Trip Reports
02-20-2007, 09:27 PM
Linda DiSturco - November 2002 - Animal Kingdom Lodge
Time of Year: Holiday Season
Travel Method: Plane, Shuttle
Resort: AKL
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran, Infrequent
Comments: Experiencing withdrawals just months after her last trip, Linda knew she would be quickly returning to Walt Disney World. Proving it never hurts to ask, she soon had this trip in the works with a co-worker who would be making her second visit ever. As always, though, it is just a temporary fix, as Linda is already itching for another trip.
Linda DiSturco -- November 2002 -- Walt Disney World (AKL)
Cast of Characters:
Linda - age 42 (hereafter referred to as "I" or "me") over 30 trips to WDW
Val - age 50 (co-worker) 2nd trip to WDW
Background:
I had been to WDW in May 2002 with my husband and two daughters for the Memorial Day weekend and knew I wouldn't make it the rest of the year without a return trip in 2002. I experience withdrawal within one month that I get back home usually. I tried to think of who needed a quick getaway and had heard my Disney stories enough to want to go with me. Val, a friend and co-worker, was the first person to come to mind. She had gone with her family in 1993 and hadn't been back since. She hesitated when I first mentioned the idea to her, not thinking her husband would say yes, but decided she might as well ask. Two days later she came to work all excited that she could go!!!! I already had the trip planned down to the last detail in hopes the answer would be yes. This is our story!
DAY ONE - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2002
Val arrived at my house at 5:50 a.m. so that my wonderful husband could drive us to the airport. What a guy!!! It was only us and the deer on the road at this time in the morning. We arrived at Newark Airport (NJ) at 6:35 a.m. to find that the security line was long but moved quickly. Our plane left on time (7:50 a.m. flight) and arrived at Orlando Int'l ten minutes early. The Mears shuttle was quite slow and our trip from the airport to the Animal Kingdom Lodge took an hour and a half. I've taken Mears many times but it seems to be getting worse with each trip. I would suggest taking a car service if you don't want the hassle of renting a car. The AKL was fantastic and the cast member at the front desk gave us our room right away. We were in our room overlooking the giraffes by 12:00 p.m. Our room was the 3rd floor (lobby level) and very close to the lobby at that! We unpacked, called our work to tell them how beautiful our surroundings were and that we were applying for jobs in Disney World (they had a good laugh at that). Next, we were off to the Animal Kingdom Park. I got my annual pass validated and went straight to the Kilamanjaro Safari which had only a ten minute wait time. We then went to "It's Tough to be a Bug" 3d movie in the Tree of Life and next onto the Dinosaur ride and finished with the Dino-Rama ride. After that we decided to head back to the AKL to change for our evening at MGM.
We had dinner at the Sci-Fi Dine-In which is a replica of the 1950's drive-in. Dinner was good and Val really enjoyed the atmosphere. We each had a bowl of chili and the house salad. Val thought her son would love this place. We had the back seat of the car in the last row of the parking lot. We then headed over to the Amphitheater to wait for the Fantasmic show. We arrived one hour early and got front and center seats. We sat next to a couple from England and were very entertained talking with them. Val really loved the show and had tears in her eyes when it was over. She said she wanted to see it again. We stopped at the Once Upon A Time shop on our way out of the park. Val bought some souvenirs and asked that they be sent back to the hotel. We then caught the bus back to the AKL.
We stopped by the gift shop at the hotel to buy some water, juice and postcards. We then dropped our goodies off in the room, called home and then explored the hotel. I had stopped by the AKL in May and was so impressed with the lobby and grounds that I told my husband I wanted to stay here on one of our upcoming trips. Val loves animals so I knew this was the perfect hotel for her Disney stay. She immediately said upon entering the lobby that this was the nicest hotel she had ever stayed at! We explored the grounds and came upon the pool and hot tubs and although we would have loved to have jumped in the hot tub, it had been a long day and we were exhausted. When we returned to our room I jotted down my trip notes for the day, read some of my book and then it was lights out.
DAY TWO - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2002
I got up early and went down to the food court area to get milk, donuts and a refillable mug to have for coffee and hot chocolate. We ate our cereal that Val brought from home and enjoyed watching the animals from our balcony. The view was fabulous every morning at 7:15 a.m. when a family of giraffes would practically come up to our balcony!
We arrived at the Animal Kingdom at 8:30 for early park entry and went straight to the Wildlife Express train for the Conservation Center. We really enjoyed the rainforest sound room where we put on headphones and listened to jungle noises and grandmother willow. It was kind of creepy but fun!!! Then we were off to view the gorillas in the Pangani Trail and took a lot of pictures since they were so entertaining. The weather was beautiful (around 80 degrees) so it was perfect walking weather for the Maharajah Jungle Trek where we got a great picture of the Bengal Tigers. We accomplished all we wanted to see by 10:30, so we did some shopping and headed back to the AKL. We changed into our evening attire as we would be going to the California Grill at the Contemporary Hotel for dinner.
We got to the Magic Kingdom at 12:00 p.m. and started out at Tomorrowland. All lines were at least 30 minutes long so we continued onto Fantasyland. We got a fastpass for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh with a return time of 1:15-2:15. We went on Snow White's Adventure and then to the Haunted Mansion. The wait time said 5 minutes but it was more like 15. I love this ride. I've been on it countless times but I never grow tired of it. We then walked down to Pecos Bill and split a chicken wrap sandwich with french fries and a soda. It was the perfect amount for the two of us and it was delicious. We then checked out the wait time for Thunder Mountain Railroad but it was 40 minutes. We walked back to use our fastpass for Pooh. Val thought this was adorable. After this ride we went to the Hall of Presidents and walked right into the theater as it was just about to begin. I think this is a great history lesson for all. I caught Val nodding off a little, but she confessed the dark room put her to sleep. She's just not use to my commando style Disney park touring!!! Just as we came out of HOP, the Share A Dream Come True Parade was coming along Liberty Square, so we found a spot and watched it. I am not a big parade person, but Val loves them and I have to admit that I really enjoyed the snowglobes. Next, we headed over to Adventureland where we went on the Pirates of the Caribbean. This is a classic ride at WDW and Val loved the detail in the ride. Upon exiting the ride we did some shopping in the POTC gift shop where I bought my sixteen year old daughter a Mickey pirate hat and a hook. I thought she might want to be a pirate for Halloween but upon my return home I realized I was wrong! We then decided to get our fastpass for BTMR. After that we went to see the Tiki Birds show. I like the old show much better. Llago is such an annoying bird to listen to but I still feel like it's the perfect place to sit and relax when you need a break. When we got out we went to the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. Val thought this was no neat and she wished that she could live in the treehouse! We then checked out the Jungle Cruise line but the wait time was 40 minutes so we skipped it and walked over to use the BTMR fastpass, where we walked right on! Val doesn't usually like roller coaster rides but she enjoyed this one. We went to the Dole Whip food stand and Val treated me to a Dole Whip float. It was truly delicious and hit the spot. Next we headed over to Tomorrowland and went on Alien Encounters. We walked right in as the pre-show was starting. After this we went to the Monorail to head over to the Contemporary Hotel for dinner.
I made priority seating at the California Grill (which is on the 15th floor overlooking the Magic Kingdom) for 6:00 p.m. about a month before our trip. When we checked in with the hostess she explained it would be a 40 minute wait for a window seat so we agreed to any seat since the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks were to start in 15 minutes. When the waiter went to seat us he said we should be very happy with our table. It was up against the window smack in front of Cinderella's Castle!!! The fireworks started promptly at 6:15 and the music was piped into the restaurant. It was breathtaking!!! We each had the pork tenderloin in a polenta sauce which was excellent, and a glass of champagne to toast a great trip! After dinner we took the boat from the back of the Contemporary over to the Wilderness Lodge to see the Christmas tree set up in the lobby. We shopped in the Mercantile store and then caught a bus to the Marketplace. We shopped in the World of Disney, Disney Home and the new Pin Trading Shop. Then we went to the Gourmet Pantry where we shared a slice of snicker cheesecake and each had a decaf coffee. We ate and talked until 10:45 and caught the bus back to the AKL. Lights out at 12:00 a.m.. It was a great day!
DAY THREE - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2002
We woke up at 7:00 a.m. and Val got orange juice, tea and coffee at the Roaring Rapids and we ate our cereal in our room. We were off to MGM at 8:30 and went directly to get our fastpass for the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Just as we got on line for the GMR, which had a wait time posted 20 minutes, the sky opened up and began to pour. We got stuck with the last row on the movie tram and had difficulty hearing the guide, but Val still enjoyed seeing the show since it was her first time on this ride. We ran to catch our 10:10 fastpass for the Little Mermaid and enjoyed the show very much. Next we went to "Sounds Dangerous" with Drew Carey. We loved it but thought the sound system was better in the rainforest conservation room in the AK. Next we were off to Star Tours but the wait time was 20 minutes, so we got a fastpass and decided to go to the Muppet Vision 3D show where the pre-show just ended and we went right into the theater. As always this show was great and we again had front and center seats. I've seen it about 20 times and never grow tired of it. Next we checked out the Honey I Shrunk the Audience Playground and Val got to see all the facades on the street. I also showed her where the Osbourne Lights would be lit up for the holidays. We went back to Star Tours for our fastpass time and walked right on. Val did some shopping for her son who loves Star Wars. Next we went to the Backlot Express and split a turkey sandwich with french fries and a small coke. It was delicious. On our way out I showed her the Prime Time Cafe restaurant. She loved the decor as it reflects the old 1950's kitchens and living rooms. We then took the boat to EPCOT - what a mistake! It took about 80 minutes between the time we waited for the boat (it was still raining since early morning) and our actual drop off destination at the International Gateway. We started at the World Showcase Great Britain gift shops and next went to France to see the panoramic French movie. When we came out it was still pouring but we were determined to walk the World Showcase even if it was raining. We went to the American Adventure but were told the next show was 3:30. We visited Morocco's gift shop, marveled at Japan and China's architecture and road the Malestrom in Norway. Val loved the Viking ride but we passed on the boring Norway ride. We went to the Kringala Bakery and each had a rice pudding with strawberries and a decaf coffee. The rice pudding wasn't as good as it normally is. We drank half our coffee and ran in the rain to get to the 3:30 American Adventure show. A cast member greeted us in front of the closed door and told us the show started and the next show was 4:30. I asked why the doors closed early as we arrived at 3:29 and she curtly said she didn't know but we would have to return for the 4:30 show. It was pouring and we ran all the way from Norway for this show but she didn't care. She was the only rude cast member we encountered on this trip. We took the Friendship Boat over to the Future World side and went into Mexico. Val loved the pavilion market and boat ride. Next we went to the Universe of Energy with Ellen and Bill Nye the Science Guy. This has to be the most entertaining show in Future World. The rain was letting up a little by this time but our clothes and sneakers were soaked even with our dollar store ponchos that we wore so we went to the Mickey Gear shop and I bought myself a new Mickey sweatshirt. We then made the decision to head back to the AKL and take a shower and get changed for our 7:45 dinner reservation at the Rose ‘N Crown Pub. We returned to Epcot just in time for our priority seating. The hostess knew how much we wanted a seat outside on the patio since the rain had stopped and she said if we waited 15 minutes she could accomodate us! We wound up getting the best table for a view of the Illuminations show! I had the Sampler Platter which was delicious and very filling and Val had the fish and chips. We each had a Harp pint ale. The couple seated in front of us were very entertaining as they each had way too much to drink and let's just say their waitress earned her tip! The show was spectacular and we could feel the warmth from the torches on the lagoon! After the show, we headed back to the AKL and took some pictures of the hotel lobby, and got to use the nightvision goggles to view the animals on the savannah. It was quite exciting. We made our phone calls home and I wrote my trip notes for the day before turning in for the night.
DAY FOUR - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2002
We woke up at 6:30 a.m. to get an early start to Epcot. We had our cereal and coffee in the room and packed our suitcases as it was our last day the AKL. Express checkout was slipped under the door. It was raining again this morning but we were going to make the most of our last day. We checked our luggage with the bellhop and headed to catch our last bus ride to Epcot. Upon entering the park, our first ride was Spaceship Earth. This ride still amazes me even after all the times I've been on it. Val thought it was beautiful. Next we headed over to Test Track for our fastpass. The FP was for 10:30 and it was now 9:30. We walked over to Honey I Shrunk the Audience and found a wait time of only 4 minutes. Val squirmed at the mice scene! Next we went to Journey into your Imagination with Figment. It was great to see Figment back but I thought the show lacked something.They should bring back the original Figment ride with Dreamfinder!
Next we were off to The Land for lunch. Val and I each had a soup (I had chicken noodle and Val had garden vegetable). It was delicious and really hit the spot on this rainy morning. We split an order of french fries also. After lunch we went to see the Food Rocks show. Val thought it was cute but I still miss the Kitchen Cabaret show. Next we were off to the Living Seas. It's not the same since they removed the ride in this exhibit and there were very few fish species in the tanks. They did have a tank with two dolphins but there were quite a few tanks with no fish at all. I don't know if they lost their sponsor and can't afford the upkeep but it was disappointing. Next we went to finally see the American Adventure show. I knew this would be our last thing to do before heading back to the AKL. This show moves me each time I see it. Val, of course, loved it! We also got to see the flag from the World Trade Center site. I'm glad to see that Disney extended the Flag exhibit until February 2004 as I think all Americans deserve the opportunity to see it. It was 2:30 and we knew it was time to head out to catch our bus back to the AKL as the Mears shuttle was picking us up at 3:15.
We got our luggage out of storage, filled our refillable AKL mugs with soda and made a quarter press of the AKL for our collection. Next we took our last few pictures of the hotel. We were sad to have to say goodbye. It seemed like we just got there! Mears was right on time to pick us up. We made one stop at the Coronado Springs Hotel to pickup two other passengers and were on our way to the airport. We arrived at the airport at 4:00 p.m. only to find it was us and the pilots at the gate. Check-in at the gate was one hour before our flight time which was suppose to be 6:30. Around 5:00 p.m. the gate agent announced our plane arrived but they didn't have clearance into Newark due to bad weather there. They estimated we'd be allowed to board the plane at 6:45 and the plane doors would close at 7:30 with an approximate take off time of 8:00 p.m. Val and I went to the bar/lounge and each had a glass of chardonnay, chips and salsa and then split a turkey sandwich. We arrived back at the gate at 7:10 p.m. only to find everyone had boarded the plane. We then realized that we never checked in upon arrival since there wer no ticket agents at the gate and we only brought carry-on luggage with us. We were able to get two seats together, third row from the back of the plane. We were seated on the plane at 7:20 and pulled away from the gate at 7:35. We actually were going down the runway at 8:00 p.m. as expected. It was a long travel day for a 2 hour and 15 minute flight! This was a perfect trip though! Val and I are already talking about putting money away each week for another WDW trip together. In May 2003, my husband and I will be returning with our two daughters and have reservations at the Wilderness Lodge. The WL is my favorite hotel of all the Disney resorts. I can't wait as I am already having WDW withdrawals!
Linda DiSturco
Time of Year: Holiday Season
Travel Method: Plane, Shuttle
Resort: AKL
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran, Infrequent
Comments: Experiencing withdrawals just months after her last trip, Linda knew she would be quickly returning to Walt Disney World. Proving it never hurts to ask, she soon had this trip in the works with a co-worker who would be making her second visit ever. As always, though, it is just a temporary fix, as Linda is already itching for another trip.
Linda DiSturco -- November 2002 -- Walt Disney World (AKL)
Cast of Characters:
Linda - age 42 (hereafter referred to as "I" or "me") over 30 trips to WDW
Val - age 50 (co-worker) 2nd trip to WDW
Background:
I had been to WDW in May 2002 with my husband and two daughters for the Memorial Day weekend and knew I wouldn't make it the rest of the year without a return trip in 2002. I experience withdrawal within one month that I get back home usually. I tried to think of who needed a quick getaway and had heard my Disney stories enough to want to go with me. Val, a friend and co-worker, was the first person to come to mind. She had gone with her family in 1993 and hadn't been back since. She hesitated when I first mentioned the idea to her, not thinking her husband would say yes, but decided she might as well ask. Two days later she came to work all excited that she could go!!!! I already had the trip planned down to the last detail in hopes the answer would be yes. This is our story!
DAY ONE - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2002
Val arrived at my house at 5:50 a.m. so that my wonderful husband could drive us to the airport. What a guy!!! It was only us and the deer on the road at this time in the morning. We arrived at Newark Airport (NJ) at 6:35 a.m. to find that the security line was long but moved quickly. Our plane left on time (7:50 a.m. flight) and arrived at Orlando Int'l ten minutes early. The Mears shuttle was quite slow and our trip from the airport to the Animal Kingdom Lodge took an hour and a half. I've taken Mears many times but it seems to be getting worse with each trip. I would suggest taking a car service if you don't want the hassle of renting a car. The AKL was fantastic and the cast member at the front desk gave us our room right away. We were in our room overlooking the giraffes by 12:00 p.m. Our room was the 3rd floor (lobby level) and very close to the lobby at that! We unpacked, called our work to tell them how beautiful our surroundings were and that we were applying for jobs in Disney World (they had a good laugh at that). Next, we were off to the Animal Kingdom Park. I got my annual pass validated and went straight to the Kilamanjaro Safari which had only a ten minute wait time. We then went to "It's Tough to be a Bug" 3d movie in the Tree of Life and next onto the Dinosaur ride and finished with the Dino-Rama ride. After that we decided to head back to the AKL to change for our evening at MGM.
We had dinner at the Sci-Fi Dine-In which is a replica of the 1950's drive-in. Dinner was good and Val really enjoyed the atmosphere. We each had a bowl of chili and the house salad. Val thought her son would love this place. We had the back seat of the car in the last row of the parking lot. We then headed over to the Amphitheater to wait for the Fantasmic show. We arrived one hour early and got front and center seats. We sat next to a couple from England and were very entertained talking with them. Val really loved the show and had tears in her eyes when it was over. She said she wanted to see it again. We stopped at the Once Upon A Time shop on our way out of the park. Val bought some souvenirs and asked that they be sent back to the hotel. We then caught the bus back to the AKL.
We stopped by the gift shop at the hotel to buy some water, juice and postcards. We then dropped our goodies off in the room, called home and then explored the hotel. I had stopped by the AKL in May and was so impressed with the lobby and grounds that I told my husband I wanted to stay here on one of our upcoming trips. Val loves animals so I knew this was the perfect hotel for her Disney stay. She immediately said upon entering the lobby that this was the nicest hotel she had ever stayed at! We explored the grounds and came upon the pool and hot tubs and although we would have loved to have jumped in the hot tub, it had been a long day and we were exhausted. When we returned to our room I jotted down my trip notes for the day, read some of my book and then it was lights out.
DAY TWO - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2002
I got up early and went down to the food court area to get milk, donuts and a refillable mug to have for coffee and hot chocolate. We ate our cereal that Val brought from home and enjoyed watching the animals from our balcony. The view was fabulous every morning at 7:15 a.m. when a family of giraffes would practically come up to our balcony!
We arrived at the Animal Kingdom at 8:30 for early park entry and went straight to the Wildlife Express train for the Conservation Center. We really enjoyed the rainforest sound room where we put on headphones and listened to jungle noises and grandmother willow. It was kind of creepy but fun!!! Then we were off to view the gorillas in the Pangani Trail and took a lot of pictures since they were so entertaining. The weather was beautiful (around 80 degrees) so it was perfect walking weather for the Maharajah Jungle Trek where we got a great picture of the Bengal Tigers. We accomplished all we wanted to see by 10:30, so we did some shopping and headed back to the AKL. We changed into our evening attire as we would be going to the California Grill at the Contemporary Hotel for dinner.
We got to the Magic Kingdom at 12:00 p.m. and started out at Tomorrowland. All lines were at least 30 minutes long so we continued onto Fantasyland. We got a fastpass for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh with a return time of 1:15-2:15. We went on Snow White's Adventure and then to the Haunted Mansion. The wait time said 5 minutes but it was more like 15. I love this ride. I've been on it countless times but I never grow tired of it. We then walked down to Pecos Bill and split a chicken wrap sandwich with french fries and a soda. It was the perfect amount for the two of us and it was delicious. We then checked out the wait time for Thunder Mountain Railroad but it was 40 minutes. We walked back to use our fastpass for Pooh. Val thought this was adorable. After this ride we went to the Hall of Presidents and walked right into the theater as it was just about to begin. I think this is a great history lesson for all. I caught Val nodding off a little, but she confessed the dark room put her to sleep. She's just not use to my commando style Disney park touring!!! Just as we came out of HOP, the Share A Dream Come True Parade was coming along Liberty Square, so we found a spot and watched it. I am not a big parade person, but Val loves them and I have to admit that I really enjoyed the snowglobes. Next, we headed over to Adventureland where we went on the Pirates of the Caribbean. This is a classic ride at WDW and Val loved the detail in the ride. Upon exiting the ride we did some shopping in the POTC gift shop where I bought my sixteen year old daughter a Mickey pirate hat and a hook. I thought she might want to be a pirate for Halloween but upon my return home I realized I was wrong! We then decided to get our fastpass for BTMR. After that we went to see the Tiki Birds show. I like the old show much better. Llago is such an annoying bird to listen to but I still feel like it's the perfect place to sit and relax when you need a break. When we got out we went to the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. Val thought this was no neat and she wished that she could live in the treehouse! We then checked out the Jungle Cruise line but the wait time was 40 minutes so we skipped it and walked over to use the BTMR fastpass, where we walked right on! Val doesn't usually like roller coaster rides but she enjoyed this one. We went to the Dole Whip food stand and Val treated me to a Dole Whip float. It was truly delicious and hit the spot. Next we headed over to Tomorrowland and went on Alien Encounters. We walked right in as the pre-show was starting. After this we went to the Monorail to head over to the Contemporary Hotel for dinner.
I made priority seating at the California Grill (which is on the 15th floor overlooking the Magic Kingdom) for 6:00 p.m. about a month before our trip. When we checked in with the hostess she explained it would be a 40 minute wait for a window seat so we agreed to any seat since the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks were to start in 15 minutes. When the waiter went to seat us he said we should be very happy with our table. It was up against the window smack in front of Cinderella's Castle!!! The fireworks started promptly at 6:15 and the music was piped into the restaurant. It was breathtaking!!! We each had the pork tenderloin in a polenta sauce which was excellent, and a glass of champagne to toast a great trip! After dinner we took the boat from the back of the Contemporary over to the Wilderness Lodge to see the Christmas tree set up in the lobby. We shopped in the Mercantile store and then caught a bus to the Marketplace. We shopped in the World of Disney, Disney Home and the new Pin Trading Shop. Then we went to the Gourmet Pantry where we shared a slice of snicker cheesecake and each had a decaf coffee. We ate and talked until 10:45 and caught the bus back to the AKL. Lights out at 12:00 a.m.. It was a great day!
DAY THREE - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2002
We woke up at 7:00 a.m. and Val got orange juice, tea and coffee at the Roaring Rapids and we ate our cereal in our room. We were off to MGM at 8:30 and went directly to get our fastpass for the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Just as we got on line for the GMR, which had a wait time posted 20 minutes, the sky opened up and began to pour. We got stuck with the last row on the movie tram and had difficulty hearing the guide, but Val still enjoyed seeing the show since it was her first time on this ride. We ran to catch our 10:10 fastpass for the Little Mermaid and enjoyed the show very much. Next we went to "Sounds Dangerous" with Drew Carey. We loved it but thought the sound system was better in the rainforest conservation room in the AK. Next we were off to Star Tours but the wait time was 20 minutes, so we got a fastpass and decided to go to the Muppet Vision 3D show where the pre-show just ended and we went right into the theater. As always this show was great and we again had front and center seats. I've seen it about 20 times and never grow tired of it. Next we checked out the Honey I Shrunk the Audience Playground and Val got to see all the facades on the street. I also showed her where the Osbourne Lights would be lit up for the holidays. We went back to Star Tours for our fastpass time and walked right on. Val did some shopping for her son who loves Star Wars. Next we went to the Backlot Express and split a turkey sandwich with french fries and a small coke. It was delicious. On our way out I showed her the Prime Time Cafe restaurant. She loved the decor as it reflects the old 1950's kitchens and living rooms. We then took the boat to EPCOT - what a mistake! It took about 80 minutes between the time we waited for the boat (it was still raining since early morning) and our actual drop off destination at the International Gateway. We started at the World Showcase Great Britain gift shops and next went to France to see the panoramic French movie. When we came out it was still pouring but we were determined to walk the World Showcase even if it was raining. We went to the American Adventure but were told the next show was 3:30. We visited Morocco's gift shop, marveled at Japan and China's architecture and road the Malestrom in Norway. Val loved the Viking ride but we passed on the boring Norway ride. We went to the Kringala Bakery and each had a rice pudding with strawberries and a decaf coffee. The rice pudding wasn't as good as it normally is. We drank half our coffee and ran in the rain to get to the 3:30 American Adventure show. A cast member greeted us in front of the closed door and told us the show started and the next show was 4:30. I asked why the doors closed early as we arrived at 3:29 and she curtly said she didn't know but we would have to return for the 4:30 show. It was pouring and we ran all the way from Norway for this show but she didn't care. She was the only rude cast member we encountered on this trip. We took the Friendship Boat over to the Future World side and went into Mexico. Val loved the pavilion market and boat ride. Next we went to the Universe of Energy with Ellen and Bill Nye the Science Guy. This has to be the most entertaining show in Future World. The rain was letting up a little by this time but our clothes and sneakers were soaked even with our dollar store ponchos that we wore so we went to the Mickey Gear shop and I bought myself a new Mickey sweatshirt. We then made the decision to head back to the AKL and take a shower and get changed for our 7:45 dinner reservation at the Rose ‘N Crown Pub. We returned to Epcot just in time for our priority seating. The hostess knew how much we wanted a seat outside on the patio since the rain had stopped and she said if we waited 15 minutes she could accomodate us! We wound up getting the best table for a view of the Illuminations show! I had the Sampler Platter which was delicious and very filling and Val had the fish and chips. We each had a Harp pint ale. The couple seated in front of us were very entertaining as they each had way too much to drink and let's just say their waitress earned her tip! The show was spectacular and we could feel the warmth from the torches on the lagoon! After the show, we headed back to the AKL and took some pictures of the hotel lobby, and got to use the nightvision goggles to view the animals on the savannah. It was quite exciting. We made our phone calls home and I wrote my trip notes for the day before turning in for the night.
DAY FOUR - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2002
We woke up at 6:30 a.m. to get an early start to Epcot. We had our cereal and coffee in the room and packed our suitcases as it was our last day the AKL. Express checkout was slipped under the door. It was raining again this morning but we were going to make the most of our last day. We checked our luggage with the bellhop and headed to catch our last bus ride to Epcot. Upon entering the park, our first ride was Spaceship Earth. This ride still amazes me even after all the times I've been on it. Val thought it was beautiful. Next we headed over to Test Track for our fastpass. The FP was for 10:30 and it was now 9:30. We walked over to Honey I Shrunk the Audience and found a wait time of only 4 minutes. Val squirmed at the mice scene! Next we went to Journey into your Imagination with Figment. It was great to see Figment back but I thought the show lacked something.They should bring back the original Figment ride with Dreamfinder!
Next we were off to The Land for lunch. Val and I each had a soup (I had chicken noodle and Val had garden vegetable). It was delicious and really hit the spot on this rainy morning. We split an order of french fries also. After lunch we went to see the Food Rocks show. Val thought it was cute but I still miss the Kitchen Cabaret show. Next we were off to the Living Seas. It's not the same since they removed the ride in this exhibit and there were very few fish species in the tanks. They did have a tank with two dolphins but there were quite a few tanks with no fish at all. I don't know if they lost their sponsor and can't afford the upkeep but it was disappointing. Next we went to finally see the American Adventure show. I knew this would be our last thing to do before heading back to the AKL. This show moves me each time I see it. Val, of course, loved it! We also got to see the flag from the World Trade Center site. I'm glad to see that Disney extended the Flag exhibit until February 2004 as I think all Americans deserve the opportunity to see it. It was 2:30 and we knew it was time to head out to catch our bus back to the AKL as the Mears shuttle was picking us up at 3:15.
We got our luggage out of storage, filled our refillable AKL mugs with soda and made a quarter press of the AKL for our collection. Next we took our last few pictures of the hotel. We were sad to have to say goodbye. It seemed like we just got there! Mears was right on time to pick us up. We made one stop at the Coronado Springs Hotel to pickup two other passengers and were on our way to the airport. We arrived at the airport at 4:00 p.m. only to find it was us and the pilots at the gate. Check-in at the gate was one hour before our flight time which was suppose to be 6:30. Around 5:00 p.m. the gate agent announced our plane arrived but they didn't have clearance into Newark due to bad weather there. They estimated we'd be allowed to board the plane at 6:45 and the plane doors would close at 7:30 with an approximate take off time of 8:00 p.m. Val and I went to the bar/lounge and each had a glass of chardonnay, chips and salsa and then split a turkey sandwich. We arrived back at the gate at 7:10 p.m. only to find everyone had boarded the plane. We then realized that we never checked in upon arrival since there wer no ticket agents at the gate and we only brought carry-on luggage with us. We were able to get two seats together, third row from the back of the plane. We were seated on the plane at 7:20 and pulled away from the gate at 7:35. We actually were going down the runway at 8:00 p.m. as expected. It was a long travel day for a 2 hour and 15 minute flight! This was a perfect trip though! Val and I are already talking about putting money away each week for another WDW trip together. In May 2003, my husband and I will be returning with our two daughters and have reservations at the Wilderness Lodge. The WL is my favorite hotel of all the Disney resorts. I can't wait as I am already having WDW withdrawals!
Linda DiSturco