our lunch was located. We grabbed some popcorn and headed for the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. We waited about 10 minutes. That show was incredible! When the mice come out, you can actually feel them running over your feet. My mom and brother had their feet on the chair the rest of the show! After this, we went to the Land. It was still a little early to go to our lunch. So we decided to see the Circle of Life. It was cute but not one of their better shows. We had no wait, which was good, because it isn't worth waiting for. When we got out, we headed to the Garden Grill.
Our lunch was another all-you-can-eat character meal. And as with all things Disney, it was wonderful. We had the same characters as our dinner on Friday, but this time they were dressed in farm gear. Our meal consisted of flank steak, fish, ham, vegetables, and potatoes. It was delicious. Our waitress wasn't great by Disney standards, but she was nice. She just wasn't very attentive. We got to greet all the characters and took lots of pictures. The dining area slowly rotates while you eat and that was really cool. We were once again completely full by the end of our meal. And the price, for everything you get, was great!
After lunch we went to World Showcase. I didn't realize how much there was to do! Andrew and I bought passports to get stamped at the different countries. They write something in their native language and it was very interesting. We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the different "countries". We went on the Malestrom in Norway and saw The American Adventure. We got our picture taken with a lot of different characters. We saw Donald (at Mexico), Snow White (Germany), Beauty and the Beast (France), and Pluto, Goofy, and Mickey (American Adventure). We had started our day at Mexico and by the time we made it to The United Kingdom it was time for dinner. We had Priority Seating at the San Angel Inn Restaurant in Mexico. So we headed that way and had to skip a couple of countries.
We waited about 10 minutes for our table. The atmosphere was great! We got a table by the railing that overlooked the river. It was gorgeous. Our waiter was wonderful! He was so nice and helpful. The food was delicious and portions huge! It was one of the best meals of our visit. It was also very expensive but worth it. After dinner, Andrew and I wanted to go to Test Track. We had heard that earlier in the day the line was 3 hours long. We waited about an hour. It was worth the wait. We had our hands in the air and scared as loud as we could the whole time!
We met our parents when we got off the ride. It was getting very close to closing by this time. We stopped at Spaceship Earth on our way out. All I can say is wow! What an incredible ride. We headed for the exit and my brother started to get very sad. I think the fact our trip was nearing and end was starting to hit us all. When we got back to the hotel, everyone jumped in the pool for awhile. Epcot close at nine so it was still early. After swimming, Andrew played some video games at the hotel arcade and then we all went to sleep.
Sunday, April 11 1999
Our last day at Disney World. I don't think any of us woke up with the same energy as we had been. I was an early entry day at MGM Studios. My parents couldn't exactly see going to the park at 7:30 a.m. so my brother and I went. We got there about five minutes before the rides opened. We headed straight for The Tower of Terror. With no line, we rode it four times in a row! It was so great and got better every time. The first time, though, my brother was sitting on his brand new Tower of Terror hat and lost it when we dropped. We immediately went and bought another one and got right back on the ride. We met our parents at nine and went to Starring Rolls Bakery for breakfast. The menu was limited but the food was good.
After breakfast we decided to see Muppet Vision one more time. There was no wait and it was wonderful as always. We did a little shopping and then headed back to the hotel. It was about 10:15 and we had to check out by 11:00 a.m. Everything was packed so I went to check us out. Our flight was scheduled to leave until 9:30 p.m. so we still had the whole day. Mears wasn't picking us up until 7:00 to take us to the airport so we headed to Magic Kingdom to spend our last day there.
We got to Magic Kingdom by 11:30 a.m. My mom decided Andrew had to get a haircut. We waited for about 20 minutes. Then we decided to go to Space Mountain. Our parents decided to skip this ride. Andrew and I bought hot dogs and went to wait in line. We waited about an hour. Andrew screamed through the whole ride! But he loved it! We convinced our parents to give Splash Mountain a try. We only waited about 45 minutes this time. Our parents loves the ride but hated the wait. Dad decided he wanted to try Big Thunder Railroad so we headed there next. We waited about 10 minutes. Everyone loved this ride except my mom. We decided after this ride, that maybe it was time for a break.
We headed for the Pecos Bill Café for lunch. The Magical Moments Parade was going on so we stopped to watch. It was great! When the parade was over, we went to eat. Pecos Bill is pretty much just a hamburger and fries place. But the food was good and we were relaxed. After lunch we went to the Haunted Mansion one more time. Then we went to Fantasyland to see Legend of the Lion King. It was wonderful! When we got done, our time at Disney World was nearing an end. We saw that Snow White's Adventures had no line so we went to do that one more time. Then we headed for the exit. My brother cried the whole way to the hotel. It had been a great vacation!
Mears got us on time and we got to the airport in plenty of time. Once we got there, we were informed our flight had been delayed and we probably wouldn't leave until close to midnight. So we sat around the airport. Andrew slept and the rest of us read. We finally got home a little after two in the morning. It was, without a doubt, the best vacation of my life!
Tanya Walls
twalls@capitol-college.edu
Thursday, April 8 1999
The day began very early for all of us. Even though none of us slept much the night before, we were all up by 4 a.m. Andrew and I were the most excited of course. We were bouncing off the walls. I think our mom and dad were still trying to wake up. Our flight was scheduled to leave BWI at 6:40 a.m. So by 5:00 a.m. we were on the road to meet Dave (our airport chauffeur). We got a little lost trying to find his house. But all ended up fine and we made it to the airport in plenty of time.
Once at the airport, I checked us all in and we went to the gate. There was a high school band on our flight so the area was really noisy. We only had to wait about fifteen minutes before boarding began. Since our seats were in the back we got on first. Our seats were together, two on one side of the plane and the other two in the same row but across the aisle. Mom and dad sat together one side and Andrew and I sat on the other. The fun started right away. I think taking off was Andrew's first "ride". He held on tight to my hand all the way through take-off. Once up in the air, he relaxed. We were both so excited that we looked at our Disney book most of the flight planning out what we would do when we got there.
Our flight landed in Orlando right on time. The weather was sunny and warm. It put us all in that vacation mode. We had no problem finding our bags or catching the Mears Shuttle. We only waited about ten minutes for our shuttle. From the airport we went straight to our hotel. We stayed at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort. On our drive from the airport, we got our first glimpse of the Disney "magic". We drove by Blizzard Beach and also passed a McDonalds on the Disney property that was completely amazing! We got to the hotel and I pre-checked us in. They gave us our park passes and hotel keys, which were conveniently all on the same card. We were told our bags would be put in our room and our "key" activated. It was still early, only about 11:00 a.m., so off we went to Magic Kingdom!
We didn’t have to wait long for our bus. The ride to Magic Kingdom only took about 15 minutes. We rode by the Polynesian Resort and the Contemporary Hotel. They are two of the most beautiful resorts in Disney World. The bus dropped us off and my brother and I hurried our parents into the park. As always, rounding the corner and catching the first glimpse of Cinderella's Castle took my breath away. But watching my brother's eyes light up as we started down Main Street was the best feeling I've ever had. As we walked by the Emporium, we notice the seven dwarfs out singing autographs and taking pictures. Andrew and I dashed into the Emporium to buy autograph books and pens. I was so excited! We got our pictures taken with the dwarfs. My dad became our official photographer.
We were all pretty hungry since no one really ate breakfast. We headed towards Adventureland to find some lunch. We didn't get too far before we spotted more Disney characters. My parents were anxious to eat but agreed to spot long enough for Andrew and I to get a picture with Aladdin. Who-hoo! We decided to eat at El Pirata y el Perico. I had nachos and everyone else ate tacos. The food was good and the prices reasonable. Our first official ride was Pirates of the Caribbean. We didn't have to wait long at all. We stood in line about 15 minutes. Andrew really liked the "drop" and the Pirate ships. This was he and my dad's first Disney experience.
Next we wandered over to Liberty Square. We decided to hit the Haunted Mansion. We waited for only about ten minutes. My brother was a little scared. Especially when we were in the stretching room and all the lights went out! I tried to scare him a few times during the ride but it never worked! Our ghost hitchhiker was the scariest one of all and was planted right in Andrew's lap. On the way of the Mansion, my brother spotted the invisible dog. Needless to say, he really wanted it. We managed to convince him to wait until later. Next we went to the Hall of Presidents. We got there right in time for the show. I must say that I appreciate this attraction more now then I did when I was younger. Plus, it was a hot day and the air-conditioned theater was a huge relief! We got out of the Hall of Presidents and walked back towards Main Street. Mom wanted Andrew to get a haircut. We all bought ice cream from a cart along the way. We got to Main Street and the line was too long. My mom decided we could wait and we made our way to Tomorrowland.
Tomorrowland had been completely redesigned since my last visit. We wandered over to the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. I thought our parents would say now way to this ride. But to my surprise they decided to join us. We waited in line for about 15 minutes. We all thought the Pre-show was cute. Little did we know what was about to happen! We got inside and sat in seats in the back row. It started out great! Great until the alien got out, that is. I was so scared! The lights went out and came back on to reveal a very realistic monster. Out the lights went again. When they came back on this time, the alien was gone. It was mean and hungry and loose among the audience. This attraction was one of the scariest things I have ever experienced. Once outside of the ride we all laughed at ourselves. My dad said he had claw marks in his hand from me holding on so tightly.
Next we hit Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. We waited about 15 minutes. It was like being inside of a video game. Our parents killed us with their scores. My dad beat everyone. Next came my mom, my brother, and me last. Carousel of Progress was our next ride. We only waited about 5 minutes. The theme song had changed since the last time I was there. I like the old music better but still thought the ride was cool. When we finished with this, it was close to being time for dinner. We had Priority Seat at and all-you-can-eat character meal at the Liberty Tree Tavern (on the other side of the park). While walking through Fantasyland, we spotted Gipetto and the mice from Cinderella. After getting autographs and taking pictures, we hustled to get to our dinner on time.
We waited about 5 minutes for our table. The atmosphere at the Liberty Tree Tavern was amazing. It felt as if we had been transported back through time. Everything from the furniture and silverware to the pictures on the wall fit the colonial era. We saw Goofy and Minnie Mouse wandering around as we got seated. My brother and I got really excited. Our waitress informed us the characters were on a set route and would be by our table soon. Our food was brought right out. We had turkey, ham, steak, vegetables, mash potatoes and gravy, and rolls. Through the course of our meal, Goofy, Pluto, Minnie Mouse, Chip, and Dale visited us. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. We were all completely full by the time we left.
After dinner my parents decided to head back to the hotel and make sure everything was situated. We decided to meet around 8:00 at the Partners statue in front of the Castle. Andrew and I headed directly for Splash Mountain. The line was deceiving. It was much longer than we thought. We ended up waiting in line for more than an hour and a half. Andrew didn't have his Game Boy so the wait was a little boring for him. After we rode Splash Mountain, though, we both agreed the wait was well worth it. Your picture gets snapped on your way down the hill. Andrew looked so terrified that we had to get it! The long line prevented us from doing anything else before meeting our parents. So Andrew got ice cream, I got coke, and we went to wait for them.
We met our parents and headed to Fantasyland. The lines here were still pretty long. We decided to get on Snow Whites Scary Adventures. We waited about 15 minutes. I remember this ride being much scarier than it seemed now. We wanted to get on Peter Pan's Flight next but the wait was still 40 minutes. We headed back towards Liberty Square and hit the Haunted Mansion again. After getting off this time, my brother brought his invisible dog. This turned out to be quite a lot of attention. Next we headed to Liberty Belle Riverboat, a huge paddlewheel boat. My brother got to steer the boat. It was quite an experience! We decided to go to It's A Small World next. This ride was much better than I remembered. After getting out, I couldn't stop singing the song.
We were all thirsty by now and went to Scuttles Landing in Fantasyland. While there, the nightly fireworks show began. We ended up having the perfect view! I don't think fireworks anywhere else will ever be the same. After the fireworks, we decided to wait in line for Peter Pan's Flight. There was still a 25 minute wait but Andrew really wanted to go. However he was falling asleep while standing in line so we knew the day was coming to an end. We rode Peter Pan and then headed for the exit. We got back to our hotel a little after midnight. Andrew was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. We all went straight to bed so we would be ready to go bright and early the next morning.
Friday, April 9 1999
Friday was another early morning. Andrew and I were up early and ready to go. Mom and dad were moving just a little slower. We let them have some more time to get ready and went to breakfast. We ate at the food court in our hotel. Andrew was hungry! He ate a doughnut and a cherry pastry. I had a cinnamon bun. The food was just okay but the prices were really good. We finished breakfast and went to get our parents. We caught the bus to MGM Studios and were there by 8:30 a.m. Cast members snapped our picture on the way in which I ended up buying later. The pictures are really cute! None of the rides were opening until nine, so we got in the growing line headed for The Tower of Terror.
The Cast Members told us when the ride opened to walk beyond them. But as the roped were dropped, a couple of kids took of running which resulted in a major (and dangerous) stamped towards the Tower. Due to a very helpful cast member, we ducked under the rope and got pretty close to where we should have been. Everything about the interior of The Tower of Terror made it scary. When Andrew and I got into the Library, (our parents decided to skip this ride) we both started to get scared. Once seated in the elevator…..terrified! I have to admit my eyes were closed for most of the ride. The scariest part is not knowing when the drop is coming. The ride begins with the ghosts of the missing people beckoning you off the elevator. They disappear and the sky turns black and starry. Doors open and you move along a track seeing different scenes from The Twilight Zone. Then all of a sudden…..down you go!!!! Again and again!! We were dropped three times. Our parents met us in the gift shop when we were done. We wanted to go again but the line was already too long.
We headed next to The Great Movie Ride. It was still early so there was no wait. We were seated in the front, which I don't think is the best spot because the narrator seems very loud. The ride was great! Having watched some of the movies represented over and over again it brought back a lot of memories. When we got out, we decided to try Muppet Vision 3-D. It was closed. No one was quite sure when it would open again. So we went to the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set. Andrew played for a little bit and we took some great pictures. It was really crowded so we didn't stay long. The Backlot Tour was next. It was so cool! Andrew and I made sure we sat on the side where we could get wet at Catastrophe Canyon. Coming out of this ride we ran into Winnie the Pooh. It was autograph and picture time once again. We decided to try the Muppets again. Unfortunately they were still closed.
We had made Priority Seating for dinner at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano. We noticed in our guide map that you could get guaranteed seating, in a special section at Fantasmic, if dining there. So we made a quick stop at Mama Melrose's to inquire. That special only had certain dining times, but we were still able to get a seat very near to the time we already had. After taking care of this, we headed to Star Tours. We waited about 15 minutes. Dad is a huge Star Wars fan so he really enjoyed! We got our picture taken with a not very nice Ewok on our way out. He didn't seem too interested in interacting with us. Andrew wanted to play video games so we went to the Toy Story Pizza Planet arcade next. They had some pretty cool games and Andrew played for a while. When we came out, Muppet Vision was finally open! It is the coolest movie! We all laughed so hard. We had Priority Seating at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at 12:30, so that was our next stop.
We waited about ten minutes for our "table". What we really sat in was a car. We were right up front by the screen. The clips shown were great. They were old (and corny) Sci-Fi movies and cartoons. The food was really good. Andrew, my mom, and I had hamburgers. My dad had a pasta dish. The food was a little expensive but the atmosphere made it worth. All the kids were so into the movies that it was the quietest place at Disney World! We decided to go back to the hotel after lunch to swim. On our way to the exit, we ran into a bunch of characters. Among them were Jafar and the Genie. We got some autographs and pictures then headed back to the hotel.
It was a beautiful day and the pool was great. It was crowded but the water was perfect. I sat out to catch a little sun. My mom and I bought refillable mugs. That was a great investment! They cost $8.95 and could be filled for the length of our stay. We played in the sun until about four and then got cleaned up and headed back to MGM Studios. We did a little souvenir shopping when we got back to MGM. Then we headed to Mama Melrose's for dinner.
Dinner was wonderful. My parents could not decide on what to eat. The menu was small but the choices very interesting. It was rather expensive, but we thought it was worth it. When our food was brought out, it looked like something that belonged in a magazine. After dinner, we checked the schedule of shows to decide what we might want to do. We headed to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. I thought it was wonderful! The movie has always been one of my favorites. We walked across the park after this to see Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. We waited for about 20 minutes while they cleaned up after the last show. This has to be on of the greatest shows at Disney World. It felt like we were inside the movie!
When the show was finished, it was close to time for the 10:30 show of Fantasmic. We wandered back to The Tower of Terror hoping to ride it again. Even though it was only half an hour until park closing, the wait was still more than an hour and a half. We bought some things at The Tower Gift Shop and then headed for Fantasmic. As it turned out, the late show is not as crowded. Our "guaranteed" seats were not that great and we found better seats on our own. Fantasmic is an amazing show! The special effects are incredible. The show ended after eleven and we headed back to the hotel. Andrew was convinced he wanted to swim, but he was out again as soon as we got back to the hotel. Another perfect day at Disney!
Saturday, April 10, 1999
Saturday was a very busy day! We had planned to get up and be at Animal Kingdom when it opened at 7:00 a.m. When I got out of the shower, however, everyone was still fast asleep. I woke everyone up and we got to the bus stop in record time. We arrived at Animal Kingdom just a few minutes after seven. We headed straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris. We encountered Safari Minnie and Mickey on our way and took pictures. Since Kilimanjaro didn't open until 7:45, the line was already crazy. We all grabbed breakfast from Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery and stood in line. Once the ride opened, we waited about 20 minutes more. We got to see all the animals except the lions. They were hiding from us! The coolest thing to see were the cheetahs. Even at the zoo back home, you can never spot one.
After the safari, we headed to Asia. My brother and I convinced our parents to get on Kali River Rapids with us. I guess since it was so early in the morning, there was no wait. The ride itself is very short but you do get soaked. And the hill at the end is cool. Next we headed to Dinoland, U.S.A. to hit Countdown to Extinction. Once again we convinced our parents to go on it. Andrew and I loved this ride! It was a little scary and turbulent, but a great thrill ride. My mom had enough of rides for awhile after getting on this one. She voted that we do something a little tamer.
Our parents voted for the boat ride next. It was relaxing and the scenery nice. Even thought it was their idea, our parents both promptly fell asleep. I wouldn't recommend this ride on a hot day when you are tired! Animal Kingdom was fun but there just didn't seem to be a whole lot for someone Andrew's age to do. We decided to head to Epcot. It was about eleven and we had a 1:30 p.m. Priority Seating at the Garden Grill (located in the Lane). On our way out we stopped by the Rainforest Café gift shop. That is a pretty cool place but we have one back home so we didn't stay long.
We arrived at Epcot around 11:30 a.m. The first thing we did was to find out where our lunch was located. We grabbed some popcorn and headed for the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. We waited about 10 minutes. That show was incredible! When the mice come out, you can actually feel them running over your feet. My mom and brother had their feet on the chair the rest of the show! After this, we went to the Land. It was still a little early to go to our lunch. So we decided to see the Circle of Life. It was cute but not one of their better shows. We had no wait, which was good, because it isn't worth waiting for. When we got out, we headed to the Garden Grill.
Our lunch was another all-you-can-eat character meal. And as with all things Disney, it was wonderful. We had the same characters as our dinner on Friday, but this time they were dressed in farm gear. Our meal consisted of flank steak, fish, ham, vegetables, and potatoes. It was delicious. Our waitress wasn't great by Disney standards, but she was nice. She just wasn't very attentive. We got to greet all the characters and took lots of pictures. The dining area slowly rotates while you eat and that was really cool. We were once again completely full by the end of our meal. And the price, for everything you get, was great!
After lunch we went to World Showcase. I didn't realize how much there was to do! Andrew and I bought passports to get stamped at the different countries. They write something in their native language and it was very interesting. We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the different "countries". We went on the Malestrom in Norway and saw The American Adventure. We got our picture taken with a lot of different characters. We saw Donald (at Mexico), Snow White (Germany), Beauty and the Beast (France), and Pluto, Goofy, and Mickey (American Adventure). We had started our day at Mexico and by the time we made it to The United Kingdom it was time for dinner. We had Priority Seating at the San Angel Inn Restaurant in Mexico. So we headed that way and had to skip a couple of countries.
We waited about 10 minutes for our table. The atmosphere was great! We got a table by the railing that overlooked the river. It was gorgeous. Our waiter was wonderful! He was so nice and helpful. The food was delicious and portions huge! It was one of the best meals of our visit. It was also very expensive but worth it. After dinner, Andrew and I wanted to go to Test Track. We had heard that earlier in the day the line was 3 hours long. We waited about an hour. It was worth the wait. We had our hands in the air and scared as loud as we could the whole time!
We met our parents when we got off the ride. It was getting very close to closing by this time. We stopped at Spaceship Earth on our way out. All I can say is wow! What an incredible ride. We headed for the exit and my brother started to get very sad. I think the fact our trip was nearing and end was starting to hit us all. When we got back to the hotel, everyone jumped in the pool for awhile. Epcot close at nine so it was still early. After swimming, Andrew played some video games at the hotel arcade and then we all went to sleep.
Sunday, April 11 1999
Our last day at Disney World. I don't think any of us woke up with the same energy as we had been. I was an early entry day at MGM Studios. My parents couldn't exactly see going to the park at 7:30 a.m. so my brother and I went. We got there about five minutes before the rides opened. We headed straight for The Tower of Terror. With no line, we rode it four times in a row! It was so great and got better every time. The first time, though, my brother was sitting on his brand new Tower of Terror hat and lost it when we dropped. We immediately went and bought another one and got right back on the ride. We met our parents at nine and went to Starring Rolls Bakery for breakfast. The menu was limited but the food was good.
After breakfast we decided to see Muppet Vision one more time. There was no wait and it was wonderful as always. We did a little shopping and then headed back to the hotel. It was about 10:15 and we had to check out by 11:00 a.m. Everything was packed so I went to check us out. Our flight was scheduled to leave until 9:30 p.m. so we still had the whole day. Mears wasn't picking us up until 7:00 to take us to the airport so we headed to Magic Kingdom to spend our last day there.
We got to Magic Kingdom by 11:30 a.m. My mom decided Andrew had to get a haircut. We waited for about 20 minutes. Then we decided to go to Space Mountain. Our parents decided to skip this ride. Andrew and I bought hot dogs and went to wait in line. We waited about an hour. Andrew screamed through the whole ride! But he loved it! We convinced our parents to give Splash Mountain a try. We only waited about 45 minutes this time. Our parents loves the ride but hated the wait. Dad decided he wanted to try Big Thunder Railroad so we headed there next. We waited about 10 minutes. Everyone loved this ride except my mom. We decided after this ride, that maybe it was time for a break.
We headed for the Pecos Bill Café for lunch. The Magical Moments Parade was going on so we stopped to watch. It was great! When the parade was over, we went to eat. Pecos Bill is pretty much just a hamburger and fries place. But the food was good and we were relaxed. After lunch we went to the Haunted Mansion one more time. Then we went to Fantasyland to see Legend of the Lion King. It was wonderful! When we got done, our time at Disney World was nearing an end. We saw that Snow White's Adventures had no line so we went to do that one more time. Then we headed for the exit. My brother cried the whole way to the hotel. It had been a great vacation!
Mears got us on time and we got to the airport in plenty of time. Once we got there, we were informed our flight had been delayed and we probably wouldn't leave until close to midnight. So we sat around the airport. Andrew slept and the rest of us read. We finally got home a little after two in the morning. It was, without a doubt, the best vacation of my life!
Tanya Walls
twalls@capitol-college.edu