WDWdreamer87
07-08-2007, 10:14 PM
Cast:
Me, 19-Disneyfied 100%
Gary, 51- step-father newbie
Kathy, 43- mother newbie
Mandy, 19- best friend newbie
My mother decided to make an impromptu trip to Disney for three days. This was "in talks" for weeks, her refusing to acknowledge that Disney World is my passion. So, we (meaning me) reserved reservations for July 5th and 6th at the Pop Century, with two-day Park Hoppers.
July 5th
We leave small town Alabama at 1:00 A.M. and arrive at Pop Century roughly around 11:15 A.M. Eastern Time. Being the only person in my family able to read and understand directions, I was the "tour guide" for the whole trip. We check in, and our hostess tells us we are on the backside of the 50's away from the pool. WRONG. We are facing the pool, in a the third building, and decided it would be easy to carry our bags there. Minor annoyance from the parents, but I could care less.
Our room was very comfortable to me, something I expected for a Value Resort. The only problem was the showerhead would not turn on all the way, and left you deaf for a few minutes because of the noise. I loved the view, and it was quiet, which was nice. I decided Animal Kingdom would be our first destination, so we boarded our bus and left.
Animal Kingdom
I must say, this park has grown so much since 2001. We went straight to It's a Bug's Life and only waited in line for 10 minutes. The lines were not long, and well worth the wait. Rapids had the longest line, so we skipped it, having no desire to be soaked, as it had started raining a bit. Expedition: Everest was so fun! My parents skipped out, but Mandy was gushing about how fun it was. I was sad to learn that Finding Nemo the Musical had no shows for the day. I was really looking forward to that! The Kilimanjaro Safari had a wait, and it started raining, but the line was covered so we stayed. I was a little disappointed with this ride, I can't exactly explain why. The tour guide was informative, but I still think the whole poacher storyline isn't interesting. They did cut out Big Red/Little Red, but there are still prop signs talking about it in the que.
MGM
After Animal Kingdom we went straight to MGM. It had already had a downpour when we got there, so a lot of people were just rushing to Tower of Terror or Aerosmith. We stood in line for ToT, and Mandy took pics like crazy. Gary, I think, didn't understand the concepts of waiting in line for rides, but that can be expected, since this was his first real vacation ever. Mom's first time to ride ToT, since the last time she visited she was the "designated baby-sitter" and stayed behind. Her and Mandy both freaked out during the ride, which made it even better. Four drops, which was so scary, I loved it. Random drops idea is pure magic.
It was 8:30 P.M. when we got off, so I made sure we went and got seats for Fantasmic! Preshow, a group from Brazil started the wave, and everyone joined in! Very, very fun! I got video of that. When the show started, I had chill bumps until it ended, I was just in awe over the Magic. I kept telling my family "this is what I will be doing when I graduate" (theatre major) and trying to get them more educated on "behind the scenes" at Disney with random facts, but I don't think they comprehended things well. :mickey:
We got back to the 50's and all took showers, ready for bed. I'm known to be a night owl, so everyone was asleep while I twiddled my thumbs recollecting the memories I made. Soon, a large rumble escaped from across the room and I jumped in bed. My stepfather's snore echoed from the walls. To actually explain how bad he snores, imagine standing next to The Kraken. I called him that for the rest of the trip. Kleenex in the ears, two pillows on top of my head, I did not sleep at all. But, I was at Disney World FINALLY, able to do what I wanted to do and expand the Disney Knowledge to my family, so I had no complaints.
Coming up, July 6th: Magic Kingdom plus RAIN RAIN RAIN.
Me, 19-Disneyfied 100%
Gary, 51- step-father newbie
Kathy, 43- mother newbie
Mandy, 19- best friend newbie
My mother decided to make an impromptu trip to Disney for three days. This was "in talks" for weeks, her refusing to acknowledge that Disney World is my passion. So, we (meaning me) reserved reservations for July 5th and 6th at the Pop Century, with two-day Park Hoppers.
July 5th
We leave small town Alabama at 1:00 A.M. and arrive at Pop Century roughly around 11:15 A.M. Eastern Time. Being the only person in my family able to read and understand directions, I was the "tour guide" for the whole trip. We check in, and our hostess tells us we are on the backside of the 50's away from the pool. WRONG. We are facing the pool, in a the third building, and decided it would be easy to carry our bags there. Minor annoyance from the parents, but I could care less.
Our room was very comfortable to me, something I expected for a Value Resort. The only problem was the showerhead would not turn on all the way, and left you deaf for a few minutes because of the noise. I loved the view, and it was quiet, which was nice. I decided Animal Kingdom would be our first destination, so we boarded our bus and left.
Animal Kingdom
I must say, this park has grown so much since 2001. We went straight to It's a Bug's Life and only waited in line for 10 minutes. The lines were not long, and well worth the wait. Rapids had the longest line, so we skipped it, having no desire to be soaked, as it had started raining a bit. Expedition: Everest was so fun! My parents skipped out, but Mandy was gushing about how fun it was. I was sad to learn that Finding Nemo the Musical had no shows for the day. I was really looking forward to that! The Kilimanjaro Safari had a wait, and it started raining, but the line was covered so we stayed. I was a little disappointed with this ride, I can't exactly explain why. The tour guide was informative, but I still think the whole poacher storyline isn't interesting. They did cut out Big Red/Little Red, but there are still prop signs talking about it in the que.
MGM
After Animal Kingdom we went straight to MGM. It had already had a downpour when we got there, so a lot of people were just rushing to Tower of Terror or Aerosmith. We stood in line for ToT, and Mandy took pics like crazy. Gary, I think, didn't understand the concepts of waiting in line for rides, but that can be expected, since this was his first real vacation ever. Mom's first time to ride ToT, since the last time she visited she was the "designated baby-sitter" and stayed behind. Her and Mandy both freaked out during the ride, which made it even better. Four drops, which was so scary, I loved it. Random drops idea is pure magic.
It was 8:30 P.M. when we got off, so I made sure we went and got seats for Fantasmic! Preshow, a group from Brazil started the wave, and everyone joined in! Very, very fun! I got video of that. When the show started, I had chill bumps until it ended, I was just in awe over the Magic. I kept telling my family "this is what I will be doing when I graduate" (theatre major) and trying to get them more educated on "behind the scenes" at Disney with random facts, but I don't think they comprehended things well. :mickey:
We got back to the 50's and all took showers, ready for bed. I'm known to be a night owl, so everyone was asleep while I twiddled my thumbs recollecting the memories I made. Soon, a large rumble escaped from across the room and I jumped in bed. My stepfather's snore echoed from the walls. To actually explain how bad he snores, imagine standing next to The Kraken. I called him that for the rest of the trip. Kleenex in the ears, two pillows on top of my head, I did not sleep at all. But, I was at Disney World FINALLY, able to do what I wanted to do and expand the Disney Knowledge to my family, so I had no complaints.
Coming up, July 6th: Magic Kingdom plus RAIN RAIN RAIN.