Sheri Niklewski -- June 2000 -- Beach Club, Contemporary & Offsite

June 11 - 27, 2000

Introduction

Participants:

The Niklewskis

Me - Sheri (38), the planner and certifiable Disney geek, accountant at an insurance firm.
Rich (40), my husband who lets me be a certifiable Disney geek, configuration manager at a software developer.
Chris (18), our son and an AMC 24 movie theatre employee and recent high school graduate.
This will be our Rich's and my eleventh time to Disney - 10 times together. The only time we weren't together was when we were teenagers and didn't even know each other. This is Chris' seventh time at Disney.

The Beardslees

Sandy (40), my sister, homemaker and school helper.
Rich (40 something), her husband, lawn care professional.
Kelsey (9), their daughter.
Wesley (7), their son.
Sandy and her family moved to the Florida Keys from the Silicon Valley last year. They have since purchased Premium Annual Passports and intend to make full use of them. At this point, I'd say they are infrequent visitors to Walt Disney World.

When: June 11 - 26, 2000 for me; June 16 - 26, 2000 for Rich and Chris; June 11 - 17, 2000 for the Beardslees.

How: Airline from Omaha, NE; Rental car while we're there; Personal vehicle for the Beardslees.

Where this time: Offsite (Ramada Eastgate/Fountain Park) for just me, The Beach Club and the Contemporary for the Niklewskis; Offsite (Best Inn) for the Beardslees.

Last Time: September, 1999 at the Disney Institute (for Rich and me).

This is going to be a different sort of trip report. The pre planning report was all set to send off to Brian's site and all I was doing was waiting for the Annual Passport rates to come out for the resorts. Disney was being very late this year and everything was ready to go except for the final resort choice. And then I got an email from my sister. Sandy told me how wonderful her family's Premium Annual Passports were and how they were planning to go back after the kids were out of school. Of course, I HAD to respond that since I would be there for two full weeks in June, the Beardslees would just HAVE to come up. Surprise, surprise, they were already planning to be there! Since I won't be fully reporting on Sandy's trip, I will keep my original pre planning report but add anything I can pertaining to the Beardslees plans. As you will see, their plans and mine are not going to be the same.

NOTE: I will refer to Walt Disney World as Walt Disney World, Disney World, Disney, and WDW. I hope the purists forgive me. I don't use acronyms but to me, Walt Disney World is Disney. I'm a right coaster - I visited Disneyland once and enjoyed it but it's not on my high list of things I want to repeat. Just my opinion but I am an East Coast girl.

Timing

Why the heck are we going in mid to late June? Well, we've been there before during that time and really haven't had that many problems with lines. Besides, half the fun of being at Disney is standing in some of the queue areas. With my work situation, I have to be available January through April. This May Chris will graduate from high school and I really thought we needed to take a break after that. I can't leave work during the first two weeks of a month so I decided we'd do our normal June. We've done the "off season" thing before (although anytime is really on season with all the promotional stuff going on). I much prefer the "open late and have all the parades and fireworks running" to having to plan our nights in the parks because of the nighttime activities that may or may not be going on. So we will suffer with the lines (NOT, we will skip anything with a long line) and enjoy ourselves anyway.

My company decided to change our vacation/sick time policy into Paid Time Off. I've been with the company close to 10 years so in the first year of the change, I will be "forced" to take at least 31 days off. The company realizes that but is willing to suck it up to make the change. Rich only gets 10 days per year in Paid Time Off so I have a lot more to use than he does. Because of this, I'll do what I did last year with even more time. I will go down to Walt Disney World a week before Rich and Chris and stay offsite. I really enjoyed that time alone and did things the guys didn't want to do. Things I'm planning on for this trip are things I never got around to doing last year - taping Tom Sawyer's Island, going to the Belz Outlets, visiting Fort Wilderness. I don't necessarily use those solo days to go on any attractions but just to enjoy and explore Disney all by myself.

Beardslees timing - Kelsey and Wesley end school on June 7th so a trip to Disney World was in order before the rest of the East Coast kids got out of school. Their week will coincide with my solo plans but we'll plan to meet up during the day. More on that later.

Resort/Hotel

We have stayed at the following Disney resorts: All Star Music (1998), Dixie Landings (1993), The Boardwalk Villas (1999), The Disney Institute (1999), Fort Wilderness Campgrounds (1977), Shades of Green (1994), and Caribbean Beach (1996). I am determined to stay at each Disney resort. I booked the Polynesian in August, 1999. I booked at the regular rate and paid the enormous deposit at that amount. Rich just about had a heart attack when I told him what the rate was. But I knew I could get a Magic Kingdom Club discount and/or an Annual Passport rate after I booked the room.

I also booked Coronado Springs ($149/night) and All Star Music ($99/night) for the full nine nights as well. I know I'll have a lot of deposits down there but unless I get a great AP rate for the Polynesian, I'm not going to be spending $300 per night to stay there. I wanted some backup plans. I don't intend on staying at All Star unless I have to. I think it's a great resort but I'm willing to pay a little more for Coronado Springs. We can resort hop since we'll have a car.

Then the Magic Kingdom Club discounts came out and I was able to get a decent, slightly over $200/night rate at the Wilderness Lodge. So I booked it for the entire nine nights. I'd rather have multiple reservations than no reservations at all. I did cancel the Polynesian since that obscene rate had me scared. I just had the Cast Member move my deposit from the Poly over to the Wilderness Lodge and I was set. I think the Annual Passport rates should be out in early 2000 and I will try and get either a better rate at Wilderness Lodge or try for the Contemporary in the garden wings. I did cancel the All Star since I've been spoiled by deluxe resorts. All Star is great but I just wanted more bang for my bucks. We spend quite a bit of time in the room so we're not just looking for a bed.

And the Annual Passport rates did come out - very late on March 25th. I didn't get up at 6:00 AM Central Time but slept in until I was ready since it was a Saturday. Glad I did. At first, I asked about Contemporary and the Boardwalk. I had talked and talked to Rich about what he wanted to do. He agreed with me that the Boardwalk was wonderful and we would stay there in a heartbeat but we wanted something different. So the Contemporary was the first choice and the Boardwalk was #2. Neither place had anything for my time frame. But, would I be OK with some flexibility in my dates? I could get onsite for June 15th through the 24th. The night of the 24th wasn't available but that was fine. It was our last night (at that time) and we could easily just crash at a place either on 192 or out by the airport. So I said sure, what's the rate and where? The Beach Club at $209.77 per night including tax. I immediately booked it. We really liked the Epcot resort area when we stayed at the Boardwalk so the Beach Club was high on my list. The price isn't under $200 which I had hoped but I think it's going to be a good value for the Beach Club. We get the convenience of Epcot, the boat to MGM, the monorail to Magic Kingdom. And the Beach Club is just so beautiful. The price is about the same as the MKC discount at the Wilderness Lodge so I was very happy making the change. I moved my other two deposits over to the Beach Club and I'm very pleased with our resort arrangement.

But I'll just have to check in by myself on the 15th. This actually is a lot better since I can make sure I check in the day before and then, when the guys get there on the 16th, we can immediately go to the resort to unpack them. It'll be a little bit of a pain to leave on Saturday but we won't do anything at the parks on Sunday anyway. We'll just get an offsite place and then eat breakfast and head out on our last day. Too bad I'll have a night to myself at the Beach Club. What will I do? Visit Epcot? Sit by Stormalong Bay with a glass of wine? Enjoy the view all alone? Decisions, decisions!

I will stay offsite for my solo days. I found a great place last year - the Econolodge Hawaiian Maingate. Last year, it was a great bargain at just $29/night but I snagged that rate just a month before I left. I made a reservation via the internet (www.previewtravel.com) for the Knights Inn Maingate which is just across 192 from the Econolodge. The rate is $36/night and the hotel looks functional with no bells or whistles. I will keep trying for a better rate closer to my departure date and see if I can't get as lucky as I was last year. I did hook up with www.valueorlando.com and got the Knights Inn for just $29.95 so I changed the reservation again.

And then one more time for a change to the offsite hotel. Through www.travelscape.com, I hooked up with the Ramada at $45/night. It's on the eastern side of I4 where the other hotels were on the western side which I prefer. However, the Ramada just looks better and nicer than the Knights Inn. The Ramada has over 400 rooms with 10 floors and interior doors. It also has a lake and gazebos for relaxing. But the main reason is the Ramada has balconies and I like to sit outside with a glass of wine after a day in the parks. I did wrestle with the extra $15/night plus taxes but just felt a lot better after getting the Ramada.

Sandy made her own reservations for offsite. They like staying onsite but just don't have the funds this trip. The Beardslees are in at Best Inn which is one mile from Maingate but neither of us can find it on any maps we currently have. But the rate was good for Sandy and the hotel has a restaurant which they need.

Tickets

Premium Annual Passports all the way. Rich and I renewed ours last fall but will not activate them until this trip. I ordered Chris' over the phone. My length of the visit fully justifies me getting one and Rich and Chris are about at the make or break point. We had the Passports last year and it was very convenient not to have to think about how many more days we had or how many bonus visits we did. We could go to whatever park we wanted whenever we wanted. And we could throw in a water park whenever. We still haven't made it to Pleasure Island since we're not big bar people but I still hope. Plus, the discounts on the resort really do save us money. And we have a trip planned with Rich's parents in November so the passes will be well worth it.

Sandy and her family will make full use of their Premium Annual Passports. They already have one trip under their belt and this will be number two. They might try and meet us for Halloween so that's already a third trip. And then they have the rest of the year.

Rental car

We will rent a car. Not only will I be staying offsite but based on my past visits, we use the car a lot more than we think we will. And we like to go offsite for groceries and trips to K Mart (Rich and Chris are collectors and always welcome opportunities to visit out-of-town stores). I've had very good luck with Dollar and just recently joined their FastLane Club (free membership). I also check National, Avis, and Budget with Sam's Club discounts. These four places are all at the terminal and they are the only ones I will rent with in Orlando. Why bother with the shuttle trip? Dollar has always had a fast, efficient return so that helps with the depression on the way home. I made a reservation for a compact car from Dollar for $129.99/week and $24.99 for the extra day. I've done cheaper in the past and will continue to look at better rates. I have always had good service with Dollar so I'm very happy with my arrangement. I can get a free upgrade to an intermediate car with the Dollar Club so I'll try that once I get there.

Offsite Stuff

I have to laugh at our friends who toured in late September. Their sons just kept saying, "It's Disney, Disney, Disney". That's kind of how Rich and Chris feel. A little Disney-overwhelmed. So I decided, like last time we toured, to offer one non-Disney day. Of course, they quickly understood that no one can satisfy like Disney but that's beside the point. I think they just don't want to admit to their friends that they didn't go offsite during the whole time.

At first, just Rich and I were going. Then, one night at a dinner out, I threw out to Rich the following options for a non-Disney day - Busch Gardens, Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida (see our report from June, 1999 for our reactions), Sea World, and Kennedy Space Center/the beach. Once Kennedy Space Center was mentioned, Chris was into the trip hook, line, and sinker. He's been a big follower of space exploration and I will never forget his reaction to the unfortunate Challenger accident back in 1986. He, at four years old, understood what happened and accepted it as part of life. He knows more about the space program than most of us and his reaction to a possible trip to the Center was so positive that I just knew we had to go. After all, he's going to be 18, a high school graduate and he WANTS to go on vacation with his parents? Chris and I saw a shuttle "piggy backed" on an airplane when it landed in California and had to go back to Florida. We were living in Mississippi at the time and watched the low moving plane from the beach at the Gulf of Mexico. Just the two of us in the early morning. Chris was all of about four and held my hand while we watched. Priceless and well worth a trip to the Kennedy Space Center to get our space fantasies fixed.

NOTE: There was a shuttle launch and landing scheduled for June. I immediately included it in our plans. But the flight was scrubbed so no launch for us. Just goes to show that you need to continually check on the local developments.

Touring

If you're expecting this report to be a commando-type report, you will be disappointed. This will also be a very adult report. My friends at work just can't imagine seeing me at Disney World. I have little or no patience with indecisiveness and well, as my boss says, "I just can't imagine you with a baby". Chris is my only child and he's one of the best things that ever happened to me (Rich is another one) but I'm done with the kid thing. A poster to the newsgroup summed up my feelings very well. We like to see the reactions of little kids but not to be overwhelmed by them. I went back to my old trip reports (all on this site) and I realized that maybe I was being unfair to all the little ones in those reports. Seems I only commented on the negative and not the positive. This trip, I resolve to find "the kid of the day". One kid who is just enjoying the Disney magic. We had a magical moment when Chris was three. We were on Main Street and he kept saying "look at the horses, look at the horses". The horses were nowhere in sight. But when I bent over to tell him that, I saw what he was looking at. The hitching posts on Main Street with the horse heads. How many of us pass that by without even looking? I'll be touring with younger kids for the first time since Chris was three. I will definitely have to have a different frame of mind when touring with Kelsey and Wesley.

So it doesn't seem like Disney World is a good fit for me. Well, it is because of how I've learned to tour it. First of all, I'm going for two weeks. Even Rich and Chris at 10 days will tour the same way. We are not morning people and never will be. I've tried rope drops twice and won't ever plan on doing it again. So we sleep until we wake up. OK, we sleep until I wake up. Rich is usually up and reading the newspaper before that. We do have to prod Chris a bit but he gets up after me. I use that time to type up the report (taking a laptop with us) and get a little more awake. We normally will be leaving the room around 11:00 AM. A friend told me that she's not surprised I don't get to do everything at Disney World because we don't get going right at park opening. Why should we push ourselves? It is a vacation, after all.

We will tour until we get tired. Period. The mid-afternoon breaks don't work since we don't get going until later than most people. We just tour and take in the sights until we've had enough for the day. Sometimes that's before dinner, sometimes right after, and sometimes until 11:00 at night. The three of us have been together for 18 years. Totally together. Rich was in the Air Force and we've lived away from our parents and siblings the entire time we've been a family. We've had to rely on each other for everything. So we are close. Rich and I practically finish each other's sentences and Chris, since he has grown to almost adulthood, is getting the same way. Therefore, we are all in synch with each other when we tour. If one person starts lagging, we accommodate. Usually, it's me and we stop for a beverage (beer unless we're at Magic Kingdom and always Coke for Chris) and then grab a bench and people watch for a half hour or so. I consider that my mid-afternoon break.

What we usually do is go to a park and then just walk around, taking in the attractions of interest if the lines are reasonable to us. We aren't fans of shows although we will stop in and see them if we are there in enough time to get a seat but not wait too long for the show to start. Parades are the same way. We're not the type of people to sit on a curb for an hour waiting for the parade to start. If we're there, we're there, otherwise, we're having fun somewhere else. All this sounds very ambiguous and it is. If we are at Magic Kingdom our second day of a ten day trip, we will definitely skip any mountain that has a longer than 45 minute wait time. We might even take that down to 30 minutes. However, if it's our second to last day and we haven't been on Splash Mountain yet and the wait is 60 minutes, we'll do it. Our philosophy is "what else are we going to do today?" You will see a lot of down time in the room. We get hot and tired just like everyone else. We will take care of ourselves and make sure that we don't need a vacation from our vacation when we get home. We don't do the Disney Death March which is where you get up, go to the Early Entry park, switch to another, switch to a third, go see the evening parade, see the fireworks, work in a couple more rides, and then crash back at the resort.

We have the luxury of a very slow paced vacation. We know we'll be back in November and we can save things that we missed for then. The three of us did Disney in June, 1999 and then Rich and I returned in September with my father and stepmother. People ask me how I can return to Disney time and time again. In fact, I don't take any other vacations. I try to explain but they just don't see it. There's something magical about the place. As I said, I'm very impatient and I don't really respond to kids. But I love Disney. I just don't seem to mind those things that much while at the World. I find myself appreciating the little things in life while I'm at Disney. I think it's the enormous attention to detail that Disney does. Here's an example - there's a shop in Liberty Square that has a giant beanstalk on the outside. I can't tell you how many times I've had to explain the picture I took of it. It's classic Disney but sometimes you just don't get it because there's so much detail. Take The Tree of Life. Who else but Disney would even think about carving those beautiful animals into it? They could have just done a simple tree. But they put over 300 animals on the trunk, the branches, everywhere. You really have to view the tree from every angle to see them all. I'm sure there are animals carved where a normal guest can't see. Disney World for me is an escape from the "real" world. I will take a laptop and I will have internet access and emails (for Rich's work) but I won't use it. I don't buy a newspaper and I don't watch the news. I'm on vacation - I'm not going to work.

Sandy and her family typically go to one park and spend all day there. As you can see from my plans, this doesn't really work for me. Once I heard of Sandy's plans, I decided there was no way I'd be spending the entire week with them. There are a lot of reasons for this. This is supposed to be some special time alone for me. And Sandy and her family planned their vacation totally on their own so having me in the picture wasn't something they had thought about. So our plan became very simple. I am not a morning person and I'm sure with two smaller kids, the Beardslees will be up and going fairly early. Sandy will plan her days and I will simply meet up with them sometime in the afternoon. I can tour with them until I become tired and want to go back to my hotel. Or until I want some time to myself. That way, I can enjoy my time and not interfere with Sandy's family time.

Sandy has planned for Monday, the 12th at MGM and Tuesday, the 13th at Blizzard Beach. I'll meet them somewhere on both of those days. Wednesday is open and we'll figure something out while we're there. Thursday is when I'm checking into the Beach Club so I think we'll part ways for that day.

We will all have dinner together on Friday night, the 16th at Cape May Buffet. We love this restaurant and have had several excellent meals here. Sandy planned to be at Epcot on that day anyway so they will just tour and then meet us at the room at the Beach Club. The Beardslees will come a little earlier than dinner for a stop in Stormalong Bay and some drinks. The way this particular evening has come together is just pure Disney magic.

Solo Touring

Yes, I have a wonderful husband to let me go for almost a full week before he gets there. Again, my friends just don't understand this. They want to know just what I'm going to do by myself for five days. Won't I be scared to be on my own? Don't I worry about my safety? How am I going to manage myself? Jeez, you think I'm Chris' age instead of approaching 40! No, I won't be scared on my own. I have traveled on business before and have found everyone very accommodating with single female travelers. The trip last June on my own to Disney was very eye opening. No one looks at you like you have two heads. I will try more sit down dining options this time since there are a few places I want to return to but Rich wants to do different places. Right now I'm thinking Concourse Steakhouse for breakfast (and so I can park at the Contemporary and walk to Magic Kingdom) and a lunch at Chefs de France just to see the place and have a glass of mid-afternoon wine.

I manage fine on my own. The only problem I had before was I packed my suitcase waaaayyyy too heavy for me and had a hard time hoisting it into the rental car trunk. The suitcase has wheels and was a breeze to pull in the airport but I forgot about getting it into the car! I'm only 5'1" and weigh 105 pounds soaking wet. I almost called over a passing guest to help me out! I managed but only after working up a nice sweat. But that's my only problem which is easily handled by not packing so heavy! I will take the same suitcase but realize that I will have to do laundry a couple of times during the trip. I also take a video bag and the laptop bag as carryons. I check the suitcase since I don't want to be one of those people who take their entire wardrobes on the plane with them. I can afford a few minutes waiting for my suitcase at the baggage claim.

My plans for the solo time are just like it would be if Rich and Chris were with me. Sleep in, tour a park until I get tired, go back to the room. I will do some attractions but not anything that I don't want to do twice. Here's what I'm thinking of checking out during this time (parks are in order of my liking):

Animal Kingdom - my favorite park. I know some people think it's boring, others think it's not nice to animals. I am a big animal lover and huge environmentalist so I'm very sympathetic to these issues. We need to learn from animals and animals need to learn from us. I think Disney does a wonderful job to lose the "zoo" feeling. If these places didn't exist, some species of animals would be extinct. Here in Nebraska, there was actually a farmer out west who saw the first bobcat in the history of Nebraska and shot the thing. It wasn't even attacking the guy but he just thought he should shoot it. Sometimes animals need to be protected from the stupidity of man.

Safari - I need to tape this and then just enjoy with Rich and Chris. I don't care if the animals are out, awake, asleep, active. I just love the ride.

Watching The Tree of Life - see my report from June, 1999 and "my place".

Tarzan Rocks - love the soundtrack.

Just seeing the animals that I would never see in my day to day routine.

Epcot - I hated this during the Millennium construction so I'm really looking forward to seeing it without blue walls. My favorite until Animal Kingdom opened up. The International Flower and Garden Festival will be winding up the first weekend I'm there. I never even thought I would be able to enjoy this presentation but I will plan on spending one half day Sunday (my arrival day). Thanks to Brian Bennett for all his help on what to do and what to see during the Festival.

Walking around the World Showcase, poking around the shops, grabbing a beer when I feel like it, people watching.

Flower and Garden Festival - it'll be nice to enjoy without the males.

The Millennium Village - new stuff.

Tapestry of Nations - after watching the Super Bowl halftime show, how can I pass it up?

NOTE: I didn't say anything about Journey Into Your Imagination ride - if this one isn't revamped by this time, I'll wait for Rich and Chris. I'm not sure I want to go on this one twice.

MGM - I like this park next because of the attractions.

Rock N Roller Coaster - wonderful ride and I hate roller coasters. Have to do this as many times as I can.

Twilight Zone - I have to get my shaking under control before the guys get here. Also, I want to do the penny trick without the guys to see if it works.

Star Tours - I know the show is getting old but there's always just one little kid that's on it for the first time and I love hearing and seeing their reaction. Always puts a smile on my face.

Muppets 3D - there's nothing like this anywhere. I could see this 100 times and never grow tired of it. The line "a salute to all nations but mostly America" never fails to get me to chuckle. It just cracks me up.

Hunchback of Notre Dame - the guys don't like things like this but I've heard so many good things I want to see it first and then determine if the guys would like it.

Magic Kingdom - OK, flame me for voting this my least favorite park. But I still like it. I just don't like playing stroller wars and seeing over tired, crying kids.

Tom Sawyer's Island - Rich and Chris will not go over there.

Buzz Lightyear - we all love this one and repeat it just to compete for the scores. Well, the guys compete, I spin - and spin - and spin - and spin.

Splash Mountain - one of my all time favorites.

Dole Whip - can anything beat this on a hot day?

Flag Retreat - one of the best of Disney and it's not even highly touted. If you are an American, I challenge you to not get moved by this.

Other Tours

I wanted to do a wine tasting class at the Institute and then read where they are phasing out individual classes this summer. I could book the class and hope it doesn't get cancelled but right now I'm opting not to bother. It's a shame that the Institute never really got off the ground. We loved our accommodations there last September, especially all the wildlife. It's a very pretty place and I plan to go there and feed the ducks at least once during the trip. If you really want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks, head to the Institute with some duck food - you won't regret it.

As a special Father's Day gift to Rich, I've signed him up for a ninety minute golf instruction. For $150 you get a pro to go with you and help you out with club selection, etc. This way, Rich will be able to play one of Disney's fabulous golf courses AND get instructions at the same time. And it'll be just Rich and the pro. That was one of the things holding Rich back from playing a Disney course before - we're not the most social people in the world so having to play with a foursome was always daunting. He has to be at the Palm/Magnolia club house at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, June 21st. Chris will sleep in and I'm not sure what my plans will be. Rich wrestled with the decision to take his clubs with him or rent them there. He decided to rent them there. His thinking is that for just 90 minutes, it wasn't worth his time to try and get his clubs onto the airplane.

Disney Philosophy

"Remember, it all started with a mouse". Walt Disney said that a long time ago. My boss said "It's just a mouse". I can't get my co-workers and friends, heck, even my family to understand that it's so much more than a mouse. How do I describe the overwhelming emotion I feel when I'm at Disney World? That I get a lump in my throat just riding the tram from the airport gate to the terminal? That I spent hours just sitting on a bench, looking at The Tree of Life? That I've been there a dozen times and it's just not enough?

Yes, I feel like a kid when I'm there. Maybe it's because I remember a much simpler world. A world where taking a ride on a steam train was an event - a once in a lifetime happening. I think we've gotten so jaded that we need instant gratification. We, in these busy times, can't wait to be entertained. We miss a lot. I tend to slow things down quite a bit at Disney World. I wasn't always like that - I've done Disney in commando mode. But the things I remember the most aren't necessarily the rides. It's watching the squirrels at Epcot; feeding the ducks at the Institute; being amazed at the geese flying at dusk at Epcot; watching the Flag Retreat at Magic Kingdom; hearing the screams at Twilight Zone; stomping in puddles on the way back from Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue.

I received the best Christmas present ever from my in-laws. Ten shares of Disney stock. My father-in-law was upset because the certificate came folded. He said it cut down on the collectibility. Also, because he didn't know what it was, he opened it and accidentally cut the certificate. I really don't care. Just the fact that I own a small piece of the magic is more than enough for me. The stock could be worth $1/share and I wouldn't mind. This is something I've wanted for a long, long time. Now I can go to the World and know that I'm a part of it. Sounds silly but it works for me.

And then something happened to make me appreciate this trip a lot more. The East Coast took a big weather blow in late January but the Midwest made out fine. Except for January 17th when I took one step out onto my driveway on to what I thought was a wet surface. It was wet all right. Hard wet also known as ice. I fell. HARD. I don't remember much immediately after that except for Rich saying my shoulder didn't look very well. I ended up with a broken right clavicle. Basically, a bad break in my shoulder which would never heal without surgery because I tore all the ligaments. I had two weeks before the operation laid me up for over a week. Then, the incision became infected and I spent the first week in March back in the hospital. It was a bad time at work but this whole accident put things into perspective. I was able to get my shoulder fixed and my focus was on the trip. How many things wouldn't I be able to enjoy if I didn't get back to 100%? I had six weeks in a sling with no shoulder movement. Followed by more weeks of physical therapy which ended sometime in mid-May. The trip was my motivation. I also kept in mind a lot of people who, for whatever reason, can't enjoy Disney the way I can. People in wheelchairs, in EVCs, people with heart or back problems. Yes, my injury is serious but it's temporary with the correct treatment. I will have a whole new appreciation for those guests who need a little extra special care.

This will be a trip report from a Disney fan. I understand that nothing is perfect but there will be a slight slant to Disney wonderfulness. The report will be filled with details, as many as I can write down and remember. I want to preserve this vacation as much as I can. So sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Final Plans

I swear this trip has just a little dose of Disney magic sprinkled about it. Airfares were high thanks for the gas shortage so I was looking at paying over $350 for each ticket. Flying out of Omaha sometimes isn't the easiest to do unless you are very flexible. I wanted to fly Midwest Express but they just weren't giving me any deals. I used www.previewtravel.com to check on airfares. Usually, my airline tickets are the first thing I get since it's so hard to make changes. This time, fortunately, it was one of the last things I bought.

I saw a summer airfare sale so I looked at what was available. This was only two months before we left. I was starting to get a little panicky! Midwest Express was out with their high fares. I was disappointed because the flight back was non-stop. Delta had flights leaving on Sunday, the 11th and returning on Sunday, the 25th but the fares were still over $300. And the guys leaving on Friday, the 16th was even more expensive. So I played around with the dates. What if I left on a Friday? Thursday night? Saturday? Not much luck. Our company's policy is that you can't take more than two weeks in Paid Time Off. I was taking two full weeks so I thought coming back on Monday, the 26th was out. Until my wonderful boss, Karen, told me to see what I could arrange. Bingo! Delta came through at $239 for my trip and $259 for the guys. I had to beg my co-worker, Judi, to let me go. Both Karen and I will be on vacation at the same time so Judi will have to answer any and all financial statement questions during that time. She said to go for it. I did.

I couldn't get previewtravel to accept any of my credit cards (believe me, there's enough cushion on the cards - the site was acting up). I tried Delta's internet site. I couldn't figure out how to get a round trip fare which is pretty sad since I know the internet fairly well. Delta needs to make the site a little more user friendly. What to do? How about the old fashioned way? I picked up the phone and called. I was helped by one of the friendliest employees I have ever encountered. At first, she quoted me a little different flight time coming back and said the rate was $330. Er, I have a fare I saw on the internet for a lot less than that. What are the flights? I gave them to her and it came up with an even lower rate! $229 for me and $239 for the guys! We leave Omaha at 6:00 AM with an hour layover in Atlanta and arrive in Orlando just after noon. Coming back is so sweet. We don't leave Orlando until 4:00 PM and have a 2-1/2 hour layover in Covington, Kentucky (aka Cincinnati). The layover is over dinnertime so we can have a nice meal at the airport before we go back to civilization. We get into Omaha at 9:30 PM. It'll make a late night but we are night people anyway. And the best part is that we get two extra days at Disney since I thought we'd have to leave Orlando sometime Sunday morning.

So we have to check out of the Beach Club on Saturday. What to do for Saturday and Sunday nights? Cheap offsite? Nah, not for two nights. For one night, I could see it. For two nights, well, let's see what Disney has. I fully expected nothing since it was only two months before our trip. I looked on the internet and was told All Star (all three of them), Dixie Landings, and the Disney Institute were all full. Old Key West and the Polynesian were available, however. Well, let's continue this streak of picking up the phone. I called.

The CM (another wonderful experience) had Dixie Landings at $139, Old Key West, Boardwalk Villas, and Wilderness Lodge available. I specifically asked about All Star Movies and was told they were available at $94. Very attractive. And then I asked about Magic Kingdom Club discounts and Annual Passport discounts. Once I said that, the CM said all but one rate disappeared from the screen. What would that be, I innocently asked? It's the Contemporary. And what would that price be? Well, for both nights, it'll be $353 including tax. Wow! I booked it immediately! What a deal! It's even cheaper than the Beach Club. I just about cried. This is just so, so perfect. We get the convenience of the Beach Club for Epcot and then move into the Contemporary, which is where I wanted to stay for a different feel. Two nights isn't a very long time but it'll be enough for me to decide if I'm a Contemporary fan or not. I was floating at work for a while!

I started the thankless task of trying to figure out where we were going to eat. Chris is such a picky eater. He pretty much limits himself to burgers, pizza (only pepperoni), pasta without vegetables, club sandwiches, cheese steaks, and fried shrimp. It's always a challenge to find places he likes. Rich used to be a picky eater but a change of diet has him eating more chicken so that's always safe. As for me, well, I guess I know where Chris gets his pickiness! I'm a little better since I can handle veggies and fruits. I think Chris would combust if he actually ate any of those.

The choices became these:

Chefs de France - lunch - me only on the day I check into the Beach Club.

Cape May Buffet - dinner - for all seven of us the only night we are all together. We just love this buffet. If you like seafood, try this place. They have steamers, mussels, peel and eat shrimp, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and wonderful desserts.

Yacht Club Galley - breakfast or lunch depending on when we get going that day. I don't think a priority seating will be necessary. Burgers and sandwiches.

Grand Floridian Café - dinner - they have a burger for Chris.

LeCellier - lunch - I have been hearing better and better things about this place so we'll have to try it. I'm going to be adventurous and try the cheddar cheese soup. This is a special meal. Chris will be paying for it. He has his own job but we're paying for everything on this trip. He can do one meal. He already knows about it and got to pick one place to treat us.

Germany - dinner - we ate here back in 1993 before it was a buffet and really liked the atmosphere. I mentioned this to Rich and he didn't know it was now a buffet. Once he realized that, we needed to go. He'll stuff himself silly on brauts.

Shell's - dinner - this is an offsite place on Highway 192. My dad and stepmother took us there in September and we really liked the place. Great seafood and very casual atmosphere. And it helps that Dad and Betty gave us $50 in gift certificates to Shell's for Christmas. I plan on doing this the day we go to the Kennedy Space Center. Once off property, stay off property.

My decisions on restaurants was limited by Chris' particulars and also by our previous visits. We just want to try new and different places. Cape May Buffet wouldn't have been a choice except that my sister wants to go there and it'll be convenient with us staying at the Beach Club. Shell's is a repeater with the gift certificates and for an offsite visit. Everything else will be a first time experience.

OK, this is as far as the pre planning report went. Since then, this has become a full blown book. If you've made it this far, go grab something to eat and drink. And then sit back and relax - keep your arms and legs inside the moving vehicle at all times. And no smoking or flash photography. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your day at Walt Disney World.

Rich and I decided that we would try and get to the Comedy Warehouse at Pleasure Island. Sue Holland, who writes numerous reports and goes to Disney World more times then is humanly possible, wrote after the pre planning report was posted and I was able to ask her specific questions about the Comedy Warehouse. Like how long you had to wait in line, etc. Sue was very helpful and I was able to plan some time for us to go to a show. Chris will go with us and, yes, he is only 18 so he's technically a "child". But I would have taken Chris when he was 10 if I could. Chris has always been an adult child, in my opinion, and would have enjoyed the antics of the Comedy Warehouse. Enough said on the subject of taking a child to Pleasure Island.

The Belinda Saga

This will be like the soap opera at Disney World. My very good co-worker friend, Belinda, found a work conference that would be at the Wyndham Resort June 26 and 27. She asked her bosses if she could go and got the go ahead. She decided to fly out of Omaha on Thursday, June 22 after work and stay offsite with her husband Scott and daughter Cassie. Belinda has never been to Walt Disney World and, frankly, has absolutely no clue as to how big and encompassing the whole place is. She also is on a very strict budget. That's something I haven't to have to worry about for a while. So we introduce a new set of characters to the mix:

Belinda Weidner (27) - reinsurance accountant at an insurance firm - a very, very good friend

Scott Weidner (30) - construction worker and Belinda's husband

Cassie Weidner (1) - Scott and Belinda's adorable daughter. She's spoiled by everyone, me included. Yes, she's one child I actually like!

Scott's mother and stepfather and grandparents live in Jacksonville. Scott's mother and stepfather will get to Orlando on Thursday, the 22nd and pick the Weidners up at the airport and then stay for the weekend. The grandparents will try and make a day trip on Friday. The Weidners made a trip down to Florida after Cassie was born and decided to do Universal Studios instead of Disney World for a day. Belinda was disappointed and really wants to enjoy Disney World. Right now, she's just thinking of Saturday at Magic Kingdom. Of course, she has no idea of what she's getting herself in for so she has asked me to plan her trip. I'm not planning too much with Belinda since her family will be with her. But I'm including this because of all the planning that went into her trip. As a Disney veteran, planning for a rookie that will not be touring with me was a challenge. I hope people will learn from my mistakes and I hope I make some smart moves!

The airline tickets for Belinda was kind of a no-brainer. Delta leaving Omaha late on Thursday night and coming back on Tuesday. There's a layover but no big deal. They will arrive around 11:30 Thursday night. The in-laws will be there Thursday night to pick them up. For the trip back, I suggested Tiffany Town Car for the three Weidners. It'll be easier than Mears since Tiffany will help with the luggage (they will have a car seat along with their other stuff) and they won't have to make stops at other hotels. The company will pay for the one way fare.

Belinda looked to me to see what cheap offsite accommodations I could find. I used all the internet resources I could find and came up with the Econolodge Hawaiian Maingate. This place has been trashed in the newsgroup but I stayed here last year and loved it. My dad and stepmother stay there every chance they get. The rate for Belinda was $39.95 Thursday night and $49.95 for Friday and Saturday nights. I called Belinda and she thought it was fine. Her mother-in-law will pay for half the room so she was very happy.

Belinda will not rent a car. She'll rely on the hotel transportation. Having the in-laws for the offsite weekend will help and then the Wyndham is just a walk from Downtown Disney. If it weren't for the tight budget, I'd recommend a rental car but the company won't pay for one and neither will Belinda.

I wanted to meet up with Belinda et al at least once on this trip but there's no way I'm going to Magic Kingdom in June on a Saturday. I offered some suggestions for dinner either Friday night or Sunday night. Since Scott's grandparents will be there Friday night, that was out. And Belinda wanted a nice family night for Sunday. But I really wanted to hear about the Weidner's experiences with Magic Kingdom. So I got creative and suggested breakfast at Chef Mickey's on Sunday morning. As you can see, we're not morning people and I found out neither is Scott so a time of 10:30 was perfect. Cassie will love the characters and the in-laws will get plenty of photo ops. And I will as well!

Gift Bags

My good email friend Adrienne made up gift boxes for her nephews last year so I thought I'd do that for Kelsey and Wesley. I added a few things for Cassie as well. Just as a greeting to Walt Disney World. And, since I have an eighteen year old, something I can do to get me in the mood for the kids. I started several months in advance and just kept adding stuff until I thought I had enough. The things I bought were:

Meeko, Flit, and Percy for $2.99 at Kay Bee on sale (all THREE were $2.99)

Travel set with sunglasses and an arcade game at Gordman's for $1.99 each (Gordman's offers stuff at 1/2 price)

Disney Pez dispenser with candy (don't know the price - Rich picked them up)

Disney Little Golden Book for $0.99 each at Gordman's

Disney lip balm with Pooh/Tigger key chain that included a child's ID for $2.99 each at ShopKo (kinda like a Kmart)

Very cheap crayons for $0.99 each at KayBee Toys

Very cheap colored pencils for $1.99 each at KayBee Toys

Disney coloring book on sale at KayBee for $0.99 each

Card games on sale at KayBee for $0.99 each

Disney lollipops from the Disney Store - five for $4.99

A Disney pop out washcloth from the Disney Store - can't remember the price but figured they could use it to wash off the stickiness during the day (Belinda said she used hers for Cassie all the time)

A very cool pen from the Disney Store - it has a character head (Pooh, Tigger, Mickey, Minnie) and when you press down on that, it lights up - also has an automatic shut off - perfect for character autographs - cost of $4 each (Cassie loved this on the plane)

I bought Pooh gift bags from Hallmark as well as tissue paper to line the bags. I'll haul all the stuff down with me and assemble the bags in the room before I go and meet the kids. I haven't seen these guys in five years. For Cassie, I'll leave a smaller bag on Belinda's desk the Friday before I leave.

The Next Trip

OK, I went over how much PTO time I have. I'll still have ten days to use even after this vacation and the one in November. What to do? Go to Walt Disney World again! Rich OKed me going the last week in September so I'll be there September 23rd through October 1st. A total solo trip. Can life get any better than this?

Day Zero - The Day Before - Saturday, June 10, 2000

I hate packing! But it's a necessary evil in order to be in the Land of the Mouse. This is the first time I'm going to Disney World and have a full day before I leave to get ready. Usually, we leave on a Friday and work on Thursday so Thursday night is packing night. And I'm only packing for myself. I decided to put my video bag inside another, larger, carry on bag. This way, I'll have an extra carry on bag for the flight home. Knowing us, we'll buy a ton of stuff down there. Also, I will pack another carry on bag into my luggage and Rich will do the same. Delta has these restrictions on luggage. You are allowed three bags. You can check all three and carry on none. You can check one and carry on two (which I will be doing). You can check two and carry on one. You cannot carry on three. So, on the way back, I'd like to have three checked bags and up to six carry ons for the three of us. Jeez, even the packing requires planning!

But I'm ready. I've been reading the newsgroup for news of the fires and it doesn't seem that bad. I just hope the rain that usually follows me to Florida does this year. They certainly need it. We're in a draught here in Nebraska but we don't have any fires to go along with it.

I keep hearing in my mind the Jefferson Airplane song - "My bags are packed, I'm ready to go". I know that by this time tomorrow I'll be at Epcot. How slow can this time go?

Day One - Sunday, June 11, 2000

It actually wasn't that bad getting up at 4:00 AM. Of course, look where I was going! Rich stayed in bed as long as he possibly could. Poor guy is taking me to the airport. He did just drop me off at the terminal after taking my suitcase in for me. The line wasn't that bad and moved fairly quickly. The flight left on time at 6:00 and our breakfast was a Sky Deli bag with yogurt, a banana, a cinnamon croissant, and orange juice. My two seatmates (I was at the window) were young brothers who were going to Gainsville to visit relatives. I don't like yogurt or bananas so I offered up the stuff I didn't want. I'd rather give the food to strangers than waste it.

I started listening to Stephen King's audiobook "Blood and Smoke". It's only available on cassette tape or CD. Rich said to get it on CD but the only problem with that is if you don't finish a CD, there no way to mark your page. I could have done that with the cassette. I managed to get most of the way through the first CD and then sleep took over. Most of the plane was sleeping. Arrived into Atlanta on time at 9:10. I found it interesting that Atlanta has "streets" for the luggage carts. Complete with right turn only lanes.

The flight came into terminal A and, of course, I was leaving out of terminal E. So I had my first tram ride of the day and I'm not even in Florida yet. This flight also left the gate on time even though the flight crew didn't get there until 1/2 hour before takeoff. But then we sat in line waiting for takeoff until 11:00. But we landed in Orlando at noon which was a little ahead of schedule. I did get a little teary eyed on the plane when I realized that I'm here!

Went down to claim the luggage. I really get a kick out of seeing how people react to such a simple thing. First of all, the luggage carousels are fairly large but everyone crowds around what they think is the beginning. I moved all the way around those people and was not crowded at all. And then the luggage started to come out. Turns out, I was at the beginning and all those people were at the end. But did they just stay where they were and wait for the luggage to come to them? No, they all moved over to where I was! And things were further complicated because they put both Atlanta flights on the same carousel (the flights arrived within five minutes of each other). So we had double the number of people waiting for luggage. My bag finally came out and I was so glad. I was tired of listening to the woman behind me who, for every black bag on wheels that came out, said "is that mine, is that mine?" to her husband who kept replying, "I don't know what your bag looks like."

I went down to the Dollar counter. That counter has to be the fartherest away from Delta baggage claim! There was a line but I went up using the Fastlane membership. And it happened again. Dollar had no record of my reservation. I didn't call before I left to verify the reservation because I assumed since I was a Fastlane member, I wouldn't have a problem. But I still was able to get a compact car for the same rate I was quoted months ago. I couldn't upgrade to an intermediate because the guy said none were available. Fine, I'll take the Plymouth Neon. The car is fine but it's white just like every other rental car in Florida. I'm going to have to find something to hang on the rear view mirror when we're parked so we can tell it apart from the hundreds of other white cars.

Left the airport and drove to 192 using the Greeneway, then the John Young Parkway, then the Osceola Parkway. Tolls were supposed to be $1, then $0.50, then $1.25. But no one was at the $0.50 one so I just waited a little and then drove on. I did stop at the Publix on the John Young Parkway for some essentials. Total cost $23.91. And then I did Central Florida a favor. I brought my normal rain along with me. It rained long and hard. I was soaked walking out of the Publix and getting the groceries into the car.

Found the Ramada Eastgate with no problems except a traffic light. It was malfunctioning at the main intersection. The way I was going had a flashing red light and 192 had a flashing yellow light. Which meant no one on my road was going anywhere. Every once in a while, some nice person on 192 would stop and let us go. Fortunately, it was fixed later on in the day.

Checked in at the Ramada with no problems. I was able to get the king size bed I had requested. This place seems pretty nice. There's a restaurant and gift shop on the lobby floor. There's also a transportation desk that seemed fairly busy. And Alamo has a desk here as well. I was put on the fourth floor which is perfect since it's the top floor of this building so I won't have anyone walking above my head. The room is a nice size. It has the king bed, a bench, a couch that folds out into a bed, a table with two chairs, a dresser, and two nightstands. My balcony will barely hold a couple of chairs but that's OK. My view is of the shuffleboard courts and the pool is off to the right. I also get an in room safe, an ironing board and iron, a hair dryer, and a coffee maker (not going to be used). Not too bad and a great bargain at $45/night.

Unloaded and unpacked. I was not going to go to Epcot since it was still raining pretty steadily. The only thing I wanted to do at Epcot was walk around World Showcase and see the Flower and Garden stuff. I was not going to do that in a steady rain. So I just relaxed, watched some golf on TV, and got the gift bags together. And then the rain stopped. So I was off to Epcot.

I drove on 192 to World Drive and the traffic was not that bad. Having that traffic light fixed really helped! I parked at the Boardwalk and just felt right at home again. I gazed over at the Beach Club and was in heaven knowing that we'll be there in just five days. The International Gateway Guest Relations actually had people waiting to buy tickets so that was new. I had to wait a couple of minutes to get helped. But I easily exchanged my Premium Annual Passport renewal voucher for the real deal. Then through the turnstiles and I'm here!

I was looking at Epcot for the Flower and Garden stuff but I was also looking at it for things that would impress my father-in-law, Ed, for when I show him Disney World in November. I found a lot! I don't normally get into the flowers and plants but I really noticed them this time. Ed will be in heaven at Epcot. I did buy Ed a card that contained marigold seeds. All you need to do is soak the card and plant it and the flowers will grow. The card is natural and bio-degradable. It was on sale for $2.99 down from $5.

I just strolled around and then it happened. I cried while at Disney World. I finished walking through the Rose Garden and was heading towards the walkway between Future World and World Showcase. The fountain show was going on. I had just gotten to where I could see the fountain so I turned to look at it. What a sight! The fountain doing it's finest, Spaceship Earth looming in the background with Mickey's hand and the 2000 on it. The music was soaring and it was just so perfect. I am so glad I had my sunglasses on because the tears came.

I returned to World Showcase and stopped at Mexico for a margarita ($6.26). I had the Fiesta margarita which combined all the four flavors - lime, strawberry, kiwi, and mango. Wonderful! I was getting a little hungry but didn't want anything big. I stopped for the first time at the Lotus Blossom Café for a couple of egg rolls ($3.29). They really hit the spot. Then I just continued around to the International Gateway again.

The characters were out in force. Timon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Genie, Jane, all the Pooh characters, and Goofy were all out. Also, the topiaries were kind of cool. My favorite was Mickey and Minnie in America. The Fantasia stuff at the entrance to World Showcase was nice too. And I had to get a picture of Phil from Hercules. Just odd to see a plant of Phil. I also really liked this water garden they had in Japan. Water continually ran through bamboo pipes and then they fell and hit instruments to make a musical garden. I really hope this stays after the festival. It makes a nice addition to Epcot.

I came back to the hotel to find a message from Sandy. They were going to Epcot! They would be between England and Canada to watch Tapestry of Nations and Illuminations. Sandy called at 5:00 and they were going out then. She hoped to see me there. I probably passed them at some point! I got back to the room after 6:00 and I wasn't going to go back to Epcot. I was tired. And I had planned a short trip since it was my first day and I wanted to see how my shoulder was going to hold up carrying the video bag. I think I did OK. I wasn't out very long but it was enough to know that I shouldn't have a problem (I did). Sandy said she'd call when they got back but that'll be well after 9:30 and I don't think that late of a visit will be something I'll want to do. It did storm quite a bit while I was typing this. I am so glad Florida is finally getting some rain. Rain on a Disney vacation doesn't bother me one bit and these people here certainly need it.

Night is just watching TV, drinking wine, and relaxing. Not a fantastic first day, but a busy one. Tomorrow I want to sleep in and then go to Animal Kingdom. Sandy called at 9:00 and said they were back at the room. She said they got caught in the big storm and they were tired. They actually broke down and bought the yellow ponchos that they swore they would never buy. I asked if she wanted me to quickly run down to her hotel but then I took that back because she just sounded pooped out. They did drive all the way from Little Torch Key to Kissimmee and then attempted to watch the nighttime stuff at Epcot. They had a long day. So we arranged to meet at MGM at 5:00 tomorrow. OK, where? Sandy they said would be about 3/4 of the way through by that time. I asked her which way she started. She said the right side with Twilight Zone first. So I suggested meeting at the Muppet fountain. Let's see how setting up meeting places is going to work.

Kid of the Day - OK, this isn't really Disney but I wasn't on the property long enough to find one. The honor goes to the 10 year old boy at the Omaha airport who was going to Space Camp. That's a chance of a lifetime and I wish they had that when I was a kid.

Day Two - Monday, June 12, 2000

Ah, the joys of sleeping alone in a king bed! After 18 years of marriage, it's nice to be able to stretch out. I slept until 10:00 and it was joy. I heard a few doors slamming and a few conversations in the hallway but it wasn't too bad. I heard absolutely nothing from my neighbors. The walls are thick but the doors aren't.

Ate a light breakfast of cinnamon rolls and 7-Up, both bought yesterday at Publix. My muscles were a little stiff and sore from yesterday so I'll have to take it easy today and work up to the marathon stuff later on in the week.

Left for the Animal Kingdom at 11:30. The day is just what you would expect from Florida in June. Sunny and hot - temperatures will be in the 90s today. I drove up to the parking gate and here's where the first of "look to all lines" came into play. There were five cars stacked in the right line and no one in the leftmost lane. Can you tell where I went? I parked out in Peacock 8 and realized I had to do something to distinguish my car from the other white rental cars. So I put down the visors and then put the removable ashtray on the dash. Have to come up with a better idea. I walked to the front entrance instead of using the trams.

I just walked around the front entrance looking at the animals. Things I overheard. "It's going to be cooler in here because of all the trees". HA! "There sure is a lot of water for just one turtle". This from a kid who came up, took one look and left. He didn't see the other water life in there. Then I walked through the Tree of Life garden area. I went to where the sea otters are and it was just me and a little girl (her grandfather and grandmother were there earlier and there was no where the girl could go except out to where they were). She didn't see the otters at first but I pointed them out. She was so excited. The little guys were in the water and then got out and were running around on shore. The little girl just wanted one picture and she got one. She thanked me about three times for pointing out the otters.

Then I walked under the Tree of Life and saw the tree from several new angles. I had always seen this path from the other side of the water but I've never walked it before. Took several new videos and still pictures. One of these days, I'll have the tree preserved from every angle. Came out to the exit of It's Tough to be a Bug and waited a couple of minutes until the crowd from the show filed out. Found another secluded spot to view the tree. Took more videos and more stills.

By now it was close to noon and I was dripping. This really was my first exposure to Florida weather this year and I knew it would take some time for me to get used to it. So I decided a beer and a rest was in order. But, of course, all the beverage and food places were crowded because of the time of day. I just walked around to the Dawa Bar. This has got to be a hidden attraction at Animal Kingdom. Plenty of tables all under cover. The bar is almost never crowded. I walked right up and ordered a Bud Light. $4.25 and I left the change for a tip.

I wanted a nice table for people watching and found one with four chairs. I don't like taking up a table like this for one person but all the tables had four chairs. I heard the band marching through Africa and looked around. I was right in front of their stage! Perfect seat for the performance. I don't know how these people perform with such enthusiasm when the temperatures are so high. The lead guy brought kids and adults up to dance with him. It was a nice way to spend time cooling down. A couple of families sat at my table during the performance. Not a problem.

While I was sitting there, a Cast Member did ask a guest to move to a smoking area. I haven't really paid attention to where the smoking areas are. I looked at the Epcot map and they seem to be everywhere. If you're a smoker, I don't think you'll have a problem finding one. I didn't get an Animal Kingdom map so I have no idea where the areas are. I would imagine the Dawa Bar would be one. However, I really haven't noticed a ton of people smoking, either. The only place I ever minded the smoking before the "ban" was in the attraction lines. You just don't have a choice of moving there. So I'm glad now I don't have to worry about that.

After I had my break, I made my way to the Pangani Trail. I looked at the Safari and could have gotten a Fastpass for between 2 and 3. It was very tempting but I wanted a break. I decided to walk through the trail and then go back to the hotel to drop off the video camera. The trail was great. I saw this huge African bullfrog outside the naked mole rat exhibit. This poor guy looks just so lonely. I stopped to see him and take a few videos and pictures and then other people decided to see what was up. No one was interested in what the poor guy was and just passed by him. Check this guy out! The naked mole rats were very active and I got some video of them. A lot of people have been very considerate of the video taping. Personally, I don't mind people walking in front of the camera, it adds to the experience, but it's been nice. The meerkats were all in a bunch sleeping. They were so cute. Again, more video and a couple of stills. The hippos were sleeping on each other. And, for the first time, I got to see the gorillas. The family wasn't doing much but the bachelors were active. The silverback was being totally in charge. The other four were getting into the water and having fun. That's the first time I've seen a gorilla in the water. And I'm amazed at the size of the living quarters here. At least these guys aren't like zoo gorillas and confined to cages during the day. One little boy saw the observation area that the Cast Members use. It's up high and the boy pointed to it and said "hey, look, a campground". His parents had no clue as to what he was talking about.

I finished up with the trail about 1:30 and decided to leave. It's not that I was overly hot or overly tired. I think I was in sensory overload with everything I saw. I walked through Animal Kingdom and then the parking lot. By the time I got to Peacock 8, it was 1:56. So if you need to walk from the one end of Animal Kingdom all the way out to your car, it takes about 1/2 hour. From there, I just drove back to the hotel. Made it in less than 15 minutes.

Relaxed in the room and watched some TV. Headed to MGM at 3:30. Had to park way out but the tram was right there so it wasn't a problem to get to the entrance. I did put a plastic grocery bag on the rear view mirror to identify the car. And then I had the second "look to all lines". The lines to go into MGM on the right side were packed. The ones to the left were empty. I really wanted to avoid the Mulan parade so I headed towards the Animation store to look at the art. This stuff is just so beautiful. We usually spend a good amount of time here so I'd knew I'd be back. I did see this adorable figure of Winnie the Pooh with Roo sleeping in his lap. The look on Roo's face is just one of pure contentment. It reminded me of Rich and our cat, Todd. Rich's lap is the only one Todd will sleep in. And Todd's face gets the same look that Roo's has. But I passed on it, figuring I'd come back with Rich.

I walked through Mickey Avenue - err, make that Tigger Avenue with the new movie and all. I was heading for the Soundstage Catering Co. for a beer. I did have one problem here with Disney and ABC. They had this very big billboard about "Sports Night". ABC just canceled "Sports Night". One of the most intelligent and well-written shows on the air. I hope that show goes to a cable company since it was one of the best things. I think it's ironic that ABC, the Disney owned company, canceled it. Touchstone, the Disney owned company, produces it. OK, enough of my views on the TV situation.

Grabbed the beer ($4.25) and just sat and waited for 4:45 when I thought I'd head over to the Muppet fountain. Made it to the fountain with the remainder of the beer and found a seat over to the side in the shade. I waited. And then I saw these two adorable kids - both blond - a boy about 7 and a girl about 9. I just knew they were Kelsey and Wesley. I watched them cavort in the fountain for a while and tried to see where Sandy and Rich were. I couldn't see them so I went over to the kids. I knew this was taking a chance but I just knew these guys were my niece and nephew. I approached Wesley and asked if his name was Wesley. He said yes and then I asked Kelsey. She said yes. I said I was their Aunt Sheri. Oh! They took me over to Rich and Sandy and, to be honest, I don't think I would have recognized them! The five years proceeding your 40th birthday really does change you. We talked for a while and I asked them what they still needed to do at MGM. They had said they spend all day in one park - from opening until closing. Ugh! Not for me. They said they had gotten there at 8:45. Yeck! But they still had Backstage Tour and Doug Live to see. Neither one appealed to me. So we just talked for about a half hour and made plans to meet at Blizzard Beach at Lottawatta Lodge between 1 and 2 tomorrow.

I went to check out the line for Star Tours and the standby was 10 minutes. No problem. But I just walked on. Wonderful trip to Endor. I shopped at the Tatooine Traders to see what kind of Star Wars stuff was available for Chris, the Star Wars junkie. I just couldn't resist the temptation to get a Jar Jar Binks plush for $6.35. Chris and I are so on opposite ends regarding good ole Jar Jar. Chris wishes Jar Jar would get killed in the second episode. I think Jar Jar made "The Phantom Menace". So I just had to get a Jar Jar to bug the crap out of Chris when he gets here.

Then I backtracked and went to Muppets. I saw the whole preshow and really enjoyed it. The theatre wasn't totally full and we were instructed to move 3/4 of the way through the rows. Loved the show as always. After Muppets, I was hungry so I stopped in at the Backlot Express for a hot dog and a beer. Total cost $7.47. The place was deserted and this was around 6:30. If you want just a simple burger and fries, try this place. I just sat and drank the beer. I did hear the soft opening of Indiana Jones going on. Didn't sound like it was any different then before and they still had the guy in the loud shirt. I saw the "extras" coming off and he was still there.

I went back to the Animation store and bought the Winnie the Pooh/Roo figure. I'm going to give it to Rich on Father's Day as a present from Todd. The name of the figure is "Sweet Dreams" and if you can just see Todd's face when he's sleeping on Rich's lap, you'd know it was perfect. Cost was $39.75.

I rode the waiting tram out to MGM's lot and I know I really have to do something about having a white rental car in Florida. I couldn't find the darn thing even though I had the plastic bag hanging from the rear view mirror! I think I might just buy a sunscreen and put it in the windshield. Something to set the car apart from everyone else's. I did finally find it but it took a while. Yes, I did write down the lane number but it didn't help - there are that many white Plymouth Neons with Florida license plates! I drove back to 192 and stopped in at Publix for some much needed wine. The day was much longer than I anticipated and I was burned out.

Came back to the room and typed up the report and watched TV. I was tired, my muscles hurt, I had to take a shower because I was so hot and sweaty. I was content.

Kid of the day - my adorable niece and nephew of course. Seeing them playing around the Muppet fountain and just knowing they were part of my family was priceless. Non relatives - the little girl who just wanted a picture of the sea otters and thanked me for pointing them out. And second prize goes to one boy about 8 years old who was asked to dance with the band in Africa. This kid was missing a front tooth and just had this goofy smile on the entire time he was out dancing.

Day Three - Tuesday, June 13, 2000

Slept in again. This is getting me spoiled! I was supposed to meet Sandy and the family at Blizzard Beach between 1 and 2 at Lottawatta Lodge. So I just relaxed in the room until 11:45 and then headed out. My destination was Coronado Springs since we are going to be staying there in November after Rich's parents leave the Boardwalk for their convention. There's no reason just the two of us need a one-bedroom suite at the Boardwalk when a moderate will do. I have never been to Coronado Springs so this would be a good time for me to scope out which building I might request.

Well, let me tell you we are not going to be staying at Coronado Springs! There were no parking spaces at the check in lot so I had to go over to the convention center lot. That's not a problem. But having to walk past all those conventioneers was a problem. OK, I know this is a convention resort so let's go see what the rest of the place looks like. I walked through the lobby area and then out to go to The Dig Site. I walked around the water and just saw too many people with name bags and cell phones. I had read that other people were bothered by this and I really didn't think it would affect me. It did. I'm on vacation and I have to hear other people's conversations about the real world? If Bobbie and Ed's convention would have been held at Coronado, I would have gladly stayed here. But it'll be just Rich and me and this just doesn't cut it for two adults on their vacation. I'm going to change the reservation to Port Orleans. Sorry to all the Coronado fans out there but for what I want in November, it's not for me. Maybe some other time.

Drove over to Blizzard Beach and was told they were closed until about 2 or so. The day was very hot and very sunny so that didn't surprise me at all. One thing about staying offsite - you can't just hop a bus and get into the water parks. I could have taken the bus from Coronado and gotten in but, actually, this provided me with an excuse not to meet up with Sandy. What I really wanted to do was go shopping at Epcot. I don't get into those moods very often but I was in one today. I wasn't planning to buy anything but just go into all the different places and see if they had anything I was interested in. I was looking to find small souvenirs from each country. Under $10 or under $5 if I could. Also, I was looking for Christmas presents for the family. As diverse as we all are, I shop all year round for Christmas ideas.

So I left Blizzard Beach and drove over to the Boardwalk. I had to shuffle some things around since I had everything in a plastic grocery bag for Blizzard Beach. I transferred what I needed to the other bag (wonderful bag from Eddie Bauer - $15) and walked over to Epcot. Remember that the day was 90 degrees or more. And very sunny. Just remember that.

First up France. We usually tour World Showcase clockwise and I wanted to change that today. I did see a few things under my price range and maybe something for Rich's sister. Then I had a glass of Chardonnay for $2.95. I also checked out the menu for my lunch at Chefs de France on Thursday. Same as on Deb's site so I pretty much knew what I was going to get. There is a new Kids Garden between France and Morocco that was getting a good work out. I don't know if this is left over from the Festival but I hope it stays. Next was Morocco and they had a ton of stuff under my price range. Also, maybe a wallet or jewelry for our niece, Shanna and a frame for Rich's father.

Then Japan. The water garden I loved during the Flower and Garden Festival was gone! Drat! Bring this one back, please! It's like the trains in Germany - just enough to add to the country. I went into the big department store and found out that I bought the wrong "lucky" cat last year. We bought the white one which means happiness. I should have bought the black one which brings good health. I could have used that one in January when I slipped and broke the shoulder. I'm definitely going to have to get one of those this year. I saw a few things under my price range.

Next up was America. Now, I'm very patriotic. Love our country. I respect the flag and everything it stands for. I had a hard time filling out our census survey. They wanted to know my nationality. They didn't have "American" on the form. So I filled out "Other" and wrote in American. I am a mutt. I am American. But the American pavilion totally stinks. We have a blockbuster attraction that is so long that you have to plan some time to take it in (and a lot of people fall asleep). One store that focuses on the Revolutionary War and the American Eagle. What about the rest of our history? And the fast food place really needs help. Burgers and fries? Is that what America contributes? The entertainment outside is probably the best. But Lord of the Dance is scheduled to come in during the next week. Is that American? Sadly, I was very disappointed with our country's contribution to World Showcase after thoroughly exploring the other pavilions.

Onto Italy. I found nothing under $10 in the gift shops. True, I was lagging by this time. China had lots of stuff for me. Remember the heat? So onto Germany for a beer. Ah, but at $6 I'll have to go back to France for those $2.95 glasses of wine! I sat in the shade and enjoyed the Becks. I did stop and see the train set first. When I was here on Sunday, the main square was decorated just like Epcot for the Flower and Garden Festival. Now it was back to "normal". Very nice attention to detail.

I was sitting looking out over towards Spaceship Earth very near to a Kodak picture spot. A family of two adults and three kids came up to take a picture. The wife stops the husband and says it would be a great picture since Spaceship Earth would be in the background. Her smart aleck 10 year old son says "It's Epcot Center, Ma, not Spaceship Earth". I really had to hold back or the beer in the mouth would have been on the ground. Also, I heard one lady walk by and tell her husband "I think we're in Switzerland". OK, I guess those rumors that have been floating about for years are true. And the polka band came out while I was there. They were great and then they played what I think is the plague of the Midwest. That darn chicken dance song. Even now I can hear that stupid music. Sorry, not my style.

Back to my tour of the countries. Germany had some things for me. Norway had nothing. Oh, they had a lot of stuff but just not for under $10. And then onto Mexico. Remember the heat? Time for another Fiesta Margarita for $6.25. Ah, pure bliss. I sat and watched a family feeding the birds their leftover bread and tortillas. Yeah, it's about 95 degrees with humidity but I'm at Epcot, enjoying a margarita and life is good. Mexico had a few things inside and the air conditioning felt so good, I just had to go on El Rio del Tempo. I knew it had been spruced up but I couldn't see anything different. But it was a nice ride with no wait and I was on the bench all by myself.

And then I went into overload. I was hot, tired, and dragging. I still had Canada, Millennium Village, and Great Britain to do. No thank you. I can come back on Thursday. I stopped at the shop at the International Gateway and bought bobbie pins for $8. Putting the hair up was going to be my new look for the week. I walked my sorry little butt back to the Boardwalk and drove back to the room. I crashed. But first I called Sandy at her hotel and left a message about why I didn't meet them. I told them to call me when they got back. What a day! How long was I at Epcot? Well, I got there about 12:30 and I was back in the room at 4. How do these people go all day?

Sandy called at 5:00 from back at her hotel. They were going to take showers, rest a bit, and then head out to Shell's for dinner around 6:30. Sounded good to me. I asked them to pick me up on the way there. They were going to go right by the hotel anyway. They arrived right at 6:30 and came up to the room. I gave the kids the gift bags and they were a huge hit. Wesley really tore into his. But both kids were very polite and put everything back into the bags and didn't pester to play with anything. I think Wesley and Kelsey joined my very limited list of kids that I like.

Went to Shell's and had a very enjoyable dinner. I had Dungeness and Snow Crab Legs along with a skewer of grilled shrimp with potatoes and cole slaw for $15.95. Sandy had Snow Crab Legs and shrimp for $18.95. Rich had surf and turf, Kelsey had a kids shrimp pasta that looked great, Wesley had another kids meal. I don't know how much the total bill was because Rich was presented with it. I gave Rich $30 to cover my meal and the two glasses of wine I had. Rich thought it was too much but I told him he could buy a pitcher of beer Friday night at Cape May Buffet.

We agreed to meet at the Aloha Isle tomorrow at 3 for a Dole Whip. I was dropped off at the hotel and I realized I was totally whipped. So I just got changed and went to bed. Tomorrow would be Magic Kingdom.

Kid of the Day - ME! I got to shop at Epcot the way I wanted to. Second place - the three kids feeding the birds at (in?) Mexico.

Day Four - Wednesday, June 14, 2000

After my early evening, I was up by 8:00. I slowly got ready and then called Belinda at work once the switchboard opened. It was hard remembering that the folks back home are an hour behind me. Belinda is getting excited about the trip. I asked her if she faxed my room request to the Beach Club. She did yesterday so, hopefully, I'll get what I want. I just requested non-smoking and a full balcony. I did ask for close to Epcot but that's not a critical need. Then I called Rich since I was going to call him last night but didn't because I was bushed.

Well, Rich is so glad I'm here in Florida and not back in Nebraska. They had severe tornadoes yesterday. I usually freak out over these things. They come up so fast and can be so deadly. I am in the basement before the sirens end. The watch (which is worse than a warning) was from 2:30 until 5:00 which is very long for a watch. Rich was at work and had to go into the middle of the building. He did leave at 3:30 and went home and took the cat into the basement. Now I knew it was bad if Rich, the calm one, was in the basement. Chris was at work at the theatre and they closed at 4:30. Now I knew it was very bad if a theatre closes! Fortunately, Chris stayed at work until after 6:00 so he was safe. I think one of the safest places in a tornado would be a movie theatre - no windows. But everything was OK after that. The temperatures there are nice - 70s. Here it's another hot and humid day. Remember that.

I left the room at 10:00 for my priority seating at Concourse Steakhouse at 10:30. The traffic on 192 is definitely different - kind of congested at this time of the morning. I had to rely on the kindness of strangers to get me out of the Ramada parking lot. And then I had to wait through a couple of light cycles further on. With that and missing the turn to get into the Magic Kingdom resorts, I pulled up to the Contemporary at exactly 10:30. The gate guard handed me a pink pass that was good for parking for three hours. This is new. Found a place and didn't put the pass on the dashboard. Walked to the Steakhouse and was warmly greeted. The guy taking names asked if he could help. I said I had a seating for 10:30. He immediately put my name on a card. I asked him how he knew my name. He said it was right there in front of him. I guess parties of 1 with a seating at the Steakhouse are a rarity. The lady with him said that "he's either psychic or psycho". I said I hoped it was the former.

I ordered the mimosa for two and then the Magic Kingdom Express which was two eggs any way (poached for me), bacon or sausage (three strips of bacon for me), hash browns, and a biscuit. I just sat and relaxed and watched the monorail come and go. Total cost with tax and tip $19.50. A great start to a Magic Kingdom day.

Walked over to the Magic Kingdom. Remember that it's hot. And I forgot the darn sunscreen. My mission was to visit Tom Sawyer's Island. I walked up Main Street and stopped at the Camera Center and watched the classic Mickey cartoons. I saw "Steamboat Willie" and "Flowers and Trees". Then I went through Adventureland. I had to stop at Pirates of the Caribbean. One little boy about 5 years old behind me in the boat didn't like the ride. He said it was "freaky". Then off on a raft over to the Island. I walked around and took some nice videos of the Liberty Square Riverboat leaving the dock. I also took some stills of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion.

It was hot, did I say that? I got a Sprite from Aunt Polly's and sat on a rocker and drank. I knew I'd never last today. Not having sunscreen on was a killer. I was supposed to meet Sandy at 3 but there was no way I'd make that. I took the raft back to the mainland and then walked alllllll the way back to the Contemporary. That's a long walk. I cranked up the air conditioning and drove back to the hotel. I crashed. I knew the heat was getting to me. I was carrying the video camera and, for some reason, it just feels heavier than last year. I don't know if the shoulder has something to do with it but I think I'm going to ask Rich to carry the camera for me. I'll take the smaller bag.

I cooled off and watched TV for the afternoon. I found out that TNT has "Tour of Duty" episodes on at 6:00 so I was in heaven. After the show, I went to the hotel restaurant for dinner. I just didn't feel like putting in the effort to drive anywhere. The place was deserted. I ordered a glass of wine and the club sandwich. The sandwich was OK and the service was so-so. Total with tip was $14.08. Then back to the room for more TV watching. I'm checking into the Beach Club tomorrow and wanted to get plenty of rest.

I had had an envelope put under my door earlier. When I had made my reservation through travelscape.com, I had to prepay the entire balance. So when I checked in, I had to pay $6.44 for the in room safe and local phone calls. I think that's standard in some of the hotels here. Not a problem, I just paid in cash. I had to read this paper that said since I was a cash paying customer, the hotel reserved the right to ask me to pay for whatever charges I incurred during my stay. OK, now they were telling me I had phone charges to pay for. I had made a couple of local calls so I didn't understand the charge. The call to Belinda was an 800 call and I called Rich on my cell phone. So I called the front desk. The guy there told me I had four calls yesterday and one today. I said the only calls I made were local calls. Then the guy tells me that calls to Disney were not considered local! I asked where in my room could I find that information. If I had known that, I would have used my cell phone for all my calls. The guy just repeated that I owed for the calls. He kind of laughed and said it was only $0.34 per call, though. I again asked where I could find that information in my room. I was getting kind of mad because I knew the FCC has regulations about hotels providing phone information and I felt like the hotel was trying to rip off their guests. The guy put me on hold and talked with a manager who said they would take the charges off my bill. Darn right they will. Folks, if this information is not displayed in your room, challenge it.

Non Kid of the Day - The fourteen year old girl on the raft to Tom Sawyer's Island. She was complaining about everything. The heat, how lame the island was going to be, the raft. Once on the raft, she sat down. That's really not a good idea and her mother told her that. She didn't listen. When we got to the island, the girl asked where we started from and stated the fact that she was confused at her surroundings. Maybe if she had stood up, she'd understand where she was. I went in the opposite direction of that family.

Kid of the Day - The little boy about five years old on Tom Sawyer's Island. He was walking by the whitewashing fence and ran his hand along the fence on the "wet paint" side. After he did that, he looked at his hand to see if he had paint on it.

Summary of Chapter One - Onsite versus Offsite

Driving back and forth has not been a problem. Of course, I'm not doing a commando style of touring. I leave later than most people. I think the biggest traffic problem on 192 is people don't do the speed limit - they go slower and since it's only two lanes, bogs everything down.

I really miss being able to have packages sent back to the room. I've had to plan when to buy stuff. I haven't bought that much - good ole Jar Jar and Rich's Father's Day present. But I had to make sure I bought that on the way out of MGM.

I don't have to pay for parking with my annual pass but I've had to stop at the gates to show it. I like having that resort ID on the dashboard.

I did manage to go back to the room during the afternoon between Animal Kingdom and MGM. It wasn't a problem and it broke up the day nicely.

This hotel does have shuttles but I wouldn't use them. If I had to rely on a shuttle schedule yesterday at Magic Kingdom, I would have combusted. If you do a commando tour, I'm sure they are fine. The ones here are scheduled and it seems you have to leave in the morning earlier than I'd want to. And I saw only a couple of return times. So you are limited to when you leave and when you come back.

There's no Disney channel here! Of course, onsite there were about a zillion Disney channels that just totally aggravated Rich.

I couldn't get into Blizzard Beach. It probably would have been too crowded for me anyway but being able to take a resort bus is very nice.

No newspaper delivered to your door. This is standard at the Disney deluxe resorts. I didn't mind it since I don't deal with the outside world but Rich really, really enjoyed the newspaper delivery.

Ramada Inn

The pool area is very nice, they have a shuffleboard (court?), a putting green, restaurant, lounge, gift shop, and room service. The housekeeping service has been good although my maid didn't speak English when I just wanted her to make the bed.

Location is great. It's right at the intersection of Pionciana and 192. There's a traffic light there that allows for easy access to 192. There are plenty of eating places within walking distance and there's a Perkins right across the street. There's also a 7Eleven across 192 for quick stuff.

The price was good - $45/night.

The phone incident was the only thing that soured me to this hotel. If the rates aren't posted, they shouldn't be able to charge you for it.

Day Five - Thursday, June 15, 2000

Managed to get out of bed around 9:00. It's so hard on vacation by yourself to give a reason to get out of bed. Check out was 11:00 so that was motivation for me. I had packed most of the stuff last night so this morning was just showering and getting everything together. I decided to just leave the room keys in the room since I didn't want any confrontation with the front desk about the phone charges. Call me chicken.

Left around 10:45 after a couple of trips to the car. I have definitely learned some stuff for the trip for September. I might (*gasp*) leave the video camera home. I'm just having a hard time with a suitcase, video bag, and laptop. Plus everything else I've gotten. Jar Jar rode shotgun into Disney World. I did stop at Publix again for essentials. Jar Jar waited in the car. The traffic on 192 was bad - the worst I've seen it all week.

But I arrived at the Beach Club with no problems. The gate guard waved me through after I told him I was checking in. I did see two Cruise Line buses and it didn't look like that would be much fun trying to organize that large crowd of people. I had no problem with the front desk and had a Cast Member who was "earning her ears". She was OK except she didn't tell me that I had to call and get my room number after 3:00. I knew that but asked anyway - I was really hoping the room was ready but was prepared if it wasn't. The other Cast Member asked me about the rate I got - I told her it was the Annual Passport rate. I thought that would have been in the computer but I guess not. She seemed surprised at the $189 pre tax rate.

I thought I had seen the room number during processing so I went and looked at the general location. I can live with this. Not a view of the Boardwalk which I didn't expect, but on the second floor looking out towards the buses. And towards Epcot and the quiet pool. I didn't have the exact number but I thought this was fine. I could hope.

I thought the Beach Club lobby was crowded and noisy. Later, I would go through the Yacht Club lobby and it was much quieter than the Beach Club at the same time. Maybe since the Cruise Line stays here. I took the resort info back to the car since it wouldn't fit into the bag I was carrying. I decided to leave the video camera in the trunk. My shoulder just can't take it anymore. Rich will have to carry it.

I headed over for Epcot. The day is sunny but there's a breeze and a promise from the weather people of rain. Were they right? Are weather people ever right? I wanted a baked potato from the Fish and Chips place in United Kingdom but it wasn't on the menu. Passed. I went into the shops to finish up my tour of the less than $10 and Christmas shopping. Rich has got to keep me out of the Wales shop here! So much neat stuff and decently priced.

I passed by the Millennium Village for the time being. I don't know why. I just did. I stopped in Canada for the traditional Molsons ($3.50). I found a shaded bench halfway up to the 360 movie. I just sat and sipped and decided that this day would be a quiet day. Yesterday really did me in and the guys arrive tomorrow. I look like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with my sunburn and Epcot isn't going anywhere so I thought I'd just relax and enjoy doing what I wanted to do. I also decided to skip the priority seating at Chefs de France.

I shopped around Canada and saw some things I could get. One of the CMs there was on the phone trying to get someone to come and check out a bird outside the store. She said it had just been sitting there, not moving around for a while and she was concerned it was hurt. I saw the bird when I left the store and it did look like something was wrong with it. I'm glad someone was on the way to look at it. Then I went into the two shops at the entrance to World Showcase. Nothing much I couldn't live without. Then into Mouse Gear. If you want something, it's bound to be here. I saw an 8x10 frame that I think I'm going to get. I've been looking for something for Chris' graduation picture and this is it. I didn't get it though. I don't have the room number and I don't want to carry this around with me.

Then I watched the fountain again (no tears this time). I went into the Fountain View Bakery and got a slice of Black Forest Cake and a glass of wine ($7.20). Perfect. I didn't want much - if you take notice, I'm not eating much. I think I picked up a bug or something but the last couple of days have been interesting. Black Forest Cake might not seem to be the answer but it was great for what I needed. And the fountain was certainly a pleasant diversion. I kicked off the shoes and just sat back and ate and drank.

After my rest, I went to, OK, this is going to kill a lot of people. I went to, on my own accord, sit back, take it easy, breathe deep. Journey Into Your Imagination. I said I wouldn't unless it was revamped. It hasn't been. But it's like a bad car accident. You just have to look. My verdict (which I will not say to Rich and Chris) - better than the original but please give us more Figment. Why can't Figment narrate the darn thing? Why have Eric Idle? Why not Figment? I thought the original was like being on LSD (not that I was ever on LSD) and this is better but BRING BACK FIGMENT! We'll see what the guys say.

Then I needed a rest break so I headed for the Land. I know I've been here enough when I plan bathroom breaks! I also visited the gift shop to see if there was anything for Ed. I didn't see that much. Then I saw the Jammitors and then it happened. The Call of the Fiesta Margarita. It really was calling to me. Yelling. Screaming. I had to go. Another one for $6.25. Hey, it was 2:30 and my room wasn't supposed to be ready until 3:00. The siren had sounded. I had to go.

After I had silenced the call, I went back to the Beach Club. I went up to the front desk instead of calling since there were only two people in front of me. I'm in room 2608. The exact room I thought I was in! It's on the second floor. I had hoped for higher but this is fine. I have the full balcony. In fact, the actual room might be shortened to have a bigger balcony. That doesn't matter for us. We have two queen beds, a day bed, table and two chairs, TV with drawers under that, another dresser with four big drawers and one small drawer, a large closet, and a nice size bathroom area. Our view is of the bus area which is OK. It's not like we're right on top of the area or anything. We can't hear bus noises with the door closed. The balcony is just great.

I crashed for a while. Then I went over to the Boardwalk for a slice of pizza. Rich and Chris will love this pizza! It was $7 something with a glass of wine. After that, I walked around the Epcot resort area. I ended up back at the room and just sat out on the balcony waiting for Rich to call me. We have Sprint cell phone but I was on roaming (I was on roaming on Disney grounds but OK off Disney grounds - does Disney control the cell phone connections down there too?). I had quickly called Rich earlier in the day and told him to call me tonight. The balcony is heaven. But the bugs got to me. Rich said later that he didn't think Disney let bugs into the World but I got eaten up. Bug spray went on the list for Rich to bring with him.

I came into the room and worked on the report and listened to the radio for a while. Rich called and said they were waiting for laundry to finish and then they would pack. It's hard for me to fathom - I've been here five days and people are doing mundane things like packing. I did call Sandy from the Boardwalk (it's $0.35 for a pay phone and $0.75 for a room call - which did I choose?). She chided me for bailing out on them yesterday. I told her once she saw me, she'd know why. We talked and I suggested they drop off their swimming togs here tomorrow morning and then get "backdoored" into Epcot. They had no idea what I was talking about. So they said they'd just be here between 4:00 and 4:15. And then we'd swim at Stormalong Bay and then go for dinner.

Kid of the Day - the young man of about 10 playing chess with a Cast Member in one of the shops in United Kingdom. See, Disney does educate.

Day Six - Friday, June 16, 2000

My last day to sleep in on my own. So I did until 9:30. Left the room right before 11:00 for the drive to the airport. Parked in the garage and then made the trek out to the gate. By the time I drove out there, parked, and walked to the terminal, it was close to noon. Scheduled arrival time was 12:06. Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the terminal if you're picking anyone up from the airport.

The guys arrived with no problems. Although they didn't leave the house until after 5:00 and barely made it to the gate to board. This is why I'm so glad we don't go to the airport together. This time, it was Chris who was the slow poke. Picked up the luggage with the same problems as on Sunday. Too crowded and everyone pushing to get their stuff. Walked the five miles back to the car. Poor guys had to carry the luggage the whole way. Went the same route as on Sunday. We had to stop at Publix so the guys could get their essentials - Coke, Diet Coke, snacks, beer. Cost of something a little over $26. Then Rich had to go to the Big K Mart next door. He found some stuff and Chris went in with him to search for an ATM. Chris didn't find one so we went to the Bank of America and he was able to get some money out. Now, answer me this - why didn't he do that back in Nebraska and save the transaction fee? Male syndrome or Teenage syndrome? We finally pulled in the Beach Club lot around 2:00.

I dropped the guys and the luggage off over at the valet parking lot. It was close to the room and there was no way we'd be taking all that stuff through the self parking lot. Yeah, I know we could have used bell services but we're not that type of people. Plus, we were already checked in. I just drove around and parked the car in the lot when we were done. I met up with the guys and we got everything up into the room. Chris' first words after getting into the room was "oh no!". He saw Jar Jar. Poor Jar Jar. The maid had left a ton of extra soaps and lotions (I had left a note requesting extras) so I'll be sending them onto Dotti for her kids. Chris just plopped his suitcase into the closet and will live out of that for the week. I made Rich unpack everything so his suitcase was put away when Sandy and the other Rich get here tonight. We chilled down the beer and some sodas with the fold up cooler I had brought. Rich and Chris got a quick lesson on just where the ice machine was. We had some drinks and then went over to Epcot to exchange the guys' vouchers for the real deal. I am so glad we did that today.

Chris' transaction when smoothly. Rich, however, was another story. Good ole Mike at Guest Relations told Rich that his pass would expire in October! October! Fortunately, Rich was on the ball and turned to me for clarification. I told Mike that I had just exchanged my voucher on Sunday and my expiration date was 6/11/01. Mike asked to see my pass. I showed it to him and he tried to get a supervisor on the phone. We had renewed our passes in October but were told they wouldn't be activated until the first day we exchanged the vouchers. Mike said the policy had just changed. I asked how recently. He said very recently. (I now know it changed on June 5th or the 11th, or the 19th, or whenever). Now, I can understand if Disney wants to make a change but we should have been grandfathered into this deal. I would have never renewed last October if my year started then. Why would have I? Mike made everything right and had Rich's pass set to expire on 6/16/01 which was right. Mike also gave us the name of the guy that decided on this new policy. He didn't have a phone number but this guy is definitely going to get a letter. If you want to make a policy change, fine. Just make sure the people that have already relied on the old policy don't get screwed. Since then, I've read on the newsgroup that we should have been grandfathered. Chris and I went fine but Rich's was the one that wasn't treated right. But I give high marks to Mike for making the situation turn out to the guest's satisfaction.

The exchange took a lot longer than we thought but we decided to continue onto Epcot. We grabbed a beer in Canada (Moosehead on tap) and then a Coke for Chris - cost $12.90. We actually managed to walk the entire World Showcase in a half an hour. Sandy and Rich were due at our room between 4 and 4:15 and I wanted to make sure we were back before then. We didn't stop and see anything but the guys just wanted to walk. Rich and Chris agreed with my assessment on the American pavilion. Chris said America's contribution to Epcot was funnel cakes. Can't we do better? We made it back to the room a little after 4:00.

Sandy and Rich and the kids showed up around 4:30. We talked for a while and then got changed for Stormalong Bay. All except Chris. He's refusing to go swimming. Life with a teenager is just grand. But we did make him go poolside with us. What can I say about Stormalong Bay? Great! The sand on the bottom is just so neat. Rich did the slide. I begged off after I saw the stairs going up. I just can't deal with open stairs that high up. The whirlpool was nice and so were the bubbles. The hot tubs were a little too hot for me. Anything over 100 degrees is just too hot. We enjoyed the pool for about an hour and then came back to the room to change for dinner.

Checked in at Cape May Buffet and had to wait just about 10 minutes. When I made the seating, I was told that they couldn't seat 7 people all at one table. I knew they could so didn't say anything. We were all seated together. What a feast! Rich B. said that he couldn't understand how someone my size could eat as much as I did! We had a couple of pitchers of beer and stuffed ourselves silly. I had a couple of buckets of clams and mussels. Then I went back for more and they were out of buckets. So I just grabbed a plate and piled it on. Then I had two desserts. Total for all seven of us was $151 before tip. Definitely worth it. Rich B. doesn't like seafood but thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

We came back to the room (I think we rolled there) and Sandy was really starting to lag. The Beardslees packed it up and headed for their room. They did say that next time they were going to plan on staying at the All Stars instead of offsite. They said offsite wasn't that bad but there was just something about staying on property and being able to take the bus wherever you needed to go. Amen to that. Said goodbye to them for the time being. If everything goes according to plan, they'll be staying with us while visiting Disney World next year.

Rich and I went out to the balcony and listened to Tapestry of Nations and then Illuminations. Rich liked the sound of the fireworks. We can't see them but we can hear them. We'll try to see both tomorrow. Chris just listened to his minidisk and read Star Wars books. We came back in and right after 10:00, Rich said he was ready to pack it in. Chris said "really?" and immediately took out his contacts and got ready for bed. That was really surprising. And then I found out that Chris went to bed at midnight last night and couldn't sleep. The kid didn't get any sleep at all last night! Chris usually gets home after work sometime around midnight and then stays up until 3 or 4 in the morning. So his body clock is all screwed up. It took about 2 minutes for Chris to fall fast asleep. Rich followed shortly after and I stayed up and read for a while. I've been able to sleep in and am well rested.

Kid of the Day - my husband in Stormalong Bay. It's one of the few pools we both can enjoy.

Day Seven - Saturday, June 17, 2000

We slept in until 10:00 or so. Rich loves getting the complimentary Orlando Sentinal delivered right outside the door. We were missing the Living section with the comics but we'll manage. We read outside on the balcony and then prodded Chris into getting up. Got ready and headed over to the Boardwalk for pizza. But nothing was open yet and we didn't feel like waiting around. So we just went over to Epcot. We're using the day after early entry plan.

Had our usual beer in Canada and then stopped at Showcase Plaza to get the three pressed pennies at the one shop there. I gave some pointers to a woman who was helping her daughter get a penny. Then we walked over to Test Track, downed the beers, and headed in. When we were here last year, the line was out the door and was 75 minutes. We waited because we all wanted to ride together and get the picture (we did all four pictures last year - we don't have to do it again). This time, the line was inside the building so we figured we'd just wait and all ride together again. Rich is totally opposed to FastPass - he says it's not the American way. Go figure. Once inside, they made an announcement that the stand by line wait was 75 minutes - the time signs outside were not working. A lot of people bailed out with that announcement. I wasn't a happy camper. We left as well and tried the singles line but too many people were doing that. I got kind of ticked because I had suggested the singles line earlier but got overruled. I told the guys that from now on, when it comes to attraction lines and where to sit, to trust me. They thought I overreacted but we could have been on Test Track and done with it in fifteen minutes if they had listened to me. Now, we'd have to come back.

We walked right by Horizons and Rich was appalled by the sight. He just couldn't believe Disney would let something look that bad. I hadn't told him about it beforehand and I hadn't seen it yet. It really does look horrible. Last September, they had huge blue walls totally hiding the Millennium stuff and I just don't understand why they can't do that here. Or knock the darn thing down. It's not a sight I want to see again.

Wonders of Life was up next and Body Wars was a total walk on. I did my trick of putting my feet up on the seat in front of me and I wasn't bothered by the motion. Then we played around with the interactive stuff until it was time to go in for Cranium Command. We really like this show. Once inside the theatre, the Cast Member told us to reach under the seats and grab the 3D glasses. Just about everyone (except us) did this! We had a good laugh. I think this has held up well with age but I can see where within five years or so, I think they'll have to reshoot some of the emotions. How long will people identify with Hans and Franz and with George Wendt? I might come up with a list of "new" actors to replace the "classic" actors.

I tried to get Chris interested in the Making of Me, saying that he might learn something. Yeah, right. We went next door to the Universe of Energy. Chris has never seen the Ellen version. We missed the start of the preshow but got enough to make the rest of the story make sense. I noticed that some of the dinosaurs looked like Jar Jar Binks and pointed that out to Chris. He was not amused. After this, I was hungry and Chris didn't want "hockey puck" burgers or a hot dog so I guided us to Pasta Piazza (gee dad, I didn't know Mike Piazza had a place here - this from Chris, tongue in check). The guys each had a pepperoni pizza (it killed Chris that it was shaped like Mickey) and I had the Italian sub sandwich. Rich and I had beers and Chris a large Coke. Total was $30.30 and we charged it to the room. Sat and rested, ate, and drank. The day was fairly pleasant considering the last week. There were clouds and the sun wasn't nearly as killer as it had been.

Chris wanted to check out Innoventions West for games so we headed there next. We sent a video postcard to Michelle, who is watching our cat, Todd. Actually we sent it to the whole family. Turned out pretty nice and it doesn't take very long at all. Even if there's a line, it shouldn't take long to send a postcard. Of course, if there are people just goofing off, that'll add to the time. Fortunately, there were no lines at all. We walked through Innoventions and did a few things. I thought we were fairly intelligent people but we stank at the interactive stuff. And Chris didn't see anything in Sega that he didn't already have. I sent another postcard to Adrienne, my email Disney pal. I had been trying to send her an email all week but haven't had much luck hooking up to the provider down here. I thought I'd just send her something and then try another provider in the next couple of days.

We next went onto Spaceship Earth. Rich always almost falls asleep on the way down. He did it again. Then we went into Mouse Gear and I decided on the frame for Chris' graduation picture. I didn't get it yet since it's just really the first day of the guys' vacation. We still have time. Then I suggested, kind of as a peace offering, to try Test Track again. We went into the singles line this time right away. We were in the preshow within five minutes. We were split up but Chris was in the first car, Rich in the second, and me in the third. We all got off at the same time and really enjoyed the ride. I think I like this more and more each time I ride it. And only having to wait five minutes is great.

Next up was Honey I Shrunk the Audience. We walked right into the theatre and the preshow started soon after. We went into the theatre and had some bozo family not move all the way over to the left. Fortunately, the next group went around them and so did we. I did make a comment about following directions. I know it wasn't that full but if these people didn't want to sit all the way over to the left, they shouldn't have been the first ones through the doors. We do enjoy the reactions of all the first timers on this. And this Cast Member told everyone to reach to their right and fasten their seatbelts. A lot of people were gotten on that one.

And then I took the guys onto Journey Into Your Imagination. Verdict - been there done that, if they don't change it, ain't going to do it again. Rich said the train sequence was the best. Chris said he can see why they want to redo it. We had had an earlier conversation about left/right brains. Rich is a total left brainer. He's so analytical and has absolutely no imagination. As an accountant, I am left brained but have a very vivid imagination. So I guess I'm kind of in the middle. Chris is totally right brained - very creative. He may look just like Rich and have the same mannerisms but his imagination is all mine. And none of us liked this fiasco.

After all this, I was ready for a break. Rich said it, I didn't. "Looks like your mother is ready for a margarita". So we went over to Mexico for yet another Fiesta margarita. Ah, pure heaven. It was getting close to 6:00 and Rich did not want to just head back to the room. But I knew Tapestry of Nations was going to start and I really wasn't in the mood to watch it. I want to see it and Illuminations but I want to come over just to do that and not have it at the end of a long day. So I suggested walking over to Fantasia miniature golf. Chris readily agreed. Rich did after I told him about the Annual Passport discount. I pressed a few more pennies on the way out.

And so we walked from Mexico, through the International Gateway, on the Boardwalk, and over to the Swan. We walked by the Cast Members in the United Kingdom getting the tape on the sidewalks for the parade. Both Rich and Chris were surprised that they had to do that every day. Heaven forbid Disney would leave tape on the sidewalk during the day!

The miniature golf was fun and the clouds kept the sun at bay. We were fortunate enough to be able to go around a family of four with two smaller kids. We are three adults who can play mini golf. I knew the kids would need extra time and would just slow us down. I had a couple of holes in one and so did Chris. Rich only had one. But Rich won with 45 and Chris and I were close behind at 46 each. I did press the Fantasia Gardens quarter.

On the way back, Chris said something about getting dinner. Neither Rich nor I were in the mood for anything but snacks in the room. But I know my growing boy. So I suggested going back through the Boardwalk for nachos. Cost of $3.50 and one satisfied kid. Back to the room for cooling down, resting feet, and watching the very delayed US Open. We did see the ESPN Club had Kevin Johnson and Neil Smith answering questions. The session was being broadcast out onto the Boardwalk which was nice.

Came back to the room and found two huge bags filled with soaps, lotions, toothbrushes, pens, and coasters! Dotti will have such a nice package for her kids. All I did was leave one note asking for extra soaps and I'm getting a ton of stuff. I think the daily $3 tip in my specially prepared envelopes are helping. I have been cutting out Disney characters from magazines for a year now. I glued a couple of characters to each envelope and put the housekeeping tip in there. I prepared the envelopes before I left home and all I have to do is just put one out a day. I'm glad I brought extra carry on bags for all this stuff!

Tonight, I crashed first. I consider this a marathon day.

Non kid of the Day - the little boy of about three who saw a bunny rabbit outside Test Track and just had to run onto the grassy hill to chase it. My rule is that if something is in its natural habitat, leave it alone. That poor bunny rabbit was scared to death. And it doesn't help that I'm reading "Watership Down" for the umpteenth time. And a big Non parent of the Day since the boy's parents said absolutely nothing to him. Probably thought it was cute. The bunny sure didn't think it was cute.

Kid of the Day - the little boy of about eight who was selected to introduce us to the preshow at Cranium Command. He really thought he was special.

Day Eight - Sunday, June 18, 2000 - Father's Day

It's MGM day. We slept in again until 10:00. We are on a direct hallway to the lobby and we get interrupted sleep with everyone going there earlier in the morning. The doors are not that thick (probably can't be for safety sake) and a lot of people don't understand just how loud their conversations are. And having kids shrieking on the way to breakfast or wherever they are going just doesn't help.

I had put out the Winnie the Pooh/Roo figure with a "note" from Todd. I wrote it with my right hand so it would look like a child's writing. It said that this reminded Todd of when he sleeps in Rich's lap and Todd wished Rich a Happy Father's Day. I put the box in the bathroom sink since that's where Todd sleeps at home (how much weirder can a cat get?). Rich agreed Roo looked just like Todd at sleep.

We discussed driving or taking the boat to MGM. I really don't like the boat. It seems every time we get to the dock, a boat is just taking off and we have the full wait for the next one. Today, Rich won out and we headed for the boat. Guess what happened? One had just pulled out! I grumbled quite a bit and didn't set the mood very well for the day. But another boat came within fifteen minutes and there was shade so we were OK. Onto MGM.

We wanted to do Rock N Roller Coaster since Chris had never been on it before. Stand by time was 35 minutes and since Rich is dead set against FastPass, we decided to wait. This turned Rich into a FastPass fan. We waited and waited while the FastPass people kept going by. We were relegated to waiting and hoping the FastPass people had enough room for us to join them. But we were in and out with 45 minutes. Chris and I rode together and we were kind of towards the back. I could see the twists and turns a lot more than last year. Chris liked the beginning and then was ho hum towards the rest. He said he liked roller coasters that have big drops better. Give me this kind of roller coaster any day. We did buy the picture since we have the classic four from last year - Twilight Zone, Splash Mountain, Test Track, and (at that time) Countdown to Extinction. Cost was close to $30 since we got the CD version of the picture. Chris and I thought it added to the theme. We had this purchase sent back to the room.

When we were waiting to board our limousine, I noticed a girl of about 11 or 12 riding with her dad. She was alternatively crying and saying yes. The first Cast Member asked her repeatedly if she really wanted to go on this. She said yes each time. Then the CM gave the second CM a motion and the second CM also asked repeatedly if she was OK. I'm so glad there are people to watch out for guests who might have a last minute change of heart. Remember - you can always just say NO!

I had kind of a headache after this and kept asking the guys what they wanted to do. Neither one really answered. This has been a problem year after year after year. If I say "let's do A", they'll say "let's do B". But if I ask if they want to do B, they won't say anything. I finally said we'd go on Twilight Zone. Rich knew I didn't want to do these two attractions back to back but I just wanted to get it over with. The stand by time was 45 minutes and FastPass was in another hour. We grabbed some FastPasses. Rich and I had no problem getting the passes. Chris put his pass in backwards and had to redo. The people behind him were very rude, though. I went back to try and help Chris and they wouldn't let me through. They started tapping Chris on the shoulder and getting really impatient. Give the guy a break! It only took him two tries but these people were really out of order. I really wanted some food and a beverage. But Rosie's and the stands on Sunset Boulevard were crowded. It was just after 1:00. I suggested we go way over to the Backlot Express since that didn't seem to be crowded when I was there on Monday. Good suggestion. These guys really need to listen to me!

Rich got the hot dog and fries, I got the tuna sub, and Chris the cheeseburger. Rich and I got beers and Chris a large Coke. Cost of $25.66. This really helped me with the effects of Rock N Roller Coaster. We had noticed on the way over that Indiana Jones had FastPass and Chris really wanted to see Indy this time. We entered our 1:55 window for Twilight Zone so we got FastPasses for Indy for 3:10-3:25. Then we headed to be terrorized.

The standby time now was only 15 minutes and we thought about saving our FastPasses but decided to see how this whole thing works. We went right into a library. Rich was FastPass transformed. I kind of hurt my leg a little since I was so tensed. This is one of the most exciting rides ever. I still haven't tamed this thing in all the years of coming here. After Twilight Zone we just shopped in the shops along Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard. We were close to the Indiana Jones show. Rich bought the July 4th beanies and I found the Minnie 2000 graduation beanie. After Rich had already made the purchase and we were on the way out when he saw the Mickey 2000 graduation beanie. We'll get that on the way out. Rich had this purchase sent back to the room as well. I really like this perk and missed it when I stayed offsite. I'll really miss it in September.

Over to Indiana Jones and even though it was only 3:00, we were let into the FastPass line. We waited the fifteen minutes and then got great seats in the middle section. This show has NOT changed one bit! We haven't seen it for a while but recognized everything. It was a good show and Chris was interested in it but I think I'll pass in September and then again in November. Nice with FastPass, though.

We hustled out of there because we knew everything around there would be mobbed after the show. We made it over to Drew Carey Sounds Dangerous which Rich and I loved last September. Chris has never seen (heard?) it before. We watched and answered the ABC trivia in the preshow. I really think we watch way too much TV because we knew the answers right away. We didn't even need the three choices. We enjoyed the show and I especially liked the ladies behind us who were laughing at everything. So many people don't get this presentation but they sure did. I really wanted a beer but Chris said I had to wait until after Star Tours.

The Mulan parade was getting ready to start and we had to move quickly to get around everyone. The wait time for Star Tours was posted at 15 minutes but we were up and