Steve Russo - January 2006 - Boardwalk Villas

Time of Year: Winter
Travel Method: Plane, Magical Express
Resort: BWVR
Accommodations: Standard
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran, DVC


Steve Russo -- January 2006 - Walt Disney World (BWVR)

The Cast

Steve & Barb –WDW veterans and DVC members since 1999.
Planning

This may very well be the most complicated planning process I’ve ever been through – and I’ll try to spare you from at least some of the gory details but, if you’re not interested in planning (or pain), feel free to skip down to Day One.

PLAN A: After our trip in January 2005, I had been hoping for a December 2005 trip (we missed the Osborne Lights during our only other holiday trip in 2003). Plans changed when we learned that our daughter, Michelle, was scheduled to deliver our first grandchild in late November. Barb didn’t want to leave town so soon after the baby’s birth so we settled on two shorter trips – one in early October 2005, during the Food and Wine Festival, and a second in February 2006. We took that October trip and then planned for February – booking 5 nights split between the Boardwalk Villas (BWVR) and Old Key West (OKW) Resorts (mainly due to availability problems) and, unfortunately, part of it during Presidents’ Week..

PLAN B: Our grandson decided to take advantage of a FastPass and came into the world 4 1/2 weeks early on October 18, 2005. That, coupled with our experiencing some fairly heavy crowds on our trip in October told us that we could now move the February trip up to a less crowded time in January. So we planned that one - booking 5 nights (January 12-17) at the Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR), due mainly to nothing being available at the Boardwalk. I also booked our flights on Southwest. The best I could do was a direct flight (one stop) going down with a non-stop coming back – at $333 total. After applying $180 in credits from re-booking our October trip, the cost for two round trips was $153.

PLAN C: Can you see it coming? In mid-November, Barb learned that she had to take a job-required test on Saturday, January 14 – right smack dab in the middle of our trip. No problem – on to Plan C. At this point I not only knew the DVC phone number and menu options, I could also recite my member number and fill in their verification questions before they were asked. I got on the phone with DVC while I was on Southwest’s web site to see about rebooking. Our first choice was to move the dates to Sunday-Friday. A quick check with Southwest and I learned that would add over $200 to the airfare. I quickly moved the dates to Monday-Saturday and found Internet Fares available that would actually drop our cost by $6.40 (round trip fares came to right around $163 each). DVC had nothing available for the Boardwalk (our home resort and our favorite) but did have OKW open so I took that with a wait-list for the Boardwalk and Beach Club Villas (BCV). We now only have one (not two) of the more expensive weekend nights, so I wind up also saving some DVC points. Life is good.

At this point, I also signed us up for the Magical Express (ME) service. I did this with some trepidation – even though ME is a free ride. Most reviews I’ve read have been positive or neutral but, there are enough negative comments to cause some concern. We’ll decide as we get closer but I may opt for a rental car or Town Car service.

During the October trip, we had poor luck getting into our choice of WDW restaurants. I believe some of that was due to the heavier-than-expected crowds but… I’m betting most of it was due to increased reservations being made by folks on the Magic Your Way (MYW) Dining Plan. Anyway, I had called DVC Member Services and set a personal record by making five Advance Dining Reservations (ADR). This from the guy that makes most trips with one or none. I booked lunches at Whispering Canyon and the Brown Derby - and dinners at LeCellier, Teppanyaki and ‘Ohana. Then, after we changed dates, I canceled and re-booked them. This trip had better be a good one because we’re certainly logging an awful lot of planning activity.

PLAN D: Not done yet. In late November, I received another of those Southwest emails and re-booked our flights for the 3rd time. I managed to snag a non-stop on the way down and the same non-stop (as what we had already booked) for the return for $115 each. We now have $102 in Southwest credits that, unfortunately, may go unused. Two days later, I received a phone call from DVC that our wait-lists came through. I had my pick of a studio at the BWVR or BCV and chose the Boardwalk. I don’t think I’ve ever planned a trip with so many changes but, hopefully, this is the last one.

Lastly, we need passes. Our Annual Passes (APs) expired shortly after the October trip. With DVC discount the cost of a renewal is $298 and the cost of a new AP is $314. Not really a huge difference. It made no sense to renew when we’d probably only get this one trip on them. We looked at the 5-day MYW ticket but… it looks like we’ll be planning another ‘whole family’ trip, all our kids and the new grandson, in January 2007. Assuming we book it for early January, we’ll be able to get 2 trips on a new AP – so APs it is. We planned to buy them after arrival but, on New Year’s Eve, I check Mousesavers and saw a warning about a price increase on January 1. I bought our two APs online ($314 each including tax and with DVC discount) and, sure enough, the prices increased the following day. Mousesavers saved us about $40. I set us up to pick up the passes at ‘Will Call’.

In the days leading up to the trip, the weather in the Albany area was downright balmy – almost Spring-like. On Saturday the 19th, the temperature hit 56 degrees. Then it started to rain – hard. By Saturday evening, the temps stared to plummet and the rain became ice. Then it turned to snow. On Sunday, I was clearing 6” of fresh snow, over a layer of ice, in 15 degree temperatures with winds gusting to 40 mph. Will this trip ever get here?

Day One – Monday, January 21 – Wanderers, Sidewinders and Prince Edward Island

We had set our alarms for 3:30 AM but, true to form, I woke up before the alarm went off. The temperature here was 5 degrees but, thankfully, the winds had died down some. I drank some coffee, showered and dressed. While Barb was showering I loaded our luggage into the car.

At about 5:00 we woke up our son, Stephen, and let him splash some water on his face and down some OJ before driving us to the airport. We headed out at 5:10 and made good time, getting to the airport just after 5:30. We said our goodbyes to Stephen and headed inside to a Southwest kiosk.

It took only a couple of minutes to check our luggage (I had printed our boarding passes yesterday at home) and we headed upstairs. There was a short line at Security and we were through quickly and into McDonald’s for some sustenance. I grabbed a table while Barb got me an Eggamuffin (that’s what I call them, OK?) and a Sausage Biscuit with Egg for herself. She joined me at the table and discovered her Biscuit was a Muffin. We don’t eat at McDonald’s very often, and when we do it’s usually breakfast, but it seems this happens every time. The person taking the order has one thing to do but, for whatever reason, it seems very difficult for them to get it right.

After this nutritious breakfast, we headed to our gate where I am no longer surprised (amazed maybe, but no longer surprised) by the people already in line at the A, B and C gates – a full hour before the flight. There are even people standing by the ‘Pre-Board’ entry!

We sit, chill, read a bit and eventually begin boarding at about 6:40. The Albany airport is one of a very few that offers several gates (maybe it’s just one but it seems like several) with a dual jet way – it allows boarding via the front door as well as the rear one. As most folks head to the front, we almost always head the other way. We zipped through and up the aisle and just missed nailing the exit row seats. We wound up a couple of rows back in a window (Barb) and aisle seat. A young couple (late teens) comes strolling down the aisle, each rolling a large suitcase. The girl is looking for their seat numbers which, since this is Southwest, do not exist. The finally get situated across the aisle from us and spend several minutes hoisting these suitcases into the overhead compartment, crushing anything that may have been there previously. I don’t fly nearly as often as I used to but it seems to me that the size and weight of the ‘carry-on’ luggage is increasing exponentially. This is a direct, non-stop flight. Are folks really afraid of their luggage being mis-directed or are they concerned over the additional 10-minutes in waiting for it on the other end?

The flight’s scheduled to depart at 7:00 AM but, at 7:05, we’re still sitting at the gate. The pilot informs us that we had a problem with a frozen water line. Once that was thawed, there was another issue with the emergency brake being frozen on the pushback vehicle. We finally push back at 7:15 and are in the air at 7:20.

We did land a bit early at 9:55, taxied for some time and got off the plane at 10:05. Now for the big question: How will Magical Express work for me (given my less than stellar history with anything new at Disney)? Please select from the list, below:

Be at the Boardwalk with minimal delays.

Reach the Boardwalk after stops at the Wilderness Lodge, Pop Century, Swan, Dolphin and the Grand Floridian.

Spend most of the day and night roaming the airport searching for the ME counter or a CM with a 4-fingered glove.

Never reach the hotel. Spend 5 nights at the EarPort store eating nothing but food court staple and return home having never set foot on Disney property.

Select your answer now. At the end of this Trip Report, we’ll award a Disney vacation for four to the winner.

OK, where were we? We exit the plane at 10:05 AM and make the obligatory restroom stop. We walk down to and board a monorail to the main terminal, after about a 1-minute wait. We walk toward the ‘A’ baggage claim area and down the escalators. At level 2, a CM gives me a ‘high four’ and directs us to the 1st level and a left. There we find a Magical Express counter. It’s now 10:15. Tick, tick, tick…

There are a few people at the counter and one couple waiting. As we walk up, the other couple is brought to the counter and a waiting CM motions us over. We exchange pleasantries and I offer the ME booklet (having been forewarned about not tearing the travel vouchers from the book). He makes a few check marks here and there. I offer the luggage receipts but he informs me that, as long as I placed the luggage tags on our bags (I did), the receipts aren’t needed. He hands the booklet back and directs me to two CMs waiting across the aisle. They’re standing by several separated queues – the corral. It’s now 10:17. Tick, tick, tick…

The CM at the corral asks for our resort. I say “Boardwalk” and she leads me down one of the roped off queues where we’re behind 2 groups – maybe 8 people. As soon as I drop my carryon to the floor, another CM beckons our group outside and on to a waiting bus. It was sunny and low-70s – a welcome relief from the 5-degrees I left behind. There were a couple of ME buses but ours was a Disney Cruise Line bus, probably doing double duty. We take our seats and I glance at my watch. 10:19. Tick, tick, tick…

Some of the other folks had brought their own luggage so there was a delay while it was loaded below and they boarded. The driver hopped on, apologized for a broken VCR (no movie, just Disney radio for this trip), and informed us we would be stopping at the Caribbean Beach, Boardwalk and Yacht Club. We then departed. It was 10:22. Tick, tick, tick…

On the trip, we passed a white utility truck on the Greenway. The driver explained that it was a ME baggage truck. We reached the CBR at 10:46 and dropped off about half our load (and their luggage). There was some kind of tie-up at the CBR because the driver couldn’t pull forward and had to back up quite a ways for us to be able to exit. I give him high marks because backing up that behemoth on the tight curving driveway at CBR’s Custom House was no easy task.

Our next stop was the Boardwalk where Barb and I de-bused. I checked my watch – 10:55. 50 minutes from setting my foot down at Gate 125 of MCO to stepping into the Boardwalk lobby. Not bad. We were 2nd in line for check-in but only waited 2-3 minutes. CM Hermie gave me a ‘Welcome Home’ and began the process. Hermie informed us that we would need to be in the room for Magical Express to deliver our luggage. I didn’t agree and everything I’ve been told or read indicated otherwise but I chose to let it go. We’d find out soon enough. She then said that, while we had requested a non-smoking room, she had a smoking room available now. I checked with Barb and she said it was OK so we took it. We made the 1/8-mile walk to room 2131. The 1/8-mile is an approximation based on the number of paces it took to reach it and some math in my head (which means the actual distance could be anywhere from 4 feet to 3 miles). The room is at the far end by the quiet pool and walkway and lagoon to MGM Studios. I say ‘far end’ – Room 2136 is the last room at the end so weren’t far away.

We entered the room and I expected it to reek of smoke but was pleasantly surprised – no odor at all. I assume the last guests didn’t smoke or Disney does a great job of fumigating. In the room, I glance at my watch - 11:15. One hour and 10 minutes from stepping off the plane to being in our room. That may well be a new record. Magical Express certainly lived up to their name for us. I’m holding off on a final grade until the luggage arrives – if it arrives.

We dropped off our carry-ons and freshened up a bit. The plan was to pick up our APs at the International Gateway (IG) and then hit Epcot for some lunch. I should mention the new camera. I’ve long been one of those guys at Disney with a camera bag permanently attached to his shoulder. I would often carry a camcorder and a film camera (Minolta Maxxum). For some time, I’ve been toying with the idea of a digital camera but haven’t been able to break my bond to film. It seems everyone I know with a digital can never show me a picture – they’re still in the camera, downloaded to the hard drive but not organized, etc. Our daughter, Stephanie, recently purchased a Canon Power Shot SD400 ELPH. It’s 5.0 MP and is the smallest camera I’ve seen. It measures 2x3 inches and is less than an inch thick. Stephanie graciously loaned it to me for the trip so I can try it ‘real world’ and see if I like the camera and digital photography in general. I did purchase a carrying case for it ($4 at Target) so it will hook on to my belt. I’ve never before traveled at WDW so unencumbered – and this would be a real benefit for avoiding the bag checks at park Security. Although, I’m certain I’m going to miss the camera bag for its ‘purse’ features – a place for glasses, ticket media, wallet, ham sandwich, duct tape, etc.

We set out for Epcot, after the 1/8-mile hallway trek, and stopped at the Guest Relations booth at the IG. I dug out the confirmation form from my pocket (it would normally be in my purse…er, camera bag which I left back in the room. See what I mean?) and in 2-3 minutes we had 2 brand-spanking new APs. I carry a leather business card holder, which is the perfect size and vehicle to carry everything Disney (room keys, Ticket media, DDE card, etc.). I tucked the passes into their ‘wallet’ along with the receipt. I assumed the receipt was just a confirmation of the pickup, so I folded it without looking at it. Big mistake – I should have looked.

We walked through Security (it’s such a pleasant feeling being ‘bag-less’) and through the turnstiles into World Showcase (WS). Ahhhh, it’s so nice to be back. I asked Barb if she was ready for lunch and she said she could use a cold drink. It was only 11:45 but I figured, what the hell - we’re on vacation, and suggested the Rose and Crown for a beer. The R&C was almost empty (a far cry from the crowds there during our trip last October) so I ordered Harps for me and a Stella Artois for Barb. The Stella Artois is rapidly becoming a favorite for Barb. I know I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: You know you’re at Disneyworld when you part with $15 plus tip for two draft bears… and it doesn’t ruin your day. We took a table in the R&C and sipped as I broke out the camera and started shooting. The camera’s small size is, at first, a bit disconcerting – particularly when you’re used to the heft and size of an SLR. In time, I think I mastered a grip that would let me shoot with minimal movement and without my fingers being in the photo.

After a bit, I secured some plastic cups for the remains of the beer and we took them out into WS. We walked on through Canada and decided to head toward the Land to check out the situation with Soarin’. It’s absolutely amazing how crowded the Land pavilion has become since Soarin’ arrived. The Standby time was listed at 120 minutes (no thanks) so we picked up FastPasses (FP) for 4:47 – 5:47. We have a 5:40 reservation at LeCellier so the timing may not work. We’ll see.

Test Track is down for a rehab so we decided to give Spaceship Earth (SE) a try. Future World was fairly crowded (it’s MLK Day) and SE had a posted Standby wait of 10-minutes that proved to be accurate. After the ride, we exited into that still-empty area. With Siemens and Disney hooking up, I was hoping for some signs of construction there. Nothing.

Time for lunch and we were hoping for something quick. We decided to try the Electric Umbrella – a place we haven’t visited in several years. I grabbed a Cheeseburger and Barb had the Chicken Strips – just OK for both. While I was dumping some pickles on my burger at the Toppings Bar, a kid (about 16) was on the other side of the bar. He pointed to the pickles, looked at me and asked “Peekles?” in what sounded like a German accent. I nodded, “Yes, peekles”. I think he was happy.

It was fairly crowded with no seats available inside so we took our tray outside and sat with a view of the fountain. It was now mid-70s, sunny and very pleasant – except for the damned birds.

After lunch, we decided to take a leisurely stroll back through WS to the Boardwalk. As we started out, I noticed Club Cool (the new incarnation of Ice Station Cool) so we had to go in for some Beverly. Barb tried nothing – she wasn’t thirsty and she doesn’t trust me. I had one cup of Beverly, just to prove to myself once again that it’s not as hideous as most people make it out to be. I’m not saying I’m ready to buy a case of this stuff, or even a bottle, but I really don’t find it disgusting at all (how’s that for an endorsement?). Club Cool is a bit different than it’s predecessor. It’s more open and airy, loud music, bar-type tables, and no igloo. It’s nice but I really can’t say it’s an improvement.

I’ve been snapping photos everywhere (the beauty of a 1GB memory card) and took some shots of each of the exteriors in WS – from Mexico through France. We really took our time on this walk and stopped whenever something (or someone) looked interesting. We exited through the IG and walked back to the Boardwalk. I figured a visit to the Screen Door was in order to pick up our sustenance for the week. This consisted of a 6-pack of Bud Lite, a package of English Muffins, butter, and coffee creamer (we brought coffee and instant oatmeal from home). We brought our stuff up to the room and found, at 2:05 PM, our luggage was waiting for us! Magical Express is a fantastic service and I am its biggest proponent – now we’ll see about the trip back to the airport later in the week (am I beginning to sound like Eeyore?).

We unpacked the suitcases and chilled in the room for a bit. We also checked in with the kids. After changing into shorts (Barb stayed with slacks and brought along a sweatshirt), we set out for Epcot at 4:15. Now here’s question number 2… Has Steve made a mistake changing into shorts and not bringing a jacket to Epcot on a January evening? Select your answer now.

We made it to the Land by 4:40 so we had a brief wait before using our FPs. The Standby time was now 110-minutes and no FPs were available. We were on the ride in less than 15-minutes. I sat next to an older couple (I need to stop saying that as they were probably only 5 years older than me – but I still think I’m 26) and the guy loved the speed portions of the ride. I know this because every time there was the feeling of acceleration, he would shout, “I love the speed”. He also must have loved the ride because as we exited I heard him say, “Now I see why it’s so popular.” I have to admit that it’s becoming my favorite in Epcot.

We now had to hoof it back to Canada for our 5:40 reservation at LeCellier. It was during this walk that I decided to name the various, and annoying, walking styles at WDW. So far:

The Wanderer – This person walks slowly on the right until you’re about to pass. They then alter their course to ‘wander’ in your direction – preventing the pass.

The Bull Rusher – Usually, but not always, is pushing a stroller or wheelchair. They’re coming down the center of a walkway, with traffic moving in both directions, and God help anyone who happens to be in their way. Unlike the Wanderer, they never deviate from a straight-ahead path.

The Dead Stopper – A single or a group that you’re walking behind when, for no apparent reason, they stop dead in their tracks causing a massive pileup of humanity behind them. These people need brake lights or, at the least, hand signals.

The Center Talkers – We’ve all seen this group of 4-12 people that decide to circle and have a conclave in the center of a walkway, aisle or anywhere else it forces others to detour around them.

The Wide Walkers (also called the Rotated Caravan) – A group of 4 or more that insists on walking abreast regardless of the walkway’s width – and they won’t move.

The Sidewinder – The opposite of the Bull Rusher. Never follows a straight path but meanders for no apparent reason. Very difficult to pass and, often, to walk by in the opposite direction.

I’m certain we can add to this list but, on the trip from the Land to Canada, we encountered a Bull Rusher, a Sidewinder and 2 Dead Stoppers.

Once at Canada, I needed to see if I could get the 2nd and 3rd Off Kilter CDs for Jim Pertierra, another local Disney fanatic. I’m not that into OK - we’ll stay for a few songs, not a complete set. I think their music is good but I guess I’m not as enthralled by Jamie’s knees as much as some others. Unfortunately, the CDs are named, not numbered, and the CM was little help when I asked if she knew which were the 2nd and 3rd. Jim, you’re just going to have to make another trip.

There was no need to worry about timing because we arrived at LeCellier at 5:20. I went up to the podium and the CM there was telling someone she had no openings for the next 3 days. What is it with LeCellier? It seems it’s become the hottest ticket at Disney. Anyway, she asked us to have a seat and within 5-minutes we were being shown to our table.

I didn’t get our seater’s name, but he was a young guy – maybe 21-22. He asked if we could guess the Province we were being seated in. It’s an island, eastern part of Canada, mussels are named for it… any guesses? We tried New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Oahu, Iceland, Bali, Scotland. Just how far east is it? The answer is P.E.I. or Prince Edward Island (LeCellier has Prince Edward Island Mussels on the menu). Well thanks for making me feel like a 3rd grade dropout. I’d better eat quickly - the little bus is waiting.

We settled in and were greeted by Sandra, our server. She was very friendly and, after answering the obligatory “So. Where are you guys from?” we chatted a bit about cold weather. Anyone from a cold weather area will top your cold-weather story – it’s human nature. “Once, when I was 7, it was minus 200. I stepped outside and my left foot just fell off.”

We decided to skip appetizers and just chow down on the breadsticks. The pretzel bread was very good but the other two were very hard and almost tasteless. I ordered the Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon - wild mushroom risotto, white truffle and herb beurre blanc, topped with fried parsnips (I didn’t remember all that. I cheated and copied it from the menu at Allearsnet). Barb had the Herb Crusted Prime Rib - roasted Yukon potatoes, finished with a veal demi glace. We each ordered the wine that was suggested with the entrée – a Merlot for me and a Syrah for Barb.

We were seated at the end of the banquette area, next to 3 tables that contained the same group – mom, dad, two children, the grandparents and a couple of others (aunts?). We struck up a conversation with mom and dad. He told us they were DVC members from Philadelphia and just down for the weekend. They arrived Friday night and were leaving Tuesday morning. He related a story of their flight in Friday night. It was very windy in Orlando and their approach just about had the plane turned sideways – lots of fun.

Our meals arrived. Let me preface this by saying that I want very much to like LeCellier. We’ve had lunch there several times, usually the Cheddar Cheese Soup and a sandwich or salad, and always enjoyed it. Our one other dinner here was, in my opinion, not very good. I had the prime rib, which many people rave about, and thought it to be too thin, too fatty and too chewy. My filet was good, not great. Not the worst I’ve had but a long way from the best. Barb’s prime rib was 40% fat, very thin and also difficult to cut with the knife. She also said it was chewy. I know a lot of people consider this to be an excellent steak place but, after two attempts, it’s fallen off the radar for me. There’s an old saying that goes: Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, and three times is enemy action. I’m not sure I’ll push it that far. On the plus side, the wine and our service were very good. We used the DDE card here for 20% off and the bill came to $56 before tip and after discount.

We left LeCellier and stepped outside where I realized that since the sun had gone down, it was getting colder very rapidly. My shorts and golf shirt weren’t going to make it until Illuminations. We hoofed it back to the Boardwalk where I changed and grabbed a jacket. Back to Epcot via the IG. We were certainly getting our walking in today.

The temperature had now made the transition from chilly to cold so we decided to get a cup of coffee. We headed to France where it took us a few minutes to find the Boulangerie Patisserie. We managed to fight off the urge for one of their pastries and just got 2 decafs to go.

We hadn’t seen Impressions de France in some time, and I’ve been hearing many people rave about it, so we decided to give it a go. The next showing was at 7:30 – about 5-minutes away. I had drained my coffee but Barb was still sipping and didn’t know if we could bring it in. We checked with the CM at the door and she said to just come in with it. We waited in the outer lobby for a few minutes when another CM gave the introductory spiel, including the bit about no eating, drinking, etc. We figured if the first CM gave her OK, she was good to bring in the coffee (it did have a lid). We enjoyed the film although I was not inspired to move to the French countryside any time soon. I guess I’m just not into living in 600-year-old buildings. I actually thought the music was the best part.

We headed back to the UK, hoping to catch some of a British Invasion performance but they were done for the evening. We spent some time browsing the shops before embarking on clockwise trip around WS. It was around 8:30 and too early to stop for Illuminations. We figured we’d just walk around until there was 5-10 minutes to go and then pick a spot.

On our walk around WS (2 Dead Stoppers, a Wanderer and 1 Center Talker), I noticed what has become a real problem – the smokers lighting up everywhere. I’ve mentioned this in past TRs and it doesn’t seem to be a big deal anyplace but World Showcase. They’re lighting up in the middle of the walkway, in courtyards, outside the doors to a shop… everywhere. There are a number of very nice smoking areas in WS but a few people are giving the rest a bad name by not using them. I never once saw a CM approach any of them.

We made our way around to Norway and decided we had time for a trip on Maelstrom. The wait was only 5-minutes (maybe less) and I told Barb about the Viking with the Mickey ears in the mural. As we were boarding, I finally found it and pointed it out to her. Maelstrom was fun and we even stayed for the film.

We continued walking (a Sidewinder and a Wanderer) and, after a brief stop by China, found a pretty good spot in Italy at about 8:55. Illuminations – Reflections of Earth (IROE) was announced as sponsored by Sylvania, a Siemens company. This is the first sign we saw (heard, actually) of Siemens’ involvement. We both enjoyed IROE but then, we always do. The fire barge is still not being used. Our viewing spot was in one of those side paths by the lagoon with railings front and back. We were leaning against the rear railings and just as IROE started, a young couple came over and leaned against the railing on my right. About mid-show, I looked over and both of them had lit cigarettes. Before the end of the show, a CM came over to them but, she was apparently a friend and they just talked about meeting up later.

It had been a long day so we strolled around WS, out through the IG and back to the Boardwalk. We spent a few minutes watching a magician before heading to the room and calling it a night.

Things I Think I Think - I think I’m doing too much whining about walking styles and smokers – I’ll stop and re-direct my venom toward line cutters. They deserve it. I think I need to brush up on Canadian geography. I think LeCellier will be relegated to a lunch spot for us. I think I really like Soarin’. I think I need to check the weather forecast before venturing out in the evening wearing shorts and a golf shirt. I think I really like being here.

Day Two – Tuesday, January 22 – Millionaire, Ice Cream and Kalamazoo

I’m awake at 3:30. Unfortunately, this is not that uncommon for me. After the long day yesterday, I thought I might sleep in a bit but I guess not. I lounge in bed, doze slightly, and finally get up at 5:00 and put on a pot of coffee. I step out on the balcony and it’s chilly but the forecast today is sunny and approaching 80.

After showers, we get dressed and head to the Dolphin for breakfast at Tubbi’s. It’s French toast for Barb and bacon and eggs for me. We get 20% off here through DVC. Tubbi’s is nothing fancy but I like their consistency. It’s billed as a Buffeteria but they do offer service. My meal would have been scooped on to a plate and placed on my tray as we walked through but… they needed to make the French toast fresh. Rather than give me my food, the cook told us to grab a seat and he brought both meals to the table when Barb’s was ready. Not a big deal but a nice touch of service.

For anyone anal enough to want this information: We left Tubbi’s at 8:42, walked across the bridge to the Boardwalk, down the path to MGM, through Security and the turnstiles and were at rope drop at 8:58. I had a problem with my AP last night at Epcot. When I inserted it in the slot, it shot through without my placing my fingers in the scanner. The CM finally got it to work by putting it in upside down. It gave me a problem today at MGM as well. I asked the CM if I should have it replaced and she said “No. It should work fine now.”

Our first stop was Tower of Terror (ToT). We had a slight wait before entering the library. In the basement, they only had the left side working so it took a few minutes there as well. ToT is still a great ride and I really like the theming all the way through. I think I must have had a death grip on the side handle because after the ride was over, Barb glanced down and said, “You can let go now.”

Our plan was to head down to the Lights, Motors, Action Stunt Show (LMA) and pick up FastPasses. I’ve heard that’s the only way to get in. Wrong. When we got down there, a CM greeted us by telling us the next show was at 10:50. I asked about FPs and they weren’t offering any (the FP machines were shrouded). She said to get there about 10:30 and we should be fine.

We headed to Star Tours and boarded a ¾-full simulator after about a 2-minute wait. I still like it. I still want a new film. ‘Nuff said.

Next stop was the Great Movie Ride (GMR). We walked in and found only two rows in the theater were occupied. There were some crowds here yesterday (the holiday) but it’s really un-crowded today. The GMR is always fun and I’ve been asking for some new scenes in the film at the end. They listened. There are several new scenes but they flash by so quickly, it’s difficult to remember them. The new scenes I can recall are: a scene from ‘Chicago”, a quick shot of Jackie Chan (not sure of the film), a shot of Johnnie Depp and Orlando Bllom from ‘Pirates’, the shark from ‘Finding Nemo”, and… I think there were several others but they’re not coming to me now. Damned senility!

We get back to LMA at 10:35 and enter a fairly large queue. They apparently were having difficulties with something (they later apologized) but we were kept in the queue until about 11:10. The show finally started at 11:15 – 25-minutes late. There’s some real talent and choreography going on with this show, although as Barb said, “If the drivers are that good, why are they working here?” We both enjoyed the show but agreed it didn’t need to be an every trip kind of thing.

We exited the theater at 11:45 and had a dilemma. Do we keep the 12:30 reservation at the Brown Derby or go to Millionaire? I let Barb decide so…

We headed over to Who Wants to be a Millionaire – Play It (WWTBAM) and found about 20-30 people waiting. They let us inside after a 2-minute wait. By show time, the theater was about 2/3 full. Our Stage Manager was Kevin (nicknamed ‘Ken Doll’ by our daughters at the Hoop-Dee-Doo several years ago) and our host was Jamie. The first Fastest Finger was to place the following baseball teams in order, from east to west: Braves, Yankees, Indians and Pirates. I blew it when I placed Cleveland further west than Atlanta. Dammit! I know better. It didn’t matter because a guy from Wisconsin had it right in .802 seconds (although he admitted he just “pushed the buttons”).

This guy was in his 60s and seemed very unaware of anything to do with pop culture. He used his 3 Lifelines in the first 4 questions (he didn’t know that Coast was a brand of soap or that ‘Lost’ was an ABC show about people marooned on an island). I figured he wasn’t long for the hot seat and then… as the questions got harder, he kept getting them right. He insisted he was just guessing but he was guessing right an awful lot. He finally misses at the 32,000-point question. I’m nowhere on the Leader Board when they bring in the next player. He lasts about 6 questions when he misses and… just as they’re ready to bring up the Leaders, the horn blows. Game over. They bring up the board and I’m # 2. Another trip without the hot seat. I would’ve felt worse had I been # 1.

We exited the Studios and walked back to the Boardwalk deciding on a late lunch at the ESPN club. We were seated immediately and ordered a Dinger sandwich for me, although I replaced the mild sauce with hot, and a Club Wrap for Barb. Both were very good and we got another 20% off with the DDE card.

We went back to the room and called the kids to make sure everything was going well at home. We also called our friends, the Goergens. Sue and Wayne were here, at the Boardwalk, with their son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. They had come down on Saturday (2 days before us) and would be leaving on a later flight when we leave this Saturday. Barb left a voicemail message asking them to meet us in the Belle Vue Room for a drink at 9:00. We figured that would be enough time to see Wishes at 8:00 and make it back to the Boardwalk.

We left the room at 4:00 and as we’re walking down to the bus stop, I see a Magic Kingdom bus pulling away. Oh, well. We waited and another MK bus was along in 10-minutes. We were through Security (bag-less) and the turnstiles quickly. This time my AP worked fine. I can’t figure it out.

We decided to head to Adventureland first and found a 30-minute wait (we’ll be back) at the Jungle Cruise (JC) and Pirates of the Caribbean (PotC) was down. Damn! We kept walking toward Big Thunder Mountain (BTMRR) and saw a 20-minute wait there. We picked up FPs for 5:45 and walked back to the Haunted Mansion (HM). The HM had a posted wait of 10-minutes but we were inside in 5. We had another great CM who opened the doors, looked at everyone and shouted, “Get in!” After the usual shtick of dragging “wretched bodies” and the like, she waited for the doors to open after the stretching room and screamed “Get out!” HM was, as always, a great ride. I did notice that the ‘hidden Donald’ chair was in darkness – you couldn’t really see the pattern. I’m not sure if that was by design or they simply had a bulb out.

I, once again, struck out trying to find the wedding ring in the pavement outside the HM. I know it’s there… maybe someday. We walked up into Fantasyland and past Peter Pan (40-minute standby). We were heading toward my favorite attraction in the MK, Mickey’s Philharmagic. The standby time was listed at 10 minutes but we walked through an empty queue and into the theater lobby. In less than 5-minutes we were in the theater. I’ve probably seen this 6 or 8 times now and I don’t tire of it. It’s become one of those multiple-times-per-trip attractions for us. During 3D movies, you often see a lot of children reaching out to touch an object that just looks so close. I had a woman, I’m guessing in her 50s, on my left. She reached out at everything in the film… for the entire film! I wanted to shout “Hey, lady. Why do you keep trying? Haven’t you figured it out yet?”

Back to BTMRR where we used our FPs and had a great, and pretty quick, ride. Then it was over to Tomorrowland where we discovered Buzz Lightyear was in rehab (now that I see that sentence I’m hoping you all understand I’m referring to the ride. You knew that, didn’t you?). I now remember reading that but it didn’t occur to me then. Instead we took a ride on the WEDWay. I did notice that the part where you ride through Buzz had the windows blocked with curtains.

Now neither of us are huge eaters (I once was but I’m getting older). Anyway, two meals a day is usually fine and we’ve already had breakfast and a fairly large, and late, lunch. Barb is claiming she’s not hungry at all but I’m looking for at least something light. I suggested the Tomorrowland Noodle Station. I figured some noodles for me and some pot stickers we could share. Barb agreed and we headed over to find it closed. I have yet to see this place open.

We were walking toward Main Street, Barb insisting she’s not hungry and me looking for something to eat. We were outside the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor when Barb decided that, while she wasn’t hungry, a hot fudge sundae in a waffle bowl would make the perfect dinner. Hard to argue with that. We got our sundaes and sat outside the parlor until I was licking the remnants of hot fudge from my fingers. Not that I’m uncouth enough to eat a sundae with my fingers but, once finished with the sundae portion, the waffle bowl screams to be torn apart and devoured.

Suitably satisfied, with made a restroom stop before heading back to Adventureland. The Jungle Cruise now sported a 10-minute standby wait so in we went. We walked through an empty queue to the loading dock where 4 people were waiting to board. They held us up a bit waiting for some others to come through the line and board. Our skipper was good but, in my opinion, just a touch too enthusiastic for my tastes. She did a nice job was added just a bit too much drama. Anyway we enjoyed it (Jeez, I’m starting to sound like Roger Ebert).

After our Cruise, it was time for PotC. We entered and saw a line of people stretching beyond the turnstiles. If the line is back this far, it must be a long wait so I went out again to check the posted wait time. We then saw a number of people leaving the queue. Apparently, the ride had started up and gone down again. Double damn! Maybe later in the trip.

Although we brought jackets tonight, they weren’t needed. It was a bit breezy but still warm. Unfortunately, the forecast had a cold front coming through and tomorrow will be chilly with highs in the low 60s. It’s supposed to warm up on Thursday (high near 80) and stay that way through the weekend.

We thought another visit to Philharmagic was in order so we walked to Fanatasyland and walked right into the theater. No wait at all and we enjoyed it again. This attraction has become my favorite at MK.

We were toying with the idea of picking up a set of Mouse Ears for our new Grandson so we headed to Main Street and into a very crowded Emporium. We found the ears but a CM said we needed to bring them to the hat shop on the other side of the Confectionary for embroidering. We could also buy them there so we decided on that. Unfortunately, when we got to the hat shop it was packed. We’ll try later in the week.

We walked back up Main Street and found a spot in the center (actually against a wall on the right) and watched Wishes. I took a number of photos of the fireworks with mostly good results. I was still playing with settings so I’m hoping to have it nailed down by the end of the week.

After Wishes, we exited with the masses and had only a 5-minute wait for a BW bus. We made it back by 8:45 and made our way to the Belle Vue Room where Sue and Wayne were in a couple of easy chairs by a table near the balcony. Wayne already had a Martini in front of him and a plate of shrimp on order. We chatted for a bit about our respective trips. Over the weekend, they had tried Gulliver’s in the Dolphin (Swan?) for dinner and liked it. Apparently, they have a nightly themed buffet (it was Italian when they were there) or you can order from the menu. Wayne raved about his steak and Sue said the buffet was very good.

Now my buddy, Wayne, is the absolute King of the Malapropisms. He told us that Gulliver’s had that great dessert, Kalamazoo. Barb and I kind of looked at each other and Sue rolled her eyes and corrected him:Tiramisu.” OK, now I get it. Wayne’s had a number of these over the years but the absolute best one is… if Wayne reads this he’ll probably kill me and, if you’re at all squeamish, please skip to the next paragraph. The four of us were sitting on our deck, enjoying a cocktail as we fired up the barbecue for dinner. Wayne is a carpenter by trade and he runs some fairly large construction jobs for his company. He was telling us that he’s had a female carpenter on his team for some time and that she was often a real pain. He then related a story from that week about something she did that was pretty annoying. Someone asked if she was always that way and Wayne said, “I don’t know. I think she had Post Menstrual Drip or something.” Now we all knew that he had meant PMS but that didn’t stop us from falling off our chairs and laughing for the better part of the evening.

My favorite bartender, Allen, was back and waiting on tables. In October, the bartender never left the bar. We chatted over a couple of drinks and said our goodbyes at around 10:30. Their 1-BR villa was right off the elevator on the 1st floor while Barb and I made the ½-mile walk to our studio.

Things I Think I Think - I think I’ll never get to the hot seat at WWTBAM. I think I really like Philharmagic… and Wishes. I think WDW is the only place that a hot fudge sundae qualifies as dinner. I think I like the Belle Vue Room. I think I need to keep a pencil and paper handy whenever talking to Wayne.

Day Three – Wednesday, January 18 – Bulges, Monkeys and Pizza

Up early, put on the coffee and step out to the balcony. It’s cold and windy. The forecasted high is 62. No shorts today… and probably a sweatshirt.

We left early and made it to the Animal Kingdom (AK) by 8:20. I had some shopping to do at the Rainforest Café (RFC). For anyone that read my October report, you know my belief that anything with a monkey in it is funny. For that reason, I picked up a ‘Monkey Pen’ at the RFC for a friend and co-worker who shares my opinion. He liked his pen so much, he’s asked me to pick up two more. He has two developers on one of the projects he manages that he refers to as his ‘Code Monkeys’. They were each getting a pen. The pens were $7.99 each and had a monkey eating a banana on them (you’re chuckling, aren’t you?). I’m supposed to get a 10% discount with DVC here but, somehow, the total came to $10.65 with tax. Not that I’m complaining mind you. The CM then wrapped the pens in about 30 feet of that wrapping tissue they use. Then she put that wad into a large plastic bag. I rolled the whole thing up and stuffed it into the front ‘pocket’ of the pullover jacket I was wearing. It’s one of those pockets that has a zipper and Velcro closures and sits about belly-high. I also had my ticket ‘wallet’, cell phone and glasses in there.

When we walked through Security (the area for folks without bags) there were two female CMs there - one in the Security uniform, the other in normal CM attire. They stopped me. I raised my arms and said “No bags”. She said “That’s one heck of a bulge you’re sporting there”. Now, normally, I would’ve taken that as a compliment - a huge compliment. Unfortunately, I knew what she was referring to. I pulled out the contents of my ‘pouch’ and she said, “That’s all?” I patted my stomach and said that at least part of that bulge was me.

We entered the park and got to the rope drop just a few minutes before opening. We walked back, with just about everyone, for a ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris. We boarded in no time and had a great safari – maybe the best ever. I’ve heard tons of stories about the animals being out when it’s early, late, cold, warm, hot, etc. I’ve ridden this in all types of weather and could never pick up a discernible pattern. Well, today we were on it early. It was sunny and pretty cool. I think we saw more animals than ever before. There was one cheetah laying down watching us, another walking around; giraffes eating from trees; the baby elephant walking with and *under* his mother; white rhinos dining on a bush not 30 feet from our truck; both lions sitting up and awake. It was great.

We exited the Safari at around 9:30 and decided to try for the Festival of the Lion King (FotLK) show at 9:40. We walked down to Camp Minnie-Mickey and… I had forgotten how far you have to walk to reach the theater. Anyway, we managed to walk in just after the ‘pre-show’ had begun. Because we were late, we were seated in the dreaded Giraffe section. I hate to ‘Baaaa’. Looking around, the theater was only about half full, but during the show so many people arrived late that the Giraffe section was packed. This is one of the few shows that I really enjoy.

After the show, we decided to try for the 10:20 Flight of Wonder (FoW) show. We’re certainly not touring AK with any regard to the proximity of attractions. We got to FoW just before show time. Barb led me to a seat on the left-hand side, about 2/3 of the way back. After almost being decapitated by Rodan during a previous show, I was wondering if she was doing this intentionally – figuring the double indemnity clause would kick in if I was killed by a Condor/Vulture while at Disneyworld.

The show was very good. They seem to change it a bit each time with new and different birds doing new and different things. They brought out a parrot that sang entire verses of ‘Camptown Races’ and ‘Doggie in the Window’ - very impressive. This time, instead of a Condor/Vulture, they brought out a large hawk and had him swoop low over the audience. On the return trip, he came right at Barb and caused her to duck. Hah! That’s what she gets for trying to set me up. When they asked for a volunteer, I shot my hand up and was chosen to stand with a dollar bill in my outstretched hand. The host actually asked for a $20 but I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck, you know. When the bird flew out to get it, he actually nipped my finger a bit which had me daydreaming of the lawsuit against Disney. Let’s see… nipped finger equals emotional distress, loss of appetite, loss of marital services… Nah, never mind. The bird did bring back my bill, only know it was covered in bird saliva which for all I know is a known carcinogen. I’m going to make a buck off this yet.

We thought it was too cold to take a turn at Kali River Rapids so we decided on one more attraction before leaving AK. We walked through Asia heading for Dinoland. We stopped and I took some pictures of Expedition Everest. What an impressive structure. They really did a nice job here. The ride wasn’t running (but would be later in the week). Dinosaur had a 20-minute wait so we tried It’s Tough to be a Bug (ITTBAB). We walked right through into the lobby and were in the theater in 2 minutes. It’s always enjoyable in spite of the screaming kids.

We left AK and waited about 10-minutes for a Wilderness Lodge (WL) bus. We had a 12:30 reservation at Whispering Canyon. We were a few minutes early so we spent some time looking for the Hidden Mickey in the lobby fireplace. Now… I found this last January and I remember it was in the ‘pink stone’ area. Think I could find it this time? Nor could Barb. Did someone steal it?

Our server at Whispering Canyon was an Asian girl named Miri. It was her first day and she seemed a bit tentative engaging in some of the shtick. We did get to hear some Critter Calls – one little girl, about 4, was going to give us a frog call. As the entire restaurant waited for “Ribbit, rabbit”, she said “Hoppy, hoppy”. Priceless. I had a bowl of chili and a stacked sandwich. I thought about having the skillet but didn’t think I was hungry enough for it. Barb had a grilled chicken sandwich. Everything was good. We enjoyed it but, I think because it was only half full, that it took away from some of the boisterous times I’ve heard about. We did see a waiter for a nearby table come out of the kitchen with about a one-gallon glass of water with an 18” straw shouting “OK, lady. Here’s your water. Now get off my back.”

From the WL, we boarded a bus to Downtown Disney (DD) for some shopping. We visited most of the usual haunts but tried to find what we needed in World of Disney to take advantage of the AP discount. We wound up buying some antenna toppers, a plush Simba for the grandson (which we realized was a plush Nala after we got home), and a new globe for our collection. The funny thing was that, as we were paying, we both felt the globe was familiar looking but we couldn’t remember if we already have it. Uh, oh - a senior moment. It’s time to bring photos of our globe collection to Disney with us. Damned, damned senility! I also caught the sign at the checkout that gave us a nice lithograph (16 x 20) for $10 if we spend over $75 (we did and I got it).

I deviated from my time-honored tradition of buying a golf shirt on each trip and, instead, bought a black, collared sweatshirt (zipper neck) with a Mickey on the chest. We asked about buying ears but were told we’d have to have them embroidered at the MK or the Christmas Shop. We chose the Christmas shop and for $7, and 30 minutes, we had ‘William’ embroidered on the Grandson’s first set of Mouse Ears. A tradition is born.

It was about 3:30 when we caught a bus back. I called Stephen and he gave me good news – he had recorded ‘The Jack Bull’ for me. It’s a movie (made for HBO) that I’ve seen once and have been trying to find. When I get home, I’ll copy it to a DVD.

While on the bus back, we had another interesting conversation going behind us. As we passed Old Key West, a girl asked what that was. One of her friends said “That’s our hotel” while the other spoke long and authoritatively on how that was “where Disney houses its workers. It’s a nice place to live but they only pay them, like, $1.50 an hour.”

We exited the bus at the first stop, the Swan, and walked back to the BW. We just chilled for a while and headed over to Epcot at about 5:30. We caught some of a British Invasion set and Barb said she’d like to try for a ride on Soarin’. I tried to explain that, at this late hour, the Standby time would be long and there would be no FPs available. She was having none of that and, like most wives, she must be obeyed so… off we went to the Land. Soarin’ had a 60-minute wait and no FPs. Hah! Barb asked if I thought the wait was really 60-minutes. How would I know? I suppose I could walk past everyone in line until I got to the person that was just boarding and ask how long he had been waiting. Yeah, I got a little testy. Just another speed bump on the highway of marital bliss.

We checked around the food court for something for dinner but nothing really appealed to us. We were hoping for a late breakfast here tomorrow but, when I checked with a CM, she said the only thing open for breakfast was the Bakery (for pastries)… and maybe the Electric Umbrella but she’s not sure.

We left the Land and headed to Imagination where we took in a showing of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Mercifully, we came in at the very end of the pre-show. Please bring back True Colors. HISTA was as good as always but, I have to admit, it’s getting a bit stale for me.

It was making that transition from chilly to cold so we decided to get some Spoodles take-out pizza and head back to the room. Barb hit the take-out window while I went down to the Screen Door to buy us some Cokes. When I came out, Barb was waiting for me. She had a pager and said it would be 20-minutes for the pizza so she handed me some plates, napkins and plastic utensils to bring up to the room. I brought them up and had no sooner cleared some room on our table when Barb came in with the pizza. We ate most of it while we watched ‘Lost’ (I’m hooked) and called it an early night.

Things I Think I Think - I think the Safari is better when it’s cooler… no hotter… no early… I think I missed a golden opportunity for a double entendre when a CM complimented my ‘bulge’. I think I could spend a ton of money at the World of Disney. I think we’ll need to take photos of our globes before the next trip. I think that the more authority one uses in explaining something, the more likely it’s wrong. I think Barb needs to accept my assessments of Soarin’ wait times. I think I hate being sucked in by a cliffhanger TV show – but ‘Lost’ has sucked me in.

Day Four – Thursday, January 19 – Soarin’, Breastfeeding and Mama’s

Up early, coffee on, yada, yada, yada… It’s 42 degrees but should be warming nicely for the remainder of the week. We were scheduled for dinner at Teppanyaki tonight but yesterday we switched it a Fantasmic dinner package at Mama Melrose’s in MGM. Unfortunately, the only time we could snare is 4:10. That’s a bit early for dinner so we plan on a late breakfast, skip lunch and then the early dinner.

We walked over to the IG a bit early. I shot a few pictures and then asked at Guest Services about breakfast. I remembered that the Garden Grill used to offer a character breakfast but I guess that’s gone away. I asked about the Electric Umbrella. The CM checked something on his computer and told me that they did not serve breakfast. Oh, well – it may be pastries at the Land.

As we went through the turnstiles, I grabbed an Epcot map and the Electric Umbrella was listed as serving breakfast. Hmmmm. We walked to the Land and grabbed FPs for Soarin’ (9:45 – 10:45) and then jumped into the Standby line. We were on the ride in about 5-minutes.

We walked over to the Electric Umbrella and, sure enough, they were serving breakfast. We picked up a couple of breakfast sandwiches (bagels) and coffees. The place was almost empty – maybe 2 other tables in use. While we were eating, a woman walked in with a baby in a stroller and a toddler walking alongside. They found their way into the center circle dining area and grabbed a table. Mom began breastfeeding the baby while the toddler began to wail. Soon, the toddler and the baby were wailing loudly, and in stereo. Two different CMs stopped by and tried to amuse the toddler, to no avail. I haven’t checked a map but aren’t there a couple of Baby Stations in Epcot that offer breastfeeding rooms? I actually wasn’t bothered by the breastfeeding but the stereo wailing got old fast.

It was now time for our Soarin’ FP so off we went. When we exited, I asked Barb if she wanted to go “one last time” so in we went. This one had about a 20-minute wait but we scored the first row (actually, I think there’s only a marginal difference in riding in rows 2 or 3). Can you tell we like this ride? I know some folks have complained about the scene segues being somewhat choppy. I watched for that on this ride and I think they’re fine. They tend to hit a heavy musical note with each scene change and, in my humble opinion, it works.

As we exited the Land, I saw the third guy on this trip that was wearing Capri pants. I’ve heard it’s catching on in the south but not where I’m from. I think they look great on women but on guys? Not so much. Anyway, they’re certainly not my cup of tea – I’ll stick to shorts or Dockers/jeans for casual wear.

We headed over to MouseGear and shopped for some souvenirs for the kids. Mostly key chains with their initials – and a porcelain Tinkerbell for Stephanie who already has a Disney key chain. On our way toward WS, we caught part of the Kristos. They’re pretty impressive and I like the outfits – especially on the women. I told Barb that, with a little practice, maybe we could develop a routine like theirs. She didn’t even laugh.

We were a little hungry but, because of the early dinner, we didn’t think a full lunch was in order. We grabbed a couple of soft pretzels and a Coke from a cart and took a table by the American Adventure. We haven’t seen this in a couple of trips so I walked over to check the times and found that the Voices of Liberty (VoL) would be performing at 12:30 (about 20 minutes away) with an AA show following. We finished the pretzels and walked in to the rotunda.

I showed Barb the optical illusion in the painting of the WW II fighter. If you haven’t tried it, it’s the painting on the far left as you enter the building. There is a row of darker tiles on the floor about 10 feet in front of the painting. If you walk on these tiles, while looking at the painting, the nose of the lane appears to follow you.

We took a seat on a bench inside the ‘dome’ when an older gentleman, in a wheelchair, told us (quite loudly) that the singers face toward him and we should move. We did.

Believe it or not, this is the first time we’ve heard VoL (we have heard American Vybe before) and we were impressed. During the song ‘Skip to My Loo’ (I have no idea if that’s how it’s spelled and, surprisingly enough, it’s not about a UK resident heading to the facilities), Trish, a VERY attractive female singer, was left without a partner. As she lamented that she “lost her partner, what’ll I do?” there were 2 male singers arm in arm with the same lady. What’s up with that? Couldn’t one of these yahoos help out poor Trish? I know I would. I was about to stand up and offer to become Trish’s partner when she settled on some 10-year old twerp named Sean. She actually brought Sean up to be her partner while they sang. What’s he got that I don’t have? Trish, I could at least buy you dinner. Ask Sean what he’s got in that piggy bank of his.

After their performance, we chatted briefly with one of the singers (not Trish, darn it) and then headed upstairs for the show.

When we exited, we ran into the Goergens (all 5 of them) having their lunch at an outside table. We chatted a bit and learned they enjoyed the Luau at the Polynesian last night. Emily told us how she enjoyed her hula lesson. Tonight, they were headed to Cap’n Jack’s for dinner. I told Wayne to make sure he tried the Kalamazoo.

We went back to the room. The camera was giving me a low-battery signal so I plugged in the recharger. The book says a full charge will take 90-minutes and that’s about all the time we have before we have to leave for dinner. I grabbed a beer and headed to the balcony – it was now quite warm, probably high 70s. Barb came out and said she had just seen on TV that NASA had launched a rocket. This is the probe they’re sending to Pluto and has been scheduled and canceled the last two days. I quickly scanned the sky but it was Barb that noticed the very large vapor trail off to the east. We had a good view of the trail, but that’s about it. A side note – CNN reported that it would take this ‘ship’ 14 years to reach Pluto. However, NASA was attempting to use the gravitational pull of Jupiter (or was it Saturn?) to shorten the trip – by 5 years! I quickly did some math in my head (always a dangerous thing) and concluded that if Southwest would adopt this technology, they could use the gravitational pull of…say, Newark… and shorten my commute to Orlando to 11 minutes. I’m writing a letter.

We called Stephen and learned that we had just spent $438 on his books for this semester. I may need to return the key rings.

We needed to leave the hotel around 3:30 and, at 3:25, the battery charger’s light shifted from amber to green. We loaded up and headed out intending to take the boat if it was there or within sight. It wasn’t so we walked to MGM, arriving at about 3:45.

As we entered, the parade was going on. I snapped a few pictures of Kermit and Miss Piggy, Luke Skywalker and Leia, and R2D2. I got a really nice close-up of Darth Vader as he walked by, very close to me, and looked right into the camera. We headed up through the shops on the right side to get around the remainder of the parade and made it to mama Melrose’s in plenty of time. I checked us in and we were seated in just a couple of minutes.

The dinner package deal gives you a salad, flatbread pizza, entrée and dessert for $28.99 each. Our waiter asked us to choose a flatbread so he could put the order in (implying that it would take few minutes). We ordered a Grilled Pepperoni - with charred bell peppers and sweet onions and 2 glasses of Barbera d’Asti (an old favorite). He brought our salad (family style) and the wine. As we were dishing out the salad, he brought out the flatbread – sheesh. Anyway, the salad, flatbread and the wine were all very good.

For entrees, Barb had the Eggplant Napoleon (eggplant, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes over a warm cannellini bean ragu). She liked the eggplant but was not a big fan of the ragu. I had the Spicy Italian Sausage with rigatoni pasta, peppers, onions, and a tomato basil sauce topped with caprino cheese. It wasn’t the best Italian meal I’ve had and the sausage could have been a bit spicier but, overall, I was pleased. A quick scan of the Allearsnet menu says I would have paid about $65 plus tax for this meal. If I remember correctly, the bill was about $80 with tax, so there’s a $5-$10 premium for the Fantasmic passes.

We had some time, thanks to the early dinner, for a few attractions so we hit the Muppets first. We walked in to about the mid-way point of the pre-show and then enjoyed the show, as always. We then took a spin on Star Tours with absolutely no wait at all. By my recollection, this ride’s now had the same film for 17 years – CHANGE IT! We then took another ride on the Great Movie Ride. Our Guide, Debbie, was one of the most refreshing I’ve had on this attraction. Most of the others come across as just trying too hard or not at all. Debbie was enthusiastic without being gushing. Anyway, I enjoyed her and the ride. And, by the way, ‘Pearl Harbor’ is another new film clip at the end.

It was getting to be close to 6:30 and we were told to be at the entrance by Oscar’s Filling Station “no later than 6:30”. I think we made it around 6:33 and made the long walk up to the stadium. As we neared the stadium, a CM came over and had us place our ‘pass’ into a plastic bag he was holding. He never looked at it, nor at the others he was accepting. I could’ve brought in 20 people with me.

We made our way in and took seat about 2/3 of the way up in the right-most section (Witch?). The stadium filled with the exception of the left-most section – that was about ¼ full. With 5-minutes to show time, a throng of people were let in to our section. I’m guessing several hundred. I don’t know how this works but, I’m guessing, these people hold back waiting for these seats because they’re closer to the exit. Sure enough, with about 3-minutes left in the show, several hundred people in my sections stood up and left. It was very distracting and I really thought it was rude. Does getting out of the stadium 5-minutes earlier really matter that much?

We still enjoyed the show. I had some difficulties with the camera here. The 3X zoom was not really strong enough to get any good pictures of Mickey. I shot on automatic and the shutter speed must have a bit too slow because several shots came out blurry. Next time I’ll adjust.

We exited with the masses and walked back to the BW and on through the IG to Epcot. We stopped in the UK to pick up a couple of beers (Bass Ale and Harps – there was no Stella at the outside bar for Barb). We found a bench and people watched for a bit before walking over to France. I took a few shots of the restaurant – I think it’s very attractive when lit up at night. We walked down to Morocco and took our spot by the wall for IROE. Took lots of pictures here with better success – I’m getting the hang of this thing. Throughout IROE, there were lots of squeals and screams from the party area near the bridge to France. As we walked out, we saw lots of teenagers, mostly girls (that explains the screams). Many were wearing Mickey Ears with a tassel. Some kind of January graduation?

We strolled out of Epcot where we encountered yet another walking style. I’ve termed this one Luke Sidewalker. This is the guy that’s walking in the other direction, on your left, and with each step he’s angling toward you. Probably should have named it the Drunken Sailor.

We spent a few minutes on the BW watching a juggler and then called it a night.

Things I Think I Think – I think I’m going to have to invest in a digital camera. I really like being able to shoot many, many shots and delete all but the keepers. I think the Electric Umbrella makes a pretty good breakfast sandwich (although it’s accompanied by Nescafe). I think I really like Soarin’, Fantasmic and Illuminations and never tire of seeing either. I think that getting the Fantasmic dinner package in the off season is a frill that’s not really needed.

Day Five – Friday, January 20 – Gorillas, ‘Ohana and Some of My Favorite Things

Last full day – I hate that feeling. Awake at 5:00, up at 6:00, coffee, balcony… the usual. This is forecasted to be the warmest day yet with a high in the low 80s. There’s something under our door. It turns out to be our ME information for the trip home tomorrow. There’s a bar code on the paper so we need to bring it, and our luggage, out front tomorrow morning for a 6:50 bus to MCO. Our flight is at 9:40 so this sounds like more than ample time. It also tells us to be there 15-minutes early which is something I only hear at WDW and for doctor’s appointments. So far, I’m impressed by the efficiency of ME.

We’re at the bus stop at 8:20 looking to head to AK. There are a fair number of people there, much more than usual, which indicates to me that there hasn’t been a bus along in a while. There’s a family of 5 or 6 there and the dad is obviously agitated. He goes up to talk to the CM there (not sure why she’s there but she’s carrying a clipboard. Are they doing the Bus On Demand thing again?). When he returns, I overhear him say “She said there was a bus at 8:05 but we were here earlier than that.”

The AK bus shows in about 5-minutes and we’re there in time for rope drop. During the opening ceremony, I see the guy from the bus stop pushing a stroller and weaving (and ramming) through the crowd. He tries to get into the roped-off line on the right but, since the park is now opening, the CM refuses him access. He obviously has a reservation for Donald’s Breakfastasaurus and is running late. He is NOT a happy camper at this point.

We head to Dinosaur, which we missed the other day, and walk through the queue and into the pre-show that had already started. I swear that every time we ride this, we say that we don’t remember it being that bumpy and jostling. Must be us.

We walked up through Asia, or rather we tried to. There were 3 CMs blocking the path by Expedition Everest (EE). It was another of several preview days for CMs and there was a steady stream of them coming in. I chatted with a 4th CM who was stationed a bit further down. He rode on Wednesday night – once in the front and once in the back and he said that was enough. He did say that the view from the top is incredible, particularly at night (this may be a hot ticket during evening EMH). One thing I noticed – if you’ve seen EE, there’s a track that exits the building at the bottom. It’s steeply angled and sharply banked. I assumed (erroneously) that the cars would exit the building there. They actually exit from around the corner and re-enter by going up this track and back into the mountain.

We backtracked and made our way to Harambe and picked up Safari FPs for 10:15. We used the time for breakfast at the Tusker House (they do take the DDE card there). At 10:13, the CM agreed to let us in the FP line if I carried on of those wait-time lanyards. No problem. We boarded and had a nice Safari, although there weren’t as many animals out as our trip earlier in the week.

After the Safari, we took a stroll through the Pangani Forest Trail. We moved quickly because I was mainly interested in the gorillas today. We were not disappointed. There was one sleeping next to the window in the enclosed viewing area. Outside, we watch 4 or 5 more move around. There was one in the back that was the biggest I’ve seen here. I haven’t heard about any new imports but I don’t think I’ve seen him before. His size was very impressive as he’d sit, watch the crowd, get up and walk 5 or 6 steps, then sit again. There was one gorilla, off to the side that was sitting with a metal bucket. The pose reminded me of a nauseous child, sitting with a bucket – just in case. I asked a CM if the gorilla was ill and she said they buckets were used for comfort. They sometimes put food or toys in them. On the way out toward Harambe, we were following a Sidewinder that actually was walking in an ‘S’ shaped pattern. I need a new name for this guy.

We left AK after the Trail and waited about 10-minutes for a bus. We exited at the Swan again and walked to the BW and entered Thimbles and Threads. As part of the ME package, I had a coupon good for a free pin – which turned out to be a pin with an ME bus on it. The CM offered me the option of taking a Disney transportation bus, which I chose.

We stopped at Lobby Concierge where they graciously printed out our Southwest Boarding Passes – ‘A’ again. We noticed a couple of delivery trucks, at the rear of the resort, while we walked from the Swan. Inside, they appeared to be replacing a bunch of beds, sofa beds, and tables in the rooms. It’s always nice to see my maintenance dollars at work.

We hit the room and began the arduous task of packing for the trip home… but our hearts weren’t into it. At 1:00, we decided that a waffle cone from Seashore Sweets was in order. Barb got her usual vanilla and I was dumbfounded to learn that they had no soft-serve chocolate. What? No chocolate? Get me Iger on the phone. I settled for a Cookies and Cream which was good but, hey, it’s not chocolate. As we were paying, 60% of the Goergens came in – Jeff, Kelly and Emily. They separated from Sue and Wayne at Epcot and were also here for an ice cream.

Barb and I took a table outside. As a couple walked by, the guy read aloud the sign behind us. He said “Birds in this area may be aggressive”. As he finished, I looked at him angrily and snarled “Chirp!” I think I actually got ice cream to come out of Barb’s nose.

We went back to the room and finished up what packing we could. As I was cleaning up the miscellaneous junk I had tossed into the armoire, I found the receipt for our APs that I picked up on Monday. To my surprise, the receipt was for $42.60 ($21.30 per AP) which is the price increase that went through on January 1. I thought that by buying them online, on December 31, we avoided the price increase. Setting them up for Will Call apparently negated that. Oh, well.

At about 3:10, we headed out for the bus to MK. There was another group at the bus stop that, apparently, had been there awhile. At 3:20, they got tired of waiting and made a beeline for the parking lot and their car. For those that wonder whether driving or the bus is quicker, pay close attention.

I didn’t time it but the MK bus was along in 5-10 minutes. We arrived and made our way through Security. The CM Security guard, as we walked through the area for those without bags, said “Bag-less, huh?” I said “Except for her” and pointed to Barb. The CM said “Like I haven’t heard that one before.” Hey, I said I was funny, not original.

As we were walking to the turnstiles on the right, Barb looked back and saw the family that drove over coming through Security. So we arrived at the bus stop as they left for their car, and we beat them to MK – but only slightly. There’s nothing conclusive here but some food for thought.

We entered the MK as the Share a Dream Come True parade was coming down Main Street. We quickly cut through and into the Emporium, and walked the length of Main Street through the shops. We walked to Adventureland and PotC where we were relieved to see the ride operating. I asked a CM what the wait time was and she said it had just re-opened after the third breakdown this week. Seems like it really needs its upcoming rehab.

There was a single CM loading the boats and he was doing a great job of hustling people through. The boats were leaving rapid fire resulting in a continuous stream of boats, roughly 10-12 feet apart throughout the ride.

Next we walked back for one last viewing of Mickey’s Philharmagic. We walked straight into the lobby and had a 5-minute wait before entering the theater. The theater was more crowded than it had been, as was the entire park. It seemed that the crowds were picking up for Friday night or maybe for the weekend.

We said goodbye to Philharmagic, until next trip, and strolled down toward the hub. I managed to get a nice photo of the Partners statue with only a short wait and no one else in the picture.

We had a 5:40 reservation at ‘Ohana so we thought we’d head over a bit early for a cocktail at the Tambu lounge. We left the MK and walked up to the monorail platform. There were only 2 couples waiting and 3 CMs talking together. I barged in and rudely interrupted them to ask if we could sit up front (I’ve arranged this for the kids before but I don’t think Barb and I have ridden up front since 1984). He said a lot of words that indicated “Maybe” and sent us to wait down at the end.

As the monorail pulled in, I saw the driver hold up 2 fingers to the CM so I figured we were in. The CM came down to open the gate and a family of four walked up. The two children (a girl of around 12 and a boy around 10) starting walking toward the front car. The CM stopped them but, gracious guy that I am, I offered them our spots. The parents quickly said “No, thanks. They rode up there earlier today.” OK, we’re in.

There were 2 guys up front and we chatted about resorts (they were at the Grand Floridian), monorail expansion, etc. I asked our driver, David, if he knew Steve Preskitt (not that I do but I know who he is and I’ve seen his wedding pictures). David said, “Sandy hair? Glasses?” I said I thought that was accurate. “I think I know him. Did he just get married?” That’s the guy.

We said goodbye to David and our traveling companions and exited at the Polynesian. We made our way to the Tambu Lounge at about 4:30. It was too early to check in at ‘Ohana. The bar was not crowded and very relaxing – of course, the Makers Mark Manhattan may also have relaxed me. We ordered a second round (Manhattans are like Martinis… which are like breasts – go read my October Trip Report for the rest of that) and, at about 5:20, I walked over and checked us in with my ‘Cuz’. She gave me a pager and it went off as I was draining the last drop from my drink – perfect timing.

We have not been to ‘Ohana before and all I can say now is “Why not?” We loved the place. The service was outstanding thanks to Cousin Roy. We had lots of great food – the shrimp were great, the chicken wings were great, the wontons were great. The barbecue was also great although we both were partial to the steak and turkey. I’m not sure what the marinade was on the steak but I loved it. The potatoes were great. What have I left out? Oh yeah, the salad. The dessert was cake (I’ve forgotten…pound cake?) with vanilla ice cream with a Banana’s Foster syrup on the side. Very good although I wish they had kept the pineapple and caramel sauce I had heard so much about. We watched the kids have the coconut race and also do the limbo. My only complaint is that I wasn’t hungry enough to really gorge myself – although I tried.

Now the best news…. We stuck with soft drinks and coffee here and, after DDE discount, the bill came to $44. Having a meal for two on Disney property, particularly a meal we enjoyed as much as this one, for $44 is unheard of. We will definitely be back. If I had the choice, I’d probably be back every Friday night for the rest of the year.

After dinner, we strolled out to the back of the Polynesian and were walking out on the dock. We were just relaxing and taking it easy and there were a bunch of folks that just came off a boat walking the other way. Up ahead, the boat driver leaned out and asked if we were going to the MK. Sure, why not. We boarded and enjoyed a very pleasant cruise across the lake.

At the MK, we hopped the Railroad and rode for a complete lap then exited in Frontierland. We took a ride on BTMRR (always more fun in the evening) after a 15-20 minute wait. We stopped and picked up a bottle of water then found our way to Main Street for one last viewing of Wishes.

We left the MK and rode a bus back to the BW, arriving at 8:40. I thought we’d just hit the room, finish packing and call it an early night. However, Barb asked if I’d like to see IROE again. Absolutely. So off we went to Epcot.

On the hill leading from the IG to the bridge, they had set up a rope and were giving wristbands for evening EMH tonight. The bridge (our usual spot for IROE) was packed. I’m not sure if it’s because of additional crowds for Friday, the weekend, or EMH. Anyway, we walked through and down to spot # 2 in Morocco – where we watched IROE… one…more…time.

Back to the BW where we spent just a few minutes with the magician. Then it was back to the room to finish the packing. I took our last beer out to the balcony and had a quiet cry… it’s always tough to leave. We watched some of the news and then I set the alarm and left a wake-up call for 4:30.

Things I Think I Think - I think Expedition Everest is going to be a pretty cool ride. I think ‘Ohana will be on our list for all of our future trips. I think I really enjoy Philharmagic… and Wishes… and IROE… and… you get the picture. I think I’m ready to go home but I still don’t want to leave.

Day Six – Saturday, January 21 – Going Home

I was up at 4:15 and had the coffee on. When the wake-up call came, it was just some music – no Mickey telling me to get moving or there’s big doin’s today. I wonder if they knew we were leaving.

We got showered, packed up the personal stuff, and were outside with our luggage at 6:30. At 6:50, exactly on schedule, the ME bus pulled up. We boarded, made one stop at the Caribbean Beach Resort (picked up 2 groups) and were on our way to MCO at 7:05, arriving at about 7:30. Along the way, we were treated to several Donald Duck cartoons. From my one experience, I’d have to say ME was a big success.

At the airport, we saw no Sky Caps outside so we went up to Level 1 and used a kiosk to check our bags. From there it was back to McD’s for breakfast (didn’t this trip start there?) and to the gate.

Our flight left on time and, once airborne, the pilot informed us it would be a bit bumpy landing in Albany. We landed about a half hour early and the last 20 minutes were pretty rocky. The reason was high winds in the area. I called Stephen and he was en route – not expecting us to be landing for another 20 minutes. He picked us up out front and we were home in 20 minutes.

We landed at around 12:00. The Goergens left at noon and would be landing in the 2:30-3:00 area. I was at home and stepped outside at around 2:00 and the winds, all of a sudden, picked up significantly. I found out later that we had sustained wind speeds of 25-35 mph with gusts of 60 mph. A while later Wayne called and said their landing was a thrill ride.

Another trip in the books.

Summary

There’s never very much about a WDW trip that I don’t like. I’ve seen others list their Less-Than-Magical Moments but we don’t seem to have any. The only things I didn’t care for was some obnoxious behavior by other guests but we really only saw a very few instances of that. I’m not too crazy about the Capri pants on men but that’s another issue entirely.

What was good about the trip? Where do I start? My favorite attractions: Soarin’, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Wishes, IROE… did ‘em all a few times. We enjoyed LeCellier (although it may be a while before we go for dinner again – and we won’t order the Prime Rib). We also enjoyed Mama Melrose’s – a fine place as long as you’re not expecting gourmet cuisine. We really, really liked ‘Ohana and will definitely be back there again.

The Boardwalk is our favorite resort for lots of reasons. Using our points, we could stay at OKW, Saratoga Springs, etc. We just don’t want to. I think we may try the Beach Club Villas on one of our next few trips. It’s location will match the BW and it’ll be something new.

These last 2 trips have been 4 and 5 nights respectively. I’m not sure if I prefer fewer but longer trips to shorter, more frequent ones. I’d probably like to have both. As of today, we’re planning our next trip for January 2007. It will include our three kids, our son-in-law, and our grandson – I can’t wait to spoil him rotten. We’re thinking about 8 nights / 9 days which would be our longest vacation ever. I’m also trying to talk Barb into a short (long weekend) trip in November 2006 but I’m not sure that will work for us.

If you have a comment or question, feel free to email me. Please put ‘Trip Report’ in the subject line or risk being washed away with the spam.

Steve Russo