Dan Crider - June 2001 - Downtown Disney Hotel: Doubletree Guest Suites
Time of Year: Summer
Travel Method: Plane, Shuttle Service
Resort: Downtown Disney Hotel
Accommodations: Suite
Ages Represented in Group: Elementary, Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Rookie
Comments: The most interesting feature of this trip report is email and newsgroup postings that Dan provides at the end of each section of the report. He originally posted the trip report in the rec.arts.disney.newsgroup, and the feedback is very fun to read through. This is also a rare trip report in which the author stayed at a Downtown Disney Hotel, the Doubletree Guest Suites in Dan's case.
Dan Crider -- June 2001 -- Walt Disney World (Downtown Disney Hotel)
06/16/01-06/23/01
Hi...I posted a month or so asking a few questions about the WDW experience and you guys really helped me out a lot. You pointed me to the right sites (thanks, Deb) and helped me avoid some pitfalls. Of course, no amount of prep and study can foresee everything, so I will mention a few unexpected things I ran into for the benefit of other first timers.
First off, the cast is me (40ish) my wife (same) and son (9) and daughter (8). First time trip for all.
I still remember watching the Wonderful World of (Color) Disney every Sunday night as a kid and still remember the weeks and months of hoopla when WDW and Epcot first opened. I remember thinking how cool the audio animatronics were and wondering how they did the transparent ghost room in the Haunted Mansion and thinking that in a few years every town would have a monorail system. I couldn't wait to see it all. I had no idea I would have to wait 30 years.
Alas, money was tight and as a young single and young married, Disney stuff was way down on the list. Then the munchkins were born and I knew I was closer. They became old enough, then money was an issue. This year it all came together and I started making plans.
I was, I think, the most excited of the four of us.
Used CheapTickets.com to arrange airfare. No snags, great service, everything went off as planned. I recommend them.
I snore, so we needed two rooms or a suite. The only suites in Disney are either really expensive or Doubletree Guest Suites at Downtown Disney. We arranged for a suite for seven days starting the 15th (we just flew back today). We probably overpaid at $129 but since we only started working on the trip about a month beforehand, I felt lucky to get a suite on Disney property for that price. Also, they were included in the complimentary Disney transportation to, from, and between parks (yes...this turned out to be a major misunderstanding and the source of the only real frustration on the trip.)
Lets go ahead and get the negatives out of the way first...
1. Doubletree Guest Suites adds a $5.00 per day service charge for a newspaper, free local calls, the room safe, and "surprise mornings at WDW." That's right...they try to charge you for early entry. I complained and the charges were removed (gladly...no snide comments or anything). Still, It kind of pissed me off that they tried this. Overall, though, I was very happy and impressed with the Doubletree and would recommend them wholeheartedly.
2. The busses for the Doubletree, Royal Plaza, Hilton, and other DD hotels are NOT Disney busses. They are chartered from the "Florida Limousine Corp" or something like that. They run every 30-40 minutes, not every 20 like the Disney busses. The drivers could be jerks and I actually witnessed a screaming argument between a driver and a couple of passengers on our last day.
Every bus was always filled to SRO capacity, and sometimes we would simply bypass a hotel because the bus was too full to pick up any more passengers. There are simply not enough busses and they run too infrequently. Waiting forty minutes in the middle of a hot parking lot at the TTC is not my idea of a vacation. If you aren't at a Disney owned hotel RENT A CAR. Since none of these hotels are within actual walking distance of DD and you're stuck with the lousy busses to go anywhere, stay at a cheaper place farther away and spend the money you save on a car. You won't regret it.
3. Animal Kingdom is hotter than hell. How could a place that green be that hot? Man. Also, they could use a LOT more animals.
4. It's too expensive. I know...how else you going to keep the riffraff out? The State Fair here in Texas is fairly cheap and it attracts a totally different *ahem* clientele.
5. A lot of stuff looked like it could use a coat of paint. Not horrible, just not what I had expected to find. I guess I expected the cleanliness and newness of the parks to be fairly close to perfect, and it that just wasn't the case.
6. Character greetings...the ads show folks just casually bumping into Mickey as he strolls leisurely through the park. Virtually nowhere was anybody strolling. Any character appearance generated long lines quickly. Why? Because there were virtually NO character appearances. I expected them to be everywhere and a lot of them. Big disappointment. If there were more, it wouldn't be such a big deal and they wouldn't get so mobbed. And I felt that using them as a draw for the higher priced restaurants was a low blow as well.
Enough complaining. Now for the good stuff...
IT WAS GREAT!!!!! It was everything I wanted it to be and more! I can't describe the feelings I got when I finally saw first hand the places I'd seen on TV for years...the Castle, the monorail, Spaceship Earth...it was amazing.
Day One - Saturday June 16th - The Magic Kingdom
Rode over on the ferry. Walked in and straight down Main St to the castle. Incredible. Spent some time in the statue garden, then up into the castle itself. I wasn't aware that you could go in and, once inside, the mosaic blew me away. Took a picture at the little fountain out back and walked through Fantasyland to Tomorrowland. Got my first Fastpass for Space Mt.
The park wasn't extremely crowded for a Saturday. We walked right onto the TTA and took the cute little tour. All of the "Buck Rogers" looking architecture and scenery were a hoot, since this is what people 35 years ago thought the present day would look like. Try explaining THAT to an 8 year old.
Did the Carousel of Progress, which was our first experience with AA's. The video playing outside with Walt, the songwriters, and the "behind the scenes" shots were a great intro. It set the scene that this was an OLD attraction. Still, I loved the show and was glad we went. Watching the CM have to give the building a push to get it to revolve was fun too.
We then took the kids on the Indy Speedway...their first chance to drive a "real" car. Unfortunately a car ahead of us broke down, so we had to push him the rest of the way. Not much of a ride.
Space Mountain...wow. What a fun little coaster. Not too much but plenty. Even little 8yo daughter loved it. Zooming around in almost total darkness RULES.
Skipped most of Fantasyland because it was too "young" for my kids. Got a Fastpass for the Peter Pan ride and WHAT a short ride that is. Folks, don't waste two hours of Fastpass on this...
Really enjoyed seeing "Its a Small World" since its such a great piece of Disney history. I hope they never shut it down...it's perfect. Big stupid smile on my face the whole time.
Which brings us to the Haunted Mansion...one of the most looked-forward-to rides on my part. No disappointments here either. It was great and I just wished the ride went a little slower so I could take in more of the elaborate scenery and effects.
The Hall of Presidents was next and it was a great show and the AA's were amazing. I wished I could go up onto the stage and get a closer look. Also, wished the AA part of the show were more elaborate...more speaking parts for the AA's. Oh well...
Off to Frontierland and another fun little coaster, the Big Thunder Mountain. What fun. Wish I could ride it about five times without stopping. Love the scenery too.
Didn't want to get wet so no Splash Mountain. On to Pirates of the Caribbean, another highly anticipated ride. Again, no disappointments...incredible to see it in person. What got changed, though? The ladies chasing the pirates in a circle....was that once pirates chasing ladies? Another wonderful bit of Disney history that I hope they never do away with, even if it's not as popular as it once was.
Swiss Family Treehouse? Good exercise I guess. Beautiful to look at, too. Disney makes GREAT trees (see day three).
Camped out for Spectromagic, which was great, wonderful, amazing, smile inducing, and very spectacular. My daughter got her hand shaken by Peter Pan, so she was in heaven.
Timed it so that we saw the fireworks from the ferry. Brought tears to my eyes, since seeing those fireworks over the castle reminded me of old, old days...watching the WW of D on Sunday nights when the first thing you saw was the fireworks over the castle. Walt made frequent appearances and my whole family would watch it together. Now Walt is gone and both my parents are gone and my childhood disappeared somewhere since then, too.
And now on this gorgeous, warm night it's just me, my wife of almost 20 years, my two beautiful kids and the fireworks over the castle, bathing my smiling face in warm light. I see the look in my kid's eyes and I am proud of myself for being able to bring them here...for giving them something that I never had. The emotion swept over me like a wave, then the tears came.
Day 2 - Epcot
Another incredible experience...walking up to Spaceship Earth. I realized that I hadn't seen a picture of it in awhile because I was unaware that somebody added the Mickey hand, wand, and "Epcot" logo. Love the ball. Hate the hand. Who's idea was that, anyway? Still, another amazing moment, standing in the same spot as all those cameramen who filmed the ball with a monorail whizzing by in the foreground. What a mood setter. Amazing.
Straight to the Coral Reef for lunch. Pricey and skimpy, but you can't beat the restaurant. We were the first there and requested a table by the glass, so we had a marvelous view into the huge tank where fish, rays, sharks and turtles cavorted not five feet away. Great service and an amazing overall experience...definitely one of the high points of the trip.
Did the Living Seas and there was enough to do to spend hours. (One could make the point that you could almost spend a complete week at Epcot and not run out of stuff to do) An amazing facility that I wished I could have seen more of.
Went over to the Universe of Energy show. Not a big Ellen Degeneres fan, but it was definitely an entertaining presentation. Loved the dinosaurs and the wide screen big bang. Definitely recommend it.
Stopped into Wonders of Life and played a little. Did Body Wars, which was kinda fun. (LOVE those simulators.) On the whole, though, a little too "young" for my kids.
Test track was fun, but why does Fastpass line go through the elaborate, interesting pre-show room? Hell, I could have spent an hour in there looking at all the car testing stuff. I would think that the standbys would have benefited more from all that. Anyway, the ride was great, but I wished the fast part was longer. Anyone know the g-force on those curves? Felt like I was being squished into my seat pretty hard. Major fun!!
Innoventions East was as great as Innoventions West was sucky. Love the robot dog, the preview of the Space area, and the house of the future. (My son got to demonstrate the piano of the future, so he was pretty stoked) The only interesting thing in I-West was the home theater and we didn't wait in the line cause we were headed elsewhere.
Ran into the Jamitors...three trash can and bucket playing percussionists. Very talented and tons of fun to watch. The kids loved the noise, too.
Did the Coca Cola exhibit and nearly gagged on "Beverly" the one sold in Italy. The other flavors hovered around the middle of the gag spectrum, but Beverly was amazingly bad.
Loved Honey I Shrunk the Audience...great 3D effects. Journey into Your Imagination was sorta fun, but not nearly as much fun as the Kodak room fulla stuff at the end. The ride is worth it just for where it dumps you. One complaint: A mis-aligned camera in one of the exhibits took a digital picture of my wife, my son, my daughter, and...the Indian guy waiting next in line. Cut me totally out of the picture. Oh well...
Around seven, ate fish and chips at the Rose & Crown express, then my daughter's stomach started bugging her. Then the rain started. We bailed out and went back to the hotel...tired and wet. Another amazing, great day in the books.
Day 3 - Animal Kingdom
Did I mention how hot this park is?
Got up early to be there at opening, along with about a million other people. Rushed right into the Kilamanjaro Safari and only waited about five minutes before we were underway. Loved the scenery, but there just weren't that many animals. I expected a lot more and my daughter was very disappointed. I know the quality of the ride varies from time to time, but it's hard to justify burning a Fastpass on a repeat ride when there are still five things that you haven't done yet.
The Festival of the Lion King was next and it was wonderful. If you've seen it, you know. If not, go.
"It's Tough to be a Bug" was one of the highlights of the park. What a GREAT show. Love the 4-D effects. Fun, well done. We spent some time in the Tree of Life Garden and were stunned by the beauty and craftsmanship of the tree. We stood there for thirty minutes picking out animals and oohing and aahing at the detail. It is truly one of the great Disney Creations of all time.
We took a path between the tree and the lagoon and were rewarded with more (and closer) looks at the tree. The back is as amazing as the front and the animals go all the way down to the roots. Spent another 30 minutes finding more animals. Incredible.
It was getting miserably hot and we had been pushing pretty hard for two and a half days and we all started to run out of gas. We decided to do the dinosaur ride and bail out. The ride was major league fun but waiting 40 minutes in the parking lot for the bus wasn't.
Got back to the hotel, took the kids to the pool, drank a martini, had room service for dinner and got to sleep early. At this point I was profoundly aware that my feet were tired and hurt all the time. Figured I'd get used to it. Ha!
Getting late and I'm getting tired. Will continue with part two tomorrow.
"Do",xxx@xxx
> You should do a commercial for Disney. I loved reading your post!
Mst3k@aol.com
>4. It's too expensive. I know...how else you gonna keep the riffraff
>out? The State Fair here in Texas is fairly cheap and it attracts a
>totally different *ahem* clientele.
>
Riffraff? What are talking about.. I thought Disney was for everyone.
Great report! Can't wait for the next installments. -Jim (Brer Fox) Re your few negatives -
Shame on Doubletree! You were absolutely right to complain about that $5 charge. They advertise free buses. They advertise early entries. And they have the chutzpah to charge $5 for an early entry bus?
I had a better experience on the DDRA buses than you did. No "jerks" for drivers, although they clearly didn't graduate from Disney CM guest relations school. They run on a schedule, posted in the hotel lobby, and you can time your departures from the hotel and parks to minimize wait time at the bus stops. Also, you can walk to DD Marketplace (10-15 minutes) and use the Disney buses there.
-Jim (Brer Fox)
Great Trip Report. Can't wait to read the rest of it.
Michelle
Thank you for posting! Your report brought tears to my eyes.
Debbie
"Brad" <Bradfeigenbaum
>
I could not have said it better...
If you aren't at a Disney owned hotel RENT A CAR. Since none of these hotels are within actual walking distance of DD and you're stuck with the lousy busses to go anywhere, stay at a cheaper place farther away and spend the money you save on a car. You won't regret it.
tdciago@aol.com
Jim wrote:
>Shame on Doubletree! You were absolutely right to complain about that $5
>charge. They advertise free buses. They advertise early entries. And
>they have the chutzpah to charge $5 for an early entry bus?
These "resort fees" are now very common in Orlando. I know they are charged at the Wyndham Palace, Courtyard by Marriott Little Lake Bryan, Sheraton Four Points Lakeside, Marriott Orlando World Center, Swan & Dolphin, Wyndham Orlando, Hilton, and many others.
Some of the amenities that these hotels will state are covered by the resort fee are in-room safe; newspaper delivery; in-room coffee; free shuttle to the parks; fitness center; tennis courts; and pool concierge. The list varies by hotel. The resort fee is taxed at the same rate as the hotel room (usually 11%).
I would prefer that the hotels simply raised their room rates by the amount of the fee. I think most guests feel like they're being nickeled and dimed to death when the fee is charged separately.
-- Ronnie (TDC Iago, Parrot Royal and Screamer in the Czarina's Ear) Iago & Zazu's Attraction of the Week http://www.emuck.com/aotw Iago's Disney Page http://members.aol.com/tdciago/index.html mailto:jiromi@MailandNews.com
mst3k@aol.com
Recently on local FL. news there have been stories of a crackdown on Hotels screwing folks by adding surcharges for electricity.
Tricia <beaded@earthlink.com
>
Great report! Cant wait til I get to do my first Disney Trip Report!! tissue anyone? "Debbie B." <Debbie_member@newsguy.com
> wrote in message news:9h4ue301fc3@drn.newsguy.com...
> Thank you for posting! Your report brought tears to my eyes.
>
> Debbie
>
Lori E Wagner
"dan0311" <dan0311@yahoo.com
> wrote in message news:79qajto8q6igtjda3uq9o17p9unqile87r@4ax.com... Great trip report so far! But there are things I'd like to comment on...
> I snore, so we needed two rooms or a suite. The only suites in Disney
> are either really expensive or Doubletree Guest Suites at Downtown
> Disney. We arranged for a suite for seven days starting the 15th (we
> just flew back today). We probably overpaid at $129 but since we only
> started working on the trip about a month beforehand, I felt lucky to
> get a suite on Disney property for that price.
All things considered, that's considered a good price for one of the moderates! Getting a suite for that price is *very* good. You probably would have done better if you bid on Priceline, but you're not given a choice of hotels, only the **** ratings.
> Every bus was always filled to SRO capacity, and sometimes we would
> simply bypass a hotel because the bus was too full to pick up any more
> passengers. There are simply not enough busses and they run too
> infrequently.
Some of the Disney resort busses are like this, too. However, they are supposed to arrive every 20 minutes or so, not 40 minutes.
> 3. Animal Kingdom is hotter than hell. How could a place that green
> be that hot? Man. Also, they could use a LOT more animals.
I agree that it's very hot in the summer months. The trees have to be given time to spread out, though, in order to provide enough shade. All the foliage you see at that park was most likely transplanted from one of the backstage nurseries. Amazing when you think about it. But still too hot for now! :-)
> 6. Character greetings...the ads show folks just casually bumping
> into Mickey as he strolls leisurely through the park. Virtually
> nowhere was anybody strolling. Any character appearance generated
> long lines quickly. Why? Because there were virtually NO character
> appearances. I expected them to be everywhere and a lot of them. Big
> disappointment. If there were more, it wouldn't be such a big deal
> and they wouldn't get so mobbed. And I felt that using them as a draw
> for the higher priced restaurants was a low blow as well.
This is one of those things learned from experience. I had no idea that I could meet characters at the Expo Hall on Main Street until a couple of years ago. When I saw Mickey and Goofy at Epcot (character greeting entrances near MouseGear), virtually no one was in line, and we spent a long time interacting with the characters.
Actually, the character buffets are a better value than most restaurants, being cheaper than other full service options plus having characters to interact with you.
> Enough complaining. Now for the good stuff...
>
> IT WAS GREAT!!!!! It was everything I wanted it to be and more! I
> can't describe the feelings I got when I finally saw first hand the
> places I'd seen on TV for years...the Castle, the monorail, Spaceship
> Earth...it was amazing.
Yay! You've gotten bit by the magic. <G>
> Skipped most of Fantasyland because it was too "young" for my kids.
> Got a Fastpass for the Peter Pan ride and WHAT a short ride that is.
> Folks, don't waste two hours of Fastpass on this...
Oh, I don't get that! 8 and 9 year olds shouldn't find this too young! Heck, I was about 8 when I went for the first time, and the Magic Kingdom was the only park.
I have to comment on your ideas of "wasting" a Fastpass. There's no such thing! (I noticed you comment about this during the AK day, too.) The whole idea, the way I see it, is saving time *with* a Fastpass, no matter what you do before the one hour "window" opens. For Peter Pan, would you want to stand in line for 45 minutes or see other attractions first *then* wait for Peter Pan for 5 minutes with Fastpass, killing two birds with one stone?
> Didn't wanna get wet so no Splash Mountain.
You don't necessarily get wet! If you ask to be seated near the rear of the log, you'll more than likely stay fairly dry. This attraction has some of the best audio-animatronic scenes, and shouldn't be missed! (I would have grabbed a FP for this for sure!)
>On to Pirates of the
> Caribbean, another highly anticipated ride. Again, no
> disappointments...incredible to see it in person. What got changed,
> though? The ladies chasing the pirates in a circle....was that once
> pirates chasing ladies? Another wonderful bit of Disney history that
> I hope they never do away with, even if it's not as popular as it once
> was.
Yes, the pirates used to chase the ladies. Did you hear "We wants the redhead!" during the bride auction? It's one of my favorite scenes.
> Got up early to be there at opening, along with about a million other
> people. Rushed right into the Kilamanjaro Safari and only waited
> about five minutes before we were underway. Loved the scenery, but
> there just weren't that many animals. I expected a lot more and my
> daughter was very disappointed. I know the quality of the ride varies
> from time to time, but it's hard to justify burning a Fastpass on a
> repeat ride when there are still five things that you haven't done
> yet.
Again, the Fastpass on this ride saves a LOT of time. My touring with Fastpass: Went to grab a FP for the safari at park opening. Walked to Asia and rode the Kali Rapids. Took the walking tour in Asia and saw the bats and tigers. We spend enough time there that our FP return time was coming up. We walked back to Africa (after pretty much seeing what we wanted to see in Asia) and rode the safari after waiting about 5 minutes in the FP line.
My suggestion is that if you can grab a Fastpass for anything you want to see, then go for it! It's all about benefits, and no wasting time! You can grab another FP two hours after you get the first one, OR when your first time "window" appears (if it's 35 minutes and not two hours away).
I can't wait to read the rest!
-- Lori TDC Briar Rose, Princess of Picking Berries Defender of Trip Report Addicts email BriarRosienospam@aol.com remove "no spam"
Jim Zisfein
>
> Didn't wanna get wet so no Splash Mountain.
> You don't necessarily get wet! If you ask to be seated near the rear of
> the log, you'll more than likely stay fairly dry. This attraction has some
> of the best audio-animatronic scenes, and shouldn't be missed! (I would
> have grabbed a FP for this for sure!)
To stay dry, try for rear on the **left**. On the right, there is a chance you will get stuck by the waterfall in the logjam after the big drop.
-Jim (Brer Fox)
> I would prefer that the hotels simply raised their room rates by the amount of
> the fee. I think most guests feel like they're being nickeled and dimed to
> death when the fee is charged separately.
This is not good for truth-in-advertising.
I just visited the Doubletree site http://www.doubletreeguestsuites.com and the $5 charge is nowhere to be found. Rates are posted as low as $129, which is a great price for a suite in WDW. Heck, $134 would also be a great rate.
But the advertising is misleading. Under the lists of amenities, "in-room electronic safe" is listed, along with the color TV and the queen sofa-bed. There isn't even a hint that the safe is extra charge. "Complimentary transportation" to Disney theme parks is prominently featured, as well as "Surprise Mornings - Guaranteed early admission into select Disney theme parks!". There is nothing to suggest that Surprise Morning transportation would be anything other than "complimentary".
I would advise anyone staying at this hotel, or any other, to print out the Website and bring it along when checking in. And to not be afraid of challenging spurious charges, and making threats (e.g., Better Business Bureau complaint) if necessary.
-Jim (Brer Fox)
Not to defend the Doubletree, but it's possible that the notice about the resort fee would show up on your reservation confirmation page, once you completed the online reservation process. This would be comparable to making a reservation over the telephone, and then having the reservationist explain the details to you. ("We have you confirmed for a suite on July 25th, for one night, non-smoking room preferred, at the rate of $139 per night, not including tax, or the resort fee of $5 per night, which includes ... blah blah blah.")
I can't say for a fact that this is the case with the Doubletree, but it's possible. I'm also not certain of what the law is with regard to resort fees. It may be that as long as you are informed, verbally or in writing, at the point of check-in, that the hotel has every right to insist you pay the fee.
FWIW, the Wyndham Palace, and the Swan & Dolphin all note the resort fee (or "service charge") when the rates are displayed.
-- Ronnie (TDC Iago, Parrot Royal and Screamer in the Czarina's Ear) Iago & Zazu's Attraction of the Week http://www.emuck.com/aotw Iago's Disney Page http://members.aol.com/tdciago/index.html mailto:jiromi@MailandNews.com
Hey...I kid...I'm a kidder. I love everybody and everybody should come to Disney.
I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to take a jab at our State Fair...the place where most of the "You May Be A Redneck" jokes were written.
And, in reality, some of my Southern Brethren just don't know how to act around decent folks. So, you can either put a sign on the door that says "No rednecks allowed" or you can charge $2.50 for a bottle of water.
Some can't read too good but they can all count to $2.50.
;-
>
PS: Don't give me any flack about dissing rednecks. I was born one and rose above it.
On 24 Jun 2001 11:07:36 GMT, mst3kpimp@aol.com (MST3KPIMP) wrote:
>
>
>
>4. It's too expensive. I know...how else you gonna keep the riffraff
>
>out? The State Fair here in Texas is fairly cheap and it attracts a
>
>totally different *ahem* clientele.
>
>
>Riffraff? What are talking about.. I thought Disney was for everyone.
Trip Report Part 2
Day 4 - Tuesday June 19th - MGM Disney Studios
Woke up late because we wanted to. Got to the park around 11:30, starving. Stopped at Guest Services to get the Fantasmic dinner package at the Hollywood and Vine and then went to try the Backlot Express for GREAT burgers and dogs. Got a Fastpass for Indiana Jones on the way. (See...I learned a LOT of stuff from this newsgroup.)
It's important to bring up the BAH (Big-A** Hat) at this point. When we were there, it was in this shape: hat finished, no stars. Half of one ear finished. Big fence around it. Pros: Looks great...even if it will only house a pin stand. Cons: why put what will certainly be a major park landmark right in front of one of the only other major park landmarks...the replica of Graumann's Chinese Theater. What a stupid idea. It's like sticking the Eiffel tower in front of the Taj Mahal. Dumb dumb dumb.
Did Star Tours to kill some time and it was a lot of fun. Read later that it was one of the first simulators of it's kind. I've done lots of those kinds of things...Back to the Future, the thing at the Luxor in Vegas, and this one seemed tame in comparison. Guess it's easier to improve on than to create. Still, it was fun and my son spent about 30 minutes in the gift shop.
Then the skies opened up and a huge rainstorm started. Barely made it into the Indian Jones amphitheater without getting soaked. I think that there were a few things that they couldn't do because of the weather, cause the show was a huge let down...The banter with the volunteers, the whole "behind the scenes" deal, the cheesy fight and whip skits, and then (I assume) the abbreviated final scene. SPOILER AHEAD!!!!!! All there was a gunfight and a truck flipping over and exploding. Was there something about an airplane or an airport or something that they couldn't do because of the weather?
Anyway, Indy was a letdown. Worse than that, it burned a Fastpass and it was now about four and we'd done only two rides. My wife had been bugging me to stop pushing so hard and to stop and smell the gift shops, so I was trying to be more patient, but the slow pace was really starting to bug me.
We headed elsewhere and found the Honey I S T Kids Backyard set and turned the kids loose for 30 minutes. What a GREAT playground. Love the big dog nose at the top and the giant bugs. Really well done, Imagineers...wish there were more places in Disney where you could just turn 'em loose.
Then, at my insistence, we took the backlot tour, which was alternatingly fun (Catastrophe Canyon, despite an Oriental woman who almost got the show stopped by refusing to close her umbrella) and boring (to the wife and kids...not to me. Love that backstage stuff) I was spoiled by the exclusive, $50 tour of Warner Brothers that I had taken a few years earlier...MUCH more intimate, much better. This wasn't even as good as the Universal tram ride, which sucks as well. Warner does this right...offer the real deal for a price and weed out the tourists so the movie fans can enjoy themselves. Sorry, but whizzing through wardrobe at 15 mph isn't much of a tour.
Now, time was a factor, since our late booking of the Fantasmic package meant that we had PS at Hollywood and Vine for 5:40. Went and ate a mediocre buffet (I swear, our counter food was better than the table service food) and then it was about 7:00.
I personally wanted to see the Magic of Disney Animation, and I kinda dragged the fam along. The little movie with Robin Williams was fun, and the chat with an animator was okay, but I had really hoped that there would be more "real" stuff...better access to the work areas, etc. About two years ago, I got the opportunity to get a tour of the "South Park" offices from an employee (after hours) so I could literally walk up to animator's desks and look at their work in progress, so I guess I'm spoiled. And the film at the end was totally unnecessary. They should cut it and make it a shorter attraction. As far as I'm concerned, they should charge a fee, make it a VERY exclusive tour, cut the movies and let you get closer. Another long, time consuming waste. Some of the best stuff is at the end...early character sketches, Walt's Oscars, etc. And ENOUGH with the Atlantis plugs. WE GET IT...you have a new movie out.
Sorry for the rant, but when somebody takes something interesting and turns it into something sucky, I get irritated.
8:15...time to get seats for Fantasmic. Went through the hidden, hush-hush, not-on-the-map, secret walkway to the amphitheater and discovered that our dinner package had gotten us reserved seating on...(drum roll please) ...the far right side. Yep. Poor planning, I guess, because I would assume that the best seats (center section) would go to those who paid the big bucks for the pricey restaurant. Why the right side? I guess because it allows those coming in from the secret walkway to not have to cross in front of people who had waited two hours for worse seats. But you know, it's Disney, and if they wanted to figure out how to make the secret walkway come out at the bottom of the center section, I bet they could do it.
Waited and sweated for 45 minutes until the show started. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!! Liked the stage parts, and the water projection is an incredible effect. But once again, a cool live show was watered down by film clip after film clip after film clip being shown. Hey, folks, WE'VE SEEN THESE MOVIES!!! We love them, so we come to the theme park to see imaginative stuff based on the movies, not the movies themselves. Yeesh.
Anyway, as a whole, the show was incredible...the fireworks and effects and characters...all wonderful. Definitely the highlight of the day.
We missed the Rock 'n' coaster, tower, hunchback, great movie ride, beauty, and millionaire. I was a little bummed because we hadn't gotten to do a ton of stuff, so we resolved to take our water park day and turn it into an MGM part 2 day.
On the whole, I was disappointed with what we saw that day, and I looked forward to seeing the better stuff the next day. I think this park has a ton of great stuff, it just seems like it was hard to get around in for it's size...like you have to do a lot of walking to go a short distance. Seemed like anything worth doing was absolutely mobbed.
On the plus side, I LOVE the look of the park. I am a big movie fan and have made my living in the wholesale video distribution business for the last 15 years. Being immersed in 1930's Hollywood was great, and the designers did a wonderful job of replicating that era. The staff was, of course, friendly and helpful and the park was in a wonderful state of repair. I could spend a week there.
Maybe I didn't enjoy it as much because there was no emotional involvement...no Castle or Monorail or Spaceship Earth to harken me back to my younger days. Or maybe it was just the incredible heat and humidity and the tired feet finally catching up to us on day four. We got back to the hotel around 10:30, quick dip in the pool, and I slept like a baby. (You know...fetal position...breast in my mouth...KIDDING)
Day 5 - Wednesday - Epcot Part 2 - World Showcase
Okay...now the feet are hurting from the moment they touch the carpet in the morning...
This was going to be the day when my wife drives the boat, since we have allocated today for World Showcase featuring cool food and exotic shopping and unique entertainment. This is her day to leisurely stroll and shop and not have me running the family around like a chariot driver in Ben-Hur.
But first, I still hadn't ever ridden the monorail. We got there and immediately boarded the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. It was virtually empty and we strolled into one of the cars. Then, I remembered something I had read in radp and left the car and went up to the front to ask the driver if my family could ride up front with him. He gave me a little ribbing and then said yes, so I went back to the car with a big smile on my face and silently motioned my family to follow me. They were confused as to why we were getting off, but when I led them into the nose of the front car my kids faces lit up like Christmas. Thanks again, radp! The driver was informative and talkative, which was wonderful, so my first monorail experience was a great one. Alas, no pictures. Too excited to, I guess.
A quick stop into Mouse Gear (the greatest of all gift shops) and we were off to The Circle of Life Outside of America Which Includes Norway But For Some Reason, Not Finland (my suggested new name for World Showcase. Think it'll catch on?)
CANADA - skipped Canada. The Canadians KNOW all the Americans skip Canada and I'll bet it really irritates them. Poor Canada...The only un-exotic foreign country in the world. That's why their national anthem is "O Canada", the same way your girlfriend says "O John" just before she dumps you. And do these people not know how to spell "Oh"? Damned if I was gonna eat their un-exotic steak and see their un-exotic film.
The next section was a little stage across from the Rose and Crown with two alternating acts...The Pipes of Scotland and a Celtic Rock band. The Pipes was one guy who was late so we left. We had seen the British part on day 2, so we proceeded across the International Gateway to...
FRANCE - My wife headed straight for the pastry shop. Darn good stuff. Skipped the film. Probably would have been about how superior the French feel to America. Wonder if they've seen my short film entitled "Who Gives a Rat's A** What France Thinks?" (Hey...we're trying to run a BIG country here...)
MOROCCO - is here because....??? Oh...because the band Mo' Rockin is so cool. LOVED them and loved the little gift shop next to them. My wife bought their CD. I later figured that somebody had come up with the name ("Hey <toke
> get this...a rock band from Morocco called <toke
> Mo Rockin" followed by twenty minutes of hysterical laughter, then you go to Morocco and hire a band.)
JAPAN - One of the female Taiko Drummers has the same goofy, innocent smile as a girl I dated in high school, so it really distracts me from the great drumming of the three person troupe. (Thought Taiko drum troupes had, like, ten guys or so. Hmmm...budget Taiko...Taiko lite...Little Tyke-O) I wonder if these guys ever team up with the Jamitors from the other side of the park and just whack the crap outta stuff. I'd pay to see THAT!
I am getting an overall sense that hundreds of hours were put into making the buildings and architecture authentic. The overall look of the WS is amazing and the attention to detail is incredible. I am impressed.
AMERICA - Caught most of the Blast show and loved it. Not my kind of music, but the arrangements were inventive and the choreography was great. Wholeheartedly recommend it. However, once the show is done, DO NOT turn around and immediately do the American Experience. (If possible, do the AE first.) The Voices of America (very talented, incredibly white people) do NOT make a good follow-up to the savage rhythms and pounding drums of blast. The American Experience itself seems way out of place in the middle of these exotic surroundings. Perhaps closer to Canada would have been better...
ITALY - Couldn't stay. A stuck MIDI note was causing the automated piano in the courtyard to play the same note about three times per second. One of my professional hats is as an audio engineer, so after about two minutes of looking at the pained expressions of the folks in the courtyard, me and another brave soul ventured up onto the stage to find and fix the problem.
We were immediately shooed away by Barney Fife, the security guard, who made sure that nobody turned the master fader to 0, which would have instantly remedied the noise. The supervisor he summoned finally arrived and started looking around like she'd never seen a mixing board before. I offered help, and received my second rebuke, so I left them to figure it out as the dulcet tones of the same note played three times per second slowly faded in my ears.
GERMANY - Chocolate? Christmas? Hummel? Crystal? Wife in heaven. I'll be on the bench here...
CHINA - Looked around the store...Cool jade plants and trees. Lots of cool stuff. All made in China, too.
Dang acrobats stood us up. They could have at least sent a representative out to express deep regret in cute broken English for no hop-hop at 5:10. Wankers.
MEXICO - Skipped Norway for now to make our PS at the Mexican Restaurant. Got a great table next to the Rio de Tiempo ride and the pyramid. Tired and hot, the Tecates we drank were the best beer of all time. The food was good, the service was okay, and the atmosphere was an eleven with the Mayan pyramid, the volcano, the night sky, and the half filled boats drifting lazily by.
It was so dark we left the camera, my wife's sunglasses and the propeller powered mister. Took three trips to get our stuff back. Skipped the marketplace, because living in Texas, we have easy access to the real thing.
Went on the Rio de Tiempo and found it a huge waste of tiempo. Just kidding. It was fun in a weird way...like it was put together by Mexican college kids for extra credit. They even included a special Latin Only version of It's a Small World. A truly surreal ride meant to be enjoyed with more cerveza than we had consumed.
NORWAY - Always one step ahead of those sly Finns, huh? Go ahead...say "World Showcase" to a Finn and watch his expression...
The Maelstrom was fun, but mainly because of the stories you can make up to go along with the huge mural in the waiting area. ("Okay... notice that in the days before we discovered pants that there were LOTS of polar bears. Later, you can see we killed them all and made them into pants, which we now enjoy both for comfort and modesty.")
It was getting to be time for the Tapestry of Nations when a strange thing happened...we finished the Maelstrom, and they WOULDN"T LET US OUT OF THE BUILDING. A Norwegian stepped up nervously to the mike and said "The doors will open momentarily and you will be shown a five minute film about Norway." Sensing the immediate shift in the mood of the crowd, she quickly added "If you don't want to watch it you can just walk through the exit doors on the other side." She then looked around and, satisfied that we weren't going to rush the doors (or her), she stepped down and disappeared. I started quietly chanting "Let Us OUT" under my breath hoping to subliminally start a full blown crowd chant and subsequent riot. It was starting to work, too, when the doors opened and we were set free. It would have been GREAT, though, to see in the Orlando Sentinel "Norwegians Quell Ride Riot" with a quote from the mayor of Norway saying "So wat da heck is wrong wid watchin' a liddle biddy movie, yah?" Or the king. Or whatever they have over there.
Okay, so we finally Escape from Norway (coming soon from Columbia Pictures) and, after running back to Mexico to get more of our stuff, settled in to watch the Tapestry of Nations. Great music, great 20 foot tall puppets, cool Mayans beating the hell out of drums and little cymbals. I had a hard time identifying which countries were which or whether the puppets were supposed to symbolize a specific country or exactly what any of this had to do with nations at all. But it looked cool and several of the dancers made their puppets shake hands with my kids, so I got no complaints.
Time to turn around and look at the lake, for at 9:00 came Illuminations...one of the great accomplishments of mankind. What a show...fireworks, flames, huge globes, lasers, amazing music, and all choreographed for maximum wonder and awe. WHAT A SHOW. Fantasmic...kiss my Illuminations.
I think new Disney employees have to work for MGM Disney Studios and when they get seniority, they get to work at Epcot. What a fun day.
Unfortunately, the bus system for the Downtown Disney hotels managed to put a damper on the evening. When we arrived in the parking lot, there was already a huge line by Space 26. I knew the busses held about 80 people stuffed full and a quick head count showed that we were about 60th in line. No problem. However, when the bus finally arrived 15 minutes later, we were somehow now about 81st in line. Hmmmm...
However, in this case, there was a happy ending because when the first bus was almost finished loading SRO's, another one pulled up behind it. All of the remaining people who HADN'T cut in line were rewarded with their own bus and seats for all.
Another quick dip and deep sleep. As I removed my shoes, I noticed my first blister. And was it me or was my wife now walking with a limp?
Well, I guess the last two days will have to wait for a part three...getting really late here and I have to return to the working world tomorrow. 7 days of Disney, then two days thinking and writing about Disney. And now I'm supposed to just go back to work like nothing's changed? Hardly. I've seen IllumiNations...I'm not the same man anymore.
part three within a few days...I promise.
Timflubd
>Damned if I was gonna eat their un-exotic steak and see their
>un-exotic film.
The steaks at Le Cellier may be un-exotic, but they are delicious!
And it was after viewing their un-exotic film back in the 80s that I saw the Banff Springs Hotel for the first time and knew I had to go there, which we did in 84. Golfing in the Canadian Rockies is awesome!
I'm enjoying your trip report--it is reminiscent of the style of Larry Wilmot!
dan0311 wrote:
>Was there something about an airplane or an airport or
>something that they couldn't do because of the weather?
Yes.
>Sorry for the rant, but when somebody takes something interesting and
>turns it into something sucky, I get irritated.
You must go postal at Journey Into Your Imagination then.
>A quick stop into Mouse Gear (the greatest of all gift shops) and we
>were off to The Circle of Life Outside of America Which Includes
>Norway But For Some Reason, Not Finland (my suggested new name for
>World Showcase. Think it'll catch on?)
Sam the Eagle is insisting on "A Salute to All Nations, but Mostly America," so you have competition.
>CANADA - skipped Canada.
Oooh, mistake.
>Damned if I was gonna eat their un-exotic steak and see their
>un-exotic film.
*Great* steak, cool film. I like being surrounded by Mounties. It's like that Dudley Do-Right dream I had about Brendan Fraser ... uh, never mind.
And you missed the pretzel breadsticks and the cheddar cheese soup, too. Not to mention Off Kilter.
>FRANCE - My wife headed straight for the pastry shop. Darn good
>stuff. Skipped the film.
Huge mistake.
>Probably would have been about how superior
>the French feel to America. Wonder if they've seen my short film
>entitled "Who Gives a Rat's A** What France Thinks?" (Hey...we're
>trying to run a BIG country here...)
You missed a gorgeous film highlighting the spectacular scenery of France, set to beautiful music, with very comfy seats.
>MOROCCO - is here because....???
They were the only African country willing or able to come up with the cash.
>CHINA - Looked around the store...Cool jade plants and trees. Lots of
>cool stuff. All made in China, too.
You didn't see that movie either??
>MEXICO - Skipped Norway for now to make our PS at the Mexican
>Restaurant.
Now wait a minute. You skipped Canada because it was "un-exotic," but you ate at the Mexican restaurant even though you live in Texas and "have easy access to the real thing"? <Scratches head
>
> It would have been GREAT,
>though, to see in the Orlando Sentinel "Norwegians Quell Ride Riot"
>with a quote from the mayor of Norway saying "So wat da heck is wrong
>wid watchin' a liddle biddy movie, yah?" Or the king. Or whatever
>they have over there.
You have something against foreign movies, don't you? I'm probably in the minority, but I really like the Norway movie. Certainly it's something you should see at least once.
"To know this land's heart and soul... to discover its spirit. Norway ... Norway. It was born in challenge... in a thousand years of challenging the sea. It's a spirit that knows a quiet sense of timelessness. Our spirit lives in daring. It lives in our traditions. Our spirit lives in our people. Our spirit lives in our people. "
<sniffle
>
>I had a hard time identifying which countries were
>which or whether the puppets were supposed to symbolize a specific
>country or exactly what any of this had to do with nations at all.
Now see, you would've understood all that if you'd gone to the movies. ; )
-- Ronnie (TDC Iago, Parrot Royal and Screamer in the Czarina's Ear) Iago & Zazu's Attraction of the Week http://www.emuck.com/aotw Iago's Disney Page http://members.aol.com/tdciago/index.html
Calvin Norway
>
>
> It would have been GREAT,
>
>though, to see in the Orlando Sentinel "Norwegians Quell Ride Riot"
>
>with a quote from the mayor of Norway saying "So wat da heck is wrong
>
>wid watchin' a liddle biddy movie, yah?" Or the king. Or whatever
>
>they have over there.
>
>You have something against foreign movies, don't you? I'm probably in the
>minority, but I really like the Norway movie. Certainly it's something you
>should see at least once.
>
>"To know this land's heart and soul... to discover its spirit. Norway ...
>Norway. It was born in challenge... in a thousand years of challenging the sea.
>It's a spirit that knows a quiet sense of timelessness. Our spirit lives in
>daring. It lives in our traditions. Our spirit lives in our people. Our spirit
>lives in our people. "
>
><sniffle
> Yeah, my ancestors really did kick butt, didn't they!! Norway (maybe for obvious reasons) is my favorite WS pavillion. I could spend hours there (and man, do my ancestral brethren know how to make a killer sweater, or what?)
Calvin NORWAY (and yes, it's my real name!)
"Do" I'm looking forward to part 3.You are so right .Post vacation depression is bad enough but post Disney is really bad. Makes you want to plan your next trip right away. Seems like what happened to you and your family is quite common. You go full speed for a few days and then simply cannot go anymore. Every time I think I've learned that lesson I seem to forget it. You can not do it all in one week. Its best to plan one whole day and even some half days of no parks into your schedule. Most people are not used to that much walking in one day. Even though you're having fun your body can't keep up. At least mine can't.
Tantor
...and you didn't try our Canadian beer?!?!?!?! Shame on you!!!
TDC Tantor Brampton, Ontario
Timflubd <timflubd@aol.com
> wrote in message news:20010625104115.14766.00001069@ng-cd1.aol.com...
>
>Damned if I was gonna eat their un-exotic steak and see their
>
>un-exotic film.
>
> The steaks at Le Cellier may be un-exotic, but they are delicious!
>
> And it was after viewing their un-exotic film back in the 80s that I saw the
> Banff Springs Hotel for the first time and knew I had to go there, which we did
> in 84. Golfing in the Canadian Rockies is awesome!
>
> I'm enjoying your trip report--it is reminiscent of the style of Larry Wilmot!
"Tantor" <a.d.miller@home.com
> wrote in
> ...and you didn't try our Canadian beer?!?!?!?! Shame on you!!!
I AM CANADIAN.
Hehehehehe. I love those ads. :-)
-- Karen TDC LadyLurker Magical Pixie Dust Sprinkler * * * * *
To see the ad in question (and other hysterical ads) go here: http://www.adcritic.com/content/mols...dian-i-am.html.
-- - Barry as TDC Sorcerer, Magical Manager of the Mysteriously Missing Main Street Magic Shop - Unofficial RADP Defender of DCA ( http://members.home.net/barry.wallis ) - "Sorry Mr. Eisner" - Chernabog
"LadyLurker" <ladylurker@sympatico.ca
> wrote in message news:PgMZ6.5112$yy2.1284329@news20.bellglobal.com. ..
> "Tantor" <a.d.miller@home.com
> wrote in
>
> ...and you didn't try our Canadian beer?!?!?!?! Shame on you!!!
>
> I AM CANADIAN.
>
> Hehehehehe. I love those ads.
> :-)
>
> --
> Karen
> TDC LadyLurker
> Magical Pixie Dust Sprinkler * * * * *
> Dorothy Kurz
Looking forward to part 3! just try not to piss anybody else off..... Canadians, Norwegians, French people (if they'd just send Ira Einhorn back!!). The films are beautiful. Put them on your list for next time!!
Lori E Wagner
"dan0311" <dan0311@yahoo.com
> wrote in message news:idldjts0shuog83nsqf89vcrf0h1ppp5c5@4ax.com...
> Trip Report Part 2
>
> Day 4 - Tuesday June 19th - MGM Disney Studios
> It's important to bring up the BAH (Big-A** Hat) at this point.
>Cons: why put what will certainly be
> a major park landmark right in front of one of the only other major
> park landmarks...the replica of Graumann's Chinese Theater. What a
> stupid idea. It's like sticking the Eiffel tower in front of the Taj
> Mahal. Dumb dumb dumb.
Agreed! Nice analogy.
> We missed the Rock 'n' coaster, tower, hunchback, great movie ride,
> beauty, and millionaire. I was a little bummed because we hadn't
> gotten to do a ton of stuff, so we resolved to take our water park day
> and turn it into an MGM part 2 day.
Ack! I think you picked the wrong Fastpasses! I usually hit the FP machine at R&RC, then ride standby at ToT. Works fairly well. <G>
> But first, I still hadn't ever ridden the monorail. We got there and
> immediately boarded the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. It was
> virtually empty and we strolled into one of the cars. Then, I
> remembered something I had read in radp and left the car and went up
> to the front to ask the driver if my family could ride up front with
> him. He gave me a little ribbing and then said yes, so I went back to
> the car with a big smile on my face and silently motioned my family to
> follow me. They were confused as to why we were getting off, but when
> I led them into the nose of the front car my kids faces lit up like
> Christmas. Thanks again, radp! The driver was informative and
> talkative, which was wonderful, so my first monorail experience was a
> great one. Alas, no pictures. Too excited to, I guess.
First ride on the monorail up front? That's the way to do it!
> MEXICO - Skipped Norway for now to make our PS at the Mexican
> Restaurant.
> Skipped the marketplace, because living in Texas, we have easy access
> to the real thing.
Oh sure, you skip all the films and won't eat in Canada because it's not exotic enough! And then you eat at a Mexican restaurant and then acknowledge the easy access to Mexico. LOL! I can see not wanting to stand in the 360 films, but the France film not only is pretty and soothing, you can take a nice nap if you're pooped. <G> At least you saw American Adventure. Did you come out feeling extra patriotic? <G>
> Went on the Rio de Tiempo and found it a huge waste of tiempo. Just
> kidding. It was fun in a weird way...like it was put together by
> Mexican college kids for extra credit. They even included a special
> Latin Only version of It's a Small World. A truly surreal ride meant
> to be enjoyed with more cerveza than we had consumed.
Oh, I make this ride my own. Rob can attest that I had a great time commenting about the Solid Gold Loin Cloth Dancers. Since we had the boat to ourselves, I felt no remorse at re-narrating this ride with my own wacky commentary. <G>
> NORWAY - Always one step ahead of those sly Finns, huh? Go
> ahead...say "World Showcase" to a Finn and watch his expression...
>
> The Maelstrom was fun, but mainly because of the stories you can make
> up to go along with the huge mural in the waiting area. ("Okay...
> notice that in the days before we discovered pants that there were
> LOTS of polar bears. Later, you can see we killed them all and made
> them into pants, which we now enjoy both for comfort and modesty.")
LOL! Apparently, you enjoy making up your own commentary, too. :-)
I'm having lots of amusement here from a self-described redneck from Texas. This city girl (well, suburban chick) from Chicago is enjoying reading it.
-- Lori TDC Briar Rose, Princess of Picking Berries Defender of Trip Report Addicts email BriarRosienospam@aol.com remove "no spam"
French Mouse
> It's important to bring up the BAH (Big-A** Hat) at this pointC
>ons: why put what will certainly be
> a major park landmark right in front of one of the only other major
> park landmarks...the replica of Graumann's Chinese Theater. What a
> stupid idea. It's like sticking the Eiffel tower in front of the Taj
> Mahal. Dumb dumb dumb.
Yeah! That's so weir to put that huge thing in front of the theater! Worst than the magic wand on Epcot as it bloc the view completely... (sigh...)
> FRANCE - My wife headed straight for the pastry shop. Darn good
> stuff. Skipped the film. Probably would have been about how superior
> the French feel to America. Wonder if they've seen my short film
> entitled "Who Gives a Rat's A** What France Thinks?" (Hey...we're
> trying to run a BIG country here...)
HEY !!! 1- good food can only be done by good people 2- Yes we are superior it's a fact ! That's why Walt Disney is so great: he had French blood in his family ! ;-)
Can't wait for part 3
Day 6 - MGM Disney Studios Part 2 - Thursday June 21
First, a note about my last TR which poked fun at the French, Canadians, and French Canadians...
I love Canadians. I love Canada. I love Mike Meyers and John Candy and Martin Short and Lorne Michaels and The Kids in the Hall and the Molsen commercials and Bob and Doug and Geddy and mooses. One of my favorite drinking buddies of all time was a Canadian freelance photographer.
It JUST ISN"T AN EXOTIC COUNTRY. And since we only had a week, I didn't feel like sitting around watching a bunch of movies about Canada, France, or anything, unless is was 3-D or shaking my kiester in a simulator like Star Tours. I'll let you folks with AP's explore every nook and cranny...we had to move it. Also, we had two kids with us, remember.
As you recall from the last part, our day at MGM Disney was not spectacular with many missed attractions and I wanted another day there. Our makeup day was today, although it was doomed to be another short day because we had La Nouba that night at 6:00 and we wanted to explore Downtown Disney a little.
We slept late cause we knew we'd be up late so we ate breakfast and got to the park around 10:30. Caught the 11:00 showing of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, which a few of our friends had raved about. And it was, in fact, good and fun and the juggler beforehand was funny and we enjoyed the whole experience. I had heard that there were several hunchbacks and that one in particular with a cleft in his chin was really good. We didn't get clefty...We got a guy who was pretty good but who missed a note here and there... which was fine to us because it proved he was really singing. But the costumes and ever-changing set and sound and everything were really well done. Not Lion King great, but great. Really great. Not Lion King though.
However, this put us on the far side of the park from all the stuff we missed, so we started on our way. Stopped at the Great American Movie Ride. Loved the Graumann's Chinese Theater knockoff and the handprints. Loved the statues in front of the TV Hall of Famers. But the ride itself was kinda...well... weak. It was fun seeing classic scenes from the movies, especially the Wizard of Oz. But the audio animatronics didn't seem to animated and the whole thing just seemed kinda slapped together. Plus one of our aliens malfunctioned. The kids liked the noisy gangster thing.... I mean I kinda liked it but... well...lets move on.
Stopped at the Honey I Shrunk the Kids deal for 30 more minutes...The kids loved it again.
It was now around 1:30. We realized that to make our 6:00 showing of La Nouba, we would have to leave the park at around 4:30, since the non-Disney transportation was so unreliable. Tried to get a Fastpass for the Rock 'n' Roller coaster and the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire game, but they were both after 4:30. Not only that, but the temperature and the crowd size were soaring and the busy week was taking it's toll on us all.
The only other attraction that we could fit in without walking around the park checking Fastpass times was the 2:30 Beauty and the Beast, so we got seats and waited. After the Lion King and Hunchback, I was not prepared for what turned out to be a relatively straightforward collections of songs and dancing from the movie. The costumes and performances were great, but there was little of the razzle dazzle that we had seen for the previous five days. The one funny thing in this show is the incredible leap across the first 1/3rd of the plot from "meet Belle and Gaston" all the way to "now she's locked up in a castle with a hairy cow-man" in one sentence. It was almost like Beauty and the Beast on Ice with no ice and no skates.
Or maybe I'm being too picky...BatB is one of my favorites, and I guess I wanted it to get a little more attention from the Imagineers than a few foam rubber costumes and some doves who, upon release, flew immediately out of, over, and around to the back of the amphitheater shell in an oft rehearsed display of indifference. Hey...don't get me wrong...I like birds, but these guys just phoned it in.
We had gotten Fastpasses to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, but by that time we had had it and a family vote was taken...Little Mermaid or an hour in the pool at the hotel? The pool won unanimously, except for the one dissenting vote of my wife who voted for a nap at the hotel. Hotel 4, Ariel 0.
Swam, drank a martini, and cooled off and relaxed...aaaah.
No busses to Downtown Disney till 6:00 from the Doubletree, so we had to catch a cab. Where, incidentally, are all the cabs in Disneyland? Are there nothing but towncars anywhere? Don't get me wrong...cabs junk up the place. I'm just surprised.
La Nouba was, as all Cirque de Soleil shows have been, incredible. Not sure if it's worth the money they charge, but it was amazing. We've seen Mystere, Quidam, and one other that toured Dallas a year ago or so. If you haven't gone, you should.
Hauled a** over to the House of Blues and got on the list for dinner. Got the vibrating coaster and immediately walked out of it's range in search of the Lego store, since my son was practically wetting his pants to see Large Things Made From Legos. "Wait", you say, "that's all the way down at the other end!" And you'd be right, I'd say. Sure doesn't look that big on the map. We got there and almost immediately had to turn back. "Wait" you say, "you're idiots for not asking somebody" Yes, I admit, sheepishly...yes.
Missed our ressie and had to go back on Immediate Emergency Standby. Finally got a table, exhausted and thirsty. That beer was the second best beer of all time. I mean...the cold one that I got after I sent the warm one back. Picky picky picky.
The food at the HoB is great. It's a shame you can't hear the music when it's crowded because it's great too. Stuffed and $60 poorer, we headed out.
Then it was off to Downtown Disney. Stopped at the cool guitar store and looked at expensive guitars. Ducked into Planet Hollywood and gave up looking at the walls because it was too crowded. Too bad...looked like a great collection. LOVED the squished Christopher Lloyd from Roger Rabbit. Next time, a whole day for DD.
Finally got to the Lego store and my daughter hit the tables while my son pulled out his Gold Lego MasterCard and started filling up a basked with Bionicles. I sat down.
I noticed that my 8 year old daughter was flitting back and forth amongst the tables. After a long while, I went over to see what she was up to. I walked up to find a well groomed thirtyish woman leaning over her going "Can you speak English? Why are you saying ahhhh ahhhh ahhhh? Are you okay?"
Turns out that my daughter had been diligently working on a huge Lego American flag. She had been flitting from table to table for almost 30 minutes to get white and red pieces to make the stripes. She had one stripe to go when the well groomed woman's little daughter walked up and STARTED TAKING IT APART. She was evidently so shocked that she could only make disbelieving ahhh ahhh noises and point, looking and sounding for all practical purposes like she was a Special Needs child or possibly even French. It was at this point that I walked up.
Once we figured this out, we all began scrounging for red pieces for the final stripe. We finished the flag and took a family picture beside it, taken by the well groomed woman who, I think, was taunting us. (Yes, I know when I'm being taunted)
Well, it was almost 11:00 so we went to find a bus and instead found the Disney Character Warehouse store. Again...something to do next time. I sat, the wife made a quick sweep, the kids played on the balls outside, then we regrouped and headed for the bus stop.
Took the Disney bus to Pleasure Island where we could connect with the Doubletree bus. Lucky us...it was there already. We were 100 yards away, so with visions of the guy driving off and us sitting there an hour, we ran for it, still not entirely sure it was ours. Got on it and said "Is this the bus for the Doubletree?" And without looking at us, the driver said "Can't you read the sign?" and pointed to the window sign.
Too tired to punch him, so we just got on and sat down. Home and bed. What a full day.
Day 7 - Friday - The Last Day - Magic Kingdom
Got up fairly early for us and rode the bus and monorail to the MK. We had done the MK on our first day and it would be the last...bookends to a wonderful trip.
We immediately got on the WD World Railroad and got off at Mickey's Toontown Fair, where we visited the houses and rode the Barnstormer...the fastest ride of all rides. I don't mean it goes fast...I mean we went from start to finish in less than 30 seconds. But what the hey...the line moved fast and it was a nice start to the day.
The kids wanted to ride Space Mt again, so we headed over to Tomorrowland and got a Fastpass. Killed some time by doing Indy again. The kids (9 boy 8 girl) took one car and I was behind them. What a hoot...while the boy slid as far down as he could to keep the accelerator down, the girl steered. I steered my own car and figured out quickly that the steering wheels don't work very well, so I just relaxed and let the track guide me.
The kids on the other hand were not having as easy of a time, dead set on steering and accelerating all by themselves. Additionally hard due to me constantly bumping into them from behind. (Not my fault...I was getting bumped too. But in all fairness, they were driving too slow and they had it coming ;-)
We got in line for the Astro Orbiter just in time for the ride to close because of an incoming storm. It rained cats and dogs for an hour while we took refuge in the Tomorrowland Arcade. NONE of us are worth a hoot at video games, so our $20 lasted about 20 minutes. Loved the three puck air hockey table.
The rain let up enough for us to use our Fastpass to SM so off we went, whizzing around in the darkness again, having a ball.
At this point, I must comment on the Fastpass return system at SM. They were, for some weird reason, making everybody wait out in the rain, uncovered while the FP line inside was empty all the way up to the ride almost. I guess this was people who's time hadn't come up yet who were just hovering at the front of the line, blocking off people like me who's time was NOW. This seemed uncharacteristic for Disney, the undisputed champ at organizing lines and moving people. We waited for five minutes in a line that never moved until veterans shoved past us and the Hover People and marched straight through. VERY weird, but that's what we did too, and nobody seemed to care.
Then, the ULTIMATE case of high anticipation/low payoff...Alien Encounter. There are, what, about a hundred signs out front saying how scary it is. My daughter actually bailed out. My son and I had to face this challenge alone.
What heart stopping, pulse pounding adventure into SHEER TERROR were we about to embark on? Would it turn my hair white? Would my son refer back to this day in countless future psychiatric sessions? Could my bum ticker handle the thump thump thump of CERTAIN IMPENDING DOOM?
As it turns out, yep. No spoilers here, but don't have any reservations about taking 8 year old girls on this ride. Or 5 year old girls. Or cardiac patients DURING open heart surgery. Hey...it's Disney.
Then onto Buzz Lightyear for a rematch against my wife, who kicked my keister last time. I beat her handily, 90000 to 12000. She blamed a broken gun. I basically took the strategy of homing in on a target and blasting the hell out of it till I had to move on. Not as much fun, but sometimes you just wanna win;-
>
Then off to Liberty Square for another trip through the Mansion. There was allegedly a 20 minute wait and since I could see Thunder Mountain from the queue, I decided to scoot over there real quick and grab a Fastpass while my family waited in line. What an efficient use of time!
Except even though you can SEE it you simply can't get there from here. I walked all the way around the lake looking for the shortcut. When I finally got there (7 minute walk) the Fastpass machines were already covered and done for the day (I guess this is about 4:00 maybe) Walked back, and butted through the Fastpass line for the HM to catch up with my family. (Hey...7 minute walk plus 7 minute walk minus 20 minute wait equals "they're still in line somewhere". ) So I zoomed past everybody and butted up all the way to the entrance...no family. I figured that I probably zoomed past them in my haste, so once inside the boarding area from the stretching room I stood and waited while two or three room loads of people went through...no family.
Incidentally, did you know there's two stretching rooms? And did you know that the stretching rooms in Disneyland are actually elevators that take you down a floor instead of a rising ceiling? Of course you knew that...you read this newsgroup!
So after awhile, I was forced to do the ride by myself. I wondered if there were cameras pointing at me and if I was going to win today's Pathetic Lonely Single Rider Guest contest with the CM's. Oh well...I LOVE this ride and had a wonderful time. The detail is incredible. Wish I could WALK through and just spend an hour looking at the sets and AA's.
There at the end were my wife and kids, sitting on a bench. We headed off to have Clam Chowder and a ham sandwich at the Columbia and then off to Tom Sawyer's island.
Loved the cave, loved the fact that we could just turn the kids loose. Loved the fort, loved the secret exit. Loved pretending to snipe at the riders on Thunder Mt. There should be a playground like this in every city.
Left at 7:00. Decided that we didn't wanna wait two hours to go on Splash Mt, and besides, I wanted to ride Pirates one more time. Don't laugh...Splash Mt will be there forever. Pirates didn't have much of a crowd and who knows if it will be there the next time we are. Besides, I wanted to see the Pirates and the Mansion since I was a boy. I didn't know Splash Mt existed until about a month ago. And while we're on the subject, where the hell was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride?
The pirates were misbehaving in their usual fashion and it was an uneventful trip. Decided to head back to the hotel to pack since we had to get up at 5:00 to catch a plane the next day. One more ride on the Jungle Cruise and we were done for this trip.
My plan was to walk to the statue circle, take one more look at the Castle, then turn, walk down Main Street and not look back. It was already lit up for the Spectromagic Parade and the crowds were forming so we said our goodbyes and walked out of the park and to the monorail station. No waiting, no lines, just step on and zoom, you're almost back in the real world. Five more minutes and we were on a bus.
Unfortunately, the last thing we had to endure was an argument between a passenger (one stop before our hotel) who wanted our bus driver's name, and our bus driver, who didn't want to give it for some reason. They went back and forth while I bit my lip; my combative nature telling me to get up and tell them both to have a Coke and a smile and shut the hell up...I was on VACATION.
Anyway, they finished, somehow patching up their differences and becoming best of friends. The driver ("Manny" as it turns out) called the cops back and told them don't bother coming, at which point he pulled the "Tips Are Appreciated" sign back out that he had hidden in anticipation of the arrival of the police.
We packed and the flight home was uneventful, other than a couple of Delta peculiarities...
1. The flight was in two hops, the first one hour, the second two hours. We did the short one hour hop in a brand new 767 and the long hop in an old 737, which has less body room than your coffin will.
2. The pilot drove the 767 like a crop duster. I was unsure whether we landed or were shot down. The pilot of the 737 was much gentler with his bird, probably because he knew that if he flew it too hard that pieces would start falling off in mid-air.
3. When we had flown into Orlando, the bag belt had literally ripped open one of our suitcases. We were going to let them fix it, but when we got to Dallas, I lied and said it couldn't be fixed because I just noticed that part of the strap was gone. They took me to a room full of BRAND NEW LUGGAGE and told me to pick one. I got one that was comparable to the busted one, but with wheels and a handle. Did you know that at every airline in every airport there is a big room full of brand new luggage just waiting in case they break yours? If they do, then don't take any crap from them about fixing it...demand to be taken to the luggage room NOW. (he he)
Got home and all took naps, some short (kids) some long (me). Ate pizza, and decided to watch Beauty and the Beast, since the kids had forgotten some plot points. Found out why...my wife had sold our copy on e-bay last summer when she was in "virtual garage sale" mode and was selling all of our possessions. Turns our she sold our Lion King too. Incredible, huh? Ended up watching Quest for Camelot for about ten minutes and then leaving the room to be mad and play Quake. From one world to another, huh?
Thanks for reading and sharing our first WDW trip. Hope my occasional cynical or critical comments aren't misunderstood. I hope I adequately conveyed the wonder and joy that I felt being in this wonderful place seeing all of these things. What a week. What a GREAT week!!
Maybe we'll see YOU there in a few years, eh? <----Canadian sounding, huh?
Love and thanks,
Dan
Lori E Wagner
"dan0311" <dan0311@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:vfjijtkr5mmrrnrm5ojne8bvqu34fdtpv4@4ax.com...
> Turns out that my daughter had been diligently working on a huge Lego
> American flag. She had been flitting from table to table for almost
> 30 minutes to get white and red pieces to make the stripes. She had
> one stripe to go when the well groomed woman's little daughter walked
> up and STARTED TAKING IT APART. She was evidently so shocked that she
> could only make disbelieving ahhh ahhh noises and point, looking and
> sounding for all practical purposes like she was a Special Needs child
> or possibly even French. It was at this point that I walked up.
Ohhh.......your poor daughter! No wonder, she was in shock! The destructive little heathen should have been told to find the pieces for your daughter. <G>
> Once we figured this out, we all began scrounging for red pieces for
> the final stripe. We finished the flag and took a family picture
> beside it, taken by the well groomed woman who, I think, was taunting
> us. (Yes, I know when I'm being taunted)
Ok, that answers my earlier question about you being patriotic. ;-) I think we did a fine taunting job here. (All in jest, though!)
> Then, the ULTIMATE case of high anticipation/low payoff...Alien
> Encounter. There are, what, about a hundred signs out front saying
> how scary it is. My daughter actually bailed out. My son and I had
> to face this challenge alone.
> Could my bum ticker handle the thump thump thump of CERTAIN IMPENDING
> DOOM?
>
> As it turns out, yep. No spoilers here, but don't have any
> reservations about taking 8 year old girls on this ride. Or 5 year
> old girls. Or cardiac patients DURING open heart surgery. Hey...it's
> Disney.
If you must know, there are certain types of people (I'm counted among them) who have a well developed sense of fantasy immersion. My imagination just went, "Woo hoo, it's freak out time!" just because I "bought into" the illusion fairly well. After the first time, the freak out diminished, but it's still fun. I know that I would have had nightmares had I seen this when I was 8. (Heck, Space Mountain scared me when I was that young!)
> Besides, I wanted to see the Pirates and the Mansion since I was a
> boy. I didn't know Splash Mt existed until about a month ago. And
> while we're on the subject, where the hell was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride?
Mr. Toad was kicked out of his home to make room for Pooh. :-(
> 2. The pilot drove the 767 like a crop duster. I was unsure whether
> we landed or were shot down. The pilot of the 737 was much gentler
> with his bird, probably because he knew that if he flew it too hard
> that pieces would start falling off in mid-air.
LOL! Sounds fairly accurate. Hee hee.
> 3. When we had flown into Orlando, the bag belt had literally ripped
> open one of our suitcases. We were going to let them fix it, but when
> we got to Dallas, I lied and said it couldn't be fixed because I just
> noticed that part of the strap was gone. They took me to a room full
> of BRAND NEW LUGGAGE and told me to pick one. I got one that was
> comparable to the busted one, but with wheels and a handle. Did you
> know that at every airline in every airport there is a big room full
> of brand new luggage just waiting in case they break yours? If they
> do, then don't take any crap from them about fixing it...demand to be
> taken to the luggage room NOW. (he he)
Oh STOP! Bwahahaha! <wiping tears of laughter from eyes
> Your report was great. Thank you for sharing. Next time, ride Splash Mountain! <G>
-- Lori TDC Briar Rose, Princess of Picking Berries Defender of Trip Report Addicts email BriarRosienospam@aol.com remove "no spam"
Esquilax
Thank you for sharing. Next time, ride Splash Mountain! <G>
>
Really! And you didn't ride ToT or RNRC either. You need to start planning your next trip now! Great TR's, thank you.
Jen Dawson
Great, great trip report. Very funny.
Siesta Claude
Hey Dan:
Can you come along with us in July so you can write my trip report? Just the relief I needed after a kid filled hot summer crazy day ....too funny!
Claudia-- TDC Princess of Beaches and Bass Ale and Keeper of Nothing
msbass
Great trip and trip report!! Loved all three parts. You have a cool family. Surprised you didn't get to Tower of Terror, one of my favorites. In the Magic Kingdom, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was replaced by Winnie the Pooh (not sure of the actual name of the ride and too lazy to look it up on the Disney page). This exchange has been much discussed and maligned on RADP in the past. Disneyland in Anaheim still has Mr. Toad...... IMHO---I don't think you get too wet on Splash Mountain, especially in comparison to Kali River Rapids (soaked!). Although at night on Splash Mountain, I have unfolded my pocket windbreaker......cheating! Again, enjoyed your report! Patsy
Thanks, first of all, to those of of you who read and responded to my three TR's. I was gratified that many of my first time observations were ratified by some of the veterans.
My overall response was favorable, which warmed my heart. I think I'm from the same era as many of you and regard Disney as a birthright...something given and entrusted to me by a man who knew he was creating a generation all his own. He gave, I took (as all of you did) and now we feel that we have as much right to that legacy as the suits who push the mouse buttons.
We are part of a public trust that stands for something more than profits and grosses. When Walt built all of these things , he knew he could count on us to justify his dreams. When he built it, we were the ones that came. Our smiles and laughter were probably the sweetest sounds he ever heard, because when he heard it , he knew he was right.
His fairy dust would have fallen hopelessly to the ground without our eyes to catch it. My regret, like many of us, is that he didn't live long enough for us to properly thank him and pay him the homage and respect that we wish we could.
And I can just imagine him, grey hair, thin, sitting crosslegged in a comfy chair, smiling patiently as I tried to tell him everything he has meant to me and meant to my children.
And I know that he probably knew all this beforehand, but I wish I could tell him that it worked I wish I could thank him and shake his hand. I wish I could watch one of you shake his hand. I don't care.
I read the TR's and the posts and the notes from the disgruntled and I feel sad that Walt is gone. However, I am glad of the weird push and pull the Eisner and Katzenberg shared and I think that, just like the Beatles, the conflict is what made it all work.
The Disney we all love is the product of Walt vs Roy, Mike vs Katz. Business vs Art, Progress vs Tradition. It's like following a sports team...you don't desert when things are rough, but you sure hope they turn it around.
Shrek was magnificent. The Disney parks have become enought of an icon to be an inside joke. Disney pokes more fun at itself than any competitor could.
The job is tough...find a timeless story, endearing characters, a rolicking plotline, and all of this while honoring Disney's past while being aware of the realities of the current moviegoing public.
Disney will never die because the morals of a Disney story are our modern day Aesop's fables. If Times Square is now "Disneyfied", then fine. It was full of crack whores and dildo shops before.
Walt would blush, but then he'd smile, knowing they were gone.
My wife just suggested that she might take the kids to see Atlantis without me...ABSURD. Can't happen. These are family EVENTS, not just family movies.
It's tradition.
I will have responses to your comments in the next posting. I actually intended to do that this time, but got carried away editorializing.
Night
Dan
Rhona Grunet
Dan: I am happy to read all of your posts- you always put a smile on my face. My family is alot like yours when it comes to feelings that we get from "Disney" things. Alas: you are a much better writer than I. You have expressed how I feel about the Disney experience.
Thank you for sharing:
Rhona
Trekke Russ
Nice sentiments. One comment though:
>The Disney we all love is the product of Walt vs
>Roy, Mike vs Katz. Business vs Art, Progress
>vs Tradition.
It would be more like Walt AND Roy, as opposed to "versus." It was their combined talents that made the magic. And while Katzenburg was important, I think Frank Wells was more instrumental in the success of the modern Walt Disney Co.
Russell
Trekkie, Disnoid o, and Sheena Easton fan
lnmetz@swbell (Lori)
Dan,
Thank you for such a wonderful, uplifting post. It reminded me why I was taking my son to WDW this year for the first time. I can't wait to share the magic with him. I was getting so wrapped up in the negativity and over-analyzing I was reading that I almost lost sight of all the wonderful things I remembered from my youth.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Lori Metz Disney Bound Sept 20-28, 2001
Dan,
Thank you for such a wonderful, uplifting post. It reminded me why I was taking my son to WDW this year for the first time. I can't wait to share the magic with him. I was getting so wrapped up in the negativity and over-analyzing I was reading that I almost lost sight of all the wonderful things I remembered from my youth.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Lori Metz Disney Bound Sept 20-28, 2001
First of all, thanks you folks that posted and e-mailed to say "thanks" and "enjoyed it". You are entirely welcome and your kind words brought many smiles to my face.
One kind soul said
>You should do a commercial for Disney.I loved reading your post!
Give them my name. Send them my post. Baby needs a new pair of mouse ears.
About my dissatisfaction with the bus service from the Doubletree...
>I had a better experience on the DDRA buses than you did. No "jerks" for
>drivers, although they clearly didn't graduate from Disney CM guest
>relations school. They run on a schedule, posted in the hotel lobby, and
>you can time your departures from the hotel and parks to minimize wait
>time at the bus stops
Actually the sign in the loby just said "every 30 minutes." There were never exact times posted. (Check for yourself...this was one of the first things I looked for). And believe me...if you had actually needed information or help from one of the drivers, the jerk flag would have been flown high and quickly. Avoid DD or rent a car.
>Some of the Disney resort busses are like this, too. However, they are
>supposed to arrive every 20 minutes or so, not 40 minutes.
The ones from the DD hotels say every thirty minutes. The Disney busses were every 20 minutes. The DDRA busses, in all fairness, usually kept to the "every 30 minutes" schedule...you just couldn't count on them for a particular time. Tough to plan that way.
I stated at one point "don't waste a Fastpass on Peter Pan." Lori E Wagner gently rebuked me saying..
>I have to comment on your ideas of "wasting" a FastPass. There's no such
>thing! (I noticed you comment about this during the AK day, too.) The
>whole idea, the way I see it, is saving time *with* a FastPass, no matter
>what you do before the one hour "window" opens. For Peter Pan, would you
>want to stand in line for 45 minutes or see other attractions first *then*
>wait for Peter Pan for 5 minutes with FastPass, killing two birds with one
>stone?
I stand by my statement. During busy times, such as June, a Fastpass is usually at least 1 1/2 hours, sometimes 2. If it is more, then you can still only get another after after 2 hours have gone by. So if it's busy, 8 hours at the park means 4 fastpasses, and having to walk all over the place to organize your time.
I understand that there is a new system in development that would allow you to organize your day without walking everywhere to do it. I look forward to that...As great as fastpass is, it could be a lot better. In a perfect world, you could stop at one fastpass center and get fastpasses for different rides to cover the whole day. They you could really effectively plan your day. I remember several times walking halfway around the park to get a fastpass for a popular ride only to get there and find that it was closed, or that the return time conflicted with a PS or other committment. It's great...it could be better. And when they figure it out, they could sell the technology to Six Flags, Knotts Berry Farm, etc. On the whole, though, FASTPASS ROCKS and I said so many times during my visit.
About the Doubletree charging a $5.00 per day service fee for local calls, free paper, safe, transportation to the parks, and surprise mornings (which was NOT advertised anywhere or mentioned by the reservations clerk) most of you were, like me, outraged. However, tdciago was less so...
>I can't say for a fact that this is the case with the Doubletree, but it's
>possible. I'm also not certain of what the law is with regard to resort fees.
>It may be that as long as you are informed, verbally or in writing, at the
>point of check-in, that the hotel has every right to insist you pay the fee.
Yes, but it's bad for business and really sleazy. During the time I was complaining about it at the desk, two other people walked up and said "Wait...you're charging me for WHAT? All that stuff is supposed to be free." AND THEY NEVER CAME OUT AND SAID IT. There was a card in my folder with my room keys that said it.
My experience at the DGS was a good one. Why did they throw in this morally reprehensable tactic? I would think the immediate loss of goodwill wouldn't be worth the $5.00. What would Walt say?
I mentioned that we skipped Canada because it was the world's only un-exotic foreign country. When I coined this phrase, I cracked myself up for 30 minutes, but some of you took offense. So I reiterate: love Canada, love the people, but spending time at Canada would have been like shopping at the airport before your flight leaves. Canada is basically a cleaner, colder, more polite America. And I'm sure the steakhouse is good and the film is good and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......
Tantor said ...
>and you didn't try our Canadian beer?!?!?!?! Shame on you!!!
Canadians make beer? It isn't like Lowenbrau is it...imported from Ft. Worth Tx? OKAY OKAY Canada makes good food and great beer.
I dogged the French because they dog us. I stand by my statement. We love the pastry, wine, and tongue kissing. France is great, except for the large quantity of French people found there. Hey...what am I gonna do...convince them to like Americans? Doubt it. (And while you French people are smiling that snide, superior smile you reserve for Americans, I will once again ask "Don't you people have DENTISTS over there?)
About the Magic of Disney Animation at MGM, I ranted:
"Sorry for the rant, but when somebody takes something interesting and turns it into something sucky, I get irritated." To which tdciago replied:
>You must go postal at Journey Into Your Imagination then.
Now that you mention it, what the heck was the deal with that ride anyway? Imagineers: put DOWN the crack pipe.
A lot of you caught the fact that we skipped "un-exotic" Canada but ate at the Mexican restaurant. We also mentioned that we skipped the Mexican market because we have access to the real thing at home.
>Now wait a minute. You skipped Canada because it was "un-exotic," but you ate
>at the Mexican restaurant even though you live in Texas and "have easy access
>to the real thing"? <Scratches head
>
Okay...I wanted to eat somewhere more exotic. However, "the girls" were running the show that day and my 8 year old daughter wanted sushi in Japan. Unfortunately, the restaurants were all booked up, and her second choice was Mexican, which is weird, cause she doesn't like Mexican here at home. I just went where they led me. The Mexican Restaurant is cool. Ours here in Texas have neither pyramids or volcanos. VERY exotic. On the other hand, we skipped the marketplace because a cheap sombrero is a cheap sombrero.
Tantor was also nice enough to say...
> I'm enjoying your trip report--it is reminiscent of the style of Larry
>Wilmot!
Actually, Larry writes in the style of Dan0311. BLIMEY...BLOODY YANKS TAKING ALL THE CREDIT AGAIN!!! Sorry Larry...love your TR's but I was on page six and we still hadn't even made it to the airport. If you're going to be long winded like me, it's best to offend somebody every other paragraph or so to keep them awake;-)
Seriously, I don't mean to compare. Larry's the best.
Dorthy Kurz said...
>Looking forward to part 3! just try not to piss anybody else off.....French, Norwegians, Canadians...
Love Norwegians and Canadians. I also have a soft spot in my heart for wine swilling, cheese breath, no-bathing, beret-wearing, baguette chomping, clove-cigarette-smoking surrender-monkeys.
As I said, I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. Just as Walt gets me all misty, the French get me all pisty. THEY STARTED IT.
And come on...the Norway part was FUNNY. I never laugh at my own stuff and I laughed at that part.
Lori E Wagner, after giving me a hard time for eating in un-exotic Mexico, said
>At least you saw American Adventure. Did you come out feeling extra patriotic? <G>
I came out wondering if there is ANYTHING whiter than the Voices of Liberty. And I'll say it again...see this first, THEN Blast (right across the street in the American Amphitheater). The other way around is like eating your hot fudge sundae before your tuna casserole.
My comment about not riding Splash Mountain because we didn't want to get wet drew lots of disbelieving comments, and I wish I had known before that there were "dry" seats in the boat. DEFINITELY next time.
And before you call me a big baby, be aware: I am a big baby. Squishing around the Magic Kingdom with wet socks and soaked underwear chafing at my delicate thighs is NOT a vacation for me. I avoid "get soaked" rides everywhere I go and nobody in my family was in that big of a rush to get wet either. If I wanna get wet, I'll jump in the hotel pool wearing a bathing suit like the civilized creature I am.
And finally, (and I mean it this time) thanks to you who responded so positively to the parts that were a little sentimental. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and I would have been kinda bummed if someone had said "Dude...could you share...less?"
Your words were more than kind and filled my heart with gladness. Miles of smiles. You know who you are. Thanks.
I'm sure we'll meet again soon. It's a small world, after all.
Dan Crider
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