Richard Keller - December 2002 - Coronado Springs Resort

Time of Year: Holiday Season
Travel Method: Plane, Rental car
Resort: CSR
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Toddler, Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Frequent
Comments: This repart came in a little bit later than they usually do, but as Richard said when submitting it, "better late than never." It is written with a good sense of humor, covers some ove the issues for visiting while pregnant (his wife, not Richard), and confirms why I'm always scared when someone asks me to take their picture.

Richard Keller -- December 2002 -- Walt Disney World (CSR)

The Cast:

Rich (me), youthful 33-year-old husband and father of (now) two. Veteran of eight Disney trips (6 to WDW, 2 to Disneyland);
Awilda, lovely mrmfmmrf-year-old wife (quickly going on mmmmrfrff-years-old) and mother of our lovely children. Last visit was in the summer of 1997, which is a coincidence, since I visited at that exact same time;
Samantha, precious (then) 2-year-old daughter. First visit to the Magic Kingdom;
Shannon, darling (then) 20-week-old fetus in Mommy's belly.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
I know many of you have been sitting at your computer monitor's waiting for this trip report. Sitting there, no food, no shower, muttering to yourself 'Where the [fill in favorite expletive] is Rich Keller's trip report? I can't feel my rear end!’ Well, all I have to say is . . .

Good God, get a life!

I certainly did, and that is why this trip report is so late. I intended for it to be released no later than March 2003. However, with the impending birth of our second daughter, a burgeoning hobby in Improv Comedy, and a very, very, very fast move out-of-state for a new career, this got put onto the proverbial back-burner.

Now that things have finally quieted down I have had the opportunity to finish this report for all of you, my adoring (or drooling) public to read and enjoy. So, get up, take a shower, get some food, and sit right back down for the show.

Let the Magic begin!

CHAPTER ONE
Saturday, December 7th -- Planes, Automobiles, and Bad Pizza

The daughter alarm woke us at 7:15 AM, but we didn't leave the house until 10. Actually, we didn't get officially on the way until about 10:30 because yours truly needed to get some cash and fill up the car. The ride to Dulles airport was remarkably short, about 30 minutes, and free of the traffic that normally clogs up the Beltway and Dulles Toll Road on a normal day (one of the reasons we moved out of the area at the end of 2003). We parked in the economy lot (Green 3C, Shuttle Stop 17) and were inside the main terminal by about 11:45.

There was absolutely no line at the Delta check-in, and with the new e-ticketing kiosks that were recently installed it took us all of 15 minutes to retrieve our boarding passes and check-in our bags. Our journey through airport security went fairly smoothly until my wife's boots set off the machine, so she was subjected to 'the wanding'. Samantha, who had to walk through the scanner on her own, was checked out as well. Let me just say that this was the first time we'd been to an airport since 9/11 and the implementation of the Federal security workers. I thought that they did an exceptional job that was one hundred times better since the last time we flew. A tip of the hat to the federal government!

Since we had plenty of time before the flight (which I, the anal-retentive vacationer had planned) we stopped for lunch at the TGI Friday's located in the main terminal. My wife had a cheeseburger and I ordered a chicken sandwich. Our daughter ate cheese and french fries from both of our plates. The total was $22.50 with tip.

After lunch we made our way to the gate. Now, instead of a monorail, train, or moving sidewalks that connect you to the gates, Dulles has a primitive mode of transportation called 'rolling lounges'. These huge, lumbering vehicles take you between the main terminal and the gates. By the time our ride was over and we got to the gate (after a quick stop for some Ben & Jerry's ice cream) they were already boarding -- 30 minutes early at that! The flight left on time and landed about 15 minutes early. Our daughter, who we felt would be a screaming puddle of goo as soon as we buckled the seat belt, was terrific on her first flight.

We picked up our luggage very quickly and stepped over to the National desk to pick up our rental car. Their autos are on-site, so you just walk across to the parking garage to pick them up. We grabbed a full-size Buick Century, which is a very nice car. We also rented a car seat, rather than dragging our Britax from one car to another. Unfortunately (and I have no idea why) they put the car seats at the garage exits. So, I ended up walking to the exit, walking back to the car to move it closer to the exit, then walking back to the exit to pick up an Evenflo car seat. Around 5:20, after 20 sweaty minutes installing the seat, we were on the road and on our way.

To a fanfare of trumpets, fireworks and doves (or maybe they were really just clean pigeons) we arrived at the Money Pit -- er, WDW property at about 5:45, where we promptly got lost. I ended up at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom where I had my first encounter with a Cast Member who pointed me in the right direction. When we got to Coronado Springs and El Centro it was 6pm. Let's see, two hours for an 11-mile ride -- a little above the daily Washington D.C. commute.

The El Centro building was quite beautiful and had some very lovely Christmas decorations. There was a very pretty tree in the check-in area that stood right in front of the children's coloring area (they colored pictures at a table area, we didn't dip the children in actual colors. That would be fun, yet evil.) There were no lines at check-in, so registration was a breeze. I asked if there was a chance to upgrade to a king-bed room (no chance) or to possibly a junior suite. (done through group reservations). Since neither was available I kept my original reservation -- standard non-smoking room with refrigerator (which I don't believe I was charged for because I informed them ahead of time that my wife was pregnant).

We were assigned to Ranchos Building 6A, Room 6113, on the first floor. The Ranchos Buildings, 6A-B and 7A-B, are at the back end of the resort, on the lake opposite El Centro, and are probably the quietest in the area. We had a corner room that was near the ice & vending machines and overlooked the large Ranchos courtyard area (although when we got there all I saw was a lot of darkness).

Now, from reading MousePlanet, AllEars, MousePad, CatandMouse, and MouseBodyParts, I assumed the room would be about the size of a Porta-Potty. Instead, we discovered the room to be fairly large; comparable to a room you'd find at any of the Hampton Inns or Courtyards across this fine nation. It was very clean; no sign of wear & tear, and the refrigerator was already in the room stocked with brie, caviar, and some fine wines (just making sure you're paying attention). It was well worth the $97/night we were paying and I was definitely glad we upgraded from All-Star Movies.

Once we washed the airplane smell off of us we headed back to El Centro, as official members of the resort, and made our way towards the Pepper Market for dinner. The concept for this food court is unique: a hostess sits you, a server gets your drinks and dinnerware, and you go to the different stations to get what you eat, having your meal card stamped as you go along. At the end, you pay for everything at the register. However, while the sit down/get drinks portion works, the rest of it is a bit flawed. My exhausted, pregnant wife and equally exhausted child only wanted pizza. The only place you could get a SLICE of pizza was at the Kid's Kitchen, where it came with some fruit and a cookie. Great. Terrific. Except they ran out of pizza as soon as we stepped up, and we had to wait at least 15 minutes before a new one was made.

Let me make sure you've got this down: they had to make a new pizza because they didn't have any extras. This happened on a Saturday, at 7pm, during dinner time. Regardless of it being off-peak, the food court was still busy. In other words, this was not the smart way to handle this.

Anyhoo, they eventually put out another pie and my wife and child got their food. I order a cheeseburger and fries from the very hectic grill chef. Both loving bride and darling daughter enjoyed their meals, and I thought the cheeseburger was okay, but a bit dry (I would have much better burgers in the Magic Kingdom later in the week.) The grand total, including drinks and the attached 10% gratuity, was $23.

After dinner the rest of the family perused the trinkets in Panchito's Gifts and Sundries while I went back to the registration desk to ask for directions to the nearest Publix supermarket. Thanks to Cast Member Andrew for the concise directions. I met up with my wife at Panchito's and we purchased the first souvenir of the trip: a tiny $6 Winnie the Pooh necklace for my daughter (which I believe she still has). One elated 2-year-old later we were back in the car headed towards Publix.

At 8pm on a Saturday this place was buzzing, with most of the buyers seemingly tourists beginning their visits for the week. We spent $43 on diapers, toiletries and food. Two noticeable differences between this supermarket and the Giant Food at home: No savings card and each cashier had their own bagger. I can't remember the last time I saw a cashier/bagger team at a supermarket in the Northeast (except when it gets really busy).

On the way back to the hotel my wife's pizza decided it didn't like where it was currently residing, so it staged a revolt. She developed serious cramps and had an allergic reaction from something on the pizza (either the cheese or sauce -- it's a 50/50 gamble). Needless to say, after this experience we didn't eat at the Pepper Market for the rest of the trip.

Exhausted after an extremely long day my wife and daughter went to bed at about 9:30 while I updated this very trip report you read with sweaty anticipation. While writing this I discovered that we could hear, quite loudly, parts of Illuminations at EPCOT (or some other fireworks display at another park). It's just something we got used to as the trip progressed. I conked out about 10:30.

NOTES:
THE GOOD: Taking an early afternoon flight was probably the best thing we could've done. The airport was empty, we were able to have a nice lunch, and we had a very quiet flight. Much better than flying out at the crack of dawn just to save a couple of bucks. Also, finally, a hotel that has gotten right one of my pet peeves; the toilet paper dispenser is RIGHT NEXT TO the toilet, not on the opposite wall or in the next room by the sink.

THE BAD: The sweaty job of installing the car seat. This thing would not be stable throughout the trip, no matter how much tightening of the seat belt or tether we performed. Also, the magical journey through the Pepper Market.

THE UGLY: The Pizza Revolt of 2002 in my wife's stomach. Something that would linger for a few days.

Sunday, December 8th -- We Venture into the Mouse's House

I woke up at 5:30 in the morning, eager to start our first full day at Walt's park. My daughter was equally excited, because she woke up an hour later announcing that her dirty diaper needed to be changed. My wife was not excited at all as she was still getting over the pizza attack from the previous evening. So, I woke up and headed out to find her some stomach medicine. I was going to head towards the Wal-Mart Supercenter, but I got lost and ended up on 192 East (little did I know I WAS headed in the right direction for the Wal-Mart) where I found another Publix supermarket. I picked up the necessary medicine and then stopped at a nearby Dunkin Donuts for some pastry.

I got back to the room and presented her with the miracle cure. Of course, being pregnant and not eating for nearly 12-hours caused the Pepto Revolt of 2002. However, my wife was a trooper and, after a hot shower, she did feel a little bit better. After we were all bathed and dressed it was 9am and time to head out into the chilly morning.

The first stop was right down the street to the drive-thru window of the McDonalds for needed nourishment for my wife (remember a pregnant woman's motto: If it stays down, its sound). Then, it was just a quick hop to the Transportation and Ticket Center, henceforth known as the TTC for the rest of this report. I believe we parked in Pluto 1225. We were on the Tram, then on the monorail, and finally at the park by 10 am. As we pulled into the monorail station we all spied Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy posing for pictures. My daughter gleefully exclaimed "Mickey Mouse! Mickey Mouse!" as we passed by the characters. As the trip wore on we would learn that she loved these characters from afar.

Our first stop was Fantasyland, and we tried to get there directly through the Castle, but were denied access due to filming for a upcoming ABC Disney Christmas special. So, we made our way around the Castle's right side, and landed right in front of Winnie-the-Pooh, which had a 20-minute wait. I personally liked the ride, but my wife and daughter (and baby-to-be) didn't really appreciate it the way I did.

Next stop was the Golden Carousel (not to be confused with the Golden Arches or the Golden Nugget). At first, my daughter was a bit hesitant to get on one of the horses; however, after I told her it was like the horsey ride she used to ride at the mall she calmed down and really enjoyed it all.

Right after the Carousel we jumped (not literally) over to Dumbo, I thought the line for this ride was pretty long, but its length was deceiving. I hadn't been on this ride since I was a 2-year-old in Disneyland, so it was practically brand new for me. This was another favorite for my daughter, especially since she had the ability to control the height of the flying elephant (And, trust me, control is very important for a 2-year-old). After we completed our flying pachyderm ride we went back to the Carousel at the request of my daughter. After this ride, and quick diaper change (for my daughter, not me) we spotted Daff- er, Donald Duck near the Castle entrance. I was able to get a few good pictures of his Featheriness with my wife and child.

By this time it was near noon and we were all ready for some lunch. We headed to Pinocchio's Village Haus, right behind the Carousel and Dumbo, and actually found a convent seat inside. My wife and I split a double-cheeseburger and fries, while my daughter had a PBJ sandwich. With drinks the total was a fairly manageable (for Disneyworld) fifteen dollars. The burger was tasty (better than I had at the Pepper Market the night before) and was quick to order. The fixings bar was also really nice, since this allowed my wife to have her favorite snack -- cheese fries.

Our hunger quenched we went around the corner of the Haus to the Peter Pan/It's A Small World area. The wait for Peter Pan was (surprisingly) 40 minutes while IASM was 15. My wife got in line for IASM while I obtained my very first FastPass (Huzzah!) for a 2pm Peter Pan return time. My wife and I enjoyed IASM, but my daughter was a bit scared of the dolls. We surmised that the most likely reason for this was that she just didn't understand what was going on (or, it could have been the theme music that was going round and round in her head for all eternity).

Once we were out of IASM it looked like my daughter was ready for a nap. I 'donated' my Peter Pan FastPasses to another loving family and we worked our way out of the park. On our way we stopped for a Mickey Head ice cream bar. After this snack my daughter seemed to catch her second wind. So, instead of leaving we headed towards Adventureland.

The first ride was Aladdin, which none of us had been on before. The line was extremely fast and we were on in about 10 minutes. Like Dumbo, this was a nice ride and another favorite for my daughter.

Next attraction was the Tiki Birds. My wife (then girlfriend) and I saw this a few times when we both came to the park in 1997. My wife really enjoyed the theme music. Yet, this time around, none of us enjoyed this newest version of the show. It had no magic -- just an annoying, yelling Gilbert Gottfried - er, I mean Zazu. One can only hope they eventually retro this version back to the original.

The next attraction was the famous restrooms near the Pirates of the Caribbean. While resting in the rooms I purchased a large Mickey Head lollipop from the POTC store, and then ran across Adventureland to get my wife an orange slushie at Aloha Isle.

Once recovered we headed to Jungle Cruise, which had about a five-minute wait (God Bless WDW in December!). Bill was our tour guide for this journey and performed exceptionally well. Once the ride was over it was pretty much fact that the rest of my family was downright pooped. So, we left the Magic Kingdom at about 3:00 pm. We were back at the room around 4:15, and naps took place for wife and daughter by 4:30. While they were snoozing I updated this very report and then took a walkabout around the Coronado Spring grounds near my building. I noticed our building was on the lake, and only a quick walk from the big pool.

After getting up from naps it was decided that we wouldn't make our 6:45 Priority Seating at Chef Mickey's, because my wife was still not feeling up-to-par in the eating department (which is next to sporting goods. Thank you, I'll be here all week.). Instead, we hopped into the rental car and headed towards Perkins at the Crossroads Shopping Center. Unfortunately, since I only new one route to get to the center (which I remembered from our last visit) it took us quite a bit of time. Once we got to the restaurant my wife ordered chicken strips, which she shared with my daughter, and I just got a sandwich. All together the total was about seventeen dollars. Not the best meal, but something to fill our bellies.

After dinner we searched for the magical Wal-Mart Supercenter that web sites said was nearby Crossroads. We drove around for 30 minutes, then gave up and went back to the hotel room. Turned out that, from the information I received from the fine folks at Coronado Springs, we had driven to about a mile away from our destination. It was just my feelings of being lost that made us give up and turn around. Tired from a long day we all turned in at about 10:30.

NOTES:

Florida in December is a mosaic of extremes. At 7am it was downright chilly. By 10am it was definitely shorts time.
Christmas in WDW! Christmas in WDW! Forget the hot, humid, crowded, sweaty summers. Take your kids out of school and head down to WDW in the early weeks of the holiday season. Not only is it less crowded, but the Magic Kingdom is beautifully decorated. Look for the wonderful Christmas tree right at the entrance to Main Street (it's pretty big, so it's not hard to miss.)
There were TONS of characters out this day. While on the monorail we saw Mickey/Minnie, Donald/Daisy right outside the ticket turnstiles. Once inside the Magic Kingdom, right in the town square of Main Street USA, we saw the Mad Hatter, Cruella Deville, Aladdin and Jasmine. In Fantasyland we saw the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Chip & Dale, Pluto, and another appearance of Donald Duck.
Monday, December 9th

'Good Morning. The forecast today is for rain. Not just brief showers, but steady, heavy wind and rain that goes on...and on...and on...all...day...long. And, it will get into everything, including places indoors. You will get wet and be miserable. Have a Magical day.'

Our human toddler alarm slept in and we didn't get up until 8:15. We decided that Chevy Mickey's would be a good idea for breakfast, despite not having a PS. So, we spruced up and were out of the room by 9:15. We valet parked at the Contemporary (well worth the $6 due to the lovely weather), and headed up to the 4th floor. The wait for breakfast was an hour, which wasn't too bad. During that time we shopped at a few of the concourse stores, purchasing a Christmas shirt for our daughter ($20) and two umbrellas ($22), which we had not thought of bringing to Florida during the 'dry season' (HAH!). We also got our picture taken with Chef Goofy, who was waiting for us (and several hundred of his friends) in the lobby of the restaurant. The picture was pretty bad, so we passed on purchasing a copy.

We were seated at about 10:45. The forty dollar price tag (including tip) was well worth it just for the character interaction. All of the Chef Mickey's characters -- Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Chip & Dale, came up to the table for pictures. As for the food, my wife and I both liked the hash browns, and I really enjoyed the bacon & cheese potatoes, but we thought the scrambled eggs were too bland. To be honest, I can't remember what my daughter ate that morning.

It was nearly noon before we finished breakfast, freshened up, and headed out to EPCOT. We got lost heading towards TTC (they definitely need to improve the directional signage), so we didn't end up at EPCOT until 12:30. In hindsight, it was a HUGE mistake to come here in such crummy weather. The umbrella stroller we brought to transport our daughter was totally useless and inconvenienced us to no end. In addition, the constant rain was just miserable. Plus, from the very few rides we went on, Future World needs a total makeover -- it's just not 'future' enough anymore (I don't know if IT knows what it is any more).

The first ride we went on was the one that many others take when they get into the park -- Spaceship Earth. I think an overhaul for this ride needs to be done (whatever happened to the plans to make it a giant film ride?). It's an extremely dark ride -- darker than I ever remember it being (of course, this may be due to the fact that I am seeing the world from a 2-year-old's point of view). It's just not an exciting ride anymore.

After this, baby-to-be was asking Mommy for some food. We tried the extremely busy Sunshine Food Court in The Land, but nothing interested my wife. She wanted a cheeseburger and there was nothing that unhealthy at that location. So, we walked across the park (in the rain) to the extremely busy Electric Umbrella. After waiting in line for 20 minutes I finally purchased a $13 cheeseburger meal and fruit cup, which we all split.

After lunch we went to Journey Into Imagination, which was closed. So, we went over to The Living Seas, went to the wrong side, went around to the entrance, and then went BACK to the exit to hold our stroller. However, it was all well worth it, because my daughter enjoyed looking at all of the fish. Once we got out of The Living Seas it was about 3pm, and it was still raining. Tired of the rain, and tired in general we left EPCOT disappointed; we wasted a perfectly good part of our 5-day park hopper on a lousy two attractions.

On our way out of the TTC it was decided that we needed some extra necessities for the week, so we journeyed to the mystical Wal-Mart Supercenter, which was actually found (it's kind of like Brigadoon or Perth Amboy). As was mentioned in numerous web sites, this store was indeed busy, but not jammed. We bought our necessities, and a few very inexpensive Disney items. On the way back to Coronado Springs we stopped for dinner at Golden Corral. We returned to the hotel room around 7:30. My daughter conked out around eight, while my wife and I held out until 10pm.

NOTES:

Rain stinks!
Future World needs a great big, honking makeover
Yes, Virginia, there is a Wal-Mart Supercenter
Tuesday, December 10

The little girl alarm woke us at 7:15, and we were bathed and dressed by 8:45. After downing a few tablespoons of grease and cholesterol at McDonalds we were off to the Character Warehouse at Belz. Well, if you thought 192 was crowded with development . . . I thought this part of the Orlando resort area (near Universal Studios) was jam-packed with stuff. I had a bit of trouble finding the exact location of the Character Warehouse because there were so many outlets named Belz in the area.

We spent a good 45 minutes (and a good amount of time) in the store. They had some terrific prices for women's and children's clothes. Men, as in most all other stores in the world, got the shaft: No deep discounts and sizes that began with Small and ended with Small. However, after much looking, I did manage to find a nice XL sweater. There were also great deals on toys & home furnishings. My wife picked out two photo frames for gifts and we bought a plush toy for my daughter that contained the Winnie-the-Pooh characters in a little boat. All together we spent a cool one hundred bucks.

On the way back to the resort we had a quick fast food lunch and went to the Contemporary to return some gifts we had purchased the day before. While there I stopped at the pin station and bought my wife a Minnie birthstone pin and Chef Mickey pin for myself. We got on the monorail and took a quick tour of the Polynesian. While this resort is still very nice, this place definitely shows it age.

After the monorail ride we went back to our room at Coronado Springs. To our dismay, the room had not been visited yet by Housekeeping. I called them and put in a time of 5:30 to come and clean the room. After that, my wife and daughter napped while I went to the magical laundry room to wash the large pile of laundry we have after only 3 days. The change machine was broken in the room so I had to walk to the arcade at the main pool for change.

Naps and laundry were done by 4:30. We dressed and headed to dinner at the All-Star Movies Food Court. We both had turkey platters that were really good. Each came with potato, vegetable and roll. The total was about $20 for all. Afterwards we headed to the TTC, and took the ferry (rather than the monorail) for an evening journey to the Magic Kingdom and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas.

This was a fabulous event! It started off with snow on Main Street that was actually cold. We headed down to Liberty Square and had our family photo taken within the Hall of President's Lobby. Then, we cut over to Frontierland to see the Country Bear Jamboree Christmas show. this was the first time any of us saw this version of the show and it was great. My daughter was dancing and clapping with the music.

By the time the show was over it was time for the Christmas Parade. What a terrific parade! All of the characters were present, along with many musicians to augment the parade music.

After the parade ended we made our way over to Fantasyland (in the opposite direction of the parade route). On our way we stopped at Sleepy Hollow (at the end of Liberty Square, near the Castle bridge) for a snack of an ice cream sandwich made with 2 freshly backed chocolate chip cookies. It was delicious. Since it was so near to the castle we stayed to watch the fireworks. Unfortunately, our view was obstructed by trees (darn nature!), so we rushed to the middle of Liberty Square (the Square itself). It's a good thing we did this because one part of the show involved Christmas-colored fireworks going off all around us. It was something that I hadn't seen before.

The fireworks over, we jumped to Fantasyland and rode my daughter's early favorites: the Carousel and Dumbo. Then, we went over to Peter Pan. I hadn't ridden this ride in over 20 years and forgot what it was like. I enjoyed it, but my wife and daughter did not. Next, we took our last ride on It's A Small World, because my daughter was terrified of the 'dancing babies'.

By the time we were all done it was nearly 11 o'clock, so we decided to make our way out of the park. As we were heading towards the castle we saw a beautiful display of Cinderella's coach. We decided to take a family picture in front of it. A nice gentleman volunteered to take our picture and my camera promptly slipped out of his hands and crashed to the hard pavement. After that, the camera would not take a picture when I pressed the shutter button. Needless to say, I was a bit miffed.

Out one camera, and a daughter sleeping on my wife's shoulder, we finally made our way out of the park and returned to the room by 11:45. I toyed with the camera a little bit then petered out about midnight.

Wednesday, December 11

Finally, a nice day that we had been waiting for all week. The morning was crisp and cool, while the afternoon was sunny and warm (but not Florida summer warm; that's pretty much Hell-warm). This day, as well as Thursday (which was cloudy and cool), we accomplished the most.

I got up early, showered, shaved my legs, and drove out to the Magical Wal-Mart Supercenter where I returned a few items and bought some additional necessities, including some disposable cameras. It turned out that when camera meets pavement bad things happen to small mechanical parts. Rather than trying to fix it, I decided it would be best to wait till I got home to think about getting it repaired. Turns out, it would've cost more to repair than for what I bought it for, and I ended up buying a digital camera early in the next year.

Anyhoo . . .

Once I got back to the room both Mom and daughter were ready to head on out. We scarfed down some doughnuts, left the room at 9:15, and arrived at the Magic Kingdom at 9:45.

First stop was for orange juice and water (hey, $2.50 for a 24oz. bottle of water isn't too bad, considering it's that or the egg-smelling stuff that comes out of the water fountains). Then, we quickly jumped over to Fantasyland for return engagements on the Carousel and Dumbo. Afterwards, we walked towards the old Fantasyland Skyway entrance and were plopped right in front of Haunted Mansion, which we decided to ride as a family. Once again, looking through a 2-year-old's eyes I found it to be a bit darker and a little scarier then I remembered. Yet, my daughter, who was freaked out at the 'singing babies' at It's A Small World, took this one pretty much in stride. Go figure.

Next stop was Frontierland and the Country Bear Jamboree. I always feel a large, enthusiastic audience can make a difference from one show to another. When we saw this show the night before the crowd was pretty calm. However, the crowd at this morning's show was pumped full of sugary goodness and was quite enthusiastic. I enjoyed the show more this time than I did the night before. Once the show was over it was time for lunch, so we moseyed next door to Pecos Bill's Cafe.

If you're a person who enjoys simple food to eat while in the park I would suggest going here. For $18 we got a delicious cheeseburger (according to my wife) and a great chicken wrap. They also had a terrific fixings bar with someone actually grilling mushrooms and onions on the spot. In addition to all of that, I accidentally spilt my soda on the floor and they replaced it at no charge. Finally, there were plenty of tables available to sit and enjoy lunch. (note to self: NEVER come in summer again).

After lunch we went behind Pecos Bill's and cut over to Adventureland where we rode Aladdin and the Jungle Cruise (with a pretty bland guide), then crossed over to Tomorrowland where we rode Buzz Lightyear. This is a fun ride that all of us enjoyed. So much so that we rode it immediately after the first ride because the line was so short. Unfortunately, our scores weren't very stellar -- my wife got an average of 1500 and I got a whopping score of 3000.

We finished off Tomorrowland with a ride on the Peoplemover -- um, I mean the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. This is still a favorite of mine and will be every time I visit. We finished up the day at the Magic Kingdom with an ice cream sundae from the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor.

We got back to the room and decided to take a quick dip at the main pool -- The Dig Site. Boy, the water was C-O-L-D, so we only stayed a few minutes. When we got back we tried to put our daughter down for a nap but she wasn't interested. So, we decided to try for a Priority Seating at Grand Floridian's 1900 Park Fare and we're able to snag a 5:50. As we were driving to the hotel our daughter decided to take her nap. Being early we decided to drive around a bit before we valet parked.

The Grand Floridian is an amazing hotel! As you enter the lobby you are awed by the HUGE Christmas tree, possibly the biggest one of any hotel on property. The lobby itself was also very elegant. We decided that we would look into staying here the next time we visited WDW (which, knowing how much it would cost for a week's stay at the hotel, will be in another 20 years.).

1900 Park Fare is a bit different than, say, Chef Mickey's. Where the Contemporary Hotel's buffet restaurant is large, loud, and open, 1900 Park Fare was smaller and cozier. The characters when we visited (which have changed since) were Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore and Piglet as the lobby greeter, and they visited the tables multiple times during our meal. The food is also a bit more upscale, with less fried items and more dishes like paella and sweet & red russet mashed potatoes. The desserts were delicious and featured such items as mini-cheesecakes and milk chocolate fudge. It was a $50 well spent and we would definitely come here over Chef Mickey's the next time around.

After dinner we took a drive over to the Boardwalk Inn. This is another beautiful hotel that has great theming. While there isn't much in terms of shopping, there's plenty of free entertainment on the boardwalk to keep you occupied. We spent an hour walking around and purchased an expandable light stick for my daughter (which, at $6, was pretty inexpensive for a Disney souvenir). We were back in the room by about 9pm and in bed by 10:30.

Thursday, December 12

Today was our trip to MGM Studios. This was the first and only time on our trip that we stayed at one park from pretty much open till close. This was due to the fact that there was so much to do and the weather didn't sap our energy. It was cool and cloudy for most of the day with temps barely in the sixties. It was also a bit drizzly through the day, so ponchos we purchased at Wal-Mart for four dollars apiece (ten bucks at the parks) came in handy during part of the day.

We entered MGM at around 9:15 and went directly to Tower of Terror, which had absolutely no wait whatsoever! I may have seen HTHBellcaptain (Mousepad regular) as I entered the library, but I'm not too sure. This is probably the best ride at WDW. The effects are just phenomenal and the drop sequence is great. I tried to keep my eyes open, but, riding in row 1, the view was a bit too much for me to take in.

The ride was over by 9:40, which gave us time to go to the Beauty and the Beast show (since my wife and daughter were waiting for me right at the steps to the show entrance). This is a wonderful production that made me -- big, brawny, meat-eating man -- tear up at the end. I have never seen the movie before, but this show makes me want to rent the DVD, or buy it again when it's released in another 350 years.

After the show, and a dirty-diaper change, we decided to go to Millionaire-Play It for the 10:50 show. Very entertaining -- not only to watch the person in the "Hot Seat", but to see how well you do. There were two contestants in the first show we went to and the host was Dennis. When we left I had cracked the Top Ten. We enjoyed the experience so much that we got FastPasses for the 12:50 show. In the meantime, though, we headed for our 11:45 seating at the Prime Time Cafe.

My wife and I first went to this restaurant back in 1997, so we knew what to expect. Unfortunately my daughter, who was a very far flicker of an idea at the time, did not know what to expect. Let's see: two-year-old + unknown Aunt Elaine who called us 'Bro' and 'Sis' = very frightened child. Other than that, the atmosphere and meal were very good. As I said, Aunt Elaine was serving up the vittles and introducing us to some long-lost cousins from Georgia, Michigan, and our former home state of New Joisey. If I remember correctly, Aunt Elaine was formerly from Bridgeton, NJ, which is very close to my wife's former hometown of Millville.

I ordered the turkey & swiss sandwich and a Diet Coke. The turkey was piled high on multi-grain bread and was very tasty. For my daughter we ordered an apple juice and a kid's macaroni & cheese. What came out of the kitchen was definitely not a kid's portion, but something that an adult would consider too much to eat. I cringe at what an adult size portion of that would be.

My wife had the most difficult choice. Despite her appetite returning to her she wasn't sure what she could handle. I informed Aunt Elaine that my wife was pregnant ('Not my problem' was her response), couldn't eat a lot, and wanted to know if the adult's portion of fried chicken would be too much food. Elaine told us it comprised of a breast, a wing, and a thigh. My wife decided to order that meal as well as a vanilla shake. Of course, the pieces of chicken that came were from a member of the poultry family that was apparently on steroids. In other words -- THEY WERE HUGE. Between the mutated meat and the vanilla shake she couldn't finish the meal.

All together, the service was fast and pleasant, and the meal filling. So filling that we didn't order dessert (which I forgot was displayed via Viewmaster (tm)). The cost, with tip, was about $45, which is what I expected.

By the time we exited the restaurant it was 12:30 so we crossed the central plaza and headed back to WWTBAM-Play It! using our FastPasses for the 12:50 show. This time our host was Steve, whose smile was so bright it blinded the audience. Once again, there were only two contestants. The highlight being the contestant from London who needed help early on a question about American slang. To make up for this, there was a question asking, out of the four, what museum was located in London. Of course, he aced that question. After the first contestant I was about 7th on the tote board, but had dropped off of the Top 10 by the end of the show.

We had thought of getting FP's for another show but decided that two times for this performance were enough. Instead, we headed down to New York Street to catch Muppet-Vision 3D. By this time the cloud spitting that had been plaguing us all morning finally turned into a legitimate rain shower. So, out came the ponchos, even though it was a short walk to the next attraction.

Despite the fact that I can't see 3-D movie images properly (yet my X-Ray and telescopic vision work okay, go figure) I still enjoy this movie, as does my wife. My daughter was less enthralled with Kermit and the gang so she took a nap. When we left it was still raining so, instead of trudging my sleeping daughter across the park, we stopped at Pizza Planet for a snack and to plan the rest of our day. My wife thought that we should go back to the room for a nap, but I argued that by the time we got our daughter back to the room she would already be awake. So, we decided to take the Animation Tour and see One Man's Dream, then play it by ear on what we wanted to do afterwards.

When we left Pizza Planet (which seems like a great arcade that I'll need to try at another time, but also seems very pricey for a meal) my daughter had woken up and it stopped raining -- good signs that we should stay at the park. We headed straight to the Animation Tour. Now, when we were here in 1997 we entered the tour from the display area first, saw the movie, took a tour of the production studio, had the talk with the animator, saw the end movie, and exited to the outside. This time the tour started by us lining up outside. If someone could let me know when this changed I'd greatly appreciate it (And, too bad they let go all of the animators, because this was a GREAT attraction).

The tour started with the great (although dated) movie with Walter Cronkite and Robin Williams that still brings a laugh to the audience. Then, we moved into the room where the animator speaks on the techniques they use to develop an animated character. The last time we were there the animator showed us examples by creating hand-drawings. Five years later, the animator was explaining how they created ‘Treasure Planet's’ B.E.N. on the computer. It's interesting how much things change in such a short period of time.

Next, we took a walk through the hall overlooking the Animation Studios. My wife and I found the whole process very interesting and felt that we had plenty of time to look around and see what was going on at the time (which wasn't very much). The studios are full of imagination and innovation and it's something that I wish I could do as a profession. Hopefully, someday . . .

After the tour proper we were led into the final theatre for clips of the best Disney animated movies ever made (except 'Pete's Dragon'. Where the heck was 'Pete's Dragon? A travesty I tell you, a travesty!). Then, we were led into the display and store area where we could free some of that money burning a hole in our pockets. On our way out something interesting happened. The darling daughter, who had shied away from the characters throughout the entire trip, saw a statue of Mickey Mouse that was just about her size. She touched the statue, gave it a kiss and a hug, and totally lost her fear of big, fuzzy mice -- and other big, fuzzy creatures -- for the rest of the trip. In hindsight, if we knew this was going to happen, we would have brought her here as soon as we stepped off of the plane!

From the Animation Tour we moved next door to the One Man's Dream exhibit. The adults in our party found the exhibit interesting, especially the movie highlighting Walt's life. We learned two things from the movie: 1. Even Walt got screwed out of something in his life and 2. Even the poorest people can achieve their dreams with persistence. It's something that I'll keep in mind as my journey called life continues.

After this exhibit is was about 4:30, so we stopped for a popcorn/ice cream break and sat on a nice comfy bench as we planned the rest of the day. I wanted to stay for the Osborne Family Lights, but my wife didn't seem interested. When I told her the lights were on display at MGM she changed her mind. So, we decided to stay at the park until the lights came on and then head on out to dinner. When this was all decided it was about 4:50 so we decided to keep ourselves busy by going on the Great Movie Ride. This is an okay ride, but the whole kidnapping and rescue thing that goes on with the cast members really doesn't work. Frankly, the best part is towards the end where you watch clips of some the greatest movies ever made (and not all of them are from Disney). This is one of those rides that I hope that redesign over the next few years.

When we got out of the attraction it was dark and had gotten considerably cooler. My wife and daughter were dressed warmly, but macho dad was still in short sleeves and hadn't thought of bringing a jacket. So, breaking down, I went into one of the clothing stores on the main drag and bought myself a $30 long-sleeve T-shirt which actually kept me quite warm. We then headed back over to New York Street for the Osborne Family Lights.

How to explain the Osborne Family Lights . . . during the holidays the local state park hosts a drive-thru light display with several hundred-thousand lights. Compared to the Osborne Family Lights, that display is a tiny lit-up Christmas tree on the bedroom window sill. When they switch on the Osborne lights a collective gasp erupts from the crowd (and representatives from the local power company lick their lips at the rate the power meter is escalating.). A guess a word for it would be spectacular. And to think, one man (with perhaps some help) did this on a slightly smaller basis every year. It was just very beautiful and is a must to be seen. Unfortunately, since my camera broke and I was using some disposables, my flash pictures of the lights didn't come out very well. In hindsight, I should've brought my camcorder.

It took us about 15 minutes to walk through the entire display, and then it was time to head on out to the park. Another fifteen minutes to walk out, and another 20 to get to the parking lot and find our car, we left just as Fantasmic was ending, and just as the rain that was threatening all day began to come down heavily.

Since we were so tired from the day, and my wife had a craving, we went to the Pizza Hut near Crossroads for a simple dinner. We were back at the room by 8:15. I spent the rest of the evening packing five bags of items we brought into three bags. By 10:30 I was out for the night.

Friday, December 13th -- Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Downtown Disney

Good Morning. Time for your morning weather forecast here at Lake Walt Disney World. Remember that rain on Monday that we had, the one where the boats from the Jungle Cruise were actually used as transportation between the parks? Well forget that, it was peanuts. You want rain, we'll give you rain! Put on that yellow Disney poncho, put up your Disney umbrella, cover your feet with Disney goulashes. You'll be soaked with rain as soon as you step out of the room -- even if your staying in the tower of the Contemporary. BTW, if you see John Grisham tell him it doesn't rain in the courtroom. Thank you, and have a Magical Day!

We awoke at about 8 am to a torrential downpour outside our window. Since there was no rush to get to the parks in this weather we took our time taking showers and getting ready. We left the room at 9:15 were we proceeded to take our second shower. We had ponchos AND umbrellas and we were still getting soaked. Luckily, the weather was warm so it wasn't too bad. We were about to drive to the TTC when I had a brilliant idea: Why don't we take the bus to the Magic Kingdom. So we drove to the bus stop, which was only a few hundred feet away but miles in the rain, and caught a bus to the Magic Kingdom in about 10 minutes. It put us very near the park entrance (Note to self: No car to Magic Kingdom next time, bus all the way. Pound into head until it is mantra that puts you asleep at night.). We checked out at security, entered the park and . . .

I had always wondered what an empty Disney park looked like. Now I knew. Main Street was EMPTY. We stopped at the Confectionary for some bribes -- I mean lollipops -- for our daughter and it was EMPTY. We went to the bakery to pick up some orange juice for the wife, and it was EMPTY. You understand the concept here, don't you?

After picking up a birthday button for my wife at City Hall (her birthday was Saturday, but we'd be celebrating on an airplane) our first destination was the Country Bears, but we took a detour on our way and saw Hall of Presidents first. I hadn't seen this show since 1984, and my wife had never seen it. So, we both enjoyed watching the show in the nearly empty theatre. It was interesting to see the new Bush animitron making a speech. I don't quite remember if any of the other presidents preceding him ever did this. By the time we got out of this ride the rain had nearly stopped, which made it a much more pleasant day.

Next, we headed over to the Country Bears for our third and last time. Then, it was time for lunch at Pecos Bill's. The place was empty for about 30 seconds, and then was overrun by hordes of youth group members. Good thing I got in line when I did. This time my wife and I both had cheeseburger meals (with fries) with root beer, Diet Coke, and a bottle of water. Total was about $18 again and it was well worth it. Everything was very tasty.

After lunch we passed thru the breezeway of Pecos Bill's right into Adventureland, and right in front of Pirates of the Caribbean. This was a perfect opportunity for me to get on the ride while my wife and daughter sat for a spell. Thanks to the benefits of torrential downpours, I was on this ride immediately. I enjoyed this attraction, but in the back of my mind I was going 'These innocent people are being tortured by these evil pirates. And, this makes the ride enjoyable, how?’ I don't think I thought of the ride in this manner at any time of my life. I guess that when you become a father you look at things a bit differently.

After POTC we went over to Aladdin, which was down momentarily. So, we went right across the way to Jungle Cruise, which had no wait at all. In fact, we got right on the next boat. Our guide for this cruise was Dale. Much better than the droll guide we had previously. Dale actually had one of the children on the boat become his co-pilot. I thought that was very nice.

By the time we got off Jungle Cruise Aladdin was up and running again, so we got on with minimal wait. This time (unlike Wednesday) we were able to avoid the spitting camel. Once that was done we backtracked through Frontierland to 'Ye Ole Christmas Shop', where we purchased a large, engraved Christmas ornament in the shape of Mickey's head and a bag of ornaments for the mom's in my wife's playgroup. All together the cost was $40.

Once done shopping we cut back through Liberty Square and went around the castle to Fantasyland, where we experienced the Carousel and Dumbo for the last time. Then, it was over to Tomorrowland for Buzz Lightyear. There was absolutely no wait at all for this ride so we rode it not once, not twice, but THREE times in a row! This gave me a chance to find out where all of the high-scoring targets were. I found the first one when you come into the second room of targets: there's a monster that slowly swings its head back-and-forth as you enter the room. Shooting this target equals 20,000 points. On the first ride I received 53,000 points, on second ride I got 77,000 points and on the third ride I got a whopping 83,000 points. I would now like to thank my lovely wife for getting on this ride three times in a row and allowing my daughter and I to spin around and shoot things up. I love you.

After Buzz, and a cookies and cream cone from the ice cream shop, we were done with the Magic Kingdom. All together, we rode Aladdin, Carousel, Dumbo, and Buzz Lightyear five times, took three turns on Jungle Cruise and Country Bears, rode It's A Small World twice (because my daughter was just terrified of it all) and once on Winnie The Pooh, Peter Pan, POTC, Tiki Birds, Hall of Presidents, and Haunted Mansion. All together I believe we accomplished a lot at this park and gave my daughter lots of happy memories.

We took the bus back to Coronado Springs and, while my wife and daughter napped, I took the opportunity to head over to EPCOT to do some things I hadn't had the opportunity to do on Monday. The first thing I did was head over to Test Track which, amazingly, had a 45-minute wait. So, since the single-rider line was not open at that time, I grabbed a fast pass for a 4:45 return. With plenty of time on my hands I went to Innoventions. Other than the interactive game areas from IBM and Disney Interactive this place wasn't busy at all, and there wasn't much to see in my opinion. It just felt like a trade show, and one that you could go to elsewhere in the United States, most likely near your home town.

After Innoventions I jumped over to Journey Into Imagination (with Figment), which was down when we came to EPCOT on Monday. I really enjoyed the pre-show area, especially the wall that displayed the Inventor of the Year winners at the Imagination Institute -- Dr. Nigel Channing, Dr. Wayne Szalinski and Dr. Brainard from "Flubber." I thought the ride was okay, but I really didn't have anything to gauge it against since I had never ridden this attraction in full (The first and only time I rode it was in 1984, but it broke down towards the end.). I also liked the 'What If!' Labs at the end of the ride -- my daughter would've really enjoyed this section if she wasn't deep asleep back in the room.

I still had time after this attraction before my FastPass time, so I dropped into Ice Station Cool, which I found uninteresting (I've been to the terrific Coke Museum in Atlanta, so I'm a bit biased), then went to MouseGear. This store is huge and offers a large selection of items. Out of the many infant items they sold I purchased a $12 pair of Pooh baby shoes and a $8 set of baby socks. With a small gift bag the total came out to $24. If I had more time and money (and room in our suitcases) I would've spent more.

After accomplishing all of this I still had 15 minutes before my FastPass activated. So, I took a chance and went to see if the Single Rider line was open. Sure enough, they were giving out Single Rider Passes, and I happily took one and entered the attraction. Still, it took me 15 minutes to get on the ride, and when I did it stopped for about 5 minutes due to a technical problem. I enjoyed the ride, especially the High Speed Test, but didn't think it was the 'Best Ride -- Ever' (That's Tower of Terror). I basically skipped the post-show, only stopping to look at the new Saturn Ion (which is an interesting design, but something I can look at closer during the DC Auto Show.). By this time it was 5pm, so I walked out to my car (yes, I parked THAT close), and headed back to room, getting lost in the meantime.

When I got back to the room we freshened up and headed to Golden Corral for our last dinner in Florida. We had the same server as we did on Monday (thank you, Miriam). My daughter liked her so much she asked Miriam to come eat with us -- she doesn't even do that with her grandparents! After dinner we headed over to Downtown Disney. We used our free entry into Pleasure Island and went to Adventure Club since the next Comedy Warehouse show wasn't until 9:30 and was too long for our daughter to take.

Adventure Club is great! It's basically a great big Improv club with many of the players coming from CW across the way. The best thing about it is the interaction between you and the character (as opposed to passively watching the improv on the stage). Spending the last year taking classes on Improv comedy I found this a wonderful place (as I, and my wife, did back in 1997). Unfortunately, time was running short for us so we left after about 30 minutes. It was getting a little loud in PI so we exited and headed for the Marketplace. We made some quick stops at the Lego Imagination Center and World of Disney. Both places were very crowded, my wife wasn't feeling well, and my daughter was getting cranky. So, after only about 15 minutes we left and headed back to the room.

The remainder of the night was spent finishing packing. I also gave my wife her early birthday presents, which she really enjoyed. We fell asleep at about 11 pm.

Saturday, December 14th -- Heading Home

Woke up at about 7:30 and were showered, dressed, and ready to go by 8:15. I had to move the car closer to our building because I had to park near building 7A the night before. We said goodbye to the room and headed on out, but not without stopping at El Centro, where I purchased three pins at Panchito's -- one each for Coronado Springs, All-Star, and Grand Floridian. Then, we stopped for breakfast at the nearby McDonalds, topped off the gas tank, and arrived at the airport by about 9:30.

Once again, we obtained our boarding passes via the E-Ticket kiosks, and checked-in three bags this time instead of two. The lines for security were definitely bigger here then at Dulles, but moved very quickly and efficiently. We boarded about 10:15 and were in the air before 11:00 am. We arrived at Dulles airport shortly after noon, but didn't leave until after 1pm. This was due to a combination of dirty diaper changing, baggage pickup, waiting for a parking lot shuttle in the windy cold, and dear, old Dad forgetting where he parked (Note to those leaving from Dulles, mark down the SHUTTLE STOP you use to board the shuttle or you will be camping out in the parking lot until someone finds your car.)

Even though we live in Maryland, we stayed in Virginia to have a birthday meal for my wife at Don Pablo's. Found one pretty close to the airport, but it was in a shopping center with some horrendous traffic patterns. After lunch and maneuvering through a 4-way stop every 10 feet, we were on the road again and home by about 4:30. We made sure the house was still there and everything was running, went out to the supermarket for some 'can't wait' items, then came back home and crashed from exhaustion at about 8:00 at night.

SUMMARY

Despite the erratic weather we still had a wonderful time. The cooler temperatures allowed us to stay in the parks longer than we would have during a hot, humid, crowded summer day. We will NEVER, EVER, go to the parks again in the summer! I don't care if we have to bring our children's teachers to the park during our next visit, we will be taking them out of school to go. The atmosphere during this time is much quieter and relaxed.
We enjoyed Coronado Springs, with the exception of the bad pizza, broken change machine, and smarmy housekeeper. Our room was large and easily fit three of us (and would definitely fit four comfortably). We found the grounds peaceful and quiet. We will definitely consider this resort the next time we go.
$2.50 is not that expensive for a bottle of water at the parks and resorts. I could see if it was for a dinky 8-ounce bottle, but they give you a big 24-ounce bottle for that price. And, while there are plenty of water fountains in the resort area, the taste is reminiscent of rotten eggs. That didn't bother me or my daughter, but it was unbearable for my pregnant wife, who had developed 'Spider-sense' smell and taste.
Fast food at the Magic Kingdom was surprisingly good. While standard fare burgers and fries it was cooked very well. And, the Fixings Bars didn't hurt the meals either, especially the melted cheese for the French Fries. The chicken wrap I ordered at Pecos Bill's Cafe was extremely tasty and a good break from the cheeseburger scene. The table service restaurants didn't disappoint, either. Particularly good was 1900 Park Fare, which my wife and I found a nice difference from Chef Mickey's (as for my daughter, she hasn't met a french fry she didn't like).
EPCOT's Future World needs a makeover or, at least, change the name of this section. There is really nothing 'Future' about it anymore -- it's more a conglomerate of different themes. While I may be in the minority, I think Spaceship Earth DOES need a re-do -- it's just not interesting anymore. Plus, the whole area needs another popular attraction (Welcome Mission: Space and Soarin’).
We spent most of our time in the Magic Kingdom and MGM. We decided not to try Animal Kingdom because we felt there wasn't much that our 2-year-old would enjoy. Yes, they have the Jungle Safari ride, but my daughter can see lions, tigers, and giraffes up close at the National Zoo. We all enjoyed Dumbo, Carousel, Aladdin, Jungle Cruise, the Country Bear Christmas Show, and Buzz Lightyear at the Magic Kingdom, and WWTBAM-Play It!, Beauty and the Beast, and the Osborne Lights (TERIFFIC) at MGM. My wife and I enjoyed It's a Small World, but my daughter was terrified of the 'singing babies'. My wife and daughter did not enjoy Pooh (wife because of movement, daughter because of darkness), or Peter Pan. None of us liked Spaceship Earth or Tiki Birds (which needs an undo). We wanted to get to Mickey's Toontown and World Showcase but ran out of time.
I didn't see a stray piece of trash or peeling paint anywhere. In fact, many days we saw cast members performing touch-ups to the resorts and parks. Everything was clean and neat. Other than our surly housekeeper we didn't encounter any angry cast members during our trip. Granted, I saw a few CM's with truly unenthusiastic stares, but none that snapped or spit on us.
For those who are worried that the magic of Disney World has disappeared with all of the corporate belt tightening I wouldn't sweat it too much. Especially if you fall under two categories: 1. You visit Disney World every few years, and 2. You are the parents/grandparents/cousins/guardians of young children. When your child laughs in glee as they see Mickey Mouse through the windows of the monorail you can see where the magic is.

In my opinion, going to Disney World two or three times a year, or even once a year, dulls the magic that's found when you first pass through those gates. There's so much more to see in this nation, and this world, that Disney World should be an occasional destination. That break lets you look at everything through a much brighter lens.

For those of you who have just come back from experiencing the magic, we hope you had fun. For those about to go, I hope this trip report was helpful. Please enjoy yourself, and make sure you've put a lock on your credit card.

Richard Keller