Dates: April 25 to May 05, 2007
Travel Method: Plane/Rental Car
Resort: Beach Club

The Cast:

* Bert (44), pater familias to three lovely princesses (see below). I’m the Disney nut who usually sparks the idea to go. This represents my fourth trip to the World, which has changed vastly since I first went in 1972.

* Mary (44), wife of 18 years and mother to the princesses. She’s the financier of the group, the one who juggles the books and runs the numbers and consults the calendars again and again (bless her!) to enable us to go. This is her third trip.

* Jane1 (13), eighth-grader princess. Because she will be going to high school in September, the timing of this trip is important for us in terms of Jane1. We consider it the last time we’ll be able to take her out of school for a Disney trip in the off-season. We’re looking to create some lasting memories for her as she finishes up elementary school.

* Jane2 (10), fourth-grader princess. Jane2 is a good traveler and an enthusiastic adventurer. She loved Disney during our 2003 trip and fared very well. We’re looking to recreate that good experience for her.

* Jane3 (6), kindergarten princess. Jane3 remembers very little from our 2003 trip, which is not surprising because she was only 2½ . We are eager to re-introduce her to the World now that she can remember and experience more.

Our Motivation:
Why a trip so close to our prior vacation in WDW? There were several factors:

* As mentioned above, Jane1 is graduating elementary school in 2007, so this trip would be somewhat of a graduation send-off to her, to mark her entrance into high school.

* My Dad had passed away rather suddenly in Feb 2006. He loved Disney--he was an engineer, and I think the way Walt put the parks together appealed to his sense of logic and his measured way of thinking. So with Dad no longer with us, we were operating in sort of a carpe diem frame of mind.

* Both Mary’s mother and my own mother were aging and presenting various challenges of their own (health, living arrangements, driving issues, etc.). 2006 had been a tough year on all of us, and we were eager to step out as a family in a big way (Disney!) and have some fun.

The Running Time:
In 2003, we spent nine days in WDW; we lost a day, however, when travel woes beset our flight from Philadelphia to Orlando. To buffer the impact if that happened again, we scheduled this trip for 10 days. As before, the late-April/early-May timeframe fit very well into school and other schedules: It was far enough in the season to avoid Easter vacationers and Spring Breakers, but not so close to Memorial Day to get the early summer crowds. We were also fairly certain that the weather would be warm enough to swim without being broiling hot and making the park times miserable. We were correct in that assessment, too, as we had not a drop of rain and temps into the 90s every day.

Location:
Onsite was a must. But the question was Where? We debated this issue a lot (Disney makes it hard on a family of five), mulling info about budgeting and comfort. Last time, the five of us stayed at POR, with Jane3 in a crib. The original plan was to repeat that resort (we did love it) and have Jane3 use the trundle bed. But the more poking around we did and the more we talked to our Disney Travel Agent (and close friend), the more we came to the conclusion that perhaps with the girls being older, we needed additional space. We weighed a lot of options, including double rooms at the All-Stars and a cabin at Fort Wilderness, but we finally decided on the Beach Club Resort, where we’d use the two queen beds and a day bed.

Action!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Our flight took off at 9:30AM from Philadelphia International Airport, direct to MCO. The flight came off without a hitch - - a major improvement over the 2003 delays. We actually landed early!

Got our bags and caught a shuttle to the rental car agency. We had rented a car on our prior excursion and loved the freedom it gave (plus the time savings), so deciding to rent again was a no-brainer. We ended up with a gray 2007 Ford Explorer that I really liked.

A Mouseplanet tip proved very valuable with the car: We brought along with us a flag - - ours was from our home football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. These fan flags are available at most sporting goods stores and they are mounted on a stick that then slides snugly into the rolled-up window. It made ID’ing the car amid a sea of cars very easy, and we were glad we brought it. Plus it told other visitors and CMs where we were from, which led to some fun meetings as the week progressed.

Before long, we were off to the BC. A stop at Goodings came first, where we stocked up on some snacks and bottled water. We also grabbed a quick bite of lunch at McDonald’s. Not my first choice at all, but for the sake of the kids, I ageed.

Arrival at the hotel was a snap, and we checked in without issue. The weather was gorgeous: sunny and much warmer than the high-60s we had left in Pennsylvania. Our jeans and jackets soon became superfluous, and would remain so for the rest of the trip.

The Beach Club was as gorgeous and stylish and ritzy as we’d imagined. It had a totally different feel from POR, which took some getting used to on my part, but before long, we acclimated. We were assigned room 3723, which was quite a hike from the lobby, thanks to an odd arrangement of the lobby elevators (we were almost to the Yacht Club portion of the sister resorts, directly above Beaches & Cream - - how much more sense it would have made if these two resorts also shared an elevator at their juncture!).

We unpacked and changed into swimwear and attacked Stormalong Bay. What a terrific pool for the kids. The sandy bottom was an interesting novelty, and they adored the chance to swim under waterfalls, spin around the whirlpool, and enjoy the long slide from the pirate ship marooned in Crescent Lake. Jane3 especially appreciated the fact that there was a pint-sized slide made just for her.

The Marketplace became a frequent stop on our way in or out for the day: We found it well-stocked with both sundries and food, and the staff was friendly, pleasant, and helpful.

The biggest asset we found to the BC was the location, location, location. MK and DAK were easy drives, and Epcot and the Studios were conveniently accessed by boat. I was glad to have the car, but I was also glad that it wasn’t a daily necessity.

After becoming totally waterlogged and shedding the stresses of home, we changed again into shorts and tees and went to Beaches & Cream for dinner. We had a little wait, nothing major, and we spent the time just relaxing at the outside tables as the pool closed and the lifeguards cleaned up. Before long, our pager went off and we enjoyed what we were told were the best burgers on-property. I didn’t argue the point; mine was delicious. Jane3 had a little problem with not liking her entrée (I think it was sheer exhaustion setting in), and the waitress kindly replaced it with something else that better suited her palate. But we were on borrowed time. The kids were fading fast, as were we (we’d been going since 6AM). Mary ordered a sundae to go and took the kids up to bed. I paid the bill, collected the sundae, and retreated to the room.

We passed some time with the TV, watching the “Top Seven Attractions in the Walt Disney World Resort,” a show that we would be able to quote chapter and verse by the time we checked out. We also got quite familiar with the rotation of Disney shorts on the cartoon station: The happy little samba music that accompanied “Pluto and the Armadillo” would ring around in my mind for many an afternoon thereafter.

We all slept soundly.

The only downfall we found to the BC was some things we really couldn’t fix anyway: The elevator configuration was definitely weird and, at the end of a long day, that walk was often a killer. In cleaning out the room from prior occupants, we were disappointed to find that Mousekeeping wasn’t exactly diligent. We found an icky pair of running shorts left under the daybed. And the toilet seat was loose. And the toilet paper roll holder was broken. Also, Mousekeeping forgot to make up the daybed. And one of the pillowcases was dirty. But after a few words to the front desk, these were addressed and weren’t issues for the remainder of the stay.

Thursday, April 26, 2007
The night prior, before clicking off the lights to go to sleep, we set a wake-up call to get us out from under the covers. At the appointed time, the phone rang. Mary patched it through on the speakerphone, hoping it was a character, as we’d experienced before. We got the following: A short clip of the Tiki Room song, followed by Stitch interrupting brashly: “Wake UP! NO MORE SLEEPING!!” And then Mickey: “Uh, sorry folks. Ever since Stitch escaped into the Magic Kingdom, we’ve had a lot of excitement…” Stitch: “GET MOVING!” Mickey: “Well, huh-huh, have a magical day!” These wake-up messages were the same for the entire 10 days, except for the clip of music that Stitch interrupted. Other mornings, it was “it’s a small world,” “Yo-Ho! Yo-Ho! A Pirate’s Life for Me,” and “Swisskapolka.”

We went down to the Marketplace in the BC lobby for breakfast and filled up on fruit, yogurt, coffee, and donuts.

We then drove to the TTC and, as we approached the boarding areas, we said to Jane3, “As the youngest, you get to pick how we’re going to get to MK today. Do we take a boat or the Monorail?” She picked a boat, so we walked over to the docks. On the way, the harbormaster spotted us - - we were the only ones around, as most of the EMH participants were running pell mell off to the Monorail. He introduced himself with a doff of his white cap and asked our names and where we were from. He then walked us down the rampway toward the waiting boat and introduced us to Captain Mark: “This is the Sweep Family from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I want them taken to the Magic Kingdom gate as quickly as you can!” “Aye-aye, sir!” came the response, and within seconds, Captain Mark has pushed off. We were in our own private transportation to the MK. It wasn’t exactly an express, though. When Capt Mark saw us taking pictures, he stopped the boat a number of times and angled it so that we could get good shots. He also took 2-3 pictures of us with our own camera, so that all five of us would be in them. Once we arrived at the gate, he snapped another salute and wished us well!

Main Street was as magical as ever. We browsed some of the shops and caught a quick photo with the Dapper Berts, who I thought had been disbanded, but they were there in their four-part glory. We then got off several rides in rapid succession:

*Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Cute. This was a new ride for us, as it wasn’t completed during our 2003 trip. Or maybe it was being rehabbed. Anyway, this was our inaugural trip to the Hundred Acre Woods. Fun!

*Peter Pan’s Flight. A family favorite.

* Snow White’s Scary Adventures. Jane2 and I sat this one out. Jane3 enjoyed it with her bigger sister and mom. Jane2 and I tried to extract the sword from the stone, to no avail. We did notice, however, that Mickey’s PhilharMagic was a walk-on, so our next ride was:

* Mickey’s PhilharMagic. Another attraction that wasn’t completed for our 2003 run. We loved this film to pieces. It was extremely well done and hilariously funny, and we walked out vowing to see it again.

* it’s a small world. The new paint job and attention this attraction recently got has it sparkling like new. I also liked that a separate area has been set up for stroller parking, away from the entrance. The strollers all jammed into the queue area always made it so congested here.

It was lunchtime by then, and we ate at the Plaza, using our ADR. It was nice to get inside the air conditioning, and we all welcomed a little respite while we ate. After lunch, we hit Toontown for Jane3, and she rode Goofy’s Barnstomer. We then all cooled off again at Donald’s Boat before exiting the park for good. It was a good start to the MK - - we didn’t use any FastPasses because most of the rides were walk-on. By this time, though, the park was starting to jam, so it was a good time to go.

We napped back at the room for a while and changed for dinner, which was at ‘Ohana. What a great experience. The food itself was mouth-watering (I can imagine a vegan being horrified, as it was a carnivorous delight), and the entertainment kept Jane3 and Jane2 occupied. They Bertced the hula, raced coconuts, and did the limbo, all while learning a few words in native Hawaiian. We ate and ate and ate: sesame chicken, steak, turkey, sausage, pork, and shrimp, accompanied by au gratin potatoes that were to die for! Dessert, which we did indulge in as well, was bread pudding with bananas foster sauce and vanilla ice cream.

We waddled back to MK and, as the sun set on Day One, we rode Pirates, Jungle Cruise, and Splash. Again, no FPs were needed.

Pirates was fun with the movie overlay. The misting screen that shows Davy Jones is appropriately creepy, and the figure of Jack Sparrow is amazingly fluid and lithe. But I felt sorry that these additions came at the expense of Paul Frees, who is now little more than a cameo in the wench-sale sequence.

The Jungle Cruise was an interesting experience in the dark; however, the ride was marred by a thick-accented driver who we couldn’t understand very well and more than one animatronic figure that was out of order. One hippo, for example, just yawned at us open-mouthed and stock-still. It was like he was at a dental appointment. Bad show!

We were a little concerned as to how Jane3 would take the 52’ drop of Splash Mountain, but she showed nerves of steel. It not only didn’t scare her, but it thrilled her to the point that she wanted to go again. We vowed to try to make a repeat visit.

Coming out of Frontierland, we were in a good viewing position for Wishes, so we stayed and watched the show. It was good, but I think seeing it from Main Street would have been better.

Thoroughly exhausted, we exited the park with a zillion other tired guests. We had thought of staying for the 11PM Spectro, but it was just beyond us at that point. We rode a boat back to the TTC and drove home to BC.

The kids were delighted to find that Mousekeeping had left them a washcloth whale in the bathroom. They dubbed him Spout.

Friday, April 27, 2007
After Stitch roused us from our beds, we had breakfast again at the Marketplace, commandeering a table outside the store. Today’s itinerary took us to DAK.

Being a Friday, DAK was crowded from early-on. Many school trips, it seemed. I went immediately to Expedition Everest and snagged a FastPass. From there, we managed to get on Kali without too much of a wait. Jane3 loved this ride and got absolutely drenched. We then got in line for the Kilimanjaro Safari and experienced the longest wait of the trip: 40 minutes.

I found the park very difficult to navigate - - more difficult than usual. The construction of the Anandapur Yak & Yeti Restaurant had me all twisted around in Asia, and I found myself consistently confused. At one point, while I was waiting for Mary and the girls to meet me, I got in a nice conversation with a CM working ITTBAB. She was from upstate New York, and we were talking about how the winter had been in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this year. A lot of CMs, I noticed, were from New York State. I guess they get tired of the snow….

We decided to get some lunch and stopped in at Pizzafari. Mary and I had the wrap and the kids munched on pizzas.

After lunch, we went straight to the next performance of Nemo: the Musical. I can’t say enough good things about this show. The puppetry and the acting were phenomenal. The music was catchy and clever. And the staging was very entertaining. We applauded this mightily and wondered if somehow it could be considered as Disney Theatrical’s next approach to Broadway. It was that good.

By the time we got out of Nemo, it was time for me to challenge Everest. As a single rider with a FastPass, I was on right away. EE is an awesome coaster. Before riding it, my favorite coaster on-property was RNRC. But EE transplants it. EE has the benefit of a really good story, which plusses the coaster to my top spot. RNRC is all about the launch, but after that, it’s just some whirling through black-lit poster boards of highway signs. EE makes RNRC look like a kiddie ride. A+++ for EE.

Before we left DAK, we found that ITTAB was a walk-on, so we went. Everyone giggled. It is still a fun attraction.

We were done, and it was time to go. The heat and crowds had taken their toll, so we weighed dinner options. We had an ADR for Nine Dragons, but nobody really felt much like going. We ended up getting sandwiches from The Marketplace and eating in our room (more washcloth surprises were waiting for us, including a cute clown that the kids named Suds). It wasn’t glamorous, but it served the need.

Saturday, April 28, 2007
The day was spent in Epcot, where we walked through a completely deserted World Showcase on the way to our Princess Character breakfast at Akershus in Norway. It was fun having the park completely to ourselves, and we snapped a few good photos of the topiaries that were part of the Flower and Garden Festival.

We were seated quickly and the waitress (va-va-voom, BTW, these Norse girls are hawt!) brought us beverages and sent us to the buffet while she served our main course family-style. The buffet portion included bagels and butter/cream cheese, smoked salmon, fruits, and pastries/rolls. The entrée comprised bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage, and hash browns.

We were visited by Ariel, Snow White, Jasmine (another hottie! This is so wrong!), Briar Rose, and Belle. The kids enjoyed the food and getting their autograph books signed. We snapped plenty of pictures.

After breakfast, we strolled back to Future World and went to the rehabbed Living Seas. There we rode:

* Nemo: the Ride. What an utter disappointment. This attraction involved no imagination at all. They merely stuffed guests into clam-mobiles and rode them past film clips of the movie. And the clips weren’t all that easy to follow, either. Not a laugh, not a clever turn, not a single spark of creativity at all. Well, okay, there was one: Just prior to exiting the shells, we’re presented with Peach, who is so sick of hearing the treacly song that accompanies the ride that she begs us to take her with us. Maybe I was jaded at having seen Nemo the Musical, but if Nemo the Ride is a foretaste of what Pixar is bringing to WDW, I hope someone puts the brakes on… soon!

* Turtle Talk with Crush. Now this was more like it. Yes, it involved film clips, but the way they were put together to make it seem as if Crush could not only see us but talk to us as well was extremely clever. And funny. Whoever is doing the voice is very quick on his feet at coming up with humorous lines to toss. For instance, when one child couldn’t remember the question he wanted to ask Crush, the turtle let the silence play out… a little longer… and then perfectly came in with this: “Ooo-kay, having a little Dory moment there, that’s fine, li’l dude!” We saw this twice, and both times, Crush was able to spin comedic gold from pregnant pauses and less-than-coherent toddlers.

* Ellen’s Energy Adventure. We missed this in 2003, owing to the scariness factor with the kids. It was enjoyable this time (no tears from the young’uns), especially with Ellen, but the movie portion at the beginning left me cold. Ellen was her usual funny self, but the color registrations among the projections were way off. So she looked different in each shot, and the pan of her apartment was wildly disjointed. I’m not sure if a new movie is needed here, but something should be done to shore up the technical side of the preshow.

We also did the Journey into Imagination (meh) and Circle of Life (meh) attractions, finishing up with Soarin’. I can’t say enough about how wonderful Soarin’ was. I have always had this fantasy to fly, and this ride made it come true in a manner so convincingly that I thought I should be wearing red tights and a large S on my chest. The preshow was funny, with Patrick Warburton (Kronk, Puddy, The Tick) giving us our flying instructions. And the film inside was stunningly beautiful, and the dips and banks made it seem as if we were really there. Even the scents are real, as when we flew over a forest, the smell of evergreen was everywhere. Jane2 and Jane3 enjoyed it as much as I did, but Mary? Not so much. It was a little too real for her tastes.

Dinner that night was at Fulton’s in Downtown Disney. We had a very nice meal, but we paid through the nose for it. Was it worth it? I guess so. Fulton’s had terrific food. I had surf/turf with the Filet Mignon and Alaskan Lobster tail, while Mary and Jane1 loved the crab cakes. But it also looked like they were resting on their laurels when it came to sprucing up the steamboat. The floor could sure have used some new carpet, and several of the walkways looked in need of paint. I didn’t regret going to Fulton’s - - even if the sticker shock was indeed shocking - - I just wouldn’t be in a rush to go back, especially since we had as good a seafood dinner at less than half the price in tonier environs later in the week (see Flying Fish Café).

We went to the World of Disney store in DD for some shopping, but going there on a Saturday night was a huge mistake. The crowds were godawful and after picking up a few souvenirs, we bid a hasty retreat.

Sunday, April 29, 2007
We drove ourselves to the shrine of Mary Queen of the Universe for Mass. It was an incredibly leisurely liturgy, lasting 90 minutes. But the chance to unwind and experience something calmly spiritual was welcome relief from the hectic pace of WDW. The music was masterful, and I chatted with the Music Director afterward, complimenting him on his incredible choir (seven people who filled the entire church with sound). After learning that I, too, was a Parish Music Director, he invited me and our choir to perform there on a Saturday evening of our choosing, as part of the Shrine’s pilgrimage choir program. Choirs from all over the country come to lead worship. I took his card and told him I’d contact him if we could work out the details.

The kids wanted IHOP for breakfast, so I braved a truly tiny parking lot and we ate. The waiter was frazzled beyond belief, but his good humor made the meal acceptable.

Back on-property, we hit MGM. We had arrived just prior to the Stars and Motor Cars Parade, and while standing in front of the hat, plotting our next move, a CM tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I wanted a front row view. “Sure,” I said. “What do I have to do?” “Just stand there,” he said; we were virtually atop the strips of masking tape the CMs laid on the pavement to mark off the parade route. So without moving a muscle, we were able to enjoy this parade.

We then rode the Great Movie Ride, which was down for rehab our last visit. It was fun, even if the kids didn’t know the bulk of the movies they were riding through. We had the gangster, by the way.

The kids then watched the High School Musical Pep Rally while I went off to ride TOT. We both finished at around the same time. Word to the wise for parents of preteens: HSM is omnipresent in WDW. If your blood curdles at the 1,593,822nd rendition of “We’re All in This Together,” be forewarned. You’re not going to escape the HSM phenomenon, no matter what you do: It’s in the parks. It’s on the television. It’s for sale everywhere you look. You can run, but you can’t hide.

We then took the backlot tour, which has changed some for the addition of Lights! Motors! Action!

On our way to dinner, we stopped at the lamest attraction of them all: “The Magic of Narnia” or whatever it’s called. We were led into a room to face a giant wardrobe. A narrator then talked about the popularity of the C.S. Lewis novel and told us we’d be visiting an actual set used in the movie. The doors swung open and we faced… what looked like a Christmas tree sales lot on December 26th. There were a bunch of fake evergreen trees dusted with ‘snow.’ An electric lamppost stood in the middle, bearing three plastic icicles. And one side of the room was taken up by a screen. The lights dimmed, and a woman dressed as the White Witch came out on a balcony above us and yelled some mumbo-jumbo. The screen then lit up with 15 minutes of footage from the movie. And when that was finished, we were led outside.

That was it.

We saw the Narnia movie on DVD and enjoyed it a lot. But this stinker of an “attraction” was just a complete waste of time. What saved it from being a total bomb is that outside, where the kids could pose for pictures, it was “snowing,” using, I assume, the same technique that allows snow on Main Street during the Christmas parades.

Other than the snow (which you can enjoy from the street itself, avoiding the trap altogether), the experience requires patience and a fistful of No-Doze.

Dinner was at the Sci-Fi Dine-in, and it turned out to be one of the worst meals we had the entire vacation. The cars made conversation very difficult, with the kids in the front seat and we parents in the back. And the food was mediocre at best: My Reuben was cold, and the fries could have been used to nail down the ties on the WDW railroad. Jane2 couldn’t/wouldn’t eat her mac-n-cheese, and when it was replaced with a hotdog, she declared that inedible as well. We enjoyed the cheesy movie clips (Robot Monster, Plan 9 from Outer Space, Monster of Party Beach, and oddly, some non-Disney animation from Tex Avery and MGM [Tom & Jerry]), but in general, this meal was a bust.

Monday, April 30, 2007
Stitch woke us up for the sixth time this week, and sadly, Jane1 was under the weather. We ate a light breakfast and went to play Fantasia Minigolf, but even that was pushing it, from a heat and humidity standpoint.

We spent the day hanging around Stormalong Bay, which turned out to be a nice break in the midst of our hectic pace. We enjoyed just relaxing by the pool and cooling the jets a little.

That evening’s dinner was across Crescent Lake at the Boardwalk. We had an incredibly good meal at the Flying Fish Café. Jane1 ate light, but the rest of us enjoyed our seafood, which was prepared to perfection. The atmosphere was clean and bright, and the waitstaff was diligent and attentive. We enjoyed this meal much more than the one at Fulton’s and would recommend it without hesitation.

After dinner, Mary scooted Jane1 back to the room on the boat, but Jane2, Jane3, and I lingered to watch some of the entertainment on the Boardwalk. We saw a terrific street performer who balanced a series of items on a knife that he held in his teeth. His last trick involved balancing two swords, point-to-point, and to ensure the safety of his audience, he had four children form a square around him and hold yellow do-not-cross tape that police departments use. Jane3 was chosen as one of his helpers, and she performed her duties diligently!

When he finished, we started to wait for the boat to return us to the Beach Club, but the evening had cooled off so nicely and the pace was so leisurely that we ended up walking back, over the bridge to the Dolphin and Swan and beside the Yacht Club. Before we left the Boardwalk, we saw a rolling piano-cycle and its boater-hatted player. We stopped to listen to him play ragtime while he pedaled here and there.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007
We are stunned that this trip is melting away so quickly. Disney magic sure seems to slip through your fingers while you’re in the midst of it. Luckily, its memory remains in your heart for a long time afterward.

Today, we began cleanup: the repetition of parks to experience those last few attractions and rides we’d missed on the initial visit early in the trip.

The morning began in DAK, where the kids went to the Boneyard while I rode Dinosaur (walk-on). After that, we all walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek, an experience we missed in 2003. The tigers were beautiful, but Jane3 didn’t like the thoughts of fruit bats, so she and Mary bypassed that room easily.

Last, we saw the Flights of Wonder show, and funny enough, I was one of two audience members chosen to take a picture of an owl flying directly at us. (Hint on being chosen: Completely by accident, I’d taken my ball cap during the show and turned it around on my head backward. I had done this because the brim made it hard to see some of the birds in flight. But it turns out that the backward cap made me stand out against all the other Dads who were wearing ball caps facing forward. Would I have been chosen otherwise? Tough to tell. But if you want to be picked for something involving audience participation, my advice is to do something to stand out a little.) Too bad the camera mis-fired and I missed the picture altogether. It happened so fast. All I was really aware of was a wing in the viewfinder to my left. Looking back on it, I should have just used the video feature on the digital camera and taped the whole flight. Oh well. Hindsight vision being 20/20 and all that…

After a light lunch, we went to Typhoon Lagoon and had a blast. The wave pool was incredible, and we squealed along with the rest of the crowd when we’d hear the loud ka-WHUMP that preceded every giant wave. Jane3 and Jane2 had a good time at Ketchakiddee Creek, especially where they could douse each other with water canons. And we all enjoyed Castaway Creek, where we floated lazily among the cool brush.

Our ADR for dinner that night was at Alfredo’s. On the way to the restaurant, we caught some of Miuyiki making her candy creations (she formed a really intricate Simba) and a crew of drummers at the Japan pavilion. We arrived on time in Italy and waited just a bit for our table to be ready. While on standby, we watched two chefs at work, one making bread and one making pasta noodles.

Before long, however, our table was called. The meal was very enjoyable (Mary and Jane1 had the Fettuccini Alfredo, and I had a pasta dish with sausage and white sauce), but a little rushed. We called it pasta con brio, as we were whisked by our waiter, Fabio (many Nemo jokes were made at our table at his expense), from appetizer to dessert in a blur. Ciao!

From there, we walked outside and caught Illuminations from nearby the boat dock in front of Germany. The power of this show to stir my emotions hasn’t dimmed one iota since I first saw it in 2003, and I continued to be seriously moved by its combination of pyrotechnics, narration, music, and song. Yes, it made me cry back then and it made me cry this time, too. I love the Illuminations show, lock-stock-and-barrel.

Back at 3723, a washcloth spider awaited us. He was named Ocho.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007
We started the day with a boat ride over to the Boardwalk to take advantage of the Boardwalk Bakery. The bacon-and-egg paninni was mouth-watering. Then, it was off to Epcot.

We got FPs for Test Track and went of to Spaceship Earth. It is sadly very much in need of the coming rehab. When the narrator (who I can’t even identify anymore, thanks to a fuzzy soundtrack) intoned that we are “…on the threshold of the 21st Century…” I immediately thought: Holy cow! The 21st Century is seven years old!! I’m glad this attraction is in line to get some TLC, for it surely needs it.

After Spaceship Earth, we went for a second visit to Crush, and he was just as entertaining as the first time (Hint: If you want to see Crush but not the Lame-o Nem-o ride, go in the exit of the Living Seas and turn right after you get through the gift shop!).

We got FPs for a repeat of Soarin’ (with Mary electing to stay earthbound), and went to see the American Adventure, one of my favorites. The Voices of Liberty was finishing up a concert, so we stood in the rotunda and listened, held rapt by their close harmonies and heartfelt singing.

Into the American Adventure, which is curiously not a continuous run anymore but rather, is scheduled. I don’t know if that’s because it’s falling in popularity (hope not) or what. I do know that among the Sweeps, I’m the only one who enjoys this presentation. My four other travel partners all view it as a chance to get in out of the heat, soak in some air conditioning, sit for a while, and nap.

I will say that, like Spaceship Earth, the film portion of AA could use an update. It’s as if nothing of any significance happened in the U.S. since Reagan and the dismantling of the Berlin Wall. I still love the animatronics and engineering of AA, but the movie is severely out-of-date.

After AA, we split up, with Mary, Jane1, and Jane3 returning to the hotel and Jane2 and I sticking around for one more Soarin’ ride. We walked over to Italy to see the World Showcase performers present their very unorthodox version of that Shakespearean classic “Romeo and Edna.” They were hilarious. Afterward, we were walking to Future World when we saw a fife-and-drum corps outside in the AA pavilion and a belly Bertcer in Morocco (accompanied by Morockin’). We also swung by Ice Station Cool for a break, where we tried watermelon soda and, yes, the icky Beverly.

Soarin’ was just as much fun the second time as the first.

We drove to the Wilderness Lodge for dinner at the Whispering Canyon. The WL was a sight to behold, and we were stunned at the beauty of the lobby itself. Next time, we may try to stay here.

On the way in, we had an interesting visit with a fellow Philadelphian - - the guard at the gate - - who recognized the flag on our SUV. We talked of home and had a laugh.

Dinner was good (we ordered the skillet) and fun - - those who asked for ketchup learned to regret it. The hobbyhorse race was a disappointment for Jane3 when they ran out of horses, but she was assuaged by some extra attention from our waitress.

Thursday, May 03, 2007
Stitch on the phone: “Get moving!!” And boy, did we ever! Today was pickup day at MK. We took the Mono from the TTC and used FPs and EMH advantages to ride Mickey’s PhilharMagic for the second time, Splash Mountain for the third time, Buzz, Carousel of Progress (an old-time favorite of mine) Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor (not as good as Turtle Talk), Big Thunder, Hall of Presidents (another attraction in need of a more-current film), and the Haunted Mansion.

Thank goodness the HM is scheduled for a rehab, because it, too, is a little creaky. Or at least more creaky than it should be. Things got off to a rocky start right from the beginning: Toward the end of the stretching room, the exit door opened and people started moving forward. But the Ghost Host hadn’t appeared behind the scrim at the ceiling yet. So 9/10ths of the people on the ride were already marching off to a Doom Buggy while he was saying, “Well, there’s always my way!” They missed the scream and the clink of skeleton bones. Bad show, HM! Bad show! Soundtrack in the Doom Buggies was scratchy and, at times, unintelligible. Thankfully, I know the spiel word-for-word; otherwise, a lot of the HM would have been a muddled mess for me. The lighting was frustratingly dim throughout; the corridor of creepy doors lost all its oomph when I couldn’t see a single detail of what was going on.

We were back in Epcot for dinner at LeCellier, the second best meal we had while on vacation. The pretzel bread, cheese soup, and salad with pecan-infused vinaigrette were delicious enough, but the Filet Mignon that was tender enough to practically cut itself was the real topper. A big thumbs-up for LeCellier.

We left right in time to catch the onset of Illuminations from the bridge between Great Britain and France. It was a little smoky there because of the breeze, but the railing on the bridge gave me a good stabilizer for the digital camera, and I was able to get some terrific shots of the shells in the air. Oh, yes, I cried again, too.

Friday, May 04, 2007
Is this really our last day? It can’t be. That’s unpossible. Check that calendar again, dear. There must be some mistake.

No. No mistake. We’re going home tomorrow.

Okay, so let’s get cracking on today.

Breakfast was at the Kona Café, where I ate every delicious, cholesterol-busting bite of a serving of Tonga Toast, my A-one favorite breakfast treat in WDW. We then drove back to the BC and took our usual boat to MGM.

I grabbed a FastPass for RNRC and then we all went into the Magic of Disney Animation. I expected to hate this attraction as a symbol of what the WDC walked away from when it turned its back on traditional hand-drawn animation, but funny enough, we had a great time inside. First, I had to laugh at Roy, the greeter. I was taking some video in the courtyard, and he was off in the distance, waving wildly. I thought he wanted to hurry us up, but when we scurried into line, he joked, “No! I just wanted to get into your video and return home with you to… where are you from?” “Philadelphia!” “Okay, I wanted to go home with you to Philadelphia.” Ray then became our official pal in this attraction. He led us inside; he did the no smoking spiel; he even monitored the door on our way out! I kidded him as we exited: “Hey kids! It’s Ray again. He’s working every attraction in the park today! See you on RNRC, Ray!”

My window for RNRC opened, and as I sped off to ride, the kids settled in for another round of the HSM Pep Rally. RNRC was great, especially the launch, but as I’ve already explained, it’s been demoted by EE to second place in the list of great coasters in WDW.

We walked back to the Lights! Motors! Action! area and hustled in right as they were starting the show. This was definitely a testosterone-driven presentation, so the Sweep princesses didn’t exactly eat it up, but the ooh and ahh factor was large and they enjoyed it overall. The cameo by Herbie, ol’ No. 53, went a long way toward roping them in.

Along the way, hunger struck. We tried the ABC Commissary. What a cruddy meal. First, the countergirl muffed my order. Then the server said she couldn’t fix it, that I had to go back and wait in a 20 minute line again. I took the kids their chicken nuggets (eech. These things were like plastic milk bottle tops that had been breaded and fried. If this is chicken meat, it must be from their toes!) and returned for lunches for Mary and I. A nerve-wracking experience at best.

We then took in the Voyage of the Little Mermaid (and in line met some more people from home - - a woman wearing a tee with the name of a high school very close to where Mary and I attended! What are the chances?). Jane3, who was so scared of this show as a toddler that she cried even as the bubbles descended from the ceiling, enjoyed every second of it.

We returned to the BC for some downtime and embarked on our final WDW dinner: The Cinderella dinner at 1900 Park Faire in the Grand Floridian. This was a really nice meal that we all enjoyed - - even our 13 year-old, who has long passed the point where princesses are magical. The character interaction was plentiful (Cindy, Prince, Perla, Susie, Fairy Godmother), and the food was good, too. I had a slice of prime rib that was succulent and tender.

We then wandered the Grand Floridian a bit, soaking in the lush lobby and enjoying the pianist and the jazz combo that played on the balcony. But after a while, the sleepees were calling, and we marched back to our car to return to the BC. We did some packing and called for our wake-up early the following morning. With more than just a hint of melancholy, we went to bed.

Saturday, May 05, 2007
Stitch got us up one last time. We hustled our way out of the BC, back to the car rental station, hopped the shuttle to MCO, and made our plane homeward.

The kids tease me that the saddest day of the year around our house is the day the Christmas tree comes down. And the saddest day of the decade around our house is the day we come home from a WDW vacation. They’re right.

The Aftermath
We had a great time and virtually no problems or issues along the way. I’ll summarize the tips that I thought contributed to our good time:

* Plan, plan, plan. After seeing what happened when we skipped Nine Dragons and decided to eat on our own, I can say confidently that I’d hate to arrive at WDW without ADRs in place beforehand. It was as if the entire park shut to us. I suppose we could have gone counter-service somewhere, but that would involve a trek back into a park, and if we were going to do that, we would have kept the Nine Dragons ADR. It was somewhat frustrating to hear over and over, “We can’t get you in. We could accommodate you, but not ‘til 9PM…” I can’t imagine the stress of dealing with that every day.

* But be flexible. I am really glad we skipped the Nine Dragons dinner. We weren’t up for it, we needed the rest, and we were better off for revising our plan. The same thing applies to the day Jane1 wasn’t feeling well and we hung by the pool all day. We still had fun, and the change from the park-park-park craziness was welcome. Flexibility also allowed us to enjoy surprises along the way, such as the parade in MGM and the one in MK, as well as the street performers in Epcot and MGM. Had we stuck to our itinerary like glue, we would have whisked by all these pleasures on our way rushing to something else.

* Rent the car. After a full day in the parks, the last thing I was interested in doing was waiting for a bus. Sure, we waited for boats, but that wasn’t every day in every park. The car also eased our trips to other resorts and off-property to Mass.

* Remember the flag. The fan flag we used to ID our car in those huge lots was a godsend. Bring a unique flag (I saw lots of American flags being used - - that kinda defeats the purpose, no?) of an off-season team or your company logo. You’ll be zooming away in no time, while other families wander like nomads.

* Pay attention to the latest flying regulations. On our trip home, we mistakenly packed all our bottles of sunscreen in a bag designated as a carry-on. That’s a no-no, according to the FAA. You need to get all your liquids and gels in a one-quart zip bag. We watched sadly as close to $15 in sunscreen was thrown out in the MCO airport, thanks to our haphazard packing for the homeward trip (we were much more attentive to this issue when we departed PHL).

* If you must rent a stroller (we got one for Jane3 toward the end of the journey, when her legs just couldn’t keep up any more), save yourself some money and time (!!) by buying multi-day stroller receipts. This means that you pay once for any number of days you require. When you enter a park and need a stroller, you can skip the long line and merely go to the distribution point, flash your receipt and you’re good to go. We even recycled the paper card with our last name on it to make the transaction even speedier.

* When collecting FastPasses, do so intelligently. This phenomenon I encountered all over all parks. The FastPass distribution point would be swollen with people. But as I approached, they’d be crowded around 1-2 machines in the middle of the space, leaving those on the extreme left and the extreme right either completely empty or serving only a person or two. What’s with that? Use every FastPass machine, not just the ones in the middle. I was frequently in, out, and on my way while the middle-dwellers were still cooling their heels in line. Pay attention, people!

* Prep for the bag check. Disney security is still checking bags before entry. We found it best to keep our bags open and easy to access before going through, and then buttoning everything up once past. It made no sense to stow everything while traveling to a park, only to have to show-n-tell upon arrival and re-zip everything once again.

* If you are taking advantage of the PhotoPass system, hang onto your original card. That way, all your Disney photos that are professionally taken can be accessed from one site at one time. If you end up with multiple cards, you can eventually link them all through one portal, but why bother if you don’t have to? When you want a family pic, you can keep presenting the same card over and over and voila! All your pics are together.

And the best Sweep tip of all, one that served us well in 2003 and this trip in 2007:

* Celebrate what you did do; do not mourn what you didn’t do. Disney has been there a long time, and is apt to be there a long time in the future. A return trip is always in the making.

Great report, Bert! It's ALMOST as much fun as being there myself. Glad you're back home, but I'm really, really sorry that you HAD to come home. We go in 41 days and I'm already dreading coming back. Sigh. Well, there's always the next trip.

Great trip report. Thank you for sharing. 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.:cool:

Thanks for taking the time to post!! It's got me very excited for our upcoming trip. I especially need to remember your advice to celebrate what we do get in and recognize when we need to slow down and relax.
And the flag idea is a great one!

thanks for a great trip report.
Ellen

Excellent trip report, Bert! The details are awesome! Thanks for taking the time to let us live "giocoso" with you!! (Joyfully for those of you who aren't music people.)

This was a fantastic trip report and the trip sounded like a great one. I am planning on staying at the Beach Club in the near future and appreciated the detail there, as well as in the parks! Your trip sounded really fun!

Wonderful trip report, Bert! I especially loved how you you watched the Dapper 'Berts' (instead of the Dapper Dans) at the MK and that your girls 'Bertced' the hula at Ohana's...very funny! :D

Great report. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. We stayed at the BC back in 1997 and my feet still remember the walk back to our room at the end of the day. LOL