Sarah Stroud - June 2006 - Pop Century

Time of Year: Summer
Travel Method: Plane
Resort: PCR
Accommodations: Standard
Ages Represented in Group: Teen, Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran


Sarah Stroud -- June 2006 - Walt Disney World (PCR)

Cast Members:

Me (Sarah) –16 years old; self proclaimed DL and WDW fanatic and lover of all things Disney; the trip planner and “Fastpass Queen”
Eleonore – (a.k.a. my mom); 52 years old; scared of WDW rides with sudden drops, stops, and plunges, which she will only ride with “reassurance” from me
Ron – (a.k.a. my dad); 59 years old; extremely good sport and “go with the flow” kind of guy; financier of all Disney trips; accompanies me on all rides that my mom is too scared to go on
Background:

Here are all of my previous Disney trips:

December 1992 – WDW

December 1994 – WDW

July 1998 – DLR

July 2001 – DLR

June 2002 – DLR

July 2003 – DLR

July 2004 – WDW
December 2004 – DLR

June 2005 – DLR
July 2005 – DLR (DL’s 50th Anniversary)

December 2005 – DLR

March 2006 – DLR

June 2006 – WDW (this trip)

If you couldn’t already figure it out by the amount of trips I have taken, let me begin this trip report by saying I AM A DISNEY FANATIC!!! Good, now that’s out and you can better understand this report!!! Believe me, I would make even more trips if I didn’t live 800 miles from Disneyland (DL) and 1800 miles from Walt Disney World (WDW). My parents and I are DL Annual Passholders (AP) because we live so much closer. My last WDW trip was two years ago, and since then we have made five DL trips (mainly because of the 50th anniversary). However, I really wanted to make one trip to WDW to experience their version of the Happiest Celebration (or Homecoming, depending on where you are) on Earth.

Planning:

Even though we had just been to DL in March 2006, I had one more trip planned for late June 2006. We were staying 5 nights at the Candy Cane Inn for about $120 or $130 a night. I really was anxious to see the updated New Orleans Square, especially Pirates of the Caribbean. But, after seeing so many commercials for how “A Family Of Four Can Enjoy A Week’s Vacation at Walt Disney World For Less than $1500” I decided to check out WDW. Previously, we have stayed at Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans Riverside (formerly Dixie Landings). However, since this trip was spontaneous and unscheduled only 30 days ahead of time, we opted to stay in a value resort since it could save us about $500 total on accommodations. I chose Pop Century since it was the newest and, from what I had read, the best of the value resorts.

We picked early June for our trip because: 1) it was right after school let out 2) we were hoping that the weather would be cooler/less humid than in July 3) we could catch the tail end of Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival. I tried booking directly from disneyworld.com and got some estimates for our vacation. However, I thought that we might be able to get some better rates booking through AAA. So, less than 35 days before our vacation (yikes!) my mom and I spent about two hours on the phone with our AAA travel agent. Eventually, we settled on eight nights at the Pop Century (PC). We got a 9-Day Magic Your Way Park Hopper (no water park and more option). On our previous trip, my poor mom drove 1800 miles to WDW!!! (Oh yeah, this might be a good time to mention that I live in El Paso, Texas – that’s far West Texas in the middle of nowhere!) After that, she vowed never to drive that far again. We booked our flight with Continental (we would usually fly Southwest, but Magical Express doesn’t work with them). We were scheduled to leave at 6:55 am from El Paso and arrive in Houston at 9:50 am (central time). Then our flight was supposed to leave Houston at 10:45 am and arrive in Orlando at 2:08 pm (eastern time). On the way back, we were scheduled to leave Orlando at 6:30 pm and arrive in Houston at 7:52 pm (central time). Finally, we would leave Houston at 9:10 pm and arrive in El Paso at 10:06 pm (mountain time). Actually, the rates that I got on the internet turned out to be the exact same that AAA gave us. (Turns out AAA books directly through the Walt Disney Travel Company.) (Whew…enough planning already, right?)

Day 1 – Thursday, June 1, 2006

What We Did Today – Flew from El Paso to Houston and then to Orlando; used Disney’s Magical Express (DME) to get to Pop Century; went to the Magic Kingdom (MK) for a few hours.

As I begin to write this report, it’s Sunday, June 11, 2006 (we came back on Friday night). I am now opening my notebook containing all of my trip report notes. Wow, I have 32 pages of notes/costs for our trip! (Now would be a good time to get some refreshments, because this is going to be a LONG – but interesting and informative – trip report! ?)

Ok, I got up at 4:00 am on Thursday. But, I was awake before that because I could hardly sleep! My mom got up the same time that I did and we both grabbed a quick breakfast of cold pizza before showering. Most of our luggage had been packed the night before in the car. We had three check-ins and three carry-ons. After waking my dad up and packing a few last minute things, we left our house by 5:30 am and headed for the airport. My dad parked our car in long term parking while my mom and I checked in. I noticed that another family in front of us was staying in Port Orleans Riverside. (With the yellow DME tags, it’s not hard to spot who’s going to WDW at the airport!) We got our boarding passes and headed through airport security. My dad and I went ahead of my mom because she had 10 plus rolls of film that could not be run through the x-ray machine because they might be demagnetized. The TSA person had to check each roll individually. When we got to the gate, I was a little confused because it said Frontier. However, the person at the gate assured me that we were at the right place. My parents and I boarded and had a smooth flight to Houston, arriving on time. When we got to Houston, our gate had been switched. However, we did board our flight ok (even though the gate had been switched). Once we were on the plane, we sat on the runway for about an hour because of weather delays. Even when we took off, we felt turbulence. Because of the delay, we were given free headphones to listen to the programs that came on the TVs on the plane. We watched great programming such as Joey, Stacked…you get the picture. These shows left me screaming to get off the plane. We ended up landing about an hour late, at 3:07 pm (eastern time). Continental was a good airline to fly with. We got free food on the flight from Houston to Orlando. That consisted of a small sandwich, a bag of chips, and candy. On the El Paso to Houston flight, everyone got a small piece of banana bread. I think most other airlines charge you for food.

Once we got to the airport, my parents and I took the metro from the terminals to the luggage, bus pickup area, etc. The Disney’s Magical Express terminal is kind of hard to find. It’s on the bottom level of the airport next to car rental stations. We had no problem checking in and boarded the DME bus that went to Pop Century, Coronado Springs, and Animal Kingdom Lodge (I still can’t figure out why PC is in the Animal Kingdom area even though it is much closer to the Studios and Epcot…) The trip to WDW is about 30 min. and on the way you watch a video about…you guessed it – the Happiest Celebration on Earth and the wonderful benefits of being a WDW resort guest!!! (We’re already here. Why do they need to plug WDW to us even more?!) The movie ended exactly as we were driving up to PC. (It’s kind of scary how they planned the timing down to the last second.)

PC guests, which was most of the bus, got dropped off first. PC is pretty much how it looks in the pictures. It’s right next to the entrance to WDW, across from Disney’s Wide World of Sports and close to Caribbean Beach. The decor is very oversized and colorful. The line for check-in at Classic Hall wasn’t too bad. We had booked a preferred room, which I had always been told was in the 60s section. However, the CM at the PC told us that the preferred rooms had been moved to the 50s building, near the giant Lady and the Tramp figures (each decade is assigned a Disney character, Baloo and Mowgli represent the 60s, Roger Rabbit represent the 80s, etc). I really had my heart set on the 60s, so the CM found us a room there.

We went outside to find our room and were surprised at how many people were in the food court and pool area. (Doesn’t anyone ever go to the parks?) Our room was on the fourth floor in the main 60s building. We climbed 48 steps inside a giant blue yo-yo to get upstairs (which, incidentally, always had a really bad smell inside.) Our room was a corner room that faced the 70s straight ahead and the 60s to the right side. It proved to be a very quiet and convenient location.

Ok, let’s talk about the PC rooms. On the plus side, the decor is bright and looks very new. The bedspreads fit the theme of the hotel, with icons from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s (they are not specific to each building/decade). And, the armoire has six drawers for plenty of storage. Now the downside – THE ROOMS ARE SMALL!!! At 260 square feet, they are noticeably smaller than moderate rooms (and we had a corner room!) There is only one sink and no closet. And in the bathroom, there is only an inch between the toilet and the door when you attempt to close it!!! These rooms are designed for a family of four; it was crowded enough with three people. I guess it would work if there were two adults and two kids; but four adults…no way! If you’re used to moderate resorts (like me) you will probably be disappointed with the rooms/resort. Overall, if you can afford it, stay in a moderate. That being said, I am very picky. The rooms/resort is functional, clean, and a good value for what it is. We probably paid about $100 a night. Don’t be discouraged from staying in the resort if money is your main goal or if you have small children. However, adults would be happier with a moderate resort. Oh yes, one other note about PC – the beds are extremely uncomfortable. And that’s not just me being picky. The beds were hard and the pillows were too big and lumpy. My neck and back usually hurt when I woke up.

Moving along…we unpacked a few of our carry-on belongings and headed down to the food court – Everything Pop! It’s a good food court – not as good as Caribbean Beach – but it has a decent selection. There is a Grab and Go, with fruit, sandwiches, beverages, etc. Also, there are four food windows and a dessert window. It’s pretty standard fare – pizza, chicken strips, etc. I had chicken strips, my dad had a sandwich, and my mom had lo mien. And, of course, we got refillable mugs!

This reminds me, just as we were walking down to Everything Pop!, we saw a bellman walking up with our luggage. We let him take it to our room since we didn’t need anything. Disney’s Magical Express was very efficient for us (contrary to what I have often heard), and it was so nice not to deal with luggage that weighs 50 pounds! Also, PC guests got dropped off before guests staying at other resorts so that also cut down on our travel time.

After we finished eating, we waited for the bus to the Magic Kingdom (MK). PC has one central bus stop outside of Classic Hall. It’s not like Caribbean Beach where you have smaller bus stops where you randomly wait for your bus. At PC, there are designated queue areas for MK, Epcot, etc.

We got to MK at 7:15 pm. (It’s about a 10 min. commute.) Even as we entered the MK, it took me a few minutes to get adjusted because my brain kept telling me that we were in Disneyland Park. Oh…this might be a good time to tell/warn you that a large part of this trip report will be a comparison of Disneyland Park and the Magic Kingdom. So, if you haven’t been to Disneyland…sorry! I can’t help it!

Moving along…WOW – Cinderella Castle is gorgeous!!! Personally (pre 50th), I had always preferred the quaintness of Sleeping Beauty Castle to the grandeur of Cinderella Castle. But now, Cinderella looks great. It has golden Disney animals on it, from King Louie and Baloo to Flounder to Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. The most fascinating part is this screen that changes every few minutes and shows mosaics of all the Disney castles around the world. For instance, it will say “Disneyland Paris 1992” and show a picture of their Sleeping Beauty Castle and then change to “Tokyo Disneyland 2005” and show a picture of their Sleeping Beauty Castle. I stood their for several minutes and just stared in awe. Everyone should visit both WDW and the DLR during the Happiest Celebration on Earth (HCOE). I’m glad I got to see WDW before the celebration ends this fall.

What would the first few minutes in the MK be without a trip to Fantasyland? “it’s a small world” was our first stop. It was closed on our last trip for refurbishment. Also, they added a façade similar to DL. It’s still not as pretty because it’s on the inside rather than the outside, but still a welcome improvement. Now for the inside of the ride – it looks great! Everything has been freshly painted and the finale is gorgeous. The façade is repeated on the inside, along with a ferris wheel of dolls. It’s hard to explain, you just have to see it for yourself. I think I like the actual ride better than DL. Of course, the last time I saw “it’s a small world” in WDW it was 1994.

Next on my itinerary was Stitch’s Great Escape, since I had never been on it before. After a quick picture with Pooh in Fantasyland, we headed to Tomorrowland. Stitch was a walk on. I was very impressed with the queue area/preshow. The alien that gives you your “training” looks a lot like Tom Morrow from the now closed Timekeeper. Stitch replaced the Extra TERRORestrial Alien Encounter. I never saw it, but I’m sure that this is a much better addition to MK since it is family oriented. We sat in the first row, which after seeing the show, wasn’t the best idea because you have to cock your head up. I’m not quite sure why the harnesses are still in place, other than to have Stitch bounce up and down on them…??? The harness comes down automatically and went too low to the point that it was practically crushing my shoulders. This did not happen to anyone else so I guess that something must be wrong with me! All in all, this is a cute show and the Stitch Audio Animatronic is very lifelike. (I especially like when Stitch eats the chili dog and burps it up!)

After Stitch, we went on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA). This is a nice tour of Tomorrowland and it actually goes a lot faster than it looks. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin was also a walk on. I first experienced Buzz here before it came to DL. In DL, the lasers that you shoot with come out of their holsters and are much easier to maneuver. But in MK, they don’t move. How do you shoot that way? My score was even lower than usual. (And let me tell you…it’s pretty hard to get a score lower than mine!) Conclusion: Buzz is only fun in DL. Tomorrowland Conclusion: It is bigger and more spread out in MK, and there were no waits for many rides. (And the comparisons begin…?)

We ate dinner at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. Hmmm…I remember the food being better in July 2004. The chicken and ribs that my mom and I shared were not good at all. My dad had a turkey leg from the nearby Lunching Pad. He definitely had the best food. Don’t go to Cosmic Ray’s unless you are starving to death and/or don’t want to walk to another restaurant. And, if you absolutely must eat there, be sure to sit in the room with Sonny Eclipse. He’s a…well, I don’t know what he is…but he sings songs and makes corny jokes that are entertaining…for a while…

OK, we left MK right before Wishes hoping to avoid the crowds. MK is soooo much less crowded than DL. (If the fireworks were about to start at DL, you couldn’t even move around the castle to get to Main Street!) The bus stop back to PC is a long haul from the main gate. Incidentally, the value resorts are always the farthest away (along with Caribbean Beach for some reason). The bus ride back to PC seemed much longer than 10 min. I think we might have had to stand. It was such a nice night that once we got back to PC, we walked around almost the entire hotel. (It’s not as big as it seems in pictures/books, even though there are over 2,000 rooms.) The 50s and 60s are definitely the best decades for theming and location. Even the 70s are good. But don’t stay in the 80s and 90s. They’re far away from Classic Hall, where the food court, shop, and bus stops are located. And really, who wants to relive the 80s and 90s??? Let’s see – flower power pool in the 60s or computer pool in the 80s? Giant bowling pins in the 50s or computer discs in the 90s? After concluding that our room was definitely the best location in the resort for us, we walked back to our room by 11:00 pm (the blue yo-yo still smells yucky!) Oh yeah, I’ve already made the decision never to stay in a value resort again. The only plus is that the food court is a two minute walk from our room. At Caribbean Beach it was like 20 minutes. Still, I miss my Caribbean Beach…!!!!! Great news – my parents and I are now Disney Vacation Club members! ? No more value resorts for us. (But more about this later…)

Lessons Learned From Today – Continental is a good airline to fly on; Disney’s Magical Express saves so much time and hassle; everyone should visit WDW and see Cinderella Castle before the HCOE ends; don’t stay in value resorts if you are spoiled and/or extremely picky like me; June weather seems to be much cooler/less humid than July. (Yep…we learned A LOT today!)

Day 2 – Friday, June 2, 2006

What We Did Today – Slept in until 11 am and arrived at Epcot around 1 pm. We did a little Future World and a little World Showcase before having an early night and coming back to PC by 9:45 pm.

*YAWN*…After flying 1800 miles the previous day and going to MK, we were all very tired and slept until 11 am!!! Normally, I would not condone this behavior – there is just so much WDW magic – but I was also very tired. (Hmmm…I wonder if there is a reason why my dad has nicknamed me the “Planning Czar”…)

Moving along…I woke up, showered, and assumed my usual role of the breakfast (or in this case, brunch) fetcher. After popcorn and a parfait, we left PC for Epcot around 1 pm. After about a 7 min. commute, we arrived in Epcot and immediately were in awe of the Donald and Daisy Duck “Tunnel of Love” topiary that greeted us at the entrance. The Flower and Garden Festival makes Epcot even more gorgeous than usual! We had some professional pictures taken of the three of us. We were given a Disney’s PhotoPass card that would store all of our pictures taken at WDW. This is a great service. When you get home, you view the pics on the internet, select which ones you want, and then Disney sends them to you. You can crop the pics and add borders yourself (great for perfectionists like me), and the pictures arrive about 2 or 3 days after ordering.

Although everyone was hungry, we (well, mainly I) decided to ride Spaceship Earth since there was absolutely no line. You just can’t let opportunities like this slip past you. Spaceship Earth was better than I remembered it. The Audio Animatronics (AA) are very elaborate. Disney enthusiasts will appreciate the detail in the attraction; ordinary tourists will pass it by or use it as an opportunity for a 15 min. nap. At the end of the ride, you go backwards slowly. It is then when you truly realize just how high up in the geosphere you are.

After Spaceship Earth, we were all starving, so we headed to The Land for a late lunch. I had heard about a place called Sunshine Seasons that was part of the new “fast casual” restaurant chain at WDW. It’s food that is fast without being just burgers and fries. (This same area inside The Land was an ordinary food court two years ago.) I had beef and barley soup and a three bean salad. My mom had salmon and my dad had some kind of salad dish. I thought the portions were a little small, but the food was good and did taste very healthy. Before eating, I got a FP for Soarin’ for 7:38 – 8:38 pm. I thought that was a very odd return time. In DL, all the FP windows are in 5 min. increments. The FP would be rounded to 7:40 pm.

After lunch, we rode Journey Into Your Imagination With Figment with absolutely no wait. Poor Figment, I like him, and it’s a cute ride, but I believe his days are numbered…We then left Future World (FW) and hiked to World Showcase (WS) where we found more topiaries!!! My mom took pictures of me in front of Lady and Tramp, Beast and Belle, and Mickey and Minnie. The theme for the Flower and Garden Festival this year is love. Awww…

We naturally began our journey in Mexico by riding El Rio del Tiempo. (Yes, it has a name, not just the “Mexico boat ride.”) Of course, there was no wait; trust me, the ride is not worth waiting for. While it was a little better than I remembered it, it’s still just a boat ride with cheap AA (are they even AA, or just dolls?) and an odd variety of movie clips. I’m probably being too critical. Or maybe it’s just that Mexico isn’t that appealing to me because I live 20 min. away from the border in El Paso.

Next was Norway. Oddly, there was a 30 min. wait for Maelstom. Remember the rule, no waiting longer than 15 min. for any attraction, especially when FP is available. I got a FP with a 5:10 – 6:10 pm return time (finally some even numbers!) We walked around Norway, but there was still time to kill so we preceded to China. There was a really cool topiary of a “fire breathing” dragon (the fire was actually mist). We saw Reflections of China, which is the best film in World Showcase. It’s a 360 degree movie that you have to stand for. Make sure not to remain stationary; turn around so that you can see the whole movie because the shots are so majestic. After the film, we looked around a small exhibit about Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL). The best thing about HKDL seems to be the hills and greenery of the island where it is located. That being said, it’s almost a DL clone and has few attractions. I’m not too anxious to visit. Now, Tokyo Disneyland – the mystery of the Orient…that’s another story!!!

We backtracked to Norway and went on Maelstrom. If you have time to linger in the queue (which FP never allows me to do!) be sure to check out the mural inside. There are seven hidden Mickeys in it. This trip, I bought a Hidden Mickey guide to WDW. It’s kind of fun to look for them, but sadly, we do not have too much success in finding them. Maelstrom used to terrify me when I was little, especially the trolls and the “big drop.” Now, I realize that the drop is smaller than Pirates of the Caribbean which is smaller than Splash Mountain. Maelstom is a tad confusing – why is 1/4 of it about ships/fishing and the other 3/4 about trolls? I don’t see the connection. After the ride, there is a short film that you watch while sitting on unusual, yet comfortable, chairs. There were some crazy Brits behind us who panned the entire movie. Needless to say, I must agree that the film should be redone or else removed.

Passing quickly through China, Germany, and Italy, we headed to the American Adventure. As part of the Flower and Garden Festival, there is a Flower Power Concert Series. 60s musicians perform at the America Gardens Theatre every night. Today, Arlo Guthrie was performing. I had never heard of this person, but my mom was excited. I suppose he might be familiar to baby boomers reading this report… My parents got seats for the 5:45 pm show while I went to get a funnel cake (it’s just not a Disney trip without one!) I don’t think that I had heard of any of his songs. But, my mom and all the other boomers were happily singing along ? Afterwards, there was an opportunity for pics, autographs, etc. with Arlo himself. However, my mom wasn’t interested. This might be a good time to mention that the weather is great at WDW for summertime. It was miserable two years ago in July. We carried a water bottle/fan and I constantly used it when my mom yelled “spray me.” Not this trip. It’s still humid, but it’s only about 80 degrees. We saw the American Adventure show next. The CM in the waiting area was very knowledgeable about American history. It’s a shame more people didn’t stop and listen to him. Don’t they know that Epcot is a learning experience?! The AA in the show are very impressive. Mark Twain and Ben Franklin look and sound so lifelike. As part of a tour that my mom and I took, we got to go backstage and see how the AA function and what they look like up close. (More on this later…)

Speaking of good weather, we missed a brief bit of rain during the show. How’s that for good timing? We walked through the rest of World Showcase (WS), as we planned to come back another day. We went back to FW to use our FP for Soarin’. Even though FW technically closes at 7 pm, some rides like Soarin’, Test Track, etc. stay open until 9 pm like WS. Go figure that one?! I had previously been on Soarin’ in Disney’s California Adventure (DCA) where it is “Soarin’ Over California.” I was rather unimpressed with the queue area of Soarin’ in Epcot. The walls were all empty. And how does Soarin’ (over California) even fit the theming of The Land? And why does the film still show DL at Christmastime at the end? Obviously, most people don’t think about these things because there was a 70 min. wait even at 9 pm. We ate at Sunshine Seasons again; pretty much the same food as earlier.

We trekked back to the value buses when something odd happened. A non-Disney Transport bus pulled up. It was a Mears bus or something like that. Then a thought occurred to me – what if a random bus just pulled up claiming to take tourists to PC. Kidnapping, anyone? However, my parents assured me that this was a crazy notion. My mom said that she might be a little bit skeptical if we were the only ones on the bus, but it was packed with people. After a few minutes, I saw the familiar sights of WDW and was reassured that our destination indeed was PC. I worry too much…!!!

Since we were planning on doing Animal Kingdom (AK) morning Extra Magic Hours (EMH), we were in our room at PC by 9:45 pm. We did a little shopping at Everything Pop! Once we spent $40, we were able to purchase a WDW tote for only $10. Oh, aren’t they generous! Also, a CM gave me a replacement clip for my Pal Mickey (PM) that I had purchased two years ago. In case you don’t know, PM is a talking Mickey plush who tells you jokes, tidbits about WDW, and even plays games. He has a built in sensor, so he knows where he is in WDW at any given moment. There was a new PM for the HCOE, but I opted not to spend $65 on a new one (mine was only $50 two years ago.) Plus, I have memories with my old PM…Now with my new belt clip, PM can accompany me to AK tomorrow! (Wow, this paragraph has a lot of acronyms. I hope you’re keeping up okay!)

Lessons Learned From Today – Visit Epcot during the International Flower and Garden Festival because it’s gorgeous! Flower Power Concert Series are fun for boomers. Sunshine Seasons is a healthy alternative to burgers and fries. WDW sometimes contracts bus routes out to companies like Mears. It is safe to board the buses; you will not be kidnapped!!!

Day 3 – Saturday, June 3, 2006

What We Did Today – Went to Animal Kingdom and rode Expedition Everest for the first time. Discovered that AK really clears out at nighttime; we rode Kali River Rapids four times consecutively where we became SOAKED TO THE BONE!

I got up at 6:10 am, showered, and got breakfast before 7 am! Yep, it was a very early morning. PC people are not early risers. The PC food court was completely empty, and parts of it don’t even open until after 7 am. After a quick breakfast, we boarded the bus to AK. It was pretty crowded due to morning EMH. Even so, we arrived at AK around 8:30 am.

The main reason I was so excited about AK that day was because of Expedition Everest (EE). When I was there two years ago, EE was still in early construction stages. Then, for the last few months, Disney had been plugging EE so heavily on the internet, Disney Channel, etc. I knew I had to face the Yeti!!! We headed straight to Asia. EE is even more awesome in person than it is in the pictures. The wait was only 30 min. (I didn’t think that was bad considering it’s a new E-ride.) Knowing I would want to ride at least twice, I grabbed FP with a return time of 10:05 – 11:05 am. Then, we stood by. What – standing by with a 30 min. wait?! I know, I know; it sounds like I’m breaking my own rule. Well, I make exceptions for new, E-rides. (Once I waited like 70 min. for Monsters, Inc. in DCA.)

Moving along…standby for EE at least once. The queue area is one of the best ones that I have ever seen. Actually, it is the best one I have ever seen! (Even better than Indy in DL.) Don’t be another idle tourist who doesn’t pay attention to details. The queue area tells the legend of the Yeti and the Himalayas. It’s based on real information that WDI Joe Rohde and his team came across during their visits to Asia. EE’s Yeti is a combination of fact and fiction. The line for EE moved surprisingly fast. What was advertised as a 30 min. wait really was only 15 min. As we approached the loading area, my mom went on with her usual mantra of “I’m going to die, I can’t do this.” With a little bit of forceful reassurance, all three of us boarded the train. The lap bars secure you in pretty well. (Not like Big Thunder, when you can bounce around.) There is also a place in the trains to store belongings.

And, we’re off!!! The train lurches higher and higher. If you *gulp* look down, you can see all of AK. It’s an amazing view. It seems like you’re about to drop, but that comes later. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of when the Yeti tears up the track in front of you. You stay in that position for about 5 seconds before zooming BACKWARDS! It’s really fast and in the dark. Then comes the shadow of the Yeti. Now, this part really blew my mind, and I didn’t quite understand until my second ride. The track lifts up so the train can go forward. And then you really feel the Gs as the train goes around in circles. The large drop that you can see from the outside is really steep (like Splash Mountain steep.) That’s when your picture is taken. Of course, the climax of the ride is when you see the AA Yeti. It’s HUGE and pretty terrifying when he swoops down on the ride vehicles. EE Conclusion: It’s an awesome E-ride and makes AK much more appealing. Also, EE is a short ride, but it’s intense. I felt a little bit queasy afterwards. We viewed our picture and we bought it. I looked the most terrified as I clutched onto my mom for dear life!!! So, what should we do next? Ride it again, of course. Unfortunately, the line was over 40 min. now and our FP was not good yet.

Next, we headed to Dinoland U.S.A. for my previous favorite ride in AK – Dinosaur. (EE has now taken its spot.) There was only a 10 min. wait for Dinosaur. (Do I get lucky or what? ?) Dinosaur is my WDW substitute for my beloved Indy in DL. The CTX Time Rover is an exact clone of the Indy jeeps. Dinosaur isn’t as rough as Indy, but it is scarier. Dinosaur was a lot scarier than I remembered it. The entire ride is in the dark, and the dinosaur AAs are very lifelike and realistic. I knew the giant t-rex at the end was coming, but it was still terrifying! We didn’t buy our Dinosaur pic since we already had one from two years ago. After Dinosaur, we walked through Chester and Hester’s DinoRama; which is on my list of the areas that were built when WDI ran out of imagination and should be bulldozed. (Paradise Pier in DCA is also on that list.)

We backtracked to Asia for our second EE; this time, with FP since the standby line had grown to 60 min. because AK was now offically open to all guests. Our FP was for 10:05 and when we tried to get on at 10:02, the CM made us wait with the other “10:05 ers.” (You can’t get on with a FP that’s three minutes early, but you can use one that’s three years old – go figure!) A word of caution from the FP Queen – if you use FP on EE, you miss the majority of the amazing queue area. This is a hard dilemma for me because I hate waiting in lines, but I also am a connoisseur of Disney details. With FP, our wait was less than 10 min. My mom opted out of EE and said she would try to take pictures of us instead. (Ok, at least she did it once!) As my dad and I were on EE, I looked down and saw my mom in the “mom waiting area.” She wasn’t even looking!!! After two consecutive rides on EE, I needed something a little gentler. Its intensity level is much greater than coasters like Big Thunder; where you can keep riding over and over without feeling the after affects.

Continuing to go back and forth between lands, we went to Africa. We were all starving so we planned to eat at Tusker House when they opened. Until then, I got a FP for Kilimanjaro Safaris (KS) for 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. We had to wait a few minutes because Tusker House didn’t open for lunch until after 11 am. However, the lines were already building. My dad and I ate roasted chicken (you can really see them roasting), and my mom had a large chicken salad. The food was really good. The chicken was moist (much improved over our nasty Cosmic Ray’s chicken in MK), and I especially liked the vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. There are really a lot of WDW counter service restaurants with better food than the usual burgers and chicken strips.

After lunch, we rode KS with a short wait. In my quest for hidden Mickeys, I encountered some girls in front of us in line who must have been CMs because they seemed to know everyone. They alerted us to the second largest hidden Mickey in WDW. The island in the middle of the flamingo pond is shaped like a classic hidden Mickey. Speaking of flamingos, PM informed me that flamingos are pink because of the pink shrimp that they eat. (And who said you couldn’t learn on vacation?) KS seemed much more enjoyable this trip because the weather was so comfortable. It really is an impressive ride; and a long one at over 15 min. The only animal that “crossed our path” was an ostrich. The CM said, and I quote, “Move ostrich, we have some poachers to catch.” ? We did catch the poachers – Little Red was saved and reunited with his mommy, Big Red. Mission accomplished!

We remained in Africa for the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. We saw many different animals, but what I remembered most were the naked mole rats. The CM informed us that they were blind. Don’t you feel sorry for them? ? What must life be like when you are blind, naked, and live completely in the dark? My mom consoled me by saying that there was nothing for them to see anyway. Well, okay…just one question – why can Rufus see (not to mention fix computers) on Kim Possible…?

After a “traditional Mickey on stick” and popsicle snack break, we boarded the Wildlife Express train to the Conservation Station. The first thing we did as we entered the building was to hunt for hidden Mickeys in the mural of animals. I found about ten of them; there are at least twenty. Then, I got my picture which Pocahontas – who was just about the most UNFRIENDLY CHARACTER that I had ever met. Her smile was so pasted on and she didn’t hug you like other princesses (well, I’m not sure if she’s an official princess…but it’s still no excuse!) WDW should be more selective about who they hire as face characters. I did also get my picture with Rafiki who was cheerful and upbeat. We walked around for a few more minutes, looking at the animals and other various exhibits before taking the Wildlife Express back to Harambe.

Back in Asia for our third time today, we saw Flights of Wonder for the first time. None of us thought too highly of bird shows, but this was proved to be very entertaining. The best part of the show was an impromptu performance from a small black bird who has taken up residence in AK. He seemed to have the show memorized and flew around, over, and on all of the birds who were part of the act. He had all of us guessing if he really was part of the show. At the end, we asked a CM who said that he was not one of the birds in the show – well if the bird isn’t part of Flights of Wonder, he (or she) sure wants to be!

We wanted to see Festival of the Lion King at 5 pm. On our way to Camp Minnie-Mickey, we saw (were stranded during) Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade. I was unimpressed two years ago and, while the weather was more comfortable during this viewing, I was still unimpressed. (Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams, where are you?!) We arrived just in time to get a decent seat for Festival of the Lion King. They really pack you in that theatre. However, at least the air conditioning was not broken like last time! We were in the giraffe section and had to make noise when the giraffe came out. (Who knew giraffes even made noise?!) Festival of the Lion King is a very impressive stage show and comparable to Broadway.

My mom wanted to ride KS again because she thought more animals might be out at evening when it was cooler. We headed back to Africa and saw that there was no wait! We rode KS again, but I think that we saw more animals in the morning. We planned on having dinner at Flame Tree Barbecue which, for some reason, I thought was in Asia. It’s really on Discovery Island, which we discovered eventually. AK was closing soon, so Flame Tree was empty. My mom got a pulled pork sandwich, while my dad and I ate shredded beef sandwiches. While we were eating, ducks and birds kept coming up to us. I know the napkins clearly state “do not feed the animals”…but they were so cute. After a while, a CM came up to us and said that the animals were well fed and that guests feeding the animals would only spoil them. Oh well. After we finished eating, we discovered that seating areas that I thought were closed really were open. We could (and should) have sat by the river where we would have had a perfect view of Expedition Everest!!!

AK really clears out at night. The park closed at 8 pm, and around 7:30 pm there were 10 min. waits for just about every ride in the park. I would have liked to go on Dinosaur or EE again, but riding on a full stomach (especially on EE) is not a wise idea. None of us had ever been on Kali River Rapids (or the similar Grizzly River Run in DCA) and decided that it would be a good time to ride since we were going back to PC and could change out of wet clothes. Or should I say SOAKED clothes…All three of us rode KRR the first time because there was no one in line. The ride wasn’t as rough or long as I thought it was. We got pretty wet. As usual, one ride is enough for my mom. She said my dad and I could ride again and that she would take our picture. Hmmm….she seems to use that excuse a lot. My dad and I boarded a raft with some very enthusiastic, to say the least, ten year old boys and their uncles. They had been on the ride at least five times consecutively and knew where every drop and burst of water was and who was going to get wet each time. The splashes are very random. It is possible to remain fairly dry the first time and be soaked the second time. After being fairly soaked after two rides, the entire raft figured that we might as well stay on for another ride. The CMs didn’t care because no one was getting in line. The third time I didn’t get any wetter than I already was. My dad and I agreed upon one more ride since it was 7:55 pm and the park was about to close. My thinking was “I can’t get any wetter.” Ha – little did I know…!!! The fourth and last time, I got drenched. Every part of me was wet. In fact, you could definitely tell who had been on KRR that evening. My mom even said that there were half naked people in the bathroom trying to dry their clothing with the hand dryers!

As we made our way out of AK, the park was deserted. DL and MK clear out a little bit at the end of the day, but not this much. My dad and I were getting pretty cold as our bodies dried but our clothing did not. On the way to the buses, we stopped by (what else?) a gift shop. I got a poncho for PM. PM has a new line of clothing now. I have to admit, he looked pretty cute in the poncho, and he actually needed it later.

Air conditioning on the buses feels good on a hot summer afternoon, but it’s FREEZING when it’s nighttime and you are soaking wet!!! Since we were wet anyway, I thought it might be a good time for a swim at PC. The Hippy Dippy pool was closed for some reason, so my dad and I went to the 50s to swim in the Bowling Pin pool. (Guess who stayed in the room?) Afterwards, our shower clothesline was full of wet clothing that was slow to dry. We grabbed a late second dinner before the food court closed and then I showered to get the KRR water/pool chlorine out of my hair. We were in bed before midnight.

Lessons Learned From Today – EE is an awesome ride. Be sure to standby for EE at least once to see the detailed queue area. All attractions seem better when you are not sweating from 95 degree temperatures and 80% humidity. When you eat at Flame Tree Barbecue, be sure to eat by the river. On Splash Mountain, dry really is an option. On KRR, the only option is being SOAKED! ?

Day 4 – Sunday, June 4, 2006

What We Did Today – Planned on going to the Disney-MGM Studios but, due to a late start, we opted to go to MK. MK was pretty crowded, but we still managed to hit a lot of attractions. We planned on doing evening EMH, but the whole evening was shot after 6:30 pm when we were rained out of Cinderellabration. It rained on and off until it POURED and we were again SOAKED on our bus ride back to PC.

I wanted to get up at 6 am to hit the Studios early, but I didn’t wake up until 9 am. Arg…we showered and went to breakfast. The food court was PACKED, vs. empty at 6 or 7 am. In a change of plans, we left PC around 11:30 am for MK. I only wanted to spend one day in the Studios, but I knew that it must be a full day. Not one where we arrived at noon. MK seemed very crowded today. I headed to Tomorrowland to get a FP for Space Mountain (2:10 – 3:10 pm), while my parents went to Liberty Square and got in line for the Haunted Mansion (HM). The sign said there was only a 10 min. wait, but it was more like 20 min. An interesting tidbit about “Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination?” Well, it’s not your imagination. In DL, the elevator moves you down; in MK, the elevator moves you up. HM in MK looks more haunted on the outside, but DL has a better preshow and ride.

We were all starved so we went to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café. It was PACKED inside, despite the hundreds of tables. Not wanting to sit outside in the hot sun, after a little waiting, I was able to secure and hold an inside table while my parents got food. (Sounds kind of like a military operation, doesn’t it?) I had a tasty pork sandwich, my dad had a chicken wrap, and my mom had a cheeseburger without cheese. (There is no “hamburger” on the menu. The best part of Pecos Bill’s is their fixins’ bar. It has grilled onions, mushrooms, lettuce, and tomatoes. My mom really enjoyed the onions and mushrooms.

After lunch, we went to Adventureland, which is soooo much more spread out than it is in DL. I actually like the theme of MK’s Adventureland better. The Jungle Cruise only had a 10 min. wait. JC is longer and more elaborate than it is in DL. Magic Carpets of Aladdin had no wait so we rode that also. The carpets load much faster than their Dumbo counterpart because they seat four people, rather than only two. The Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management was next. The preshow with Iago and Zazu was entertaining. As usual, I wanted to sing along with the entire show. (*Glare* from my mom.) I even know Iago’s version of “Friend Like Me” because it’s on one of my WDW CDs. I’m fine with Iago and Zazu taking over the Tiki Room in MK – just don’t let them get their wings on my DL version!!! Adventureland Conclusion: It’s bigger and more spread out in MK. I also like the Agrabah bazaar theme better than the African jungle them of DL.

We left Adventureland and crossed Central Plaza. The 3:00 parade was going on. Share a Dream Come True parade is okay – better than the old Parade of the Stars in DL – but it’s still not as good as Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams in DL. (Side note: there is much more room for parade viewing in MK than there is in DL.) We went to Tomorrowland and used our FP for Space Mountain (SM). The queue area for SM is dark and still has a 70s look. Anyone who has been on the new, renovated version of SM in DL will be disappointed with SM in MK. In MK, I feel like I’m in a man-made coaster. You can see the tracks in front of you, there is no climax at the end, and…there’s no awesome sound track. In DL, I really feel like I’m in space. Next was Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. I was looking forward to CoP because it’s already been taken out of DL and (sadly) I believe that its days in MK are also numbered. I really like CoP – and not just for a place to take a nap. It’s a neat ride with some cool AA. Of course, I had to sing along to “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” (I wonder if this bothered most people as it seemed that most of them were only in there for naps…?) One question – why does the entire family in CoP age except the father?

After CoP, we went to Fantasyland and rode the Mad Tea Party with a 10 min. wait. As usual, no spinning for us. We just sit back and enjoy the ride. We then proceeded to Mickey’s Toontown Fair (although I’m not quite sure why…) The Barnstormer had a 10 or 15 min. wait which I deemed too long. There are really no other attractions in Toontown. We walked through Minnie’s House and then through Mickey’s House. At the end of Mickey’s House, we waited about 10 min. for a picture with Mickey. (It’s the same old background – nothing special – and the shot is not worth waiting anymore than 10 min. for.)

We went back to Fantasyland for a snack/dinner at Pinocchio Village Haus. My parents either had a wrap or a salad, and I had a soft pretzel. The windows at PVH overlook “it’s a small world.” While we were eating, a CM was cleaning the windows. As he sprayed the windows with soap, he wrote things that the people on the IASW boats could see. I realized that this took some skill as he had to write backwards. They were things like “Yell Pinocchio.” After eating, I got a FP for Peter Pan for 8:20 – 9:20 pm. Then, we went to get a spot in front of Cinderella Castle for the 6:45 pm show of Cinderellabration. After sitting for a minutes, it starting to drizzle…harder and harder and harder…until we had to leave the area. Then it really started to pour, and it was obvious that the show would be canceled. I ran one way while my parents ran another. I took the long way and was stuck under a small cart outside the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I called my mom and she said they were in Sir Mickey’s and was wondering why I was stupid enough to walk so far away. We agreed to seek refuge inside Mickey’s PhilharMagic – and so did EVERYONE ELSE!!! (I made a break for the theatre and got even more wet. ?) There was not an empty seat in the theatre. Mickey’s PhilharMagic really is a great show. It’s the best 3D show in any Disney theme park. (They should put it in the old Who Wants To Be A Millionaire building in DCA…)

After the show let out, we were again STRANDED outside the exit of PhilharMagic with everyone else. The rain was pouring and didn’t show any signs of stopping. (Wouldn’t you know, PM was the only one who was smart enough to wear a poncho today. It actually did keep him nice and dry. Unfortunately, the rest of our ponchos were nice and dry back in the hotel room.) After about 15 or 20 min., the rain stopped momentarily. We barely made it to Snow White’s Scary Adventures before it started to rain…AGAIN! The ending to Snow White in MK makes much more sense than in DL. At least here you see the prince kiss her. In DL, the dwarfs kill the witch, and then “they live happily ever after” with no other explanation!!! After Snow White, my parents stopped for an ice cream break outside Mrs. Pott’s Cupboard. I figured that it would probably start raining again and that we should head to Liberty Square to see the Hall of Presidents. The AA inside the Hall of Presidents are so impressive. I especially love the way all of the presidents turn their heads simultaneously when each one is introduced. The presidents are very realistic. (Well, I take that back. Hearing George W. Bush give a speech without long pauses, “ums” and “uhs” was not realistic at all…) After the Hall of Presidents, we went back to Fantasyland to use our FP for Peter Pan’s Flight. Once again, absolutely no wait with FP! (If only Peter Pan had a FP in DL!) Even with no wait, I was most disappointed with MK’s Peter Pan. You don’t fly over Neverland! London – yes; but Neverland – no. Flying over Neverland is my favorite part in DL.

Guess what? It started to rain again. We dashed off to IASW. I’m surprised that there weren’t more people in line. You might as well see indoor attractions instead of just standing idly by. I’m definitely sure now that I like the actual ride here better than in DL. The dolls all look so new and fresh and I especially like the last scene in the ride. Although we had originally planned on doing MK evening EMH today, we were wet and the rain didn’t show any signs of stopping. We figured that we might as well leave MK before it got any worse. Good plan – bad timing. We our way down Main Street as it started to POUR. We heard the obvious announcement that the 9:00 pm Spectromagic parade would be canceled. It’s a long walk from the MK entrance to the PC bus stop. It’s even longer when it’s pouring rain outside. We had to wait for about three buses before we finally got on. Interestingly enough, bus loads of people kept coming in to MK even after 9:30 pm. Doesn’t rain stop anyone?! Actually, Wishes was not canceled that night. Just our luck – the rain stopped just as we got back to PC and I don’t think that it started back up again! Well, it was best that we weren’t in MK until 2 am for EMH, because we had to be at Epcot tomorrow at 8 am for our tours. On the way back to PC, we rode “Bill’s Bus of Terror.” Bill momentarily kept my mind off the fact that I was freezing in the heavily air conditioned bus. This is two nights in a row now that I am sopping wet. (Although, yesterday it was by choice.) *flickering bus lights* Before we got off the bus, Bill informed us that we could visit his website at bill’sbusofterror.com. (I knew the bus driver didn’t have a real website and, surprisingly, no one has a website by that name so don’t even try…unless of course you are interested in creating your own website of that same name! Just make sure to give me credit ?) Our shower really was full of wet clothes now. Our KRR clothes were still wet. (Oh, the Florida humidity.) Travel tip: Always bring two pairs of shoes. Yesterday, my shoes got wet on KRR, so today I wore my backup shoes. The backup shoes are now wet. However, tomorrow, while the backup MK rain shoes are drying, I will be able to wear my now dry KRR shoes. (See, it all makes perfect sense!!!)

Lessons Learned From Today – ALWAYS BRING PONCHOS WHEN TRAVELING DURING FLORIDA’S RAINIEST MONTH!!! Parades will be canceled in the event of rain, but fireworks will only be canceled if the rain is very heavy. In the event of rain, make sure to remain fairly close to places where you can easily find “refuge.”

Day 5 – Monday, June 5, 2006

What We Did Today – All three of us headed to Epcot because we thought our tours started at 8 am. Turns out that we didn’t have to be there until 8:45 am! My mom and I took the Backstage Magic tour with Disney Institute CM Kris, while my dad took the Undiscovered Future World Tour with Tour Guide Franchesca. After the tours, we did some FW attractions. Then, we headed over to Epcot because, as part of my dad’s tour, he had PS for Illuminations in Italy.

Prior to leaving for WDW, we were all planning on taking tours. In July 2004, my dad had taken the BM tour. (My mom and I did not go because I was not old enough.) This year, since I was 16 and “legal for touring,” we decided to take the BM tour. My dad decided to take the UFW tour. We booked ahead of time by calling up the WDW tour center. The BM tour was $200 per person and the UFW tour was $49. We received a 15% discount through AAA so the cost was a little less.

All of us believed that we had to be at Epcot at 8 am for the tours. When we got there, we wondered why no one else was waiting for the tours and started to wonder if we were going to have the tour all to ourselves. My dad asked at guest relations, and it turned out that the tours didn’t meet until 8:45 am! We killed some time and bought pins at a cart outside the Epcot entrance. Finally, people started showing up for the BM tour. We met our tour guide, Kris, who was from the Disney Institute. We got our name tags and were off into Epcot. Before we went backstage, we learned an important quote from Roy Disney: “Keep the money in the show.” Going backstage, this was very apparent. The magic stops at the “Cast Members Only” signs. Backstage, distances from point to point are much shorter than they are “on stage.” Test Track and Norway appear right next to each other. We boarded our Disney Cruise Line bus and met our driver, Bruce Bauer. (This guy was really a pro. He drove through and parked in so many tight spaces; anyone else would have surely crashed!!!) He drove us to the American Adventure in WS. Since WS didn’t open until 11 am, you could still see maintenance trucks outside. We stood outside and learned about forced perspective. Then, we went backstage and saw the AA up close. Apparently, there are A1 – A100. A100s are the most complicated. Susan B. Anthony and (I think) Franklin D. Roosevelt are the only two A100s in the American Adventure. Kris told us that in the 20 plus years that the show has been running, it has only been out of service for less than two weeks. The engineers who work on it have been there for almost the entire time that it has been in operation.

(Note: Since I didn’t think to write down all of the places that we went until the end of the tour, the order is probably a little jumbled.) We went to the area when Epcot’s CMs get ready for work. There are many rows of lockers, a few lounges, offices, and a costume drop off area. Also, there are awards in the hallways for CMs who have done an especially good job at work. There are also pictures of the chain of command – starting with the President of Epcot. There are even contact numbers (although not for the President or VP…) Next, we were given a tour of where the generic costumes are kept. This area does not include character costumes. CMs are allowed to check out up to five sets of costumes at a time. Every single piece of clothing has a bar code on it. Everything is supplied by WDW except for shoes (and, of course, undergarments). Alterations can be made to costumes, as they are made in pretty generic sizes. I’m not sure if this happened next, but we visited the place where costumes are designed. The CM at the front desk announced that a BM tour was coming through (in case anyone was indecent) and we were on our way in. We saw mockups of costumes, CMs working on new designs, and various other seamstresses, etc. You see inside the same building during the Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour. I’m not sure what half of the costumes were for, but they really were elaborate. We also visited the CAD facility and Prop/Set Facility. Many ride vehicles were being worked on. I saw things from one of the carpets from the Magic Carpets of Aladdin to a CTX Time Rover from Dinosaur. The vehicles were being repaired, painted, etc. Speaking of paint, it turns out that Disney has hundreds of copyrighted colors! Yep, there are specific shades of color that only Disney has permission to use. Even trash cans were being painted. In a different area, AA were being worked on. Many AA were in bits and pieces. We saw IASW dolls, minus the torsos. (Just a little on the creepy side.) In some areas, we had to wear safety glasses. WDW does a lot of construction on site in Central Shop. Things were being built, welded, etc.

Next came what was probably my favorite part of the tour; and it’s something you never even give a thought to – the Holiday Storage facility. When the decorations go down on January 1, they have to be stored somewhere. Apparently, there are about 20 full time CMs who spend all year planning, organizing, etc. decorations. It’s quite a huge task, considering every shop, resort hotel, theme park must be decorated. And, of course, all decorations must be themed to specific areas. It looked like many decorations were from Animal Kingdom Lodge. There were also HUGE Christmas trees; and even some partial Christmas trees that were missing a top. I really don’t see how all of the decorations are kept track of and how such a huge area is decorated in what is really a pretty short time period. Speaking of decorations, we also visited the Floral Center. This is where all centerpieces for meetings, weddings, conferences, etc. and gift baskets are made. We walked through the flower refrigerator (which is about 40 degrees). We also saw a CM working on a gift basket. There are generic baskets to very specialized baskets (one had a fishing theme). They will supply and deliver anything you want in a gift basket, but you do pay the price.

It was now lunchtime, so Bruce drove us to the Disney-MGM Studios for lunch at Mama Melrose’s Restaurante Italiano. I had never eaten here before and they were serving us family style. Unfortunately, my mom and I were at the back of the tour group, and were not able to sit at the table with Kris and the interesting people on our tour. The people at our table were, um…dull…to say the least. However, the food was good. I am lactose intolerant and my mom doesn’t like cheese. Chef John and Waitress Jean were extremely accommodating. Chef John even came and talked to us personally!!! We were made salad without cheese, a special noodle dish that was really tasty, and even a cheeseless pizza which was also surprisingly good!!! They just kept bringing the food out. We must have had at least five different dishes and dessert.

After lunch, we went to MK to see the…*drumroll*…Utilidors. (That’s Utility Corridors; which are the tunnels that connect one land of the MK to another.) The Utilidors are a place for the CMs to rest, commute from one land to another, etc. It’s also where the trash disposal system and other pipes are located. Okay, when I thought of the Utilidors, I pictured them as a sleek, futuristic, underground city. Nope, they’re really just dirty tunnels. The money really is “kept in the show.” The Utilidors are functional, so I don’t really know what I expected. I was still disappointed though. ? After exiting the Utilidors, we were just in time for the 3:00 pm performance of Share a Dream Come True Parade. I thought we might have at least had a priority seating area, but we didn’t. We saw the tail end of the parade, near the firehouse. Apparently, the reason we view this parade is because all day, we’ve seen what goes into making the magic, and now we see the end result. I still think the parade viewing is kind of a waste of time since you can (and we did) see the parade on your own time. (Speaking of the parade, the snowglobes are not air conditioned! If they were, the snowglobes would fog up.) We learned that characters can only be “on stage” for 20 min. shifts. Then, they go backstage, where it takes 10 min. to get out of costume. Then, they have a few minutes for water, rest, etc. And then, they have to spend another 10 min. getting back into costume. (Be nice to characters, they have a tough job!) After the parade was over, we lingered on Main Street, where Kris explained to us the significance of the names on the windows. They are like the credits at the end of a movie. Also, the red bricks on the sidewalks are like the red carpet at a movie premiere.

That pretty much wrapped up our tour. We took the DCL bus back to Epcot. We did, of course, get a souvenir pin. It said “Backstage Magic” and showed Mickey in some type of through the looking glass cartoon. Thoughts on the Backstage Magic tour: It is really the only way that you can see all of the backstage areas at WDW (unless you are a CM). Does it ruin the magic? – maybe a tiny bit, but it also makes you appreciate WDW even more. If you are someone who is interested in Walt Disney/the history of WDW, this tour does not offer much history. We had previously taken the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps tour in DL in June 2005. I know you really can’t compare it to the BM tour, but I preferred the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps tour much more. Our tour guide for BM, Kris, was knowledgeable about all aspects of WDW. That being said, she didn’t offer much additional information. It seemed that she pretty much just stuck to her script; it was up to guests to ask their own questions. I think that Kris could have made more of an attempt to make a personal connection with her guests. Also, the tour is way overpriced. It’s not worth $200. Maybe lunch is what makes it so expensive…

After the tour was over, the DCL bus dropped us off outside the entrance to Epcot. My mom and I entered the park and we called my dad to see where he was. He said he was in the American Adventure. We agreed to meet in FW, outside the Universe of Energy. Ellen’s Energy Adventure was currently broken. We exchanged tour stories; where it was clear that my mom and I got the short end of the stick. My dad sounded like he had a great time on his tour! There was only one other family of three on the tour with him, and they were WDW fanatics. (The people on our tour were…um…well…DULL!) Plus, his tour went at least 90 min. overtime – not bad for only $49. They went behind the scenes at private VIP lounges at the Living Seas and other areas in FW. Grr…my mom and I both wished that we had taken his tour! Oh well, perhaps next time. My dad got all kinds of goodies from the tour – one was a special “anytime FP” for any attraction in Epcot; the other was PS for Illuminations in Italy (and, of course, he got a pin!) We decided to use the special FP for Test Track. But first, I went to get a FP for Mission: Space for 5:30 – 6:30 pm. We then rode Test Track; I still think it’s overrated and really isn’t that thrilling. After Test Track, you exit through an area sponsored by GM. We waited to watch a movie that was viewed as you slowly spun around on weird blue chairs. It was called Dreamchaser and, according to the CM, “focuses on GM products.” Well, I prefer to call it a slowly spinning commercial for cheap, gas guzzling American cars…but that’s just me! Don’t get sucked into waiting 20 min. to watch it. That was probably our longest wait of the whole trip!!!

After wasting 30 min. of our life with the Dreamchaser, we proceeded to Mission: Space. My mom opted to bypass MS (she literally almost fainted after riding the old version two years ago). Well, neither my dad nor I were about to ride the orange zone (with spinning) again. We opted for the new green zone (without spinning). At the entrance, a CM asks you if you want spinning or no spinning and then gives you a corresponding color card so that there is no confusion. Recent deaths, injuries, etc. are really hurting MS attendance. There was only a 20 min. wait for orange and a 10 min. wait for green. Well, the 10 min. wait really was absolutely no wait. The loading chamber only had a few other guests in it. My dad and I were the only ones in our non spinning ride vehicle. I must say that I enjoyed green zone much more than the orange zone. It’s still a fun ride; a little less intense than Star Tours.

We were all tired from our tours, so we headed to see if Ellen’s Energy Adventure was open now. We caught about half of the preshow, where Ellen almost loses on Jeopardy to Jaime Lee Curtis. Then, we boarded our huge ride vehicles for a long journey back to the age of the dinosaurs. We had a whole row to ourselves. It was nice to get off our feet. (The BM tour is standing on your feet for almost 7 hours!) Okay, rather than admiring the scenery and learning about energy, my parents slept. I must admit, the ride is a little too slow in the dinosaur section. When I commented to my mom that they should speed it up, she replied that then her sleeping time would be decreased.

We headed to WS and ate dinner at Yakitori House in Japan. For a counter service restaurant, the food was very good. My mom had some kind of noodle soup, and my dad and I had similar beef and chicken dishes. We arrived in Italy at 8:45 pm and checked in with a CM who admitted us into the special area. (Note: World Showcase Lagoon is so big that there are a lot of places to see Illuminations at the last minute, but it still was kind of nice to have PS.) My dad met back up with his Undiscovered Future World family who were also utilizing their PS. We got to talking to them and…wow! I thought I was a Disney fanatic – these people were extreme fanatics. They told us about how they had just joined Disney Vacation Club and loved it. (These people should be spokespeople for DVC and WDW in general! I wish we had been on the tour with them instead of our boring people!!!) It was after this meeting that we decided we might look into DVC. Illuminations was great. It was much better than I remembered, perhaps because I was so hot last time and didn’t have PS…My dad explained the story of Illuminations to me – the globe and the images on it represent how Earth was created. Oh, it all makes sense now! I also love the music to Illuminations. We said goodbye to our new DVC acquaintances (who could have kept talking to us forever) and headed out of Epcot. Even after Illuminations, WS and Epcot in general are not crowded (so different from DL). We took the bus back to PC. This might be a good time to mention that maid service at PC is bad. There are no bathroom cups, extra towels, and the beds are very sloppily made. Also, there is not even a pad of paper or a pen. (What hotel doesn’t have a pen?!) Yep, PC is really starting to show it’s value rating. (Oh, to be a DVC member…!) My mom and I caught the end of the season finale of the Apprentice (yeah, Sean won!) before going to bed.

Lessons Learned From Today – Make sure you double check what time your tour begins (I got way too familiar with the outside of Epcot’s entrance.) BM tour is good (but overpriced) if you are really interested in the way WDW operates behind the scenes. Tours all depend on your tour guide, and I did not particularly care for ours. It’s nice to have a front row seat for Illuminations.

Day 6 – Tuesday, June 6, 2006

What We Did Today – We finally went to the Disney-MGM Studios and pretty much saw every attraction except Rock n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith and the Twilight Zone Tower Terror (why see the two biggest rides in the Studios? ?) We ate a mediocre lunch at 50’s Prime Time Café. However, the day redeemed itself when we saw the 10:30 pm performance of Fantasmic! and we didn’t have to fight crowds because the theatre was half empty.

We got up at 8:30 am, already two and a half hours behind schedule. I got breakfast for us, and we left PC around 11 am for the Disney-MGM Studios. Yep, we’re finally going to the Studios. (Which, I might add, is everyone’s least favorite WDW park.) I only wanted to spend one day in the Studios, but I knew that to see everything it must be a full day. First of all, we made PS for 50s Prime Time Café at 2:15 pm. (Bad move – more on this later.) Our main goal for the Studios was to see every single show they had. (I’ve been on the ToT before and it’s too traumatic, so I choose not to ride. Rock n’ Roller Coaster would be far too scary for me to ever attempt. I just don’t like Star Tours at all. So, we’re really not into many rides at the Studios.) I figured out our show schedule, and determined that we must first proceed to the new Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at 11:50 am. We only arrived 10 min. prior to the show and I was worried that we wouldn’t get a seat. The queue area to get to the theatre is a long walk. However, the theatre is huge! We had no trouble finding seats. None of us are stunt show people, but I must say that we were pleasantly surprised. The show was entertaining and had a high “how do they do that?” (or in this case, “oh, that’s how”) factor. While it’s not something I feel like I need to rush back and see again, it was still a good show. The Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour was next. We had about a 15 min. wait, not counting the preshow. Hmmm…a little long for me, but I figured that the line would only get longer later in the day. By the time we finally boarded the train and were less than 5 min. into our trip, we experienced a VERY LONG DELAY. I’m not sure why, but the train stopped a long time. However, our CM was very good about entertaining us by talking about the Studios, what time Fantasmic! was, etc. On the tour, we saw a few of the same things that my mom and I had seen on our BM tour. I was glad that I did not get wet in Catastrophe Canyon. After the tour concluded, we walked through an exhibit by the American Film Institute – Villains: Movie Characters You Love To Hate. We saw costumes worn by Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians and the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia.

By now, it was time to head over to 50s Prime Time Café for our PS. We still waited about 15 min. for a table. Our waitress was “Aunt Cindy.” She didn’t like us because my dad ignored her when she first tried to make jokes with him. That’s okay – I didn’t like her either!!! My mom ordered beer battered onion rings as an appetizer (ugh – too greasy, fatty, nasty!) All three of us ordered the pot roast. I found my pot roast tasty, although my mom and dad didn’t like theirs. The food is decent but WAY overpriced. Our total bill came to $62.47. Also, the portions are kind of small for the price. If this food was at a counter service location, I would be perfectly happy; but for a table service restaurant, it is mediocre and overpriced. Next time, we will be sure to eat at Mama Melrose’s Restaurante Italiano instead!

After lunch, we popped in on the Jedi Training Academy before heading to Sounds Dangerous starring Drew Carey – a show which I had never seen before. If anyone has been in this theatre lately (which you probably haven’t), it has fallen into incredible disrepair. It’s dirty, dingy, and very un-Disney. Then, there’s the show – a good concept, but poorly executed. Sounds Dangerous gets my vote for the worst attraction in WDW. Someday it will probably be replaced with something Pixar. By this time, my stomach was getting pretty upset from lunch. (You mean beer battered onion rings could possibly cause someone to become nauseous? Thanks, Mommy, for ordering them!!!) I decided to have one of Minnie’s Strawberry Bars to settle my stomach. After the popsicle, I did feel better and more refreshed. We saw Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at 4:30 pm. The show was PACKED – literally!!! We were crammed in there and we didn’t even get a seat until they opened the handicapped section. I do like this show quite a bit (sadly, my beloved Indiana Jones Adventure in DL is not in WDW *sigh*). There is a part of the show where they call for extras from the audience. Later on, one of the stunt CMs was “demonstrating” a fight sequence on one of the extras. Well, it turns out that this “extra” really was a trained professional; which I did not know until after the stunt CM beat him up!!!

After Indy, we waited under the Sorcerer’s Hat for Disney Stars and Motor Cars parade. (Incidentally, we did a little bit of shopping while waiting; the shop under the Sorcerer’s Hat has an excellent selection of pins!) We didn’t have the best spot to view the parade, but I could still see most of it. I had not seen this parade on my previous trip. The cars are cute and the theme song was catchy at the time…although I can’t remember it now. Ok, I have now seen the parades at MK, AK, and the Studios. Final parade conclusion: Disneyland’s Parade of Dreams is the best parade in any park ever! The parades in WDW can’t even compare to it.

Our last show of the day was Beauty and the Beast – Live On Stage at 6:30 pm. I’ve seen this show many times and I’ve always liked it. I love classic Disney stage shows; Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, the Lion King – I love them all! The preshow entertainment was provided by a musical group called Four For A Dollar, who were very talented. Beauty and the Beast is the best show in the Studios. I always get teary eyed when Belle thinks that Beast is dead (during the animated movie also). Of course, it’s another happy ending! ? Okay, moving along…we had to finish touring the Studios all before they closed at 10 pm. Next, was Journey into Narnia. I had seen the movie and quite enjoyed it. This attraction began as you entered – what else – but a wooden wardrobe. Then, you went into a snow covered “forest” complete with a live White Witch. The area was actually very elaborate. Then, you watched a 5 min. or so film clip that told guests what the story of Narnia was all about. The last part of the attraction were actual props and costumes from the movie. Next door, we went to one of my favorite attractions in the Studios – Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream. There is so many interesting Disney facts and memorabilia inside. There are also replicas of Sleeping Beauty Castle, Cinderella Castle, Grizzly Peak, Spaceship Earth, etc. At the end of the exhibit, there is a 10 min. film that tells the story of Walt Disney in a form of a personal interview. (I’ve seen the interview many times, but it never gets old.) On our previous trip, we spent at least an hour looking through the exhibit (a combination of both extreme humidity outside and my fascination with Walt Disney and the Disney Co.) This exhibit is a must see for any Disneyphile, like myself.

The line for the Great Movie Ride was too long earlier, so we headed to Grumman’s Chinese Theatre next. There was no wait outside, but about a 10 min. wait inside. I didn’t mind because the queue area is quite nicely decorated and there is a screen that shows clips of old movies. The Wizard of Oz and Indiana Jones scenes are my favorites inside the whole ride; the Alien scene is just plain creepy. When we got to the ganster section of the ride, our car was “overtaken” by a bank robber. (I think it’s a nice touch to have live CMs mixed in with AAs.) Of course, we saw many MGM classics such as the Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Gone With the Wind…wait…we didn’t see Gone With the Wind because it isn’t in GMR!!! (Well, it’s in one of the film clips afterwards – but that doesn’t count.) Explain to me how a ride that calls itself the Great Movie Ride cannot include Gone With the Wind?!

After GMR, it was just about 9:45 pm. It was just enough time to catch the last showing of Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Needless to say, the theatre was fairly empty. I still don’t understand Voyage of the Little Mermaid completely – is it an animated movie, a live action musical, or a puppet show? Perhaps I should just relax and enjoy the show, rather than debating every single attraction…(One thought – isn’t Voyage of the Little Mermaid a rather expensive show to put on since it shows continuously yet includes live actors?) Also, I didn’t think our Ariel had the best singing voice; just because it’s the end of the day, it doesn’t mean that it’s an excuse for a poor performance. Granted, she did get better as the show progressed…and I probably couldn’t do any better myself…

After Ariel and Eric lived happily ever after “under the sea,” we headed straight to Fantasmic! – my favorite show ever! Love it in DL, love it in the Studios. We arrived at the theatre around 10:15 pm for the 10:30 show. After walking the extreme distance from the entrance to the actual seating, we were happy to see that half the seats were empty. (This beats fighting crowds around Rivers of America in DL!) It is nice that Fantasmic! in the Studios has such a nice facility – ample seating, large mountain, etc. Fantasmic is pretty similar in both the Studios and DL. However, the Studios tells a partial Pocahontas story at one point, while DL tells a partial Peter Pan story. (This is because the Studios has a large mountain, while DL has a pirate ship to use.) I love when Mickey finally battles evil and wins – “some imagination, huh?” Oh, and I love the music. (I even saw one of the technicians in the light booth behind me conducting the music as I was.) I could see Fantasmic! every night (something my parents just don’t seem to understand…*sigh*). The shops on Hollywood Boulevard were still open, so we did a little shopping before heading back to PC. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I was actually COLD in Central Florida in June; I really could have used a sweater. We were all huddling together during Fantasmic! We got a quick snack from the food court – someone at PC bought us food with snack vouchers they had leftover from their Disney Dining Plan. (Good, because after our overpriced 50s Prime Time Café meal, we couldn’t afford to eat again! ?) We were finally in bed around 1:30 am.

Lessons Learned From Today – Don’t eat at 50s Prime Time Café unless…well, no; just don’t eat there! Avoid Sounds Dangerous. Definitely see Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage, GMR, and Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream. Of course, see Fantasmic! – twice in one evening if possible!!! Oh yes, and sometimes Disney Dining Plan people will kindly unload their unused coupons on you; which cuts down on food costs, so budget for this. (Oddly enough, this happened to us twice…)

Day 7 – Wednesday, June 7, 2006

What We Did Today – Got a late start due to staying out all night at the Studios. We went to Epcot and had a terrific lunch at Le Cellier Steakhouse. We saw more of WS before heading to MK for Spectromagic and Wishes. We stayed in MK until they closed at 11:00 pm.

We got up around 10 am and had a quick lunch/snack at PC. Before leaving for Epcot, we called and made PS for Le Cellier Steakhouse in Canada. We left PC around 12:30 or 1 pm. Once we got to Epcot, we walked through the Flower and Garden Center. Inside, there is a gift shop, character greeting, and areas where gardeners come to speak. We walked to WS, starting on the right side, where Canada is the first (or last) country. We had to wait about 15 min. before being seating. (It was very crowded – don’t try to be a walk in here!) Our waitress, Leigh, was from Ontario. I didn’t realize this when I was at Le Cellier before, but each section of the restaurant is themed to a specific section of Canada. We sat in a booth in the Northwest Territory. As an appetizer, I ordered the beef and barley soup. Leigh also brought us three different types of bread. (I especially liked the pretzel type of bread.) As an entrée, I ordered a gourmet hamburger, my dad had beef tips, and my mom had a New York strip steak. The portions are huge and the food is delicious. My hamburger came with all of the fixings and steak fries – it was delicious. We all agreed that this was our best meal yet! Also, the wait staff in Le Cellier is always very friendly. They never seem to be in a rush and will take the time to answer typical *stupid* tourist questions about what life in Canada is like. Our meal was expensive, coming to $81.38, but it was well worth it. After lunch, we saw the O Canada! movie, which isn’t as good as Reflections of China, but is still worth seeing. Canada is definitely my favorite country – the gardens are beautiful. There is a tiny cabin in the gardens outside Le Cellier that I would so love to live in!

On our way to the UK, I got a Le Cellier pin from a nearby pin cart. (Note to pin collectors: EVERY pin cart in WDW has something DIFFERENT. If you really are into collecting pins, stop at all of them.) We saw British Invasion in the UK; they are very good impersonators of the Beatles. Since my mom wanted to see the Turtles at 5:45 pm in the America Gardens Theatre, we walked quickly through France, Morocco, and Japan (planning to see them thoroughly later). Yet another Flower Power Concert Series, complete with all the boomers singing along with their favorite tunes…I must say that I enjoyed the Turtles more than Arlo Gunthrie. Actually, it seemed that only Flo and Eddie were original Turtles (the rest of the musicians were fake Turtles!) The Turtles even made fun of their now obscurity and the fact that no one my age knows who they are. They were more comical than they were musical.

After the Turtles, we again backtracked to France for Impressions de France at 6:30 pm. As usual, the attraction hostess was a snooty, little princess who was unhappy that she would have to speak English to us. Impressions de France is a pretty movie with great music; my only complaint is that the chairs are very uncomfortable. I would be happier standing like in China and Canada. Rather than walking back to FW, we decided to take the Friendship Landing Boat. You get there in half the time, but sitting on an enclosed boat is not very scenic. Unless it was a very hot day, I would much rather prefer to walk.

We left Epcot and caught the monorail to the TTC. From the TTC, we smoothly and quickly boarded another monorail to MK. While my mom and I staked out a spot on the curb for Spectromagic at 9:00 pm, my dad booked the Magic of Steamtrains tour for both of us. (My mom really isn’t interested in trains.) Spectromagic is okay, but I prefer Electrical Parade that is now in DCA. I find Spectromagic slightly creepy and very 70s. After the parade, we joined the masses in waiting for Wishes at 10:00 pm. We were about to stop near of the Partners statue, when I realized that there was plenty of seating right in front of Cinderella Castle. It was bad timing, but I really needed a bathroom break, so I headed to Liberty Square. Frantic and disoriented, the closest bathroom I could find was behind Ariel’s Grotto in Fantasyland! I rushed back, pushing my way through strollers and wheelchairs, to where my parents were sitting. I was amazed I made it back in time. (You know you’re not in DL when you are able to accomplish a feat such as this. In DL, you can’t get within 500 feet of Sleeping Beauty Castle when the fireworks are about to start.) Unfortunately, part of me still thinks that I’m in DL, as I underestimated the size of Cinderella Castle; half of the fireworks were blocked. Hmm…maybe that’s why there was so much seating right in front. Oh well, it was nice just to be able to see the castle up close at night. Since I’m used to Remember…Dreams Come True in DL, I was disappointed with Wishes in MK. Some of the same music is used in both shows, but DL’s show is better because it is specific to rides and attractions within the park. It’s much more nostalgic and has better special effects. (Note for future viewing: the bridge that connects Central Plaza to Liberty Square seems like it would be the best viewing area.) We didn’t have too much trouble leaving after the fireworks; it’s just not as crowded as DL.

After Wishes, my mom wanted to go back to PC. I vetoed the idea, as the last 30 min. before closing is prime touring time!!! My mom went shopping and ate a funnel cake while my dad and I headed to Frontierland. Splash Mountain was a walk on. Now, you won’t believe I’m saying this, but Splash Mountain is better in MK than in DL. Yep, it’s true – the ride is longer, more elaborate, and the drop comes much faster so there is not as much agony. We sat in the last row and only our butts got wet (the seat is always wet when you sit down.) With 15 min. until closing, we walked on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It’s pretty similar to DL’s; except I like that DL is modeled after Bryce Canyon and I think that MK’s is a little rougher. We got off Big Thunder and saw that the ride was still open. The CM was making a “final call” before she closed the rope. Hoards of people, including my dad and I, made a mad dash for the queue. (This might be a good time to mention that, for the entire trip, my dad had been suffering the after affects of tripping over a pine cone back home. Possibly sprained foot and all, he really is a trooper! ?) We rode the final train of the evening on Big Thunder. I called my mom and met up with her in Frontierland. Very few people were on the parade route for Spectromagic at 11:00 pm. We had no trouble navigating our way through the “crowds.” We headed back to Main Street because we were hungry and wanted to get back to PC before the food court closed. There were decent crowds waiting for the parade on MS. We decided that we might as well eat a late dinner at Casey’s Corner. My dad ate a hot dog, while my mom and I shared another hot dog and a side of chili. We saw part of Spectromagic again. Actually, the parade looks much better from a distance. By the time we waited for a bus (at least we weren’t wet this time!) we didn’t get back to our room until 12:30 am. Unfortunately, my dad and I had to be back at MK at 7:15 am for our tour! So far, despite our one evening of rain, the weather has been great. Nightime is comfy without being cold, and the humidity isn’t too bad either. Crowds are also at a minimum. We havn’t used FP in *gasp* two days (well, we had a special VIP FP for Test Track…but that doesn’t count!)

Lessons Learned From Today – Le Cellier is one of the best restaurants in WDW. The monorail is a very efficient and scenic mode of transportation from Epcot to MK. Spectromagic is inferior to the Electrical Parade. By far, Wishes is inferior to Remember…Dreams Come True. MK clears out a lot at night. The park is really empty, and you can walk on all of the rides.

Day 8 – Thursday, June 8, 2006

I GOT UP EARLY!!! It was 5:15 am – that’s only four hours of sleep for me! My dad and I took the 6:30 am bus to MK after grabbing a quick breakfast. (I know, I didn’t realize the buses ran that early either.) We were in MK, well…outside of the gates, before 7 am. (I still think we could have taken a later bus…) There were a few CMs there, but it was mostly maintenance; I saw a WDW horticulturist. The constantly playing music in MK starts at 7 am sharp! (Why am I always so early for tours? First, BM and now this…!) WDW Railroad conductor, Jack, met us around 7:30 am and gave us nametags with our pre-printed names already on them. MK had morning EMH, so there were plenty of people waiting outside before we entered the park. (I don’t think I’ve ever been to a park at the moment it opens except for Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary on July 17, 2005.) On this tour, we all wore headphones with adjustable volume; they had a 40 foot radius, so we could hear Jack without being right on top of him. Mine kept slipping off because my ears are so small! We boarded the WDW Railroad and went behind the scenes to the maintenance area. WDW still uses real steam trains. I was so angry with myself for forgetting my mom’s camera back at PC (and being too stupid not to buy a disposable one at MK. We were actually allowed to take pictures backstage. I missed so many good photo opportunities ?…I actually fell asleep when we were riding the train because I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for the last few days. The tour was interesting (but a little too technical for me at times), and Jack was a great tour guide. I found it especially interesting when we learned about the Carolwood Pacific Railroad that Walt Disney had in his backyard. Jack even posed with all the guests on the tour in front of the WDW Railroad – a perfect shot. I asked my dad to take a picture of me and Jack with my cell phone camera when the memory ran out!!!! AHHHH…I was one picture over the limit!!!! (This is why my mom is the picture taker in our family.)

After receiving our souvenir pin (which was my favorite tour pin), my dad and I met up with my mom on MS. Our tour was over around 10:30 am. We caught the first performance of Cinderellabration. We stood in the shade, and our view was just fine. Cinderellabration is much improved over Cinderella’s Surprise Cellebration (which, sadly, will return after the HCOE ends.) The costumes were very elaborate and the show was just the right length. To get some better pictures, I walked down right in front of the castle. We were all starving (since we really had not eaten much since Le Cellier) so we went to Pecos Bill’s in Frontierland. I said I would get a FP for Pooh first and then meet up with them. At this point, all three of us were separated. My mom was holding a table (but not answering her cell phone), my dad was in a long line for food, and I was frantically scrambling to find them. I found my dad and asked why he didn’t get any food for my mom. After I yelled at him (*sorry*), my mom told me that she had told my dad only to order for himself and me first (she didn’t think he could carry two trays at once.) Sooooo, I got in line again and ordered my mom a cheeseburger without cheese. And then, I had to wait in line again for the fixins’ bar. (Whew! I was starving by the time I got back to our table.) After we had finished our food, the people at the table next to us gave us a free dessert because they had gotten too many with their Disney Dining Plan. (Hmm…hasn’t this happened before?)

My dad really was not feeling well now. My mom convinced him to go back to PC for a rest. We planned to meet back up again tonight at Epcot. My mom and I saw the Country Bear Jamboree, which was better than I remembered it. I was happy to see that the audience response was very positive. (Usually, people look bored out of their minds when they watch the Country Bear Jamboree, the Enchanted Tiki Room, etc.) Somewhere along the way, I picked up a FP for Splash Mountain. We then took the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island. I prefer Tom Sawyer Island in MK; it is larger and there is more room to explore. Fort Langhorn is actually open here, whereas it’s closed in DL. We tried to look for hidden Mickeys at Fort Langhorn but, alas, no luck. After two refreshing strawberry popsicles, my mom and I were ready for Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in Adventureland. I also prefer this version to DL’s Tarzan’s Treehouse. Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse looks more like a real tree.

We headed to Fantasyland and saw Mickey’s Philharmagic again. It definitely is the best 3D show ever! It was time to use our FP for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The people behind us were having a hissy fit because, somehow, they were separated from their families in a different honey pot. They blamed the CM, but I believe that it was the fault of a guest. (It only takes one guest in the wrong area to screw up the whole queue.) Well, because of this, my mom and I had a honey pot to ourselves. I really love the way that the honey pot bounces when you see Tigger! Heffalumps and Woozles is one of my favorite dark ride sequences. However, why don’t Pooh’s friends give him honey pot presents at the end of the ride like in DL; it is his birthday?! I like the Critter Country atmosphere of Pooh better in DL.

My mom and I did some shopping at Sir Mickey’s. When we bought $60 worth of merchandise, we were able to buy an MK Mickey throw/blanket for only $15. (How could we not take them up on their generous offer?) Unfortunately, we had to carry our packages with us since we were checking out of PC tomorrow. Since we sat in the very front before, we wanted to go on Stitch’s Great Escape again and sit in the very back. It is much better in the back. You see more of Stitch and your neck isn’t strained. It also seemed that there were more effects on the restraint – like Stitch jumping up and down – but I could just be imagining this. My harness still crushed me a little this time! We went back to Frontierland to use our FP for Splash Mountain. I was prepared to ride alone, until my mom decided she was brave enough to go with me! We had a very minimal wait with FP. (I barely have time to jot any trip notes because the lines all move so fast – poor me! ?) We sat in the middle of the log. My mom was about ready to strangle me because I kept talking during the ride, trying to explain the story to her. (Brer Rabbit leaves the Briar Patch even though Mr. Bluebird warns him not to; Brer Rabbit finds his laughing place; Brer Fox and Brer Bear keep trying to catch Brer Rabbit; they fling him down into the Briar Patch *cackle from vultures*; everything is Satisfactual!!!) Actually, the drop is much less scarier in WDW because the log climbs the hill much faster, minimizing the agony! We just got a little wet. In the scene after the big drop, I pointed out a full body hidden Mickey that appears in the clouds. Jack pointed it out to us because the WDW Railroad passes through SM. Even my mom agreed that SM wasn’t that bad. I’m so proud of her!!! ?

I bid adieu to the Magic Kingdom…Cinderella Castle is so pretty!!! We then boarded the monorail to Epcot. Taking the monorail from MK to Epcot, rather than vise versa, is much more scenic because you see MK area hotels and almost all of Epcot (including both WS and FW.) First, we both got EMH bracelets under Spaceship Earth. We arrived at Innoventions around 6:45 pm, and they closed at 7 pm. We frantically walked through both Innoventions West and East. My mom bypassed an opportunity to ride a Segway. (Sadly, I am the appropriate age, but about 10 pounds under the miniumum weight limit.) Instead, we went to the House of the Future that my dad had toured and recommended. We were just in time for the last show of the day. There were so many new gadgets inside – automatic ovens, voice activated tvs, and, best of all, a bathtub with a tv in it!!!

Next, we headed to WS and bought Mickey and Minnie plush topiaries that commemorated the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. (Good thing we got them now, because the temporary outside stores close up at night.) It was now time for our third, and final, Flower Power Concert 8:15 pm. Today was Herman’s Hermits. (Again, Peter Noone was the only real Hermit; the other ones were fake Hermits!) My mom got in line while I got a funnel cake from the stand in the American Adventure. Even arriving at the last minute, there was plenty of seating. There were some extremely enthusiastic people sitting behind us clamoring for Peter Noone to sing a specific song. (Needless to say, their request was not honored.) Final Flower Power Concert Series Conclusion: Of the concerts we saw, my mom and I liked the Turtles the best.

We were hungry, so we ate a quick dinner in Yakitori House in Japan. We ate outside, so we could hear (and see) part of Illuminations. Later on, I walked down in front of the Japanese pagota to see the finale, which is my favorite part of Illuminations; I just love the music. You can really see Illuminations from anywhere, even at the last minute. PS is nice, but I don’t think it’s worth the extra money. (I noticed that they have PS for Illuminations on the Japanese pagota. However, it seemed that those people were also getting wine and dessert.)

I kind of wanted to see the American Adventure again, but the next show was not until 9:45 pm. (Epcot had EMH, so they closed at midnight.) I didn’t want to spend that much time, so we headed to FW and went to the Living Seas. Everyone was there. The line for Turtle Talk with Crush just kept growing and growing. We waited about 20 min. I had seen Turtle Talk in DCA before. It was a little different here; the part with Dory and the whale are not in DCA. There were some little kids who were very…different…that were talking to Crush. One told Crush he was “weird” and the other one said that he was “too smart.” Kids nowadays…? After Turtle Talk, we explored the Living Seas a little more. The acquarium really is huge. Even though the mantees were supposed to be sleeping, we still saw a few.

Next, we went to the Land. The Circle of Life film was closed. The Living With the Land boat ride had a 40 min. wait. This seems like a pretty common occurrence, although I’m not sure why…? I’ve been on it before, and it’s definitely not worth such a long wait. As usual, Soarin’ had a 60 min. wait. We left the Land and rode JIYI With Figment. There was absolutely no one in line. (I’m not sure why they even keep it open for EMH.) My mom and I had an entire ride vehicle to ourselves; which was a little creepy during parts of the ride when the lights went out. On our way out, we rode Spaceship Earth with no wait. Alas, our Epcot days have come to an end…? We took the bus back to PC and were in our room around midnight. My dad had slept all day and was feeling better now. We – well, my mom – did some packing (I helped a little). Somehow, we ended up taking back an entire suitcase of clean clothing. Tomorrow, our plan was to go to AK for a few hours and then *deep, long sigh* fly home.

Lessons Learned From Today – The Magic of Steam Trains tour is probably best suited for those interested in the technical aspects of railroads. Some things – TSI, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Splash Mountain – are better in MK. EMH at Epcot do just what they say: give you extra hours in the park, they don’t really make it any less crowded. For some odd reason, Living With the Land will always have a long wait. Ride Figment before he leaves forever.

Day 9 – Friday, June 9, 2006 (tear, tear, tear…SOBBING)

What We Did Today – The plan was to checkout by 11 am, check in our luggage and get our boarding passes, and go to AK for a few hours. We actually ended up taking a DVC tour at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. After kicking ourselves for not becoming DVC members sooner, we rode DME to the airport and flew back to El Paso through Houston.

We woke up around 7:30 am and packed the rest of our belongings. The bellman came around 10 am and took our check in luggage to be sent to the airport and stored our carry on luggage at PC. The line for boarding passes, etc. was pretty long. Don’t wait until the last minute to check in. It turned out that one of our pieces of luggage was 4 pounds overweight. Arg – I had to take out three pairs of shoes so that it would be under the 50 pound weight limit. Then, the CM put the shoes in a bag and stored them with the rest of our carry on luggage. I met back up with my dad to find out that he forgot to get the boarding passes. Back to the line (this time, we didn’t wait; I just went to the front desk and asked for them.) Our flight didn’t leave for Houston until 6:55 pm, so we didn’t have to catch the DME bus until 3:45 pm.

The plan was to go to AK for a few hours for EE, Dinosaur, Tree of Life pictures, and lunch. However, when my dad and I met back up with my mom, she was talking to the DVC representative at the DVC desk in Classic Hall. *hallelujah chorus* I had been wanting my parents to schedule a DVC tour since we had first met those DVC members during our PS for Illuminations. The DVC representatives don’t pressure you at all to become a member (I’m sure there’s a lot of reverse psychology involved in that…?) The next available tour at the DVC Preview Center at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa was at 1 pm. The DVC representative said that the bus would pick us up at PC at 12:40 pm. We ate a quick lunch while we waited for our bus. I’m sure you’ve seen tons of the DVC vans driving all around WDW; well, this is what they are for. Our van driver – I can’t remember his name, but he was a very good PR person – said they give over 100 tours per day! I would recommend that anyone even slightly interested in DVC take a tour. It’s so fun and you get so many goodies (more on this later…). Also, they are extremely flexible. The DVC vans will pick you up anytime, anywhere and, after the tour, they will likewise take you anywhere else in WDW that you want to go.

As soon as we arrived at the Saratoga Springs (SS) DVC Preview Center, we were given nametags and taken to a waiting area. It was fancy!!! There were refreshments, very comfy chairs, and gorgeous murals on the wall. After about 10 min. of waiting, our DVC representative, Michelle, came to take us on a private tour of SS, give us information, etc. First, she wanted to “get to know us a little better.” (I wanted to skip this part and go straight to the SS rooms – I already know that DVC is right for me!) After my dad asked all kinds of stupid questions such as “What kind of recreation is there at Vero Beach?” etc., we reminded Michelle that we were a little bit pressed for time. She took us to the preview rooms. First we went in the Studio. Oh, it was so nice; just the right size, with one bed, one sofa bed, and a kitchenette. The view of the lake outside was gorgeous. Then we went into a 1-bedroom vacation home – this was my favorite. It has a full kitchen, living room with a sofa bed, king size bed, and a divided bathroom with a jacuzzi and shower. The 2-bedroom vacation home was next, which is just an adjoining studio and 1-bedroom vacation home. Last was the 3-bedroom grand villa; even I have to say that it was a bit much. There is a full kitchen, dining room, living room, three bedrooms, and four bathrooms. It is two stories high. I walked all around it and got lost. It’s one of those things that you dream about but, in the end, just isn’t very practical. After seeing these rooms, my only thought was, “Ok, where do I sign up?” ?

Next, Michelle took us to the Tinker Bell room. Inside, you can preview the different collections available with DVC – Adventure, Concierge, Disney, etc. I wasn’t really interested in this, because my main focus…no, my only focus…is on WDW and DL properties. Michelle took us back to her office, where we discussed how flexible DVC is, how the vacation points work, etc. (Guess who kept delaying us by asking stupid questions…?) Never were we pressured to sign up immediately; however, there was an incentive for signing up in the next four days – 150 extra vacation points. Michelle told us just to call her when/if we wanted to become members. She was very good at PR and a self-proclaimed “princess.” (I have so much in common with her…) We were given a goody bag with brochures, newsletters, a book, etc. Each of us was also given a $15 gift card, valid anywhere at WDW. My mom and I had really wanted to linger at SS and each lunch there, but too much time had been wasted asking pointless questions, so…there was only time for some free ice cream while we waited for our van back to PC. We only saw a little bit of the SS grounds, but it looked beautiful. I think that we also saw the pool area. I wished that we could have lingered longer; serves us right for being stupid enough to wait until the last possible second for our tour.

The van driver on the way back was equally friendly and good at PR for DVC (hmm…I’m seeing a pattern here). He said that “vacations should never end” – I couldn’t agree with him more. We got back to PC – boy, that was DEPRESSING. Oh, how I miss the ambiance of upstate New York; back to the concrete jungle overrun with snotty nosed children!!! (Ok, that was a little mean, but you get my point!) My mom and I decided that we might as well use our gift cards at PC since they expired within a year. (WDW is not like DL where we come at least every 6 months.) My mom got a “Walt Disney World 2006” backpack and I got a WDW shirt with the Fab 4 (no Minnie). We were so angry that we didn’t have time to linger at SS *kicking self, slapping self*

The DME bus picked us up at 3:45 pm. We had to enter the…*sobbing* REAL WORLD …NOOOO!!! Yep, by the looks of things, I’m not in WDW anymore. We went to the airport, dealt with incredibly rude, arrogant, and pompous (to keep the language PG) TSA people. (My mom and I would have made a scene, but that’s a bad idea unless you want to get put on a “no fly” list.) Goodness, and I think that Disney CMs are rude sometimes…not even. We flew from Orlando to Houston. Luckily, the shows we watched were a little better this time. When we were watching the tv in the airplane, lo and beyhold – what should appear but a Disney Vacation Club commercial? An omen? – I think so. I looked at all of the goodies that Michelle had given us – *kicking self* for not becoming a member sooner! We arrived in Houston, which has a much better airport than Orlando – better food, better people, etc. We flew back to El Paso; I fell asleep because I had not slept much in several days (the things I do for theme parks…) All our luggage arrived safely. Let’s see…I’m in El Paso. There’s not much else to say. El Paso is my holding ground; it’s the place I stay in between Disney trips. We drove home and unpacked our stuff. I was too tired even to put my pins up on my bulletin board (I had to get another one because I was running out of space for all 193 of them!) I guess it’s kind of nice to be home. At least I have a nice, comfy bed here. The last thing you want to do in PC beds is to sleep; they are so uncomfortable. Also, it is necessary that I return home to plan…what else…my next Disney trip!!!

Lessons Learned From Today – BECOME A DISNEY VACATION CLUB MEMBER!!! Let me see…yep, that’s it. ?

Reflections of Walt Disney World:

(I shall try to “reflect” without shedding too many a tear…) This was one of my favorite Disney vacations ever – probably second only to being in Disneyland on the very day of its 50th anniversary. The weather in WDW was great, we got to visit during the HCOE, we didn’t have to wait in many lines at all. My only complaint was Pop Century; value resorts just aren’t my thing. Other than that, I don’t have too many complaints. I understand that, after reading my report, you might think that all I do is complain. It’s true that I am critical of everything about Disney theme parks, but I complain because I care. I find that the people who are the most critical of Disney are the ones who care about it the most. Regrets about the trip: Well, we only used EMH twice – one morning for AK and one evening for Epcot. However, it is impossible to stay out late every night and also get up early – you wear yourself ragged. I wish that we would have spent a little bit more time in AK. However, we went on our DVC tour instead. And, of course, I wish that we would have become DVC members sooner!!! Ok, I am now finished reflecting upon my Walt Disney World visit.

Update on Disney Vacation Club:

Its taken me over a week to write this trip report (it’s 33 pages in a Word document!) We made the decision to become DVC members. The paperwork has been sent to us; my parents (they do the scary legal stuff) just have to send it in. The representative said that we could make reservations today for a DVC resort if we wanted to. (I would, but there’s just a small problem of 1800 miles separating me from WDW. So, we’re not bona fide members of DVC yet, but we will be soon enough. It’s really true when you see in the DVC brochures that their members say “We wish we knew sooner!” I certainly wish that we had. Michelle called us up the other day to say “Welcome Home.” Less than one year – and counting – till we are at our vacation home.

Future Disney Vacation Plans:

It is a tradition for me to begin planning our next vacation as soon as we are leaving the parking lot of our hotel. Since our Disneyland APs are still valid through December 2006, we will probably make one last visit the week of Thanksgiving. The 50th decorations will be down, but we will be able to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean and re-decorated New Orleans Square. It’s a waste of DVC vacation points to stay in the DLR hotels, so we will stay either 4 or 5 nights at the Candy Cane Inn. Now for the really fun part – next summer. As my high school graduation present, we’ll be “switching coasts” and focusing more on WDW. We’ll probably get APs to WDW (theme park APs are only $315 with a huge DVC discount.) It’ll be worth it even if we only use them twice, since our visits are quite lengthy. We’ll stay at Saratoga Springs for 6 or 7 nights in a studio. Next, we’re off to Disney’s Vero Beach Resort for 2 or 3 nights in a deluxe inn room. Then, hopefully, *crosses fingers* we can get a 1-bedroom vacation home at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas for 5 or 6 nights. Yep, I’ve got it all planned out; and since we can make reservations up to 7 months in advance for all DVC resorts and up to 11 months in advance for Saratoga Springs (oh, the possibilities!)…ok, I won’t get too ahead of myself!!! Until then…

M-I-C…See ya real soon…K-E-Y…Why? Because we like you…M-O-U-S-EEEEE!!!

Sarah Stroud