dlpmikki
10-16-2007, 06:02 PM
Thursday 11th October
The humans all have some lovely coffee – thanks to Ellen bringing it from New York (OK, so originally it came from Costa Rica).
Ellen waits for Jeanne to take her to Old Key West while Mikki goes for her tennis. Ellen continues and finishes cutting out all the nametags. Mikki enjoys her tennis: she especially enjoys being able to report she had some shots the pro couldn’t get back. She wasn’t sure if it helped her cold.
We then go to the Caribbean Beach resort to collect prizes from Wendy and Nanci of Magical Journeys. They are incredibly generous and we come back loaded with nice things. There are useful rain-proof pouches that are their own gift. Thee are enough of these for everyone. They also give us lots of different things they have been given at various trade fairs and conventions.
Mikki takes them all back to our room and starts to sort out selections for each competition. She diverts on the way to get more things to try to control her cough. It is now afternoon and Mikki decides a rest would do her good.
In the evening, we re-join Ellen and Jeanne for dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express. It continues to amaze us how busy the Marketplace gets in the evenings. Does Disney not give these people enough chances to shop in the parks all day or are these the poor unfortunate souls who go to places outside Disney during the day? ;) Anyway, Puck Express has good food and the line moved reasonably quickly.
At 9 pm, comes the purpose of our trip to the Marketplace: a meet for users of the “JQ” Board. We meet outside Ghiradelli’s but by now none of the adult humans has sufficient appetite for an ice cream. It was a great thrill for me as more people asked, “Where’s Figaro?” :cloud9:
Friday 12th October
It’s Friday! The first full day of the Intercot anniversary meet coincides with our move to Old Key West. We wake early (very early!) and check out of Sabal Palms shortly after 7.00am. We drive to Old Key West and check in. Jeanne had claimed inside information that we would all be in building 14 but that they would have a studio on the first floor while our one bedroom apartment would be on the third (or as we British say, second floor).
Correct, but at check-in the helpful cast member notices there is a ground floor room available – but not, of course, ready yet. We leave luggage for storage and set off to the Magic Kingdom.
We meet outside Casey’s. Mikki hands out quizzes. Most people take one look and say it is too hard. Hey guys, one of the answers is staring you in the face (Crystal Palace). Isn’t it wonderful: already there are people asking specially to see me!
We watch Captain Jack Sparrow teach pirating and then twelve of us ride Pirates of the Caribbean (after a little mix up over numbers).
We are back at Old Key West about 2 pm. Rooms are not guaranteed before 4 but the cast member this morning said we could ask again about 2. He had given us a number to call but we decided to be there in person just in case. The room still isn’t ready so we go into Pappa’s Den where Mikki rests (Ok, she falls fast asleep until she wakes up with a coughing fit). Half an hour later, Andrew goes back to Reception and finds the room is ready. We are in 1415: not adjoining Ellen and Jeanne but just 3 doors away.
It’s evening and we are off to the “Not So Scary Halloween Party” Andrew and Mikki are in their shirts covered in skulls. I am going as a black and white cat but they insist on adding a pirate’s eye patch. Also, Mikki’s cold has got so bad and she is so weak looking that our friends insist she rides a spare disabled scooter. This is the first time Mikki has tried one of these things. This party may turn out scarier than Disney think. ;) The bus driver is wonderfully helpful at getting Mikki and Ellen on with their scooters.
First event is dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. There are several tables booked by Intercot people so by chance we almost take over one entire room. The food is fun and the characters, as always, excellent. Chip and Minnie Mouse both wanted me to stay with them. I think they were just playing. Minnie has her own Figaro curled up at home waiting for her.
We watch the fun as the characters visit all the Intercot tables. Some of the best fun at meals with characters happens when someone gets so engrossed in what is happening qt their table they do not realise a character is behind them (Ask Mikki to tell you about Andrew and Pluto: it goes back to before my time). Tonight, Carol has a chipmunk leaning over her for some time before she notices (and then jumps a mile!). The room erupts with applause as we were all watching! :D
After dinner, we go to Tomorrowland. We experience the new Monsters Inc comedy show. This is a nice blend of live humour, audience interaction and animation. After that, we all ride the TTA. That’s quite fun in the dark when you get a very different view of the Kingdom.
We then split from the main party going to see some characters in Halloween costumes before the fireworks. The lines in the Toontown Exhibition Tent are prohibitive but we find the Mad Hatter and White Rabbit on the path back to Tomorrowland. The Queen of Hearts comes racing past us. It was very much in character but I’m sorry she could not stop for a photo. :( We get some more with some of her playing card soldiers. I supposed they felt a bit more able to relax when the Queen wasn’t watching them. One even recognised Andrew and Mikki’s shirts as a design made by the factory where her uncle worked.
The group watches the fireworks from the Rose Garden. The fireworks are magnificent. There are some which seem to form the faces of the villains as they explode.
After the fireworks Mikki and Andrew decide that they both feel pretty awful and can’t even wait long enough for the next Villains mingle in 45 minutes for me to have my picture taken again. :( Instead they say goodbye to folks and head for the bus and then bed.
The humans all have some lovely coffee – thanks to Ellen bringing it from New York (OK, so originally it came from Costa Rica).
Ellen waits for Jeanne to take her to Old Key West while Mikki goes for her tennis. Ellen continues and finishes cutting out all the nametags. Mikki enjoys her tennis: she especially enjoys being able to report she had some shots the pro couldn’t get back. She wasn’t sure if it helped her cold.
We then go to the Caribbean Beach resort to collect prizes from Wendy and Nanci of Magical Journeys. They are incredibly generous and we come back loaded with nice things. There are useful rain-proof pouches that are their own gift. Thee are enough of these for everyone. They also give us lots of different things they have been given at various trade fairs and conventions.
Mikki takes them all back to our room and starts to sort out selections for each competition. She diverts on the way to get more things to try to control her cough. It is now afternoon and Mikki decides a rest would do her good.
In the evening, we re-join Ellen and Jeanne for dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express. It continues to amaze us how busy the Marketplace gets in the evenings. Does Disney not give these people enough chances to shop in the parks all day or are these the poor unfortunate souls who go to places outside Disney during the day? ;) Anyway, Puck Express has good food and the line moved reasonably quickly.
At 9 pm, comes the purpose of our trip to the Marketplace: a meet for users of the “JQ” Board. We meet outside Ghiradelli’s but by now none of the adult humans has sufficient appetite for an ice cream. It was a great thrill for me as more people asked, “Where’s Figaro?” :cloud9:
Friday 12th October
It’s Friday! The first full day of the Intercot anniversary meet coincides with our move to Old Key West. We wake early (very early!) and check out of Sabal Palms shortly after 7.00am. We drive to Old Key West and check in. Jeanne had claimed inside information that we would all be in building 14 but that they would have a studio on the first floor while our one bedroom apartment would be on the third (or as we British say, second floor).
Correct, but at check-in the helpful cast member notices there is a ground floor room available – but not, of course, ready yet. We leave luggage for storage and set off to the Magic Kingdom.
We meet outside Casey’s. Mikki hands out quizzes. Most people take one look and say it is too hard. Hey guys, one of the answers is staring you in the face (Crystal Palace). Isn’t it wonderful: already there are people asking specially to see me!
We watch Captain Jack Sparrow teach pirating and then twelve of us ride Pirates of the Caribbean (after a little mix up over numbers).
We are back at Old Key West about 2 pm. Rooms are not guaranteed before 4 but the cast member this morning said we could ask again about 2. He had given us a number to call but we decided to be there in person just in case. The room still isn’t ready so we go into Pappa’s Den where Mikki rests (Ok, she falls fast asleep until she wakes up with a coughing fit). Half an hour later, Andrew goes back to Reception and finds the room is ready. We are in 1415: not adjoining Ellen and Jeanne but just 3 doors away.
It’s evening and we are off to the “Not So Scary Halloween Party” Andrew and Mikki are in their shirts covered in skulls. I am going as a black and white cat but they insist on adding a pirate’s eye patch. Also, Mikki’s cold has got so bad and she is so weak looking that our friends insist she rides a spare disabled scooter. This is the first time Mikki has tried one of these things. This party may turn out scarier than Disney think. ;) The bus driver is wonderfully helpful at getting Mikki and Ellen on with their scooters.
First event is dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. There are several tables booked by Intercot people so by chance we almost take over one entire room. The food is fun and the characters, as always, excellent. Chip and Minnie Mouse both wanted me to stay with them. I think they were just playing. Minnie has her own Figaro curled up at home waiting for her.
We watch the fun as the characters visit all the Intercot tables. Some of the best fun at meals with characters happens when someone gets so engrossed in what is happening qt their table they do not realise a character is behind them (Ask Mikki to tell you about Andrew and Pluto: it goes back to before my time). Tonight, Carol has a chipmunk leaning over her for some time before she notices (and then jumps a mile!). The room erupts with applause as we were all watching! :D
After dinner, we go to Tomorrowland. We experience the new Monsters Inc comedy show. This is a nice blend of live humour, audience interaction and animation. After that, we all ride the TTA. That’s quite fun in the dark when you get a very different view of the Kingdom.
We then split from the main party going to see some characters in Halloween costumes before the fireworks. The lines in the Toontown Exhibition Tent are prohibitive but we find the Mad Hatter and White Rabbit on the path back to Tomorrowland. The Queen of Hearts comes racing past us. It was very much in character but I’m sorry she could not stop for a photo. :( We get some more with some of her playing card soldiers. I supposed they felt a bit more able to relax when the Queen wasn’t watching them. One even recognised Andrew and Mikki’s shirts as a design made by the factory where her uncle worked.
The group watches the fireworks from the Rose Garden. The fireworks are magnificent. There are some which seem to form the faces of the villains as they explode.
After the fireworks Mikki and Andrew decide that they both feel pretty awful and can’t even wait long enough for the next Villains mingle in 45 minutes for me to have my picture taken again. :( Instead they say goodbye to folks and head for the bus and then bed.