Steve Russo
January 3 - January 10, 2007
Plane, Town Car and Magical Express
Resort: Boardwalk Villas
Accommodations: 2 Bedroom Villa
Infant/Toddler,Adult,
DVC Member

Participants
Me – Steve - Disney fanatic, DVC member, trip planner and your humble narrator.
Barb – my bride and fellow WDW traveler.
Michelle – Our Daughter and a WDW vet.
Will – Michelle’s husband. Two trips, with us, in 2002 and 2005.
Stephanie – Our Daughter. Also a WDW vet.
Stephen – Our Son. Also a WDW vet.
William (age 14 ½ months) – Will and Michelle’s son, Steve and Barb’s grandson, Stephanie and Stephen’s nephew – First trip and he’ll also be a contributing writer to this Trip Report.

Planning
The planning for this trip started shortly after William was born. Our children have inherited their parents’ affection / obsession for Disney World and, having last visited as a group in 2005, they were eager for a return trip. While William is probably of an age that’s too young to participate in many things, or even remember them, we felt that our enjoyment of watching him (and the several thousand photos we will undoubtedly take) would be enough of a memory for us all. We had considered either December or January and settled on January, shortly after the first of the year. This made the most sense for us – given work and school schedules. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see some of the Christmas decorations before they come down and get a chance to finally view the Osborne Lights (this year they’re the ‘Dancing’ Osborne Lights or something like that). The schedule for the Osborne Lights, which only Stephen has seen, has them running through January 7. (A quick aside here – Barb and I made one other Holiday trip in December 2003. While I anxiously awaited my first viewing of Jennings Osborne’s creation, it wasn’t meant to be. The Osborne Lights went on a one-year sabbatical while they remodeled the back lot to make way for Lights, Motors, Action – Extreme Stunt Show. Recently we returned from a short trip on November 2, 2006. After returning home, I learned they began previews of the Osborne Lights on November 4. I’m beginning to think I am not destined to view the Lights and am wondering what will go wrong this year – a massive power blackout?) By now, I’ve probably so over-hyped the Osborne Lights so much to myself that I will never be impressed by them. We’ll have to wait and see. Oh, yeah… we’re also hoping for the typically light January crowds and (not always typical) good weather.

Since our last ‘full family’ trip in 2005, we’ve had several changes – not the least of which is William’s birth. In May, Stephanie accepted a new position with a firm in New York City and has moved there. As we say in Upstate NY, she now lives in ‘The City’. She’ll be flying down solo. In October, Stephen turned 21-years old. In December, Michelle, Will, and William moved into their newly constructed home. What’s new for Barb and me? Let’s see… I came close to buying new socks in July.

Certainly, the biggest change will be having William along. On our first ever trip, Stephanie was 5 and Michelle was 8. On his first trip, Stephen was 4. We never really had to deal with strollers, car seats, child swaps, etc. so this will be a new experience for us.

<William: I’ve been hearing about this trip for months. Grandma and Grandpa keep putting stuffed animals in front of me and telling me their names. My parents make me watch videos. Not that I’m complaining - most of the videos are actually pretty good – not ‘Gone With the Wind’ good, but better than that ‘Police Academy’ tripe. Anyway, whenever we visit my Grandparents, they have all these pictures on their walls. “Look, William, it’s Walt and Mickey. Here’s Cinderella’s Castle. This is Spaceship Earth.” Sheesh! All I can say is, after all this hype, this place better be good.>

Travel
We booked our flights down as soon as the Southwest window opened for our dates. Initially, we paid $235 each but, after a few re-bookings, we wound up paying $130 each for the round trip. Stephanie booked her travel from NYC (LaGuardia Airport) on Delta for right around $200. She was also able to get flights that were very close in time to ours (she’ll land about an hour after we do) – although she’ll be hailing a taxi at 5:00 AM outside her Manhattan apartment. She says this is no problem but we’ll see.

I had a bit of a surprise on December 18th as I was printing out our reservations. I noticed that our flight down had magically changed from January 3 to December 3. Whoops! It must have been a finger check when I re-booked for the lower fare. I can’t describe the feeling I now had in the pit of my stomach. I had visions of the flights being more expensive or worse, sold out.

A check of the Southwest web site gave me the scary news that re-booking would be at a rate of $225 plus tax – each! Roughly $1,400 to buy seats I had already purchased. I contacted Southwest via phone and, at the urging of the phone agent, contacted their Customer Relations department (they were closing in 10 minutes). A very nice lady listened to my pleas, put me on hold for 2-3 minutes, and came back with some good news. They couldn’t honor the $49 fare I had for the December reservation but… they would honor the $69 fare I had for the reservation that preceded it. Bottom line, it cost me $150, rather than $1,400, for my faux pas – and that came out of the credits I had already accumulated via the multiple re-bookings. Phew!

<William: Way to go, Gramps. Can you spell ‘senility’? Look, you’re not getting any younger so you better start paying closer attention to this stuff. I have visions of stepping off the plane in what we think is Orlando, only to find we’ll be vacationing for a week in Hoboken..>

Our initial plans were to use Disney’s Magical Express (ME) for transportation to and from the resort. Further thought indicates that we could probably use a grocery stop – given the amount of things we’ll need for William (and for us). I booked a round-trip van through QuickSilver (with an AllEars discount). We’ll still send our luggage, Stephanie, and me through Magical Express. Steph lands about an hour after we do. I’ll hang at the airport and wait for her while the others ride with QuickSilver and shop for groceries.
We would need 2 cars for the transportation to the airport in Albany so it makes some sense to arrange for a van to pick us up. We’re using Northeast Shuttle, the same company that provided this service for us in 2005, even though their rates have almost doubled in less then 2 years. In January 2005, it was $75 round trip. Now it’s $120 – just about a wash with the cost of parking 2 cars.

Resort

Originally, I had us booked into a 2-Bedroom villa at the Boardwalk Villas (BWV) for the entire trip - until we decided to change our dates slightly. The first night, January 3 was not available at the Boardwalk so I reserved a 2-BR at the Beach Club Villas (BCV) for the one night and wait-listed the Boardwalk. On December 18 (the day that now lives in infamy due to the airline screw-up) the wait-list came through and we now had the first night at the BWV – although it’s a different view so we’ll still need to check out and back in.

Dining

The fact that you now must have Advance Dining Reservations (ADR) in order to eat at WDW has been beaten to death. I don’t like it, but we made a number of ADRs that included 4 character meals – breakfast at Chef Mickey’s and Donald’s Breakfastasaurus, and dinner at the Garden Grill and the Liberty Tree Tavern. We also have reservations at 50’s Prime Time Café, ‘Ohana, and the San Angel Inn. While we have no ADRs for these, we may also try for a lunch/dinner at Big River Grill and Brewing Company and/or Whispering Canyon Café.

Passes

Barb and I are set with the Annual Passes (APs) we purchased last January. This will be the third visit on these Passes so they have been well worth the purchase price. For everyone else, Santa came through this Christmas and gave each of them a 7-day Park Hopper (secured at a pretty good discount of $245 each, including tax and shipping, via Mousesavers from Undercover Tourist – thanks, Mary). We may choose to upgrade them to 8-day passes after we arrive.

Day 1 – Wednesday, January 3, 2007 – “Is that snow? Or rain?”

Yesterday, Barb and Stephen took Gunnar to his kennel. It’s always a bit traumatic to leave him but he is in one of the ‘Pampered Pet’ suites complete with a bed, cable TV (tuned to the Animal Planet, of course) and private entrance to the yard. I swear with what we’re paying, I could have put him up at Pop Century – maybe a moderate.

Last night we finished our packing and set the alarm for 3:30. True to form, I woke up at 1:35 and couldn’t get back to sleep. I have this sinister internal clock that refuses to ever let me hear an alarm clock go off.

Barb and I get up at around 3:10 and begin our process of coffee, showers, etc. Stephen rises a bit later and helps me carry the luggage (3 large suitcases) down to the garage. Michelle, Will and William show at about 5:10 and we all spend a few minutes playing with William before our shuttle shows. This is the second time we’ve used Northeast Shuttle and they have proven to be very prompt. The vehicle is sort of a mini-bus with room for about 12 people and luggage. We help the driver stow the bags (we’re now up to 6 large suitcases, 7 carry-ons, a stroller and a car seat) while Will installs the car seat. We load up and make a quick 25-minute trek to Albany International arriving at 5:50 for our 7:00 flight.

It’s not crowded so we quickly check our luggage and are told that two of our bags are overweight – Stephen’s by 8 pounds (thanks to his 34 pairs of athletic shoes) and one of Michelle’s. We can pay the $50 or try to reorganize the contents so they’re all underweight. Does anyone think that’s possible on the floor of the airport? Michelle steps in and pays the $50. It looks like our bargain flights are getting costlier.

We now make our way to Security. I have never before complained about the Security operations in any airport but after my last two trips, I’d have to say it’s really becoming a pain. Trying to juggle your boarding pass, ID and carryon while you remove your shoes, belt, watch, contents of your pockets, etc. is a real fete. Everyone now has at least 2 plastic tubs going through X-ray and, as I found out, sometimes the TSA folks decide that your stuff doesn’t need a tub and dumps your bag and shoes onto the belt – just for the heck of it. I was a little worried when I learned that Barb had a diaper bag, complete with bottles, while Will, Michelle and William were in a different line. Would TSA allow you through with baby paraphernalia and no baby? Apparently.

Finally through, I’m re-dressing on the other side when I see Will, seated and holding William, while he’s being wanded. Will has a pin in his hip (Or is it a knee? Or both?) that always causes a problem – even when he tells them about it. I can now see the agent frisking William’s legs and he begins to cry William, not the agent). Michelle comes to the rescue and they allow her to take William away while they complete Will’s strip search.

We’re finally through and head to our gate. Michelle, Will and William are allowed to pre-board while the rest of us are in the A group. When we board, we take the row behind them, which Michelle is in, and see that Will is locked in a battle trying to get the car seat installed. After about 5 minutes, he’s got it (there was a problem with uneven straps) and they put William in and everybody gets situated.

William sleeps for the first hour of the flight and then spends the next hour watching a portable DVD player. Before we left, I had burned a DVD for him of four shows from the Disney Channel: Jo-Jo’s Circus, Little Einsteins, the Wiggles and Mickey’s Clubhouse. According to Michelle, he watches these all the time at home and they did indeed keep his attention.

For the last 15-minutes of the flight, William was entertaining everyone around us with some very loud giggles. It turns out that Michelle was playing a game that my mother played with my children when they were little. It involves a little lamb that walks up your arm and some Italian phrases… At any rate, William enjoyed it and came through his first flight with flying colors (pun intended) and our worst fears of 2 hours of non-stop screaming were never realized.

We landed 20-minutes early, at 9:45, and visited some very crowded restrooms while we let William walk around a bit to burn off some stored energy. We took the monorail to the main terminal and I headed toward ‘B’ baggage claim to wait for Stephanie while everyone else headed to ‘A’ to meet our Quicksilver driver – who, by the way, whisked them away to a grocery stop and Disney’s Boardwalk Resort in a Cadillac Escalade. This never, ever happens to me. Had I been with them, it would have been a rusty 1968 Ford Econoline.

I headed toward ‘B’ and checked the status screens learning that Steph’s flight was due a few minutes late at 11:04. I went down to the Magical Express counter and waited in a short line. Now understand that all of our luggage is being shipped by Magical Express. When I asked, I was told that at least one person had to ride ME for it to be legitimate. When Stephanie was home for Christmas, I gave her the Magical Express travel coupon for her travel and a set of the Magical Express luggage tags. Now I checked in had a bit of difficulty explaining to the CM that I was only traveling with 2 people, not 7. I further complicated it by having her scan in me and Stephen (I was trying to save having Steph check in later with her own coupon). Finally done, I had visions of our luggage never leaving the tarmac.

I was very thirsty and realized I’d have to go all the back to level 1 to find anything to drink. I found a small food court and went to Nathan’s (they had no line) and ordered a small Diet Coke. I paid with a $20 and realized we had a big problem when Carlos rang it in his register as a $10. He spent 5-minutes trying to find a manager while I waited for my change. Maybe it’s me but couldn’t he have just given me the change indicated by the register plus $10? The register would still have balanced and you wouldn’t need to delay a guest – sorry, customer.

Back down to level 3 where I took up a chair with a view of the Magical Express counter and the approaching hallway and escalator. I had recently added some Disney tunes to my MP3 player so I plugged in and began to get into my Disney frame of mind with some favorites from Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid. At 11:15, I walked over and took up a spot by a pillar near the Magical Express counter. I saw a young woman come down the escalator. She was tall and thin, wearing sweats with a white stripe and a baseball cap with a ponytail sticking out of it. I started towards her and realized that, while it looked and dressed like Stephanie (or at least what I thought Steph would dress like for this flight), it wasn’t her. For the next 15 minutes, this woman must have walked into my field of vision 5 times – each time making me thing it was Steph. At about 11:25, I became a little concerned. There are no monitors on level 3 so you can’t check flight status. I pulled out the cell and found I had no service. I actually walked outside where I could get about ½ a bar but still no connection. As it turned out, Steph’s plane had landed but, for some reason, they had to wait 15 minutes before being allowed off. She had left me a voicemail explaining that.

Anyway… at 11:30 she showed up and we walked immediately to the Magical Express corral. The CM there gave us a little grief over the fact that our coupons said Beach Club even though they had made the change in their computer to Boardwalk. Eventually, he understood and let us through and on to a waiting bus. We left after just a minute or two and made one stop at the Caribbean Beach Resort before arriving at the Boardwalk at about 12:00. We called the others from the bus and learned that: 1) Barb had checked us in and the room wasn’t yet ready; 2) She had no success in getting the same room for the entire week; and 3) We should meet them for lunch at the ESPN Club.

We bypassed the lobby in favor of the stairs and walked to the ESPN Club where we found everyone had just been seated. We ordered a mix of sandwiches and salads. Stephen had been talking for weeks about getting his absolute favorite, the Dinger sandwich, so he was elated. I used the DDE card here for about $15 off our check.

We walked over to the International Gateway (IG) and I collected the 4 Park Hoppers from the ‘kids’. I already mentioned the great deal I got on these from Undercover Tourist but they only had 7-day hoppers – not 8. I thought we might want to visit a park on our last day so I stopped at the Guest Relations booth and asked about adding a day. The CM there, Sally, was very helpful and friendly. She asked about the lettering (HCMBL) on my golf shirt and also remarked about the great deal I had on the passes. The cost of the additional day was $2.13 per ticket or $8.52. Sally said I had saved almost $160, which was a bit generous – I may have saved that over the ‘gate’ prices but not advance purchase. The new tickets said ‘The Russo Kids’ on the back but had the same characters on the front so I handed them out the same way: Stephen had Mickey, Stephanie had Tinkerbell, Michelle had Cinderella and Will got the Fab Five.

Next, we headed into Epcot where we decided on Future World to check on the wait times. I pushed William’s stroller here for a bit and finally joined the army of stroller-Nazis I’ve read so much about. A couple of comments here about stroller usage at WDW: I was clipped once in the ankle when two women put a squeeze play on me while leaving the Magic Kingdom. Generally, we had no problems and none of us hit anyone with a stroller. My own experiences indicate that, yes, there are some people that use a stroller (or wheelchair) as a road-grader. There are also a number of unencumbered pedestrians that will cut or stop dead in front of you, almost daring you to hit them. It seems to me that, for the most part, both factions could benefit from a bit of common sense.

It was about 1:30 when we reached Future World. We had determined that the Standby wait for Soarin’ would probably be prohibitive (as it turned out, the tip board had it at 90 minutes) so the plan was for Stephen and I to head out quickly to secure FastPasses (FPs) and then we could all head to the Seas with Nemo and Friends. Unfortunately, as we neared the Land building there was a sign at the beginning of the entrance ramp advising everyone that FPs were gone for the day.

We met up with the others and walked down to the Seas. I know it’s just me but I still find the seagulls outside, doing their “Mine. Mine” bit, very funny. The line was stretched outside the building and through a series of ropes. It stretched beyond the ropes where a CM was trying to get it organized against a wall and beginning to extend back toward the Land. From visiting this attraction in October, I knew that there was a significant amount of queue inside the building and this line was not one that I particularly wanted to deal with.

What to do? I know… Spaceship Earth where there’s (almost) never a wait. The Standby time was listed at 20 minutes but, based on the length of the line I figured it would be less. We were on the ride in about 10 minutes. So… the answer to what is destined to be a future trivia question (What was William’s first Disney World attraction?) has been determined.

<William: Yeah, it was pretty cool. I wasn’t crazy about that burnt smell in ancient Rome but all the flickering lights were neat. And was that a Hidden Mickey by the sleeping monk’s right hand?>

At the exit there were still signs indicating something was “Coming soon from Siemens” but I could detect no activity behind the walls. As we exited, we began the walk around the front of Spaceship Earth to pick up the stroller and saw there was now no line at all – the ride was a walk on.

We walked back to the tip board and saw that Mission: Space had a standby wait of 90 minutes and Test Track was 60. It was obvious that there was a significant crowd – one I didn’t expect we’d see in early January. It appears that some folks are staying beyond January 1 but the question is: How much longer will the crowds be here?

We thought a slow walk back to the Boardwalk could possibly get us there when our room was ready so that’s what we did. We moved between Future World (FW) and World Showcase (WS) through the Lights of Winter and past Epcot’s impressive Christmas tree. We (and by ‘we’ I mean me Michelle, Will and William – Barb, Stephen and Steph never noticed) stopped at one of the two shops as you enter Future World. I don’t know if I’ve ever known their names but they’re the shops closest to the Friendship boat dock. Michelle was looking for a set of ‘International Coins’ that a co-worker had asked her to buy. She asked a CM inside and we found and purchased them quickly. When we exited the shop, we realized that the others weren’t waiting for us and must not have seen us duck in there (I told you it was crowded). We hooked up via cell phone and they were waiting for us in Canada.

At the IG, Chip and Dale were posing for pictures so we thought this might be a good time to test William’s tolerance of the characters. When it was his turn, Will took him out of the stroller and approached Chip and Dale, positioning himself between them. William was fine posing for photos but was a little skittish whenever one of the characters tried to touch him.

<William: A little skittish? Those were the biggest chipmunks I’ve ever seen. I was afraid one of them would stick me in his cheek.>

To their credit, both characters seemed to recognize this and kept their activities to waves and gestures. Mission accomplished: William was exposed to characters, we got photos and, most importantly, he’s not traumatized by the experience.

We took a Friendship boat back to the Boardwalk – something we rarely do but we were trying to kill some time. We took up some spots in the lobby and called to learn the rooms were not yet ready. William was long overdue for his afternoon nap but was holding up well. For the rest of us, we just wanted a place to relax and freshen up a bit. Because we were to be in this room for only one night, we didn’t expect to do a great deal of unpacking.

One of the first things I noticed was that there were no Christmas decorations up in the Boardwalk lobby. This was kind of unusual because on a previous January trip (arriving on January 8) the Boardwalk still had a tree, garland and that chocolate display in the lobby. It looks like they came down early this year even though Epcot seemed to still have all of theirs up – and Christmas music playing.

Will let William roam around the lobby, following him closely, so he could burn off a little energy. Our plight must have been obvious because a CM named DJ (one of the suits with a headset) came over and asked if he could help. He listened and went to work, eventually telling us we could move into the studio part of our 2-BR villa – provided we swore on a bible that we would not enter the 1-BR area while Mousekeeping was still there.

We made the looong walk to our villa, settled in and called for our checked bags. They showed in about 5-minutes. I checked the hallway and the housekeeping cart was no longer in front of the room next door so I entered and found it cleaned and vacant. We spread out a bit and Will plugged in William’s DVD and we all got a kick out of watching him ‘dance’ with Jo-Jo. His dancing is sticking out his butt and bending his knees rhythmically while smiling – which, come to think of it, is exactly like my dancing.

<William: Eat your heart out, Travolta.>

I called Bell Services again to inquire about our Magical Express luggage. While I was on hold, Will told me that it was here. The CM, with the cart, was in the hallway and the person on the phone told me it was “on the way”. This is our third time using Magical Express and I really have no complaints. We did some minimal unpacking, mainly changing into shorts because it was in the low-80s.

We were in rooms 1133 and 1135 – the first time we’ve stayed on the ground floor. This is considered a ‘preferred view’ villa. I walked out to our patio and saw we had a large shrub that bordered it. Our view was of a pond and the parking lot (just partially visible behind some trees) and, off to the right, the tennis courts and walkway/lagoon to MGM-Studios. All that will be important later.

Back inside, we make the sleeping arrangements and just settle in to relax and freshen up a bit. Will and Stephen went to the quiet pool for a swim.

At around 5:30, we decided to head to MGM and made the walk. Our room is a long, long way from the lobby but does afford us a head start on the walk to MGM. We got through security and the turnstiles and then maneuvered through a fairly large crowd to see the Osborne Lights. I thought I might have over-hyped these but they didn’t disappoint. We were all very impressed. We made our way slowly through the street and stopped about halfway when the Christmas carols changed to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This is when the dimmers kicked in and the lights began their dancing to the music. If you’ve seen the video of the private home that did this (later made into a commercial) it’s basically the same thing only on a much larger scale. Very cool.

Just after this ‘show’ ended, we were standing there, enjoying the lights and Christmas music and the falling ‘snow’. I noticed that my light blue shirt appeared to be spotted with the snow and then realized that the snow was getting just a bit heavier. Wait a second, is that snow? Or is it rain? It was rain and it was getting heavier by the second. We decided to find some place to wait it out and everyone looked to me for a decision on where. Walt Disney World is the one place on this planet where I have ‘street cred’.

A lot of folks on the street had the foresight to bring ponchos and umbrellas with them. Not us. We had one poncho stowed in the bottom of William’s stroller and 5 or 6 safely tucked away in a suitcase back in the room – staying warm and dry. I led everyone to the Backlot Express and figured we could grab a little dinner while we waited out the downpour. Unfortunately, they stopped serving at 6:30 and it was now 6:33. We hung out for a few minutes when the kids decided they may as well go ride something and headed for the Twilight Zone – Tower of Terror while Barb and I kept William and found some seats to wait out the rain. I wasn’t optimistic they’d be able to ride since I noticed, on the way to the Osborne Lights, that Star Tours had a Standby wait of 70 minutes!

When they got there, they were greeted with a 75-minute wait so they bailed and decided to wait it out under the shelter of the Tip Board. They called us and, after spreading the poncho over the stroller, we headed out. The rain had slowed to a sprinkle but we hurried through anyway. We took the path by the Indiana Jones attraction. At one point, we both noticed a terrible stench. It was strong and smelled like a sewer or septic system had backed up – very gross. Naturally, I blamed Barb. I remember reading about a similar occurrence in the Magic Kingdom near Peter Pan and Small World – also during a downpour. Does WDW have a sewage problem when it rains?

We meet the kids by the Tip Board and decide that, with the crowds and the late hour, we’ll probably not get much done at MGM this evening and we decide to head back. The rain mercifully stops and, after seeing there’s a significant crowd by the boat dock, we walk back.

It’s already been a long day for William so he gets a bath and bed. The rest of us decide on room service pizza and order up two large pies (one pepperoni and one mushrooms and peppers - which becomes sausage and peppers somehow). The (something) Bowl game is on with Notre Dame and LSU and Will is a HUGE Notre Dame fan so that’s on the tube.

After the pizza, Michelle, Barb and I decide to head into Epcot for Illuminations – Reflections of Earth (IROE). We enter through the International Gateway at about 8:45 and stroll around a crowded World Showcase until we find a decent spot by the lagoon between France and Morocco. It’s a warm and humid evening, probably made more humid by the earlier rain. There doesn’t appear to be much of a breeze and as the fireworks are exploding, the smoke is building and just hanging in the air over the lagoon. I’ve never seen this happen before but the area is now so smoky, you can barely see the globe or the fireworks. There’s a low barrage near the end that is mostly very bright white lights. They looked yellow behind all the haze. It was really weird.

We headed back to the Boardwalk and I was surprised at how much smoky haze still hung over the Boardwalk area. At the ESPN Club, we checked through the window and learned LSU was ahead 14-7. Back at the room, Will and Stephen were watching the game while Steph was curled up under a blanket on the sofa (her bed once it’s opened). Barb and I retired to the master bedroom and learned we had no remote for our TV. I borrowed the one from the living room to set the TV timer and returned it. I then tried to adjust the volume, accidentally hit the Power button and turned off the TV – also resetting the timer. So I had to re-borrow the remote and repeat the process. I watched Notre Dame tie it up at 14-14 before I fell asleep (they wound up losing 41-14).

Miles Walked Today – OK, I traded in my old, cheap mechanical pedometer for a new high-tech job. The old one allowed me to enter my stride in some excessive measurement like miles, while this new one allows inches so my readings should be much more accurate. The new one must be high-tech because it actually has a battery – and I did pay $5.99 at Target for it. I put the thing on my belt when I exited the plane in Orlando. Today’s distance is 9.29 miles.

Things I Think I Think – I think Northeast Shuttle is pretty reliable although I still worry. I think we worried about William on a plane for no reason. I think I’m still not sure if Jo-Jo is a male or female clown (Michelle clued me in – she’s female). I think I would have liked being picked up in an Escalade although I don’t think it will ever hold us all plus our luggage on the return trip – I’ll have to call them. I think I’ve had the same ‘view’ at the Boardwalk before and it was ‘standard’, not ‘preferred’. I think the Osborne Lights are all I thought they’d be. While I don’t mind switching hotel rooms when it’s just Barb and me, I think it’s going to be a royal pain with this large crew and a baby.

Day 2 – Thursday, January 4, 2007 – “If you don’t like the view, take a step to your right for a better one.”

If you’ve read any of my prior trip reports you already know that I’m an early riser. I stayed in bed until about 5:30 just because I didn’t want to disturb Stephanie too early. I made my way into the kitchen area while Steph was asleep on the sofa bed. I attempted to make a pot of coffee in the dark and actually did fairly well until I realized the coffee pot wasn’t plugged in. I was feeling for an outlet on the backsplash when I accidentally hit the switch for the garbage disposal. Damn, those things are loud. I flicked it off quickly but I knew the damage was done when I heard Steph stirring. It wasn’t a big deal because she had set her alarm for 5:45 so she and Stephen could get in a run.

Mornings are typically a mix of breakfast (coffee, juice, English muffins, cold cereal, oatmeal, etc.) taken in shifts while others are showering, dressing or otherwise getting ready. Additionally, Michelle had the added burden of getting some food ready for William for later, and icing it down in a small, insulated lunch bag she had brought.

This morning, while sipping coffee and updating my notes, I learned that Stephanie had committed a Disney faux pas last evening and made the others swear they wouldn’t tell me (so naturally, they couldn’t wait to rat her out). While taking shelter from the rain by the Tip Board, there was a spider dangling down over someone’s head. When it was noticed, it elicited the usual shrieks and a CM told everyone not to worry, it was only a “Disney spider”. To this, Stephanie replied “Like Charlotte (from Charlottes’ Web)”. The CM said, “That’s not Disney.” - something I’m sure Steph knew but she must have had a brain-freeze.
While getting ready, I also noticed something new since our October trip: all the Disney toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion) are all in plain-packaged bottles and are branded “H2O”. I’m not familiar with this brand but I thought they were fine for my use (although I also liked the old Mickey shampoo which everyone else hated). I can’t give you a review from any of the ladies because they all brought their own stuff. We all, however, used the new Mickey H2O soap, which was fine.

Steph and Stephen came in from a 3.25-mile run and a brief swim. I headed to the front desk to complete the check out / check in process, again pleading our case to keep the same room to no avail. At 8:00, we had everything packed up again, including our groceries, and had Bell Services pick up and store 27 bags – yes, 27. A few of those, however, only contained a box of cereal or a gallon of milk. I have usually adhered to a tipping policy of tipping only on receipt of something – picking up my car (not dropping it off) and receiving my bags (not storing them). This was reinforced years ago when a Bell Services type refused a tip on bag storage saying “Save it for the person that delivers your bags.” Before leaving, the CM with our 27 bags paused and said “You won’t be seeing me again. Someone else will deliver these.” I took that as a clear request for a tip – and I gave him one. I also gave an equivalent tip to the CM that ultimately delivered the bags. Do they share tips? Or have I been wrong in my one-way tipping policy?

We walked to MGM, taking the short cut by exiting the building near our room. It was only ½ mile to MGM Security from this spot. We had a short wait at the turnstiles and this is where I formulated my theory on determining the age of a man by the length of his shorts. This was to be another warm day (low 80s) and a lot of guys were in shorts. Most men under the age of 25 wear shorts that reach somewhere below the knee and above the ankle. Keep in mind that these are shorts and not those hideous Capri-like things I’ve seen worn at WDW – at least 5 on this trip alone. Men approaching middle age, wear shorts that reach to the knee. Those in middle age wear shorts that finish slightly above the knee while those classified as elderly typically wear those ‘Daisy Dukes’ that expose more thigh than any of us ever want to see. Test out my theory next time you’re in line and see if it isn’t (mostly) true. I attribute this ‘fashion anomaly’ as a man’s homage to the style that was in fashion when he bought the shorts – and the propensity for most men to keep a pair of shorts forever.

Once they let us in and dropped the rope, we made a beeline for Tower of Terror. I sent everyone else on the ride while I graciously agreed to look after William. I’m such a nice guy. He was ready for his morning nap and he and I did laps around the area until he fell asleep. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (RnRC) was down for rehab and I was amazed at the number of people that did not know it. Listening to conversations, people were hoping that it wouldn’t be down all day when I knew it was to be down for several weeks.

When everyone came off the ride, they were sporting those Year of a Million Dreams (YoaMD) Fast Passes (FPs) around their necks – a plastic card with six FPs for different attractions in the Studios. They received them in the library after the Rod Serling video concluded. Barb and I received the YoaMD Mouse-Ears in October in the same spot. Our only problem now, because I wasn’t on the ride, is that we have 5 FPs for 6 adults.

We thought about getting some breakfast at the Commissary but decided on MuppetVision 3D instead. William was still asleep in his stroller so Barb agreed to sit with him while the rest of us saw the show. Barb and I figure that we get here often enough that missing a particular attraction is not a big deal. When we exited MuppetVision, a passing CM stopped to compliment us on our YoaMD Fast Passes. He asked if anyone told us that, since Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was in rehab, we could use that FP for any other Fast Pass attraction. No one did and we thanked him for that little tidbit of information.

Next up was Star Tours. The Standby wait was 40-minutes (I haven’t seen more than 10-minutes here in over 2 years. Will these people go home already?) so we used the FP. When we exited, William was awake so we took a few photos of him (and Will) on the ‘speeder’ across from the attraction. We also got a few shots of William and me in the car in front of the Sci-Fi Drive-In Theater.

We tried the Commissary for breakfast and learned they stop serving it at 10:30. It was now 10:33 and the second time we’ve missed a meal by 3-minutes. Not to be deterred, we continued walking to Starring Rolls where most of us chowed down on pastries, croissants, coffee and water. I had a chocolate croissant that was very, very good but I love anything chocolate (and I go out of my way just so I can say the work “croissant”).

We decided to hit the Voyage of the Little Mermaid (VotLM) next – something we haven’t done since 2001. We thought it was an attraction that William would enjoy and we did have a FP for it from the YoaMD award. Additionally, I admit to having a bit of a ‘thing’ for Ariel. I know I’m married and quite a bit older than she is but I can dream, can’t I? This is where that RnRC Fast Pass would come in handy. Everyone else used their VotLM Fast Pass while I used a RnRC Fast Pass from someone else’s card. We attempted to explain this to a CM at the beginning of the FP queue but it was losing something in the translation. I finally just asked her if I could use the RnRC Fast Pass and she said “Why not?” and let us pass. We all enjoyed this show, even William. I believe the Little Mermaid has become my favorite sound track. And I still have a thing for Ariel .

<William: Hubba, hubba.>

We strolled down Mickey Avenue where William and Michelle were able to get pictures and autographs with Jo-Jo and Goliath (although Goliath doesn’t sign. Why not? Pluto does). They were thinking of going to meet the Little Einsteins next when I noticed a sign at the end of the street indicating that Sorcerer Mickey was receiving guests. I looked inside the building and saw a very short line so in we went. We managed to get Mickey’s autograph and a couple of photos – 2 on our PhotoPass card and one with my camera thanks to a very nice CM photographer.

The kids wanted another ride on Tower of Terror so we headed there. I was going to sit out again but William started to cry when Michelle walked away so she came back to sit with him. The rest of us used the 5 FPs to ride. When we came out, we learned that William took a little walk, fell and skinned the knuckles on his left hand pretty good. Michelle stopped the bleeding and cleaned them up but they still looked pretty raw. Well, it won’t be the last time he takes a tumble.

We were ready to leave MGM but still had 2 FPs left on the cards – Indiana Jones and the Lights, Motors, Action – Extreme Stunt Show. None of us was up for seeing either so we looked for a family of 4 or 5 to give them to. Stephanie spotted a family of 4 having lunch outdoors and she approached them and offered them the FPs. They took them but Steph did say that they were not very appreciative nor thankful. Oh, well.
We rode the boat back from MGM and exited at the first stop, the Swan. We walked to the Dolphin to continue a Russo tradition that states that during every trip, at least one meal would be replaced with ice cream. We went to the Dolphin Fountain and settled in for a round of Sundaes. Before they knew we were having ice cream, they brought a View Master to the table. It contained 3D photographs of the items on their regular lunch menu – pretty cool. While we were gorging ourselves, we called the Boardwalk and learned our rooms (2129 and 2131) were ready.

After ‘lunch’, we walked to the Boardwalk. I sent everyone else to find our rooms while I went to Bell Services to arrange delivery of our 27 bags. I headed down to the room and found it to be identical to the 2-BR we had yesterday, except everything was reversed. I stepped out on the balcony and here’s where things get interesting. Yesterday, we were in 1131 and 1133. Room 2131 is directly above 1131 and, at least by my reckoning, provides an identical view – just one floor higher. I could look down from our balcony, and slightly to the right I could see the patio I stood on yesterday. How could yesterday’s room offer a ‘preferred’ view while this was a ‘standard’ view? I paid an 8-point premium for yesterday’s room but, more importantly, we were forced to move to this ‘standard’ view.

I also noticed that, in the envelope of room keys I was given, there was one for William but none for Stephanie. So I set off on the .11-mile trek to the front desk to clear up both issues. I drew a CM that was “Earning her Ears” but she did have a more-experienced CM helping her. Getting the room card for Steph wasn’t a problem but I was having a bit of trouble getting them to understand the issue on the view. Finally, the more experienced CM seemed to grasp it and went to work on his computer. The crux of the issue is how can a room that is a few inches left of another offer a different category of view. He explained this with the fact that room 2129 (the 1-BR portion of our 2-BR villa) was a ‘standard’ view while all the others were ‘preferred’. The inference here is that all the rooms in this wing, from the lobby to room n129 are standard view. As you traverse the wall between n129 and n131, the view magically changes to ‘preferred’. Give me a break. I’ve never written a letter of complaint to Disney on any previous trip but they will hear from me on this one.

At last, we were able to unpack. We chilled for a bit in the rooms, let William (and some others) catch a nap, and headed out at 4:30 for our 5:30 reservation at ‘Ohana. We took a bus to the Magic Kingdom and then the resort monorail to the Polynesian. I checked us in at the desk and was given a pager. We went into the Tambu lounge and I gave a drink order for a Manhattan (me), gin and tonics (Barb and Will) and a cabernet (Stephanie). The bartender told us to take some seats and he’d have a waitress deliver them. We found 2 tables in the back corner and sat down as I watched the bartender pour gin into 2 glasses. At that point, the pager went off. Sheesh! That took all of 3-minutes. We asked our hostess to wait until the drinks were ready and paid for.

We were seated at a table just inside the restaurant. The view wasn’t as good as in past trips when we could see the Castle from our table but, all in all, the table was fine. Our waitress was Patty from Niskayuna – another suburb in the Albany area. It’s a small world after all (sorry, couldn’t resist). She was very friendly and spent a few minutes with William. I swear he was flirting with her.

<William: Certainly, I was. She was cute. I wonder if she’s seen me dance…>

We did order a grilled cheese for William and it never appeared on the check so his flirting must have worked.

<William (singing): I’m just a gigolo, everywhere I go…>

Patty started bringing the food – salad, wontons and dipping sauces, shrimp, chicken wings, scalloped potatoes, vegetables… and then the skewers of meat started coming. ‘Ohana was a big hit, particularly with the guys.

About mid-dinner, the hostess appeared at my shoulder and gave me a certificate, a lei and a button (she made me wear the button and lei) for my birthday – which was actually last week. This was apparently Stephanie’s revenge for my celebrating her birthday several times during our last trip. I did wear the lei and button but thankfully was saved from the “Happy Birthday’ singing that seemed to be occurring at a few of the other tables. The kids insisted on picking up the tab for this ‘birthday’ meal and, after the mandatory objection, I let them – but only after providing the DDE card for the 20% off. (NOTE – Please be aware that at no time did I demean myself and this report by resorting to the tired ‘I got lei’ed at Disney World’ line.)

After dinner, we decided to take the monorail rather than the boat to the Magic Kingdom. Big mistake. We saw 3 express monorails go by before the resort monorail stopped. The wait had to be 15-20 minutes and, by the time it got there, there was a large crowd waiting to board. Once we boarded, they made an announcement that they were experiencing difficulties and the top speed was only 15 mph. At this point, several of our party asked me what the monorail’s speed usually was and I had to guess – thereby destroying the ‘street cred’ I thought I had. I guessed 45 mph. A quick Google search indicates the top speed is somewhere between 35 and 55 mph depending on which web site you choose to believe. Anyway, it took a while for us to reach the Magic Kingdom.

The Magic Kingdom was very crowded. We were going to head into AdventureLand for a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean. Michelle, Will and William decided to stay in Town Square where they found a good spot to watch SpectroMagic, which was about 20-minutes away. The rest of us made our way, swimming upstream, to Pirates where we saw a 50-minute Standby time posted and a line of people out the door. We decided to pass and headed back toward Main Street. Steph indicated she was going to head back rather than stay for the parade so I sent her through the shops on the right side of Main Street, figuring that would be easier than fighting the crowds on the street and sidewalk. We made our way slowly to the left side and back to Town Square where we joined the others about 5-minutes before the parade started. Michelle and Will had purchased a Mickey balloon for William.

SpectroMagic was good, as always, and our view was actually very good. Will held William for much of the parade, for a better view. We also got some pretty good photographs. I had predicted that, once Spectromagic ended, a large part of the crowd would make a dash for the exits. Boy was I wrong. It seemed 99% of the people went in the other direction. We, on the other hand, decided to leave before Wishes and made our way out. The girls hit the restroom just outside the exit and we made our way to the bus stops. In about 2-minutes, we boarded a very un-crowded bus back to the Boardwalk. The nice thing about returning to the Boardwalk from the Magic Kingdom is that the Boardwalk is the first stop, followed by the Swan and Dolphin. The Yacht and Beach Clubs have their own bus. Buses from AK and DD will service all 5 resorts with the Boardwalk almost always the last stop. We typically deal with that by exiting at the first stop, the Swan, and making the short walk to the Boardwalk.

We found Stephanie back at the room and we watched a little TV before turning in.

Miles Walked Today – 9.91

Things I Think I Think – I think we’ve gotten very lucky (again) with January weather. It hit a high of 82 today and it should stay like this until next Tuesday. I think we’ve gotten very unlucky with the crowds. It seems like a lot of people that were here for holiday week have stayed. I’m now hoping they all leave over the weekend. I think the chocolate croissant at Starring Rolls is very good. I think I just like saying ‘croissant’ (croissant, croissant, croissant… see?). I think DVC is going to get a complaint on the way they categorize different views at the Boardwalk. I think more restaurants should use View Masters for displaying their menu. I think I like ‘Ohana.

Day 3 – Friday, January 5, 2007 – Breakfast with a 6-foot dog

I’m awake very early and decide to head out for a walk rather than disturb Stephanie. I strap on the MP3 player and my sneakers and head out for a couple of laps around Crescent Lake. I really enjoy the solitude of an early morning walk around Disney World. I can remember doing the same thing around Barefoot Bay at the Caribbean Beach Resort – although I think I was running more than walking in those days. There is some activity on the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk and sidewalks are wet so I assume they’ve already been washed – any idea when that happens? There’re also a few folks hard at work in the Boardwalk Bakery.
After 30-minutes, I head back to the room and put on a pot of coffee (quietly). I then retreat to the bathroom to update my notes. It’s the only room where I can get enough light without waking someone.
Stephanie gets up with her alarm at 5:45 and heads out for her run. She’s given up on Stephen who would rather sleep later. Steph is sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room of our villa. These beds are new and I can recall seeing them being delivered and moved in during once of our recent trips – although I’m too lazy to look up which one. The typical sofa bed has you remove the cushions and then pull the bed part from the area under the cushions. These new ones have a single strap in the center of the back of the sofa. You pull this strap forward and the whole thing unfolds easily without removing any cushions. It’s much easier to open and close and both Stephen and Stephanie said they were very comfortable.

We have a breakfast reservation at Chef Mickey’s today and Stephanie has decided to stay back in favor a workout and some additional sleep. We leave the room at around 7:15 and take up a bench at the bus stop. We see one Animal Kingdom bus go by. A second, unlabeled bus stops and the driver asks where we’re headed. When he hears Magic Kingdom, he says “OK” and leaves. I’m not sure what to make of that. Maybe I should have said the Contemporary. The Magic Kingdom bus shows at 7:30 and we make it there quickly and decide to walk to the Contemporary.

I check us in and we pose for the picture (which we later declined) and are given a pager. In 5-minutes, we’re seated in a glass-partitioned area toward the back. Our waitress gives us the lay of the land as we settle in and order orange juice and coffee. The characters (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald) are out and making the rounds. They make frequent stops at each table. William was a little put off by the first couple of characters (Goofy and Pluto). It appeared that the bigger the character (physically), the more intimidated he would become. We didn’t push him at all and, thankfully, neither did the characters. By the end of the meal he was smiling whenever Mickey or Minnie were in view, waving to them and giving high-fives to all.

<William: OK. I finally get it. These guys are here for my amusement and aren’t planning to eat me. It took a while but… c’mon. If you see a 6’ dog coming at you in a chef’s hat, what are you going to think?>

My take on Chef Mickey’s? It’s noisy – no surprise there because others have reported that frequently. It’s expensive – at least for my tastes. It’s difficult for any of us to get a ‘good deal’ on a breakfast buffet – we just don’t eat enough at breakfast. The character interaction is plentiful and they each come to your table frequently. So why did I see lots of kids running around to the characters rather than just waiting at their table? In at least a few of the cases, I heard the parents encourage them to get up and “Go see Mickey”. The bill, after DDE discount, was $80.90. I’m glad we did this but it is a steep price to pay for breakfast.

We took turns using the restrooms at the Contemporary and Michelle brought William in for a diaper change. He was getting a bit fussy as it was almost time for his morning nap. Stephanie called and she was at the Magic Kingdom and said she would meet us by Tony’s. We decided to walk to the Magic Kingdom and were almost run over by the driver of one of those behemoth SUVs (Ford Excursion) as he exited the parking lot while chatting on his cell phone.

We met Steph at Tony’s at about 9:10. We sent the kids on Space Mountain while Barb and I walked William around while he slept. We did enter FantasyLand and secured some FPs for Mickey’s Philharmagic. We went back to TomorrowLand and took a seat on a bench by Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and waited for the kids there. They showed at 9:40 and by this time William was awake so we all decided on a ride on Buzz. I managed to score 486,000, which qualified me as a Space Ace but this fell far short of the time I maxed out at 999,999. I’m still not sure how I did that so I will probably never duplicate it. My high score this time was mainly attributed to the ride’s stopping while I continually blasted a single target. William seemed to enjoy this ride but it was probably just an attraction to the colors, movement and noise.

<William: They wouldn’t let me shoot anything!>

We walked across and on to the TomorrowLand Transit Authority (TTA) and took a spin. The kids had timed things well because Space Mountain was now down. As we entered the Mountain, there were two cars, one on either side, about halfway up the first ramp and stopped dead. Further on, all the interior lights were on and we could see people at the top exiting the vehicles and walking. I grabbed my camera and fired off 4 or 5 photos before we left the building. I can recall doing this once before and shooting video inside but this time it seemed to be much brighter in there.

Next up was Mickey’s Philharmagic. We used the FPs but they really weren’t necessary. We had just entered the empty queue (everyone else was inside) and were waiting for Michelle and Will who were parking the stroller. The CM said that the doors were opening and if we hurried, we’d make it into this show. I got Michelle’s attention and gave her the ‘Hurry’ signal. We rushed through the queue and made it into a theater that was approximately 80% full.

In planning for the 3D movies with William, I had suggested we try to be first into the theater so we could move all the way through and snag the end seats in the row. That way, if William didn’t react well, we’d be next to the exits for a quick getaway. In this case, we were the last ones in the theater so we stayed with the end-of-the-row seats on the left side. Not to worry, William seemed to enjoy the show and even left the glasses on for 30 seconds or so.

It’s a Small World was right up the street so… why not? We boarded after a 5-minute wait. Barb and I ride this every couple of trips. Our children? We used to have to drag them on. This time, everyone went more or less willingly. It was the first time the kids had ridden since the major rehab. If you’ve ever wondered what demographic this ride delivers to, I now have the answer. William seemed enthralled throughout the ride. His eyes were everywhere as he drank it all in. He would point whenever something of particular interest came into view. I’m wondering how long it will be before he refuses to ride?

Michelle and Will decided to stay in FantasyLand with William. It was at this point that I slowly looked around FantasyLand, and the mobs of people that were everywhere, and thought back to our day in the MK last October. I took a photo of FantasyLand and it barely had 6 people in it. Today, that same photo would have 6,000.

We said goodbye to Michelle, Will and William and headed toward Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (BTMRR). We got there at 11:10 and saw a 20-minute Standby queue. FPs were available for 11:45, only 35-minutes away so we grabbed 3 and headed toward Pirates. Pirates had a 30-minute posted wait but it was a bit shorter as we were off the ride in 25-minutes. I still think the Davy Jones bit at the beginning of the ride is a great effect.

We next used our FPs for Big Thunder and were on the ride in 5-minutes. After BTMRR, we decided it was time to leave the Magic Kingdom and headed for the exits. Stephanie and Stephen walked toward the bus stops while Barb and I went to the Monorail Station. Our plan was to monorail to Epcot and pick up Soarin’ Fast Passes for later – I had everyone’s park pass with me.

We caught the express monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and then switched quickly to a waiting Epcot monorail. The monorail was crowded. Barb scored a seat and I was standing nearby. During the trip, she commented to me as we passed a worker using a weed-whacker around a row of about a dozen Port-a-Johns. The guy standing next to me took her comment as his cue to launch into a lengthy monologue about the Walt Disney World Marathon that would be run this Sunday. He was pretty loud so, while his comments were directed at me and Barb, the entire car was his audience. We heard all about the 3 football fields of portable toilets, where all the medical tents were, etc. He was very careful to inform us all that he was running in the marathon. “*I* didn’t need the medical tent last year and *I* hope *I* won’t this year, either.” “There aren’t as many spectators for the ½ marathon on Saturday but when *we* run on Sunday…”. I have nothing but awe and respect for anyone that can run 26.2 miles without being chased by something very large and hungry but this guy was annoying me. Unfortunately, he didn’t stop until we pulled into Epcot and the doors opened.

We entered Epcot and walked to the Land. Soarin’ had a 75-minute Standby queue, which dashed any thoughts we had of riding now. I went to the Fast Pass machines and entered all 6 tickets. As I was walking away, I noticed that 4 of the tickets were invalid. The ticket said something like the pass used was not valid and I should talk to someone in Guest Relations. I stopped a CM that was walking by and showed her the invalid FP tickets. She quickly did something to the machine and it spit out 4 new FPs – for a time that was slightly different than the other 2. I thanked her and began walking away, trying to think of what the ticket problem was. It took me about 10 seconds before I slapped my forehead and shouted “D’oh!” Can you identify the problem? Go ahead, give it some thought. I’ll wait………….

I was carrying 6 park passes but only Barb and I had actually used our tickets to enter Epcot. As far as the computer system was concerned, the other 4 people had never entered Epcot therefore they could not secure a Fast Pass.

We walked back to the Boardwalk and our room. Stephanie was taking a nap and Stephen went to Muscles and Bustles for a workout. Michelle and Will took William out for a walk in his stroller, hoping he’d nap. I opted for a nap and Barb hit the pool for a swim. Did I miss anybody? Phew! When Stephen got back, he reported on a woman of about 50 in the gym. She was doing pushups with her hands as the only thing touching the floor. Not handstands… pushups.

We threw in a load of laundry and took showers. Barb called the kennel asking about Gunnar. That turned out to be a mistake. She was told that he had been howling, almost continuously, since being dropped off Tuesday. This is a bit weird because he never howls. The girl Barb spoke to said that they go in his room and sit with him, which quiets him down. She also said he’s eating fine but is drinking tons of water. She actually stopped using his water dish and replaced it with a bucket because he was drinking so much. She asked if he was diabetic. I’m pretty sure the water is to soothe his throat after all the howling but this is probably the last thing you want to hear when on vacation. Not much we could do except cross our fingers and hope he adjusts (As it turned out, he was the only dog in there until Friday night. Once a few other dogs were around, he settled in.)

It was in the low 80s again today but there were possible thunderstorms this evening. The local weather station had issued tornado warnings for several areas north of Orlando.

We left the room around 5:00 and walked to and into Epcot, reaching Future World by walking through the Lights of Winter yet again. We made our way to the Land for our 5:30 reservation at the Garden Grill. I check us in and we’re given a pager so we take some seats in the nearby waiting area. We let William run around a bit until he seems intent on going into the Men’s Room. He won’t take ‘No’ here and has a mild tantrum – the good news is that his tantrums usually just involve his falling to the floor and going limp so he can’t easily be picked up. How do children learn this? Is there some special telepathic womb instruction that we’re not privy to? Anyway, his tantrums are usually short and not too loud – and he’s easily distracted. Michelle and Will take him to a different area where he can look at some wall posters.

Our pager goes off and we’re seated on the upper level (non-booth) of the revolving restaurant. I can recall having dinner here several times in the past when a dinner equaled one revolution of the restaurant. Either we’re eating faster or it’s revolving slower because we finished after less than ¾ revolutions.

Dinner here is family style. They start with a salad and then it’s an entrée of flank steak, turkey and catfish. It’s accompanied by smashed potatoes and vegetables. The food is good, if not distinctive. William has really warmed to the characters now and is interacting nicely with Chip and Dale. He’s smiling and giving high-fives to Mickey as well. We also determined he likes catfish which is the first fish he’s ever tried.

They bring out dessert, which I remember as a warm apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Apparently, the menu changed because now it’s bread putting topped with a mixture of butter and Bailey’s Irish Cream. It sounds more interesting than it is. Don’t get me wrong; it was good – but nothing special. I settled this bill using our Disney Rewards card. The bill came to around $143 after the DDE discount.

Barb and I head downstairs to use our Soarin’ Fast Passes. Everyone else goes outside to get William in his stroller and wait for us. Our boarding time is pretty quick as they came down the line looking for a party of two, which allowed us to jump ahead of 10-15 people. Soarin’ is, as always, a great ride. We exit quickly and head upstairs and outside to pick up William so everyone else can ride.

We walk him around a bit and then settle on the ledge that comes down the ramp/path from the Land. Here’s where we begin to play a little game called ‘Where’s William? There he is.’ Basically, we put a blanket over his head and then withdraw it slowly while saying, “Where’s William?” When the blanket clears his face, we then excitedly say, “There he is.” And he giggles. So we do it again. And again. And again. And… It’s been a while since I’ve parented a toddler but taking care of William has brought home some truths. After Barb and I watch him for a day (or an overnight) we usually ask each other “How in the world did we do this three times?” It’s so much work. The other truth is that I can never tire of hearing a child laugh – even if I have to repeat something to the point of utter boredom.

I find that it takes 20-minutes to ride Soarin’ with a FP so, after 20-minutes, the kids are coming outside. It’s about 7:30 so we head to the Seas with Nemo and Friends and find it’s a 5-minute wait – really just a walk-on. This is a nice little ride - nothing really special about it but no real negatives either. William is a little bit familiar with the Nemo characters and seems to enjoy this. We spend a few minutes with the aquarium. What’s up with the temperature controls in the 2nd level viewing area? It seems like it’s 80 degrees up there – with 90% humidity.

We spend a few minutes in the gift shop where someone (Michelle?) has asked the name of the little octopus that is Nemo’s friend. The one that says “I inked…” when she gets nervous. Someone got it but… I can’t think of it now. Damned senility! (I just emailed Michelle. It was Pearl.)

We walked to the Tip Board and learned there was a 50-minute wait for Test Track and 30-minutes for Mission: Space. We spent a few minutes watching a Fountain show and then walked back towards the Lights of Winter. I shot a few pictures there and then we had a CM photographer take a few shots of us for the PhotoPass. We also spend some time looking at Epcot’s tree where Will and Michelle buy William his first light up, spinning, and hand-held Mickey toy. Every child has to have one and this was a steal at $399.95. Actually, I think it was around $15.

We walked back to the bridge between France and the UK and took up a spot by the back railing for Illuminations. Michelle and Will left in an effort to get some drinks for everybody but returned 10-minutes later saying all the lines were too long. In about 5-minutes, Illuminations began and, while he was fine at the beginning, it appeared William wasn’t crazy about the noise. He lasted until the first pause, when the globe appears, and then Michelle and Stephanie decided to head back to the Boardwalk with him. The rest of us stayed and enjoyed Illuminations. I really, really like this show. I like the music, the fireworks, the ‘story’ that’s told throughout. I’ve heard from a number of people that find it lacking or just aren’t entertained by it. To them, I say “Phhhhtttttt!!!! Heathens! Were you raised by wolves? You’re all wrong.”

We head back to the Boardwalk and this is the first time I take notice of something there – or not there to be precise. On our 2005 trip, we had hours (OK, minutes) of entertainment watching Michelle dance in front of that fun-house mirror on the Boardwalk. It was here in October because I can recall commenting to Barb that they had relocated it. It is now nowhere in sight. Why did they remove it? OK, there’s another complaint coming.

Back to the room where we watch a little tube and call it a night.

Miles Walked Today - 12.26 on the pedometer plus an estimated 1.8 on my morning walk where I forgot to wear the pedometer (D’oh!) for a total of… carry the one… 14.06 miles.

Things I Think I Think – I think I enjoy early morning walks at Disney World. I think I will probably avoid most breakfast buffets – they really are not a good value for me. I think Mickey’s Philharmagic and Soarin’ are my two favorite attractions – at least I can see both multiple times without getting bored. I think we never should have called about Gunnar – now he’s creeping into my thoughts frequently and I can’t really do anything about it. I think I like Illuminations – a lot.

Day 4 – Saturday, January 6, 2007 – Ellipticals, Pina CoLavas and Waffle Cones

I’m awake early again this morning but I hang in there until 4:15 when I head out for another walk. Steph goes for another 6:00 AM run. Today is the day of the Disney Half-Marathon, which runs between Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. We figure a trip to Animal Kingdom (AK) will let us avoid any contact with it, bus trouble, etc.

We leave at 8:25 and catch a bus to AK arriving just before park opening. When the ropes drop we head toward Asia and Expedition Everest (ExE). Stephen and Will are leading the pack and they take us through Asia. I’m thinking that taking the path through DinoLand and by the new Finding Nemo – The Musical attraction (the old Tarzan Rocks) would be quicker. I did this later in the trip and, while I didn’t time it, I think I was right. Anyway, we reach ExE and Stephen runs ahead to grab 6 Fast Passes. Then everyone, save me and William, get in the Standby queue. I’ve ridden this in October and, while I think it’s a great attraction, I was not real fond of the backwards part and the disorientation I felt so sitting it out was not a big deal. In an effort to get William to sleep, I walked his stroller back down and around the Finding Nemo – The Musical building. Then back again to ExE. I wound up sitting on a bench. It seemed every time his eyes closed and I thought he was asleep, he’d hear a scream from the ride and open his eyes.

They entered the Standby queue at 9:10 and we’re out the door at 9:30 – not bad. We next headed back through Asia to Harambe and the Kilimanjaro Safaris. The safari was a good one – we got to see the baby giraffe as well as the baby elephant and his mom. We were placed in rows 7 and 8 which are behind the rear wheels. This has the effect of turning this ride into Dinosaur – very bouncy. I’ve heard that they’re in process of retrofitting a 9th row onto the trucks. I have visions of small children being bounced out into the termite mounds. Our driver was pretty interesting – he spoke with a very heavy Hispanic (Mexican?) accent. I’m extremely politically incorrect and I couldn’t stop giggling at “ Hey, everybody. Le’s help Weelson ged dese poachers.” (As I read that, the written word does not do justice to the humor of the statement. You need to hear, in your head, the bandito from ‘Treasure of the Sierra Madre’ saying “Badges, We don need no steenking badges.” Got it? OK. Now go back and re-read the driver’s comment. Now it’s funny, right?)

After the Safari, the kids headed back to ExE to use the Fast Passes. They had 6 so they each rode once and then Will and Stephen went back a second time. Stephen has now termed this the “best coaster at Disney”. High praise.

Barb went to use the restroom and grab a coffee at the Tusker House so I walked William around outside, again trying to get him to sleep. The African drummers where performing so sleep was probably out of the question. He was watching them with his eyes half-closed. I finally moved him a bit further away when one of the drummers started using the whistle – that was ear-piercing even to me. Barb came out and we started a slow walk back toward Asia to meet up with the kids at ExE. Along the way, William finally gave in and fell asleep.

We found a bench near ExE but far enough away to avoid most of the noise. Michelle and Stephanie found us and waited with us for Stephen and Will. It was now about 11:10 and William was waking up so we decided to try the new Finding Nemo – the Musical. We walked down there and, as we neared the building, we could see a large queue of people moving into the building. We parked the stroller and kept moving toward the end of the line – which stretched back to DinoLand! I have no idea how large the theater is but, from my memory of Tarzan Rocks, I didn’t think everyone in line would get in so we decided to bag it for another day.

We retrieved the stroller and made a dash for Festival of the Lion King (FotLK). This is one of my favorite shows (that comes from someone that is a not a ‘show-person’) and I thought there was a good chance William would really like it. We were seated once again in the dreaded Warthog section but we all enjoyed the show – even William. It’s fun to watch him because he really does take everything in – eyes darting everywhere and he clapped along when it was appropriate.

We left the park after FotLK and rode the bus back. Back at the room, everyone again split up for naps, pool, etc. I decided a workout at Muscles and Bustles was in order. I’m in the market for some exercise equipment and have been considering an elliptical machine but, before I make the purchase, I want to try one. My informal poll of the gym rats has Stephanie saying they’re very good and Stephen saying they’re just OK because he doesn’t like the motion.

Anyway, I make my way through a number of the Cybex machines. The instructions on them are fairly straightforward and they’re mostly easy to use. In 20-minutes, I’ve worked up a bit of a sweat and have taxed the major muscle groups so I’m now ready for some aerobic activity. I find one of the CMs that work there and say that I’d like to use an elliptical but never have and could she get me started on the machine, technique, etc. She informs me that she’s never used one but could find someone else for me. That’s OK. It can’t be that difficult.

I choose the machine that’s next to the window so any passers-by could glance in and marvel at my sweat-soaked physique and prowess on this very impressive (and large) machine. It takes me 30-seconds to figure out how to turn the thing on. There is no ‘On’ switch. You simply start walking – that’s not right. Pedaling? Nope. Ellipticizing? That fits. So I’m ellipticizing away and playing with the switches for resistance and incline – trying to give myself a good workout without causing a cardiac incident. The biggest problem I have is that I can’t slow down. I’m ellipticizing at a rate that is apparently too fast because the machine’s display keeps telling me, via a down-arrow, to slow down. When I slow down, my motion becomes a bit too herky-jerky to be comfortable.

OK, I’ve now wasted 3 paragraphs, 4 if you count this one, demonstrating my inability to master a simple exercise machine. Suffice it to say that I reached my maximum heart rate in 90 seconds and lasted only 12-minutes on the machine before shutting it down and dismounting - none too gracefully I might add. I’m going for a swim.

I head to the quiet pool – Barb and Stephanie are already there. I take a quick swim and then go into the hot tub with Barb. Barb is complaining that the heated pool is too cold. On past trips, I always thought it too warm. Once I recall hearing it was at 86 degrees. I thought it was fine – maybe 78? Michelle, Will and William show up. Will goes into Community Hall and secures a toddler-sized life jacket for William. As DVC members, it’s complimentary as long as we return it before we leave. We all spend some time with William in the pool and then just lazing in the sun. Stephen shows up and winds up napping on a lounge chair.

After a bit, Barb and I head to the main pool and the Leaping Horse Libations bar. Stephanie and Will come along with us. Michelle takes William up to the room for a bath/nap and Stephen stays to finish his nap. I’ve decided to have a ‘vacation drink’ something fru-fru with a straw that I wouldn’t normally get anywhere else. I have also decided I will not have anything with the word ‘daiquiri’ in it – like I did in 2005. Apparently, I’m not comfortable enough to sip one of these and maintain an appropriate testosterone level. I order the Pina CoLava (cute, isn’t it?). It’s got rum (a man’s drink) and doesn’t come with an umbrella. I do, however, refuse to sip it through the straw. Stephanie gets a Strawberry Daiquiri (she’s such a girl), Will has a Long Island Iced Tea (which, surprisingly enough is not really made with tea!) and Barb, after mulling over the menu for 5-minutes, orders a Bud Light. I ask her if she’d like a glass or shall we just break the neck of the bottle so she can chew the broken glass.

We sit, sip our drinks (I gulp mine, it’s much manlier) and chat. After a few minutes, Stephen shows but refuses my offer of a drink. He turned 21 last October and despite my efforts, I’ve not been able to buy him a ‘legal’ drink. I’m sure that time will come. Before we left the bar, we order a virgin Daiquiri to bring to Michelle.

On our way back to the room, we see ‘the sneakers’ in the hallway. They’ve been there for 3 days. It seems like someone has abandoned them and Mousekeeping, thinking they must belong to someone, keeps moving them daily – placing them to the side of the door they’re nearest to. I move them to the hallway and place them in a striding position – one in front of the other. My intention is to give them an additional stride each time I walk by and see if I can get them to the lobby before we leave. This doesn’t work as someone just puts them back by our door each night.

We take showers and dress before heading out at 5:00 to Big River Grill and Brewing Company on the Boardwalk. I’ve only been here twice but I’ve told everyone that they have a very good burger. We get seated quickly toward the back and Stephen is keeping us abreast of the NFL Playoff scores via his cell phone and the ESPN Bottom Line feature. So far, the Colts are beating the Chiefs in the second quarter.
Our waiter comes to take our order and we’re all chuckling as each of us orders the Big River 10-ounce burger. The only variations were in temperature and what type of cheese would top it. It might have been the easiest order our waiter has ever taken. Several of us also sample of few of beers that are brewed here.
Michelle orders the kids’ hot dog for William – mainly because it comes with a side of vegetables. She settles on squash and carrots. He’s been sampling some new and different foods while he’s here. Some have been successful (the catfish), others… not so much. I particularly like his reactions to things he doesn’t like. At Chef Mickey’s, he was given a small piece of a strawberry. He made this God-awful face and began digging the pieces out of his mouth with his fingers. He did the same thing with watermelon, surprisingly. At the Garden Grill, after Michelle said how much he likes peas, she gave him a single pea that we extracted from a pod. He made the same face and just opened his mouth so the pea fell out. Ah, the bliss of being that young.

The burgers were very good; maybe the best on property although I’ve yet to have the burger at Beaches and Cream which many people say is the best. We settled the bill and walked outside to the Boardwalk. It’s early evening and the Boardwalk is fairly quiet. The kids that run the carnival games are there and setting up. We let William stretch his legs a bit here and he walks over near the basketball game. One of the CMs is amusing himself putting up shots – mostly misses. After a miss, the ball rebounds outside of the game area and comes to rest on the Boardwalk. William is watching as is another youngster about the same size (22-months old we learned later). I will never be able to convey here how funny it was to watch these two toddlers as they looked at each other, then the ball, then the CM, back to the ball, etc. William walked over and somehow picked up the basketball even though it was ¾ his size. When he dropped it, the other little guy came over and tried to dribble it. I took several photos of this but, like this written word, will never seem as funny as it was being there.

<William: I wanted that ball but I was concerned over whether or not it would fit into my suitcase.>

We walked over to the MGM Studios, arriving at about 6:15. We made our way toward the 6:30 Fantasmic show but, just before we entered, we heard an announcement that it was Standing Room Only (will these people never go home?). If Fantasmic is out until 8:00 (the next show), we thought another viewing of the Osborne Lights was in order. We made our way back there and found it to be not quite as crowded as our first night. It also wasn’t raining. This time we stayed at the end of the street and the effect of the ‘dancing’ lights was much more pronounced. When the entire street is in your field of vision it’s a much better show.
When the show ended we all took in MuppetVision. We caught almost the entire pre-show with Stephen’s favorite part (the three ‘D’s), and my favorite (Ratso as Mickey). William also seemed to enjoy both the pre-show and the film. Now it was time to make our way toward Fantasmic for the 8:00 showing. Stephen and Will decided they need a restroom and a Coke and headed off on their own with the promise to meet us “by the entrance”. The rest of us made our way toward the entrance but it was really swimming upstream. I’d guess that 75% of the crowd was leaving the previous show while the other 25% was making it’s way toward the next one – and the street (and sidewalks) was very crowded. Michelle and Stephanie stopped at the restrooms about halfway down the street. Barb and I stopped, with the stroller, next to a pole which provided some protection from the throngs of people. While we waited for Michelle and Stephanie, Barb said that as soon as they came out, she would go in to the Ladies Room. What? Was she afraid of leaving me alone with William? Get in there now girl, I’m not waiting twice in this crowd.

Finally, we made our way to the entrance to the amphitheater. When Stephen and Will showed, we began the long walk inside. It was shoulder to shoulder and very slow. We parked the stroller in the designated area and then moved in to find seats near the top (our choice) in Maleficent. After being buffeted by crowds for the last hour, I was shocked to see that the theater was only about 80% full. There are, however, lots of latecomers and it winds up being approximately 90% full. At about 7:50, Barb said she could use a bottle of water, someone else a Coke… so I hustled back to the concession stand which really wasn’t very far away. There were 3 lines of about 8-10 people. Naturally, I chose the one that looked to be the shortest. After 5-minutes, I’m 7th in line while the other 2 lines are now only 4 and 5 deep. But I’m stubborn. What’s frustrating is to watch the people at the window pulling the “Oh, one more thing…” stuff. They order, the cashier rings it up, they pay and get change. As the order is being brought to the window, they pull the “Oh. Can I also get a Diet Coke?” Drives me nuts. I get served just as the lights go out and bring a water, a Coke and a pretzel (for me) back to our seats.

Fantasmic is a great show and we all enjoyed it. It appeared that William really enjoyed this although he seemed to find the middle a bit boring. We made our way out, slowly of course, found the stroller and walked back to the Boardwalk.

On the Boardwalk, Will went in search of a bathroom and then down to the Bakery for a piece of chocolate cake (I abstained but it looked very good). Barb, Michelle and Stephen went to Seashore Sweets for waffle cones. Stephanie headed back to the room and I walked William around the Boardwalk. At one point, I took a bench by Spoodles and found we could see the Wishes fireworks quite well by looking across Crescent Lake, almost directly over Stormalong Bay. While William and I were oohing and aahing over Wishes (he was smiling), a juggler was entertaining to my left while a magician was performing to my right and the sounds of Illuminations were exploding behind me. It was a veritable entertainment extravaganza.
We met the others at a table by Seashore Sweets and I watched everyone eat – I never should have had that pretzel. Michelle is a typical Mom in that she probably fed 75% of her ice cream to William – as she’s done with most meals all week. There’s a great line form the movie ‘A Christmas Movie’ where Ralphie says something like “My mother hasn’t had a hot meal in 15 years.”

Back to the room where I watched some of the Dallas – Seattle game before falling asleep.

Miles Walked Today – 7.26. I didn’t wear the pedometer for the workout or by the pool.

Things I Think I Think – I think I still enjoy early morning walks at Disney World. I think we’ll need to get back to Animal Kingdom to see the Nemo musical. I think I’ll buy a stationary bike, rather than an elliptical machine. I think I’m done with ‘vacation drinks’ – they’re just not me. I think Big River makes a great burger. I think I need to try a Beaches and Cream burger for the comparison. I think the Osborne lights are better viewed from the end of the street. I think it’s still crowded here – dammit! I think I still haven’t tired of Fantasmic! I think I passed on a piece of Boardwalk Bakery chocolate cake and a Seashore Sweets waffle cone – I must be ill.

Day 5 – Sunday, January 7, 2007 – Marathons, Obnoxious Fans and Mickey Bars

This is a big day for us. I’ve been a huge Jets fan since the mid-1960s. I’ve inflicted this aberration on Stephen by forcing him to watch Jets games since he was an infant. While I thought I had spared my daughters from this horrible fate, somehow Stephanie has come along for the ride. She had become a minor fan in her late-teens or early twenties but it seems that, since she’s moved to New York City, she’s become almost as rabid as Stephen and I. Anyway, the Jets are in a playoff game versus the hated Patriots at 1:00 today so we’re planning our activities around that.

I’m up and out a little later today – around 5:30 - for my walk. Today is the Disney Marathon and it starts at 6:00. I can see lots of artificial light in the distance by Epcot (probably the parking lot) and can hear some loud music and announcements. The final leg of the race comes from the MGM-Studios, down the path behind the Boardwalk, up over the bridge by the Swan and Dolphin, past the Yacht and Beach Clubs and into Epcot via the International Gateway. As I walk around the lake, I can see that they have placed cones every 10 feet through this entire route. That’s a lot of cones.

As I walk around, I’m waiting for 6:00 to see if I can see the fireworks they use to start the race. Never saw them. I did encounter a runner, wearing what looked to be an official race number on his shirt, coming from the MGM pathway. If he’s trying to sneak in as the winner, he’s waaaay too early. As I made my way around again, I passed him as he was talking to a few of the lifeguards at Stormalong bay. I never found out what his story was. After a few laps, at around 6:15, I head back to the room. Stephanie has already headed out for a jog and a swim.

During our 2005 trip, we attempted a bus to the magic Kingdom during the Marathon – after I checked with a front desk CM about potential problems and was told there were none. It took us 75-minutes and we wound up being dropped at the TTC instead of the MK. Not this time. We decided to stay within walking distance and went to Epcot.

We were held a bit at the bridge to France. This is one of several areas where the runners and guests cross paths. It was right about the 3-hour point in the Marathon so the better runners were coming in. As soon as there was a break, a CM would let a group of guests cross.

We sent Stephen ahead with all the passes to get FPs for Soarin’ (10:05). We would meet him at Test Track. Barb, Stephanie and I went in with a posted Standby time of 10-minutes. We rode and I scanned our PhotoPass at the end to add the ride picture to it. This is the first time I’ve noticed this feature but, to be honest, I haven’t really been looking. We exited and sent everyone back on (Steph included) although the Standby time now said 30-minutes (they were off in 20).

While Barb and I waited with William, we took a little walk and I used the time to get us 3 FPs for Mission: Space (10:34). I only had 3 passes with me or I’d have gotten more. When the kids came off Test Track, we headed toward Soarin’. Now there’s a major crossover point here – coming from Mission: Space to the Tip Board and Fountain area. The Marathon runners are now coming in droves with very few breaks so it takes a lot longer to get across. I will say here that it’s very nice to see the cheering and encouragement offered by the folks watching. I’m sure, as the runners are entering their final mile, it must help to hear several hundred people cheering you on and telling you what a good job you’ve done.

We decide that Barb and I should go ahead and ride Soarin’ first. The others can take their time and we’ll swap when we come off. We make our way to the front of the line to cross but it takes quite a while before there’s a break in the runners. When it comes, we sprint across. I probably should have stretched first because I think I pulled a hamstring with that 7-yard sprint – made quite an impression in front of the folks that just ran 25.5 miles. Nah, I’m just kidding. We make it to Soarin’ and ride with the FP. We’re off the ride in about 20-minutes and we swap William. The kids head for Soarin’ while Barb and I take William off to the Electric Umbrella for a coffee. It again takes a few minutes to cross the Marathon path.

At the Electric Umbrella, we order 2 coffees (we should have split one because the ‘small’ is about 22-ounces) and take a table. Barb feeds William a few Cheerios and goldfish (the small cracker type) from his stash of snacks. After a few minutes, he falls asleep. I’m watching for the kids out the window and, when I see them approach the mass of folks waiting to cross the Marathon path, we head outside.

It’s now about 11:00 and time to head back so we can grab a table at the ESPN Club for the game. I catch Stephen’s eye and motion that we should walk toward World Showcase before crossing. We do that and have an opportunity to cross further up – near the Odyssey. Michelle, Will and William are going to stay at Epcot for a while longer. The rest of us head back. Barb and Stephanie head to a restroom and tell us they’ll catch up later. Stephen and I hoof it out of Epcot (crossing the Marathoners twice more). We get into a short line at the ESPN Club. At 11:30, one of their announcers comes out and chats with the crowd. They broadcast a live radio show and informed us that they were looking for customers to “talk smack” about the game. I’m just a tad old-school and ‘talking smack’ is not something I’m fond of.

Stephen, Stephanie and I stayed for the entire game. Barb left after sharing a plate of nachos with Steph. I’ve debated how much attention I wanted to give this in a Disney Trip report and the answer comes back… not much. Suffice it to say that the Jets lost. It was a close game until the end. I had one opportunity to speak into the microphone to explain how the Jets could win and I did so, I think, in a rational, polite fashion. Jets fans were outnumbered roughly 6 to 1 by Patriots fans, most (not all) of whom would have to improve their behavior to be called ‘obnoxious’. I almost got into it with a Pats fan after we left. He was outside smoking and saw us walking away. He called “Hey, Jets fans. Where are you going?” At this point, I was really in no mood so I turned and walked back toward him saying “Back to the room. Why? The games over or didn’t you see it?” He looked confused (or drunk and confused). Stephanie turned me around and shot a “Don’t be a jacka$$” over her shoulder. The afternoon was not enjoyable. I’ve watched football games in many sports bars but have never had to tolerate something like this. The only reason we stayed for the whole game was one of the interviewed Pats fans said we’d probably be gone by half-time. OK, that’s enough of this. Back to Disney.

We caught up with everyone back at the room, freshened up and headed to Epcot at around 5:00. I was pushing William’s stroller through World Showcase and a woman pulled a complete and sudden ‘dead-stop’ right in front of me. I didn’t hit her but it was close. There was at least one convention at the Boardwalk and I noticed several of the attendees at Epcot tonight. Why do they need to congregate, in groups of 4-6, in the center of the World Showcase promenade to have a conversation? Just pull to the side a bit – that’s all it takes. I guess I’m still in a sour mood from the game today.

Looking around at Epcot, it seems the crowds of the last few days have finally gone home. Wait times are reasonable for a Sunday evening. We decide to give Mission: Space a go, using the FPs from earlier today. They really aren’t needed as the Standby times are 5-minutes for Green and 10-minutes for Orange. Barb and I head to Green (non-spinning) while everyone else goes to Orange. Michelle stays with William. She’s saying that on her last ride, in 2005, she didn’t care for the feeling it left her with. I hadn’t heard her say that before.

Now the results of this ride are kind of interesting. Barb and I have ridden the spinning ride twice. Our last ride, in October, was Green and we thought it was fine. This time, the Green ride seemed just a little lame and we both came off saying that next time we should go back to Orange.

On the other side, both Stephanie and Will said they were a little queasy after riding and would probably opt for Green next time. Keep in mind that they’re both thrill ride lovers. Stephen was fine.

Our plan was to monorail to the Magic Kingdom to see Wishes but, it was about 6:15 and at least a few of us needed some food (I had canceled our 4:30 Liberty Tree reservation in deference to the game today). I wasn’t sure if any counter service in the MK would be open after 6:30 so suggested we hit the Sunshine Seasons Food Fair (is that still the name?) at the Land. We found some seats downstairs. Barb had a salad, Will had a chicken dinner and Michelle split a chicken dinner with William. Stephanie, Stephen and I were still a bit full from a later lunch at ESPN.

After ‘dinner’ we rode the monorail to the TTC. We had to change sides there – down the ramp and back up the other side. There were only a few people waiting so I asked the CM if we could ride up front. He said sure and we chose Will, Michelle and William and… me. I offered it to the others but they insisted. Really, they did.

When we entered the MK, they were handing out the Extra Magic Hour (EMH) wristbands so we took a minute and got ours. I took a detour to City Hall to secure a ‘First Trip’ button for William. He kept trying to pull it off his shirt so we wound up pinning it to his stroller. Main Street was lit up and all the Christmas decorations were still there – is there anything better than that view, at night, up toward the Castle? We walked up Main Street and took up a spot just about dead center, just past Casey’s. As we were waiting, it sprinkled just a bit and then quickly stopped.

Wishes began promptly at 8:00 but Tinkerbell did not fly. We were dead center on the Castle and it provided a spectacular view of Wishes. It seemed that many of the bursts (lower ones) were exactly symmetrical for us. It did, however, sprinkle a few more times during the show but it never turned into serious rain.

When the show ended, we were going to head back for a ride on Big Thunder Mountain. I’d say about 95% of the crowd in the hub was moving in the other direction to exit so our trip was a bit slow. Things finally thinned out in front of the Castle and we cut left and took the path by the Christmas shop into Liberty Square. As we were walking back to Big Thunder, it started to rain again. By the time we got there, it was a steady rain – not heavy, but noticeable. We sent the kids on and Barb and I took the stroller into the covered FP distribution area. There were several other folks, and strollers, already there. Over the next 15-minutes, the rain got harder and then slacked off. By the time the kids came out, it was just a sprinkle.

We walked down to the Country Bears but the next show was 14-minutes away. Instead, we hit the Haunted Mansion (HM) which had only a 5-minute wait. Now I know I’ve been to the Magic Kingdom after dark before, and I’m fairly certain I’ve ridden the HM at night. Why don’t I remember the thunder and lightening outside? Damned senility! I ride with Stephen and am finally able to point out that Hidden Mickey at the end in time for him to see it. Michelle reports that William did fine on this ride.

<William: It was a little scary in the graveyard but I just closed my eyes there. The head in the glass ball was way cool!>

It seems very humid out now. I’m sure the few rain showers have contributed to this. We wander back to the Country Bears jamboree where the wait is now only 2-minutes. We all enjoy the show. Will and Stephen especially enjoy Big Al and we’re due to be serenaded by them, with ‘Blood on the Saddle’, at least a few times. Stephanie comments that she had forgotten, or not realized, how funny some of the other singers are as well. It really is a pretty good show.

By this time, we’ve had enough so we start walking toward the exit. Michelle and Will want to hit the Confectioner’s for some candy. Stephen and I spot an ice cream vendor and he buys me my first Mickey premium bar in what has to be 3 years. I don’t know why I’ve let it go that long but it has. The others have gone on ahead so he and I walk down Main Street with our Mickey bars. A guy comes over and asks where we got them because he’s been looking for 3 days. While I wanted to sell him mine for $100 I just gave him directions to the vendor – twice.

We meet the others by the Confectioner’s and head out to the bus stops. We’re back in the room by 10:15.

Miles Walked Today – 7.16. plus two laps (about 1.6) this morning without the pedometer. Total 8.76 miles.

Things I Think I Think – I think it must be fun to run a marathon at Disney. Let me rephrase that… If you’re going to run a marathon, I think it would be fun to run it at Disney. I think if I’m ever at Disney World again for a Jets playoff game, I’ll watch it in the room. I think I’ve become the biggest anti-Patriot fan in the world and, as I write this, I’m rooting very hard for the Colts this coming weekend. I think riding up front in the monorail is very cool. I think Wishes, from the middle of Main Street, is awesome. I think the Country Bears Jamboree is a better show than I remembered. I think the lightening and thunder at the Haunted mansion is new, I don’t care what you say. I think nothing beats a walk down Main Street with a Mickey bar.

Day 6 – Monday, January 8, 2007 – A Big Blue World, Gus and a Segway

Today’s the day where the temperatures are supposed to change. Since we got here, the highs have been in the low 80s and the evening lows in the 60s. Just about perfect. We’ve had a lot of good luck with January weather at Disney World. However, there’s a cold front coming through today or tonight that will push the highs to 76 today, then 68-70 tomorrow and Wednesday and the lows to the 40s. I would normally say that’s still a lot better than home but this is a weird year – it was 65 degrees in Albany on Saturday. In January. Have you seen ‘An Inconvenient Truth’?

We originally had a reservation for Donald’s Breakfastasaurus today but I called to cancel it on Saturday. We felt that Chef Mickey’s was enough for us in terms of breakfast buffets and character interaction. The TV news today was all over the incident at MGM where Tigger allegedly slugged some 14-year old kid. I watched the video a few times and, judging from the continuous smirk on the kids face, he was up to no good. I don’t know what he was doing behind Tigger’s back but I’m fairly certain it was not kosher.

We leave the room at 8:40 bound for Animal Kingdom. Stephanie decides to stay back for a run and workout and because AK is her least favorite park. Of course, we see 2 MK buses and 1 Downtown Disney bus before ours shows. It takes forever to get there because our driver got too close to a bus in front of us at the Swan and we had to wait while that bus loaded 2 ECVs. I’m guessing it’s against some Disney law for a driver to backup 3 feet. We enter the AK about 9:40. I know, I know. It’s very unlike us to get to a park that long after opening.

We walk to ExE and pick up FPs for 10:55. While waiting, we take a walking tour of the Maharajah Jungle Trek. I got one of the best views yet of the Kimodo Dragon as he was walking on the rock toward us. We spent a few minutes with the bats and tigers. On the other side of the wall from the tigers there were several ‘cattle’ – all sitting against the wall. I commented to Barb that it was going to be chaos in a few minutes when they let the tigers in. She started to agree when a look of realization came over her face and she hit me.

We walked from Asia to Africa and encountered Divine along the way. I still think she’s hot, in a vegetative kind of way. I really enjoy listening to people as they approach the area. You usually hear “What are all these people looking at?”

We hit the Tusker House for a late breakfast – eggs, muffins, coffee and juice. We also used the DDE card here for 20% off. After breakfast, we walked back to Finding Nemo – The Musical. We had chatted the other day, at the bus stop, with two women. They had asked us if we had seen the show yet. They then raved about it and told us we needed to be in line 40-minutes early. It was approaching 10:45 and the show was at 11:30 so we were intent on making it.

We joined a fairly large queue and squeezed forward. There were still lots of folks lining up behind us but most of that queue was hidden. At about 11:10, they opened the doors and we filed in, choosing some seats at the end of a row, just right of center. For the next 20-minutes, people kept filing in. They asked everyone to squeeze together a few times to make some more room. I think the last few groups in wound up sitting in separate single seats around the theater.

The show started promptly and lasted for about 35-minutes. It features actors, in some colorful costumes, carrying and manipulating a ‘puppet’ of the character they’re playing (Nemo, Marlin, Dory, etc.). It sounds a little funny but, somehow, it works. It follows the story line of the movie. Overall, I thought it was really good – a solid 9 out of 10. Surprisingly, Barb gave it an ‘OK’ and said she didn’t think we’d have to see it on every trip. Go figure. William seemed to like it.

Before the show, they did announce that there was no photography allowed. At one point, I watched a CM race down the steps to my left and shine a flashlight on someone’s face. The CM made that ‘No-No’ wagging of his finger. I assumed the guest was videotaping.

The first song in the show is ‘In a Big Blue World’. Listening to it, I knew I had heard it somewhere before - but where? This bothered me for the next few days. (It wasn’t until I got home and posted a message that my good friends on RADP cleared it up for me. The song is also played toward the end of the Nemo and Friends ride at Epcot so that’s why it was familiar.)

A bit of digression here. The last trip with everyone was in 2005. We visited the Country Bears and then had to live with Will and Stephen serenading us, and anyone around us, with ‘Blood on the Saddle’. This went on for days and occurred multiple times per day. And let me add that neither Stephen nor Will could carry a tune if it had a handle. This trip? It’s ‘A Big Blue World’. Over and over and over again. I did like the song but I fear that, by the end of this trip, I’ll have learned to hate it.

I sent everyone else on ExE again while I took a bench and fed small bites of a cheese sandwich to William. When they got off the ride, we headed toward the exit and a bus back to the resort. We exited at the Swan, the first stop, and walked to the Boardwalk where we let William walk for a bit. I swear he’s like walking with a dog. He always stopping to see something and he often likes to walk in a different direction than what he should. When we got to the grassy area behind the resort, Will took him out there to run around and blow off some steam. If he stumbled and fell, the grass would be a bit more forgiving than the sidewalk or boardwalk.

We stepped inside the Screen Door and learned they sold Mickey premium bars there. Good deal. We bought 3: one for me; one for Stephen; and the last one to bring back to the room for Steph (although I’m pretty sure Stephen wound up with it).

We met up with Stephanie back in the room. She had worked out and done some shopping at Epcot while we were gone. We chilled in the room for a bit and headed out at 4:00 for a slow walk around Epcot’s World Showcase. We had a 5:00 reservation at the San Angel Inn in Mexico. I checked us in and we were seated right at 5:00. El Rio del Tiempo is down for rehab, and a large wall has been erected around the restaurant so you can’t see into the attraction at all. The restaurant is also every bit as dark as I remembered from our last time here in 2005.

Now… is it me or is it odd that the restaurant in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot has a Mexican waiter named Gus? OK, it’s probably me. It’s probably short for Gustavo but I still find it funny. We order up some Margaritas and Cokes and sip while we try to read the menu under the dim light. They really should take the ceiling lights they have over the marketplace area and put them over the restaurant.

We don’t even realize this until the food is delivered but 5 of us have ordered the Plato Mexicano. Barb is the one oddball with a pasta and shrimp dish. The food here is good, maybe not great, and it’s a fairly quiet place for dinner, a rarity at WDW. If only it were brighter. The DDE card saves us $30 here.

We walked down to Mouse Gear for a bit of shopping – and photo taking while we try on the silly hats. The Jack Sparrow dread-locks do nothing for me. From there it was off to Innoventions. Will had the idea of riding a Segway and they’re now offering that chance in there. Michelle and Barb spent some time outside with William while the rest of us got in line. There was one other couple in our group (6 total) and we would be the last group of the day – it was now about 6:55 and Futureworld, and Innoventions, closes at 7:00.

They took us inside and a young girl gave a brief introduction and instructions on how to move forward, backward and turn. Somehow, I had the impression that movement forward and backward was initiated by leaning. Actually, you only need to put pressure on your toes or heels to achieve movement. I also thought that the hand grips rotated (like a motorcycles) for turning. Wrong again. You simply pull the grips (and their attached post) left or right. OK, now I’m ready.

There were 2 CMs guiding us in the ride area. It was really just a small area marked off with cones (When the girl that was with us hit one of the cones, the CM commented on it. Stephen said “They’re cooones!” The CM got the movie reference immediately, did you?). The couple with us went first so we had a chance to observe. Stephen and Will went next, followed by me, then Stephanie. You step up on the Segway and immediately go into a brief moment of uncontrolled movement – you resemble a newborn giraffe trying to find his legs. They told us that’s very common and is called the ‘Segway Shuffle’. Once you get your bearings, they take you out where you move straight ahead for about 50 feet, execute a couple of turns, and then head back. It’s not much, but enough to give the urge for more. It was amazing to me how much more comfortable I felt on the trip back, than the trip out – in a matter of about 2-minutes. I think that after about 10-15 minutes on a Segway, you’d be fairly comfortable. We all found it a lot of fun and a great use of about 20-minutes. Will and Stephen were both saying “I’ve got to get one of these”.

We went back outside and found Barb. Michelle was letting William roam around in the area with the sidewalk LEDs. Will relieved her and ran around with William for awhile, even playing a quick game where they chased each other around a large planter.

<William: I’d have caught him, too, if his legs weren’t so long.>

Stephanie ran to the Electric Umbrella for a Coke and Stephen ran to the Land for Soarin’ FPs. We could see the Tip Board from where we were sitting and I caught a flash that FPs were still available for Soarin’ and Test Track. Steph came back with her Coke and Stephen with 6 FPs – five for 8:39 and one for 8:00. There was a problem and a CM had to give him one (the 8:00 one). It’s probably worth mentioning that they’ve put up a new electronic tip board, smaller and on an upright post, on the ‘spoke’ leading to Mission: Space. I think this is a good move and will certainly save some steps. I don’t recall seeing one on the opposite spoke to the Land but, I could have missed it.

We walked over to Test Track and sent the kids inside with a posted 20-minute wait. Barb and I walked around a bit and, on our walk, noticed that the Lights of Winter has been reduced from 9 arches to 4. It’ll probably be down completely in a day or two. We then took a bench by the Test Track exit and played with William for a bit. As we approached the bench, we saw a ‘sippy cup’ on the ground that was identical to William’s. We had to pull his out to make sure we still had it. I put the one we found on top of the bench in the hopes that whoever lost it might retrace their steps and find it here.

After a few minutes, we noticed silence – as in no cars were making the outside run at Test Track. After a few more minutes, we heard a PA announcement that the ride had stopped but would begin again momentarily. After the third replay of this announcement, we saw the kids walking out. They had been through the pre-show and were waiting to board when it went down. After a few minutes, they felt it would be better to exit and did so.

We started walking toward the Land and stopped by the restrooms. At this point, we saw a mass exodus from Test Track so they must have shut it down for the night (it was now about 8:10). On to Soarin’.

This time we sent me and Stephen ahead to ride first. It was about 8:15 and we had one FP for 8:00 and another for 8:39. On the way, I discussed the two possible ways we could ride: 1) I could flash the top FP while hiding the time on the second one and hoping they didn’t notice or 2) Be honest, explain the situation and try to shmooze our way on. I chose the latter and tried to succinctly explain our predicament to Christan who was checking FPs at the entrance. I don’t think she grasped it entirely but she did ask “You’ve got 4 more waiting to ride?” I said “Yes” and she told us to go ahead. After all, honesty is indeed the best policy. With my dexterity and sleight of hand, if I had tried to ‘hide’ one of the FPs, I’d probably have been arrested.

We enjoyed Soarin’ once again but, as I said, it takes 20-minutes, even with Fast Pass. We rushed outside (it’s a looong exit queue) so the others would have time to ride. Apparently, they got impatient and were all inside except William and Stephanie, who graciously agreed to sit with him. We tried to get her to go in and catch up to the others but she was fine missing the ride.

While we were sitting outside the Land, I watched a young kid (maybe 25) come out of the building with a cigarette in his mouth. As soon as he cleared the doors, he lit up. There is absolutely no reason for this.
Then we heard the opening of Illuminations and I moved down a bit to watch. You can see most of the fireworks quite well. The others came out of the building just in time for the Illuminations finale and, now, we’d be faced with another swim upstream to get back to the IG. We cut through the rose garden on the right and surprisingly, had little resistance moving through. Most people were adhering to the ‘keep right’ rule and traffic was moving well in both directions.

That cold front had come through and it was chilly tonight – not cold but definitely sweatshirt time. On the trip back to the resort, Will peeled off in search of a funnel cake and Stephen and I stopped in the lobby to watch Brian, the magician. The others continued on to the room. I’m guessing it was due to the cold but Brian had set up shop in the Boardwalk lobby as opposed to on the Boardwalk. He had a portable table and was doing some card tricks – naturally with audience involvement. He really is very good and, what sells it for Stephen and me is his humor. A lot of it is old ‘shtick’ but he’s a naturally funny guy with a good delivery.

He did a rope trick that I’m sure you’ve seen before. For the trick, he used a young boy from the audience as his assistant. I believe he was 9. He folds the rope and prepares to cut it with ‘skissors’ (his pronunciation) and asks the boy how many pieces of rope will there be after the cut. The boy says “Four” and this leads to a lengthy session re-explaining the cut and comments about public schools. Now, this is the second time I’ve seen this routine and the same thing happened last time – the youngster said four, even though a single cut would obviously leave 2 pieces. There must be something in his banter that steers these kids to say “Four” but I can’t figure it out. He also did a trick with small Styrofoam rabbits and a young girl, from Canada, named Emma. Emma was about 7, very cute and extremely funny. He would place a rabbit in her open hand and tell her to old onto it. He would then address the crowd and give her hand a jerk so the rabbit would fall to the floor. She was so sincere in trying to get his attention to tell him that the rabbit had fallen. Anyway, it was a good show and a good use of 15-20 minutes.

We headed back to the room and watched Florida dismantle Ohio State in the NCAA Championship.
Stephen made a point of telling everyone that we were headed to the Magic Kingdom tomorrow and needed to be out the door by 8:00 to ensure we were there for park opening.

By the way, Barb called the kennel today and learned that, since they took in more dogs, Gunnar is doing much better. We all feel better about that.

Miles Walked Today – 4.16. That can’t be right and I suspect a problem with that cheap piece of junk pedometer from Target.

Things I Think I Think – I think Finding Nemo – The Musical is a great show that everyone will thoroughly enjoy (except perhaps, Barb). I think it’s going to bug me until I determine where I heard ‘In a Big Blue World’. I think they really need to enhance the lighting at the San Angel Inn. I think I may be the only one that finds a Mexican waiter named Gus funny. I think Segways are very cool – I just wish I had a legitimate reason for owning one. I think tomorrow’s our last full day.

Day 7 – Tuesday, January 9, 2007

This is our last full day. I ‘sleep in’ until 6:45. Stephanie is going to stay back again this morning for her run, workout and some more shopping at Epcot. The rest of us make it to the MK by 8:45 and catch the opening ceremony. There’s really a small crowd here today and, actually, the crowds have been light since Sunday.

Michelle, Will and Stephen head in to Space Mountain while Barb and I take William to the Main Street Bakery. They find a table in the back while I get us coffee and muffins. This may surprise you but this is the first purchase I’ve ever made in the Bakery – but it won’t be the last. While they serve Nescafe, unfortunately, I also had a blueberry muffin that was, quite possibly, the best ever. Barb had asked for a chocolate chip muffin and I get her a ‘double chocolate chip muffin’ which is basically a chocolate muffin with chocolate chips. She’s not the chocolate lover that I am so this was a bit much for her – which meant that I got the last 1/3 of her muffin as well. WooHoo! Life is good.

The only drawback to the place is the limited seating and it was pretty cool out this morning so most folks were trying to find seating indoors. I just heard they’re about to remedy this by moving the Arribas Brothers (essentially, the adjacent store that also houses the tables) and using the entire area for seating. That should help.

We walked back out to Main Street and watched a bit of the Dapper Dans while waiting for the kids to return. When they did, we walked up to the Partners statue where my intention was to pose in front of it – with me as Walt and William as Mickey – in the same pose and in front of the statue. I can’t take credit for the idea (well, actually, I could and often do even if it is stealing), I have seen photos like this posted from RADPers before. I just think it’s a great idea. Unfortunately, it lost something in its execution.

I gave my camera to Stephen and picked William up from his stroller and, after waiting for a group that was posing, stepped up to the statue. It was then I noticed the CM photographer there and thought it would be a good idea to have him take the photo as well. He said “Sure” and asked if I had a PhotoPass. I needed to put William down to find the PhotoPass in my ‘Disney wallet’ and, of course, he immediately starts walking away. By the time I hand the guy the Pass and retrieve William, his attention is elsewhere. I do get the pose but it’s not the shot I was looking for. Maybe next time. Stephen did offer to get on his knees and take Mickey’s part. I should have taken him up on it although, at 6’4”, I’m not sure if he’d be short enough, even on his knees.

We walked back and took a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean after a short (5-minute) wait. William did fine on this ride which was a concern. All in all, he’s tolerated all the rides and shows very well. The ones that he’s seemed to enjoy the most have been Small World (how long will that last?), Mickey’s Philharmagic, Buzz Lightyear, Festival of the Lion King, The Seas with Nemo and Friends and Finding Nemo – The Musical.

We hit the Tiki Birds after a short wait. I think I’ve become kind of neutral on this attraction. It’s fun but I wouldn’t be upset if we missed it. After the show we wandered to the Sunshine Terrace where Will, Michelle and Stephen got muffins and drinks. While they were ordering, and eating, we took William out to the FrontierLand side where there was a show going on with Woody, Jessie and several singing and dancing CMs. I believe it’s called ‘Woody’s Cowboy Camp’ or ‘Woody’s Roundup’ but don’t quote me on that. It was pretty spirited and William got some up-close time with Woody (from his stroller).

We walked back through Liberty Square and into FantasyLand where we thought we’d take William on Peter Pan which had only a 5-minute wait (yes, the crowds are officially gone). He seemed to like it. Before we boarded, I asked the 2 female CMs if the posted 10-minute wait was accurate. They said it was more like 5 so I waved everyone else into the queue. Then I asked if either of them had yet seen Finding Nemo – The Musical because I was trying to determine where I had heard ‘Big Blue World’ before. Neither of them had yet seen the show and they apologized for being no help. As we came off the ride, one of the CMs asked me how many were in our party and then gave me two ‘coupons’ that were good for ‘no-wait’ entry into any MK attractions. I thanked her profusely and still wonder why she chose us – was it the fact that I asked a Nemo question? Or was it just my overall dashing, suave and debonair demeanor? It was not a YoaMD award. The coupons were the yellow carbon copy of a hand-completed form. Judging by the contents of the form, I’d say it’s used to soothe a complaining guest. The reasons for issue of the form included ‘Excessive Wait’. Ours was checked as ‘Other’.

We wandered into Mickey’s Philharmagic for another show with no waiting at all. The theater was maybe 50% full. After the film, we went back to Mickey’s Toontown. We used the walk by the Speedway, which is fairly quiet. On this walk, William fell asleep in the stroller so our visit to Toontown was not well timed. We wound up using the restrooms and watching Michelle and Will buy William a visor before leaving.

<William: What? I slept through Toontown? Why did no one awaken me? That’s the one area I wanted to see.>

We walked back to TomorrowLand and the kids used one of our ‘coupons’ on Space Mountain which had a 10-minute Standby. We weren’t sure how to use them so I suggested they enter the FP queue and ask. That turned out to be correct. Barb and I took a table outside and, while the kids were riding, William woke up. It figures.

In a few minutes, Michelle exits the building. Our plan is to now head to the Columbia Harbour House for lunch. But where are Stephen and Will? They’re in the arcade at the Space Mountain exit, playing games. We give them a few minutes and, in about 5, Stephen comes out.

Where’s Will?

“I didn’t see him inside so I thought he came out with you guys.”

In a few minutes, Stephen goes back into the arcade to retrieve Will. In 3-4 minutes, out comes Will with no Stephen.

Where’s Stephen?

“He’s inside playing a game.”

What? Now I head inside to find him. He’s all the way in the back, throwing footballs at something. He finishes as I approach and we leave. But before we exit the building, I instruct him to go out without me and tell the others I’m inside playing a game. I’m such a card. I wait inside and watch for angry reactions but, I can tell they know it’s a setup.

Back through FantasyLand to Columbia Harbour House. We get 3 Anchors and 2 Fish and Chicken with assorted Cokes and Iced Teas. I really like the Harbour House because it’s a deviation from the typical burger and chicken finger counter service places. You can get a very good tuna sandwich, clam chowder, kettle chips instead of fries, etc. We took our food to the much quieter upper level and enjoyed lunch while looking out the windows as life went on in the Magic Kingdom below us.

After lunch, Michelle and Will took William back to Toontown <William: Yay!> to visit Minnie’s and Mickey’s houses, while Barb, Stephen and I did some main Street shopping. I bought a set of colored, Mickey head-shaped, plastic ‘ice cubes’. They’re filled with liquid and freezable so you can use them to chill drinks. The cost was $6.00 and I’ve been questioning this purchase ever since. I can only claim that it seemed like a good idea at the time. To date, we have not used them but I’ll be sure to report back when we do. We also bought a ‘tug-of-war’ toy for Gunnar. It’s two large Mickey-shaped rubber rings that are intertwined. And last, the piece-de-resistance… Barb picked up an Altoid-like tin of doggy breath mints. Now there’s no instructions on these either but… there’s very little that goes in Gunnar’s mouth that is not swallowed within about 1.3 microseconds, so I have no idea how these things are supposed to work.

We complete these stellar purchases and head out of the MK and back to the room. Everyone’s in for some TV or a nap and I decide to head out for another walk around Crescent Lake. I begin by heading toward the Swolphin this time for a clockwise loop. When I get to my starting point and check the pedometer, it reads .16 miles. What? I’ve been wearing it all day. Cheap piece of Target junk…. I reset the whole gizmo and re-input my stride length and give it another go. This time a lap around the lake is .81 miles which I know is accurate so, apparently, my pedometer had somehow picked up a Wal-Mart virus that corrupted its data. It appears that, once again, it’s working properly.

As a point of information for those that are interested, it’s been widely reported that the Breathless is in for a rehab and is not available for Illuminations Cruises, etc. It is still by the Yacht Club’s dock and sits there, out of the water. When I went over for a closer look, I saw a number of cobwebs between the Breathless and its surrounding hardware indicating it’s been sitting there for some time. If I had reserved it for a cruise, I might think about alternatives at this point.

On the way back to the room, I stopped at Lobby Concierge (I still have a problem remembering that name change) and picked up our Boarding Passes for tomorrow. While in line there, DJ (remember him from last week) popped over to see if he could help. I explained I needed to print Boarding Passes so he said that they could only do that behind the counter. I did ask him the question about ‘Big Blue World’ and Finding Nemo but he said that, while his wife and children had seen the show, he hadn’t. I also stopped at the airline counter for Stephanie. She wants to get her Boarding Pass and check her luggage tomorrow. She’s flying Delta who does participate with Disney. The airline desk was closed but a sign said it is open at 6:00 AM (or was it 5:00?) and they recommend checking your bags at least 3 hours before flight time.
Back to the room for a freshen-up before heading to Downtown Disney for some shopping and dinner. While everyone else was almost ready, I ran the life jacket back down to Community Hall which is near the quiet pool. Now the high today was in the upper 60s with a breeze – not exactly swimming weather. I walked in on the two female CMs in the middle of a video game. I think they were a bit embarrassed but I’ve got to believe they probably had an extremely boring day.

I met everyone at the bus stops and we waited only a few minutes for a Downtown Disney bus. We exited at the Marketplace and began shopping in the Christmas store (it has a different name but you know what I mean). At various times, we wandered through Goofy’s Candy something, Team Mickey, Ghirardelli’s (just for the free sample) and World of Disney. This is the second trip in a row where I’ve looked for a new golf shirt or sweatshirt and couldn’t find anything I liked and didn’t already have. I have a navy blue Greg Norman shirt with a golfing Mickey on the chest. They had the same shirt in red (not in my size) and yellow (the only one in my size had 2 large and noticeable pulls on the front). Sheesh! The Mouse won’t even take my money here.

Barb and I bought nothing and wound up sitting outside with Stephen and Stephanie. Michelle and Will were in spending some Disney Dollars in the World of Disney. Stephen and I head down to the Portobello (Yacht Club?) restaurant to check out the menu. We’ve eaten here once but it was more than a few years ago. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure it was in a different location then (on the boat?). Anyway, neither of us was impressed by the menu. On the way back, Stephen spoke with Michelle who said they were finishing up inside. We joined Steph and Barb and told them about the menu. Neither of them seemed real high on it either. Stephen suggested the Rainforest Café and volunteered to go over to put his name in for a table.

At this point, I remembered that I had the Annual Pass (good for a 10% discount) so I went inside World of Disney and caught Michelle and Will at the check out. With the AP discount, they managed to save about $12. They were offering a ‘pin set’ for $15 if you spent at least $65. Neither Michelle nor Will seemed interested so I had them throw it in for me and tried to give Michelle the cash. She refused and thereby gave up the AP discount she just got. I do appreciate it though. The pin set is a framed color drawing of the Castle with several characters drawn in and 4 (or 5?) of them represented as a pin. I remember Mickey, Pluto and Tink as pins. I’ll have to look to determine the rest.

We met up with everyone outside. Stephen called and said we’d be seated in 5-minutes so we started moving. By the time we got there we moved directly inside (after Will stopped to give William some time looking into the aquariums). Our waitress here was very good but I neglected to take note of her name. She did say they had Raspberry Iced Tea which made Stephen and I very happy. That used to be available in most locations at Disney but this is the first time we’ve been able to find it on this trip. We had a mix of burgers, Blue Mountain chicken, Caesar wraps and a Hong Kong Stir Fry for me – which our waitress said was very good. It was very good and very spicy. When I received the bill, I was surprised we received only a $6.51 discount for DVC – it’s supposedly 10% which would have been much more. None of us had anything alcoholic and even if I subtracted the soft drinks, it still should have been more. I decided, however, not to question it and found out later (in our Welcome package ‘Perks’ book) that it’s 10% off for a maximum or 4 people. That’s why it was only $6.51 but I did find that she used the 4 most expensive entrees to discount. A nice touch.

We head outside and walk to the bus stop. It’s now made the move from chilly to cold but a bus pulls up just as we get there so it’s quickly on and a quick trip back to the Boardwalk. Heading through the lobby, we saw Brian entertaining again but we didn’t stop. It was back to the room for some TV, packing and off to bed.

Miles Walked Today – 4.62 but that only includes the walking beginning with the second lap around Crescent Lake. A good estimate would be to double that.

Things I Think I Think – I think we should never let Stephen and Will into an arcade together. I think I’m tiring of their version of ‘Big Blue World’. I think Disney needs to bring out some new styles in golf shirts. I think that while many seem to avoid the Rainforest café, we’ve actually had pretty good luck there. I think that even though it’s gotten colder for our last 2 days, we’ve had excellent luck with the weather. I think I hate to pack.

Day 8 – Wednesday, January 10, 2007 – Homeward Bound

Last day. I’m never fond of the last day at Disney World. It’s always mixed emotions. On one hand, it’ll be good to get home but I still don’t really want to leave. I guess I could move here then it would be home and I’d never have to leave…

I heard Steph up and out for a run at 6:20. I guess she’s going for one last run while the weather allows it. Back home she’ll run on a treadmill until it warms up toward spring and then she’s back out in Central Park. I got up around 6:45 and put on the coffee. Will headed down to the Bakery and picked up muffins and bagels for those that wanted them. We packed up our luggage and called Bell Services for storage. Stephanie walked her one bag down to the lobby and checked it while getting her Boarding Pass.

We left for Epcot and entered at around 9:05. Barb, Stephen, Stephanie and I took one last ride on Soarin’ with almost no wait. On the way out, I picked up 3 FPs just in case we wanted to use them later. We took a shot at another Segway ride, talking Michelle into going this time, but it appears all the morning sessions are the ‘paid’ ones. You cough up $40-50 and you get the training plus the chance to ride around World Showcase for a while. They must be doing well because it looked like they were running groups of 12 or so through this like an assembly line. The kids took up some video games in here which I quickly tired of.

Barb, Stephanie and I thought we’d try the Fountainview for a coffee but it was closed with a sign saying try the Land for breakfast. I also noticed a big Nescafe sign inside. You can’t get real coffee here anymore either? Plus, I think I remember that closed sign being there each time we walked by over the last week. I wonder if it was ever open? Barb and I decided to try another run on Soarin’ using the FPs. Steph declined.
Soarin’ had a 15-minute wait posted but, as we walked past the ‘gate’ where they take your FP, I looked back at the Standby queue – there was no one in it. The ride was a walk-on. We managed to score the front row for this, our last ride of the trip.

We met up with everybody and walked to Mission: Space. Only Will, Stephen and I were up for a last ride. Stephen went Orange (calling us ‘wimps’) while Will and I went Green. Kind of surprising for Will because he’s usually fearless on all rides but the fact the last ride made him queasy has smartened him up. The posted waits for Green and Orange were both 20-minutes. When we joined the queue, however, Stephen seemed to keep walking well ahead of us. After about 5-minutes of not moving an inch, they changed the Green Standby to 30-minutes. That was enough to drive Will and me out.

We joined the others and Will, Michelle and William decided to head back and get us a table at ESPN for lunch. Our Quicksilver driver would pick us up at 1:00 so we figured 11:30-11:45 would be a good time for lunch. Barb, Stephanie and I waited for Stephen. Just before he came out, the Jammitors arrived to entertain us. When Stephen exited, we made that walk through World Showcase and the International Gateway one… last… time.

This vacation had begun with lunch at ESPN so I suppose it’s fitting that it end the same way. It also gave Stephen a chance at another Dinger sandwich – his 3rd of the trip. I kidded them that he should get a dozen to go, on dry ice, to bring home with him. I think he thought that was a good idea.

After lunch, I left Barb with the check while I ran down to the Screen Door for one last shot at a souvenir. Stephen had, a few years ago, been given a very nice Boardwalk pen. I thought I’d get one of those and also buy some saltwater taffy that Barb wanted for her co-workers. I got the taffy but no luck on the pen. The only ones they had were covered in Mickey heads – not what I was looking for. I tried once more in the gift shop off the lobby but nothing there either.

I went outside and turned our luggage ticket into the valet stand. Everyone else soon joined me and our bags were wheeled out. At about 1:02, our driver showed with a large van instead of the Escalade and we had an uneventful ride back to the airport.

We had already exchanged hugs and kisses with Stephanie but we did so again as we pulled up to the Delta area. It’s so different now that she lives out of town. In the past, we’d say goodbye knowing she’d be over for dinner or to do her laundry inside of a week. Now, we won’t see her until she comes home in late February for a friend’s birthday. Then Barb and I will travel to NYC for a March weekend for Steph’s birthday. We’ll probably take in a show with her then.

The driver then took us out and back into the airport for Terminal A and Southwest. For the first time in about 3 trips we saw Skycaps working so we checked our luggage there. We made our way through Security again and down to our gate. We sat, read and just chilled until we boarded – almost on time.

We left a bit late but made up some time in the air so we landed on schedule. While the weather in Albany had been downright balmy while we were gone, it appeared that the same cold front that went through Florida also came through here. The pilot announced that the temperature in Albany was 22 degrees and then winds were at 20 knots with gusts to 40. He said “It may be a bit bumpy on our approach”. That proved to be the understatement of the year.

Our driver met us at baggage claim and told me he had the van parked across from the last door. He’d be out there keeping it warm for us. When we finally got our luggage, we needed several trips across the street to the van – and none of us was dressed for ‘winter’. Luggage stored, I waved Michelle and William across and we got him into the car seat and made the quick 25-minute drive home.

Miles Walked Today – 3.49.

Summary – Is it redundant to say it was a good trip? They all are. As the family matures, you tend to see less of your children - particularly when they move farther away. Even though Michelle and Will’s new home is only 3 miles from ours, we probably don’t see them, and William, as often as we’d like. They all have their own lives and friends and the demands on their time become similar to your own. It was really good to all be together for a week – particularly at a place we all love. I’m sure we’ll miss seeing Stephanie every day and, after being with our grandson every day for a week, I imagine we’ll go into withdrawal for a while.

We only did a few ‘new’ things this trip but there’s nothing wrong with that either. As I tell my family, a large part of my enjoyment of Disney vacations is just being there - taking it all in, relaxing and enjoying it.
I did have some trepidation about traveling with a toddler but William was never a problem. He handled the plane, vans, hotel and parks with ease. While he had the occasional disagreement with Mom or Dad, he never had the ‘meltdown’ that I’ve seen so often at Disney World. I’d like to think that at least part of the reason was the fact that we took it slow and easy. We never forced anything on him and tried our best to keep his schedule for meals and naps relatively consistent. He’s also a fairly happy child – he smiles a lot. On the sinister side, he’s easily distracted – but I’m not sure how much longer that will last.

Early January is a great time to visit – although if I had waited a few more days, the crowds would have been less of a problem. As it turned out, they were heavy but manageable for the first half of the trip and then almost non-existent for the rest. The weather was very good, most of the Christmas decorations were still up and I (finally) got to see the Osborne Lights.

I’m sure we’ll do this again. Probably when William is in the 3-4 year old range and will be able to actively participate a bit more. In the meantime, it’ll be just Barb and me for a while – not that there’s anything wrong with that. We’ll probably wait until December 2007 or January 2008 for the next one. We’re celebrating our 35th Anniversary this year and Barb wants to do that in Las Vegas. At least they have monorails there. We’ll see.

Thanks for reading.

Hi Steve,

As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed your trip report. I was especially interested in this one since your experience was similar to mine in December 2006 with our toddler grandchildren in tow. It looks like we both survived the experience quite well as new members of the "stroller brigade." I've already made reservations for a return engagement in early December '07.

Best regards,
Arnold

Hi Steve,

As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed your trip report. I was especially interested in this one since your experience was similar to mine in December 2006 with our toddler grandchildren in tow. It looks like we both survived the experience quite well as new members of the "stroller brigade." I've already made reservations for a return engagement in early December '07.

Best regards,
Arnold

Hi Arnold.

This is quite a coincidence but I just read your December 2006 report today and was thinking the same thing. Nice job, by the way. I've read several of your TRs and always enjoy them.

It looks like we'll be taking a solo trip in December (or January if I change it) and then back down with the family, and the grandson, in 2008. I'd like to do it once more before he's 3 - just to save on the Park Hopper one more time. We'll see.

Thanks so much for your latest trip report! I can't tell you how much joy they bring ... you are such a great writer. Any novels in your future? Glad you had such a great trip with your cute family! Hope that Gunnar was well after being in the kennel! Thanks again, and I'll look forward to the next adventure!

~Lindy~

Thanks so much for your latest trip report! I can't tell you how much joy they bring ... you are such a great writer. Any novels in your future? Glad you had such a great trip with your cute family! Hope that Gunnar was well after being in the kennel! Thanks again, and I'll look forward to the next adventure!

~Lindy~

Hi Lindy,
Thank you so much for those kind words. I wish I had a novel in me - maybe a Disney novel? Gunnar's doing well (now) and thanks for asking.

The interesting thing about this Trip Report is that I included a bunch of comments from William - obviously intended to be humorous. They were italicized and, maybe for that reason, they didn't make it into this posted version.

Looks like the next trip won't be until December or January so I'm living through others' trip reports until then.

Thanks for writing.

The things I think I think: I really like reading your trip reports!

Thanks for the entertaining trip report! I thoroughly enjoyed your writing. You are right up there with Larry Wilmont in the humor department, and I second the fact that there must be a comical Disney novel in you! Thanks for tiding me over until my next trip to the World this May.

and perfect timing, as we're heading down to WDW in a few weeks with our 15 month and three year olds. People definitely underestimate how much really young children enjoy the World; they enjoy so much of it and, I love experiencing rides all over again as they get older.

September

What a shame ... I would have loved to read William's comments! He sure sounds like a cute kid, and lucky to have such a great grandad!

Loved the report, as usual. Just curious - have you received any response from BWV about the differentiating "view" categories?

Loved the report, as usual. Just curious - have you received any response from BWV about the differentiating "view" categories?

Thanks and yes. It took a few emails but I finally heard from someone that represented DVC. They would not budge on their definition of a preferred versus standard view but they did refund my 8 points.

Well that's cool at least. Isn't that a night in a studio at OKW in off season midweek? i.e. a retail value of like $269? It was worth complaining about :cool:

Well that's cool at least. Isn't that a night in a studio at OKW in off season midweek? i.e. a retail value of like $269? It was worth complaining about :cool:

I think you're right. If I'm not mistaken, it's also a night in a BW standard view studio in value season.

Steve,

You are still king of the trip report!

Thanks for taking the time to write them, please keep'em comming!

Steve,

You are still king of the trip report!

Thanks for taking the time to write them, please keep'em comming!

Thank you so much for that. I'd love to keep 'em coming but I need another trip... and we're not planning one until December!

Steve,


Just wanted to let you know I have read every one of your trip reports and I booked Boardwalk for 10-27 through 10-30, all your info helped me in planning my trip, are you staying at Boardwalk in December again??

Hi Steve. I always enjoy reading your trip reports. I feel like I'm there with the great detail you include. Great job! :)

Steve,


Just wanted to let you know I have read every one of your trip reports and I booked Boardwalk for 10-27 through 10-30, all your info helped me in planning my trip, are you staying at Boardwalk in December again??

Every one? I admire your endurance.

We are currently reserved at the Boardwalk but, when the 7-month window opens, I'm thinking of switching to the Beach Club Villas if available. No real reason except a little variety. As long as we're in the area, I'm happy.

Enjoy your trip. The BW is a great place to stay.

Hi Steve. I always enjoy reading your trip reports. I feel like I'm there with the great detail you include. Great job! :)

...and thank you for those kind words.

Great trip report, I always look forward to reading yours. My DBF & I will down at WDW in 7 days, I'm soaking up all the trip reports that I can until then. Thank you again for sharing.

Steve,

I read every word of your trip report. It was fabulous. Your family sounds so very nice. Do you really travel THAT well together 24/7? We do, even with the grandparents along, but I thought we were a rarity. Thanks for making a quiet Friday night a little more exciting (hubby and kids went to bed early).

Steve,

I read every word of your trip report. It was fabulous. Your family sounds so very nice. Do you really travel THAT well together 24/7? We do, even with the grandparents along, but I thought we were a rarity. Thanks for making a quiet Friday night a little more exciting (hubby and kids went to bed early).

Thank you for those kind words. Yeah, we do travel pretty well together but I'm not sure about 24/7. We certainy have our moments. Just not at Disney I guess.

Hi Steve

Once again you kept me in stitches with laughter.

I do have some questions.

1. Big River Grill-Just where abouts is that?
2. How are the desserts? I looked at an 06 menu and was looking at that wonderful chocolate dessert, I am a chocolate freak.

I think we are going to try this restaurant in december when we go to WDW.

Thanks for the laughter.

Lynda

Hi Steve

Once again you kept me in stitches with laughter.

I do have some questions.

1. Big River Grill-Just where abouts is that?
2. How are the desserts? I looked at an 06 menu and was looking at that wonderful chocolate dessert, I am a chocolate freak.

I think we are going to try this restaurant in december when we go to WDW.

Thanks for the laughter.

Lynda

Hi Lynda,
Thank you. I'm glad you got a chuckle.

1. Big River Grill and Brewing Company is on the Boardwalk - between the Screen Door and Jelly Rolls.

2. I've never tried a dessert there so I can't comment. Sorry.

We'll also be there in December. Maybe we'll see you at Big River.

Hello Steve,

Again another outstanding trip report informative and entertaining. I had a big laugh, after the football game with the Patriot fan. Just because we enjoy WDW “Disney” does not give anyone a free pass to push us around.

Larry