BriarRose0708
11-03-2007, 09:05 PM
The Cast
Nikki (BriarRose0708)
Greg (grego77)
A few of our INTERCOT friends and buddies!
The When and Where
October 11 - 14
Pop Century Resort
October 12 Part 1
We were up and at 'em early today to make our 9 am breakfast at Kona Café. We caught a Magic Kingdom bus and tried to wait for a ferry to come over from the Polynesian. But, it looked like none were coming any time soon, so we decided to grab the resort monorail instead. I'm so glad we did, because even though the monorail was in the station we told the cast members we wanted to wait for the next one so we could try and sit in the front. Well, no need to wait because the cast member opened the door and there was no one there!!! I couldn't believe we were in the front!!! We rode through the Contemporary and to the TTC. At the TTC stop there was a family waiting to ride in front, so we decided to hop out and let them have a turn. It turned out they were a family of five, two parents with triplets where were there for the first time! We felt really good giving them that opportunity to ride in front. Only a few minutes later we were at the Poly, and checked in to Kona a full 20 minutes early. Greg ran to the gift shop across the way to buy batteries for his camera, and while he was gone our table was called. Even though he wasn't with me I was seated anyway with no problem.
After breakfast it was just after 9am so we hopped the monorail once again to the Magic Kingdom a full half hour ahead of schedule! We went quickly through bag check and the turnstiles and went to rent a locker to store our MNSSHP things in, then headed to the Casey's meet. This walk down Main Street was incredible, it was a spectacular morning and it was still pretty empty. We rounded the corner at Casey's, wondering if there would be anyone left from the 9am meet. There they all were! We approached the group feeling nervous but excited, wondering how we would be received. I think I waved and said a timid "hello, INTERCOT people." We introduced ourselves and the first person I talked to was John! The founder of our beloved website! We also met Ellen and her son Ben, Mikki and Andrew (and of course Figaro!), Deb, Rhonda, and Brad. I am sure there were more but I am terrible with names (even screen names!). After chatting for a little bit we were ready to ride so we said good-bye and looked forward to seeing more people later that day at the Tambu Lounge.
It was almost 10am so we hit up the rest of Fantasyland. Peter Pan was a 20 minute wait (I think) but we made it in 10 or less. It was an okay ride, but I really don't get what all the fuss is about. Not worth the 70-plus minute wait I saw in March. Next was Snow White, which had NO wait! The title of the ride is right, it really IS a scary adventure! We hit Pooh to round out our fantasy morning. The wait was posted as 10 minutes but that's the one queue that always seems to take a lot longer than what it is. I love Pooh bear, and even though we stopped a couple times in the last room I was able to snap a pic of my favorite silly old bear.
After Fantasyland we trekked on to Tomorrowland. We decided to get a fastpass for Space Mountain and get into the Laugh Floor. Fastpasses in hand we headed for the entrance to Laugh, but unfortunately it was down. ? So we decided to pal around Tomorrowland- we met Stitch and Buzz, took a spin on the TTA, and checked out the wait time for Buzz Lightyear. The wait was a little long so even though we still had Space fastpasses our window was over so we should have been able to get FP's for Buzz (emphasis on the SHOULD have). For some reason the FP machines spit out invalid tickets. Pooey. No biggie though, because we had done it the day before and we had all night to defeat Zurg anyway. So we start to walk over to Space, and I reach into my pocket for my FastPass. Dude, where's my key???? It's missing. Shoot! (although I think I used a different expression). So I stopped and looked all through my bag, turned out my pockets, and no key to the world. Gone baby, gone. I must have had it at the Buzz FP machines so we retraced my steps, talked to a few cast members, but no one turned it in. Great. So instead of wasting Greg's time I told him to use his Space FP while I went to Guest Services to work this mess out. We decided to meet a half hour later at Pinnocchio Village Haus. I went all the way to the front of the park, stood in line at City Hall, and berated myself for about ten minutes until I could call Pop and cancel my card (thankfully I didn't allow charging privileges on it, just the dining plan). The CM issued me a temporary paper ticket but I would need to pick up my new key at the Pop desk when I returned. It didn't take too long, and I still had time before meeting Greg so I went and used my fastpass for a ride on Space.
Greg and I met up at Pinnocchio's for lunch. After, we took another ride on Haunted Mansion and then Pirates, which we walked right on! By this time it was a little after 1pm, and we were hitting the mid-day slump. Greg had done just about everything he wanted to and talked about going to EPCOT before the Tambu Lounge meet. I still wanted to ride Splash, so we decided to split up and get back together at the Poly. I headed through Frontierland to find a 70 minute wait for Splash. WHAT? And the Fastpass return times were not on my side either as the window was right in the middle of the Tambu Lounge meet. So I put it off again, and went back to Adventureland. Walking by Pirates there was no wait posted so I did that again, and then Jungle Cruise (about a 15 minute wait there). I also explored the Swiss Family Tree House and took some nice shots of Splash and Space Mountains from the top. It was nearing 3 and I didn't want to get caught in the parade nonsense so I got out as soon as I could and hopped the resort monorail to the Poly.
Part 2 Below
Nikki (BriarRose0708)
Greg (grego77)
A few of our INTERCOT friends and buddies!
The When and Where
October 11 - 14
Pop Century Resort
October 12 Part 1
We were up and at 'em early today to make our 9 am breakfast at Kona Café. We caught a Magic Kingdom bus and tried to wait for a ferry to come over from the Polynesian. But, it looked like none were coming any time soon, so we decided to grab the resort monorail instead. I'm so glad we did, because even though the monorail was in the station we told the cast members we wanted to wait for the next one so we could try and sit in the front. Well, no need to wait because the cast member opened the door and there was no one there!!! I couldn't believe we were in the front!!! We rode through the Contemporary and to the TTC. At the TTC stop there was a family waiting to ride in front, so we decided to hop out and let them have a turn. It turned out they were a family of five, two parents with triplets where were there for the first time! We felt really good giving them that opportunity to ride in front. Only a few minutes later we were at the Poly, and checked in to Kona a full 20 minutes early. Greg ran to the gift shop across the way to buy batteries for his camera, and while he was gone our table was called. Even though he wasn't with me I was seated anyway with no problem.
After breakfast it was just after 9am so we hopped the monorail once again to the Magic Kingdom a full half hour ahead of schedule! We went quickly through bag check and the turnstiles and went to rent a locker to store our MNSSHP things in, then headed to the Casey's meet. This walk down Main Street was incredible, it was a spectacular morning and it was still pretty empty. We rounded the corner at Casey's, wondering if there would be anyone left from the 9am meet. There they all were! We approached the group feeling nervous but excited, wondering how we would be received. I think I waved and said a timid "hello, INTERCOT people." We introduced ourselves and the first person I talked to was John! The founder of our beloved website! We also met Ellen and her son Ben, Mikki and Andrew (and of course Figaro!), Deb, Rhonda, and Brad. I am sure there were more but I am terrible with names (even screen names!). After chatting for a little bit we were ready to ride so we said good-bye and looked forward to seeing more people later that day at the Tambu Lounge.
It was almost 10am so we hit up the rest of Fantasyland. Peter Pan was a 20 minute wait (I think) but we made it in 10 or less. It was an okay ride, but I really don't get what all the fuss is about. Not worth the 70-plus minute wait I saw in March. Next was Snow White, which had NO wait! The title of the ride is right, it really IS a scary adventure! We hit Pooh to round out our fantasy morning. The wait was posted as 10 minutes but that's the one queue that always seems to take a lot longer than what it is. I love Pooh bear, and even though we stopped a couple times in the last room I was able to snap a pic of my favorite silly old bear.
After Fantasyland we trekked on to Tomorrowland. We decided to get a fastpass for Space Mountain and get into the Laugh Floor. Fastpasses in hand we headed for the entrance to Laugh, but unfortunately it was down. ? So we decided to pal around Tomorrowland- we met Stitch and Buzz, took a spin on the TTA, and checked out the wait time for Buzz Lightyear. The wait was a little long so even though we still had Space fastpasses our window was over so we should have been able to get FP's for Buzz (emphasis on the SHOULD have). For some reason the FP machines spit out invalid tickets. Pooey. No biggie though, because we had done it the day before and we had all night to defeat Zurg anyway. So we start to walk over to Space, and I reach into my pocket for my FastPass. Dude, where's my key???? It's missing. Shoot! (although I think I used a different expression). So I stopped and looked all through my bag, turned out my pockets, and no key to the world. Gone baby, gone. I must have had it at the Buzz FP machines so we retraced my steps, talked to a few cast members, but no one turned it in. Great. So instead of wasting Greg's time I told him to use his Space FP while I went to Guest Services to work this mess out. We decided to meet a half hour later at Pinnocchio Village Haus. I went all the way to the front of the park, stood in line at City Hall, and berated myself for about ten minutes until I could call Pop and cancel my card (thankfully I didn't allow charging privileges on it, just the dining plan). The CM issued me a temporary paper ticket but I would need to pick up my new key at the Pop desk when I returned. It didn't take too long, and I still had time before meeting Greg so I went and used my fastpass for a ride on Space.
Greg and I met up at Pinnocchio's for lunch. After, we took another ride on Haunted Mansion and then Pirates, which we walked right on! By this time it was a little after 1pm, and we were hitting the mid-day slump. Greg had done just about everything he wanted to and talked about going to EPCOT before the Tambu Lounge meet. I still wanted to ride Splash, so we decided to split up and get back together at the Poly. I headed through Frontierland to find a 70 minute wait for Splash. WHAT? And the Fastpass return times were not on my side either as the window was right in the middle of the Tambu Lounge meet. So I put it off again, and went back to Adventureland. Walking by Pirates there was no wait posted so I did that again, and then Jungle Cruise (about a 15 minute wait there). I also explored the Swiss Family Tree House and took some nice shots of Splash and Space Mountains from the top. It was nearing 3 and I didn't want to get caught in the parade nonsense so I got out as soon as I could and hopped the resort monorail to the Poly.
Part 2 Below