Here's a quick summary of our trip to WDW.
My DW, sister and I went to the world from 9/22 to 9/29, staying at POFQ. For the most part everything went off without a hitch and we couldn't be happier. I'll start off with the complaints and end on a happy note- and even with the complaints everything was still magical.
Firstly, bus service was not as good as we've seen before—I am the first person to tell everyone how great the bus service is, but this time it seemed that parks with EMH's didn't have any buses running on time. Also, we realized that some guests weren't as nice as we've been used to when the bus arrives (I have been to WDW for the 4th of July and busy as it was, everyone was always kind and respectful when getting onto the bus—this year there was a lot of racing for the bus and running in front of other guests). The other thing that I noticed was that it seemed really crowded for September (last year it didn't seem nearly as busy).
Now for the good stuff. All minor gripes aside, we had a fantastic time.
Our flight with Delta came in early and checking in was a breeze (we were in our rooms before lunch time and at the food court by noon). At the Sassagoula floatworks we found a familiar face. Ethel is a CM at POFQ and made our stay extra magical (she did last year too). She had everyone in the food court singing happy anniversary to my DW and I, and we great us every morning with a warm smile—she really is one of the CM's that really make WDW special.
Our first day was spent at MGM, and although we got soaked for the viewing of Fantasmic, we had a ball. The DDP worked its magic at the Hollywood Brown Derby. Our server, James, was great and gave some great recommendations. The only negative of the dining plan is that there is just too much food (but, then again, I would probably complain if there were too little).
The second day we split between Epcot in the AM and Magic Kingdom at night. The Seas with Nemo was awesome and nice way of refreshing a classic. The Magic Kingdom was every bit as beautiful as we remember, and the Haunted Mansion update was fantastic. Here, we had dinner at Tony's, and despite lukewarm reviews, we had a great dinner. Emanuel (Manny) was a lot of fun and even brought out an extra sundae for us and my sister-we could barely get up when we were done.
Monday morning we were up bright and early to get to AK for the EMH. It was great that we were actually able to see a lot of the animals on Kilamanjaro safari. It was a great time despite the heat. Later we ended the day at MGM. Dinner at SciFi was awesome as usual—and our server, Michael Vincent made it even more enjoyable.
On Tuesday we did Epcot again and ended at Downtown Disney. The boat from POFQ is a great advantage and beats taking the bus. Dinner at Planet Hollywood was good and Derrick, our server, was fun too. I really wanted to try the Adventurer's club, but weariness got the better of my group so we ended the day early.
Wednesday was a fantastic day. We started at Epcot for Dolphins in Depth. Jason, Pam, Becky, Kathy and Leslie were a great team to show us what type of research goes on with the dolphins at the living seas. We had A great time with Calvin (and Mallowmar still didn't want to play, he did the same thing last year). It was a great experience and will definitely do it again. The Magic Kingdom later that night was great. Dinner at the Crystal Palace wasn't bad—but it was our least favorite of all the dinners. Splash mountain and BTMRR at night were our highlights and we were soaked by the time we got off of SM.
We spent our last full day between MGM (AM) and Epcot (PM). The food and wine festival was great, but packed. Dinner at San Angel Inn was delicious, but our server did not seem as friendly. Soarin' and Test Track ruled the night (as did World Showcase). Also, we said goodbye to another CM which we befriended at Innoventions. Wael is at innoventions East and a really fun person to spend some time with—so if you see hime, say hello, he'll be more than happy to take a picture with you (he even carries his own camera).
Out last day was spent at the Magic Kingdom. We did Pirates, BTMRR, and the refurbed Haunted Mansion one last time before heading for home.
An awesome trip and already can't wait to go back. If any of our new found friends read these boards, thanks for making our stay extra special, and hope to see you all real soon.
Can't believe I'm back already....
You seem to have a talent for meeting up with extra special cast members. That always makes a trip even better. Thanks for sharing. 
Linear Mode
