2007 Christmas Time Trip report! 1/6

[pokci]

Hi folks!

This was a bit long incoming but hopefully will still bring back memories to some, and help others plan this year's trip. It's long, be warned! :blush:

The characters are me "pok" (44y) and my friend "ivan" 47. Enjoy!

It's six reports.



And now the fun begins…

Christmas Disney World Trip

November 26, 2007
through
December 5, 2007

Pok and Ivan



Who could imagine, certainly not Figment, that such a warm and wonderful trip would be coming up! What follows in these pages is an account, with some poetic license J, of a first vacation for Ivan and Pok. This would be Ivan’s second trip to Walt Disney World. His first was in 1977 when there was only a castle and he was but a young lad. This would be Pok’s 18th trip, and no less exciting than the first 17. Maybe even more so!

Here we go!!

Pre – trip: Flights booked, rooms paid and dining plan along with park-hoppers charged! Room/park-hopper and dining plan was 1120.90 per person and flight was 176 per person. Total was 1296.90 per person for 9 nights and ten days. Prices for food are in here just to show that the dining plan was a good buy. But it’s too much food so next time no plan for me.



Sunday 11/25/07

Pok finally finishes organizing the closet at home! YAY! Time for a reward. Ivan arrives at 3:55 pm and we’re on the road to Stevensville, MD by 4:20. The day is pleasant, a little cool but sunny as we drive into the sunset. One stop at Izenberg’s deli for Rye bread and down the Blue Route (476) we go! Traffic is not bad, make it to Middletown, DE to the Dairy Queen by 6:05 pm. Pit stops and 2 small chocolate cones and lots of Christmas Carols later we arrive at the Telepkos at 7:20. Unpack, catch up, take gift orders, have some chicken and veggies and Andrij’s pishinger and time for bed at 9:30 pm. Boarding passes are printed and in hand – B group spots 39 and 40. One bonine later…

Monday 11/26/07

3:45 am get up – way too early! Weather is 40 degrees. Out the door after a Luna bar and a yogurt for me by 4:58 am. Traffic flies and Tato drops us off at the BWI airport at 5:30 am. Stand in line outside for baggage check in, I’m in shorts and it’s cold! J But I know it’ll be warm when we land. Check baggage and now the checkpoint. Just to be safe, shoes off, earrings off, watch off and of course a flimsy, unwired bra J No heel gel cups since they’re in luggage – read that prior to boarding. Get through without a beep! Whew! A sigh of relief, get dressed and make the first of many pit stops. 2 bonine later… we stop for breakfast at the terminal. Ivan buys. We have cocoa, coffee and two breakfast sandwiches. And now we wait… the first of many hurry up and waits. They call our flight – Southwest 2987 8:05 am gate B12 and we are sort of clueless about where to actually stand. A nice gentleman assists us and we start boarding. As we are in the loading tunnel, Mama calls. HA! “Houston, we have a problem!” Apparently last week when Mama and Tato were down in Florida for their 45th wedding anniversary, Mama lost her jointly owned Disney Visa. So, mine will now be declined. Yikes! Good thing we already paid for everything but gosh, how will I keep Disney in business if I have no spending money! Suspense!

The flight was a little bumpy, cloudy, packed a little tight. One cannot be a large human when boarding a tin can. But soft drinks were offered and breakfast bars, which we saved, were decent. No peanuts. Ah the coastline, finally. Sunnier and Florida below. Land on time, a little rough but we’re here! Go to baggage claim and my bag is almost the first bag. With Disney’s Magical Express (DME) we could have had the bags picked up for us, which Ivan chose to do, but I decided to get mine myself. We try to find the DME reception area – not nearly as easy as one would think but there are plenty of cast members around the terminal pointing in the right direction. We get there, check in and then step on the red carpet! Aahhhhhh choirs of angels sing! We get on the bus, wait about ten minutes and we’re off. It’s warm and humid and very sunny! There is an “indoctrination” video on the 30-minute trip and luckily we were the first stop. We got off and went to check in at Pop Century with my bag. We had no wait and no problem, as I did not need a card to check in, but our requested rooms were not honored. No problem. Kim from Ridley Park helped us out and got us two adjoining rooms in the 50s building. Down our hall you can see Spaceship Earth. We checked in and headed to the room – mine was ready and got dressed for the pool. We were at the pool by 12:20 pm! Water is fantastic, 3 other people in the pool which was bowling pin shaped. We hung out until about 1:15. By then Ivan’s room was ready. We changed and headed to the buses to EPCOT. Here we go!

Bus to came in about ten minutes and we were there in 15 minutes. Through the gates of heaven by 2:30 pm and under the Earth two minutes later! If you have a back- pack you need to check it but it goes fast. We didn’t know what kind of weather to expect so we had changed into long pants for the evening – mistake! We had dinner reservations this first night at Le Cellier in Canada at 3:40 so Pok decided – foolishly – that there was time to take the long way around World Showcase! HA! Saw the drive by, cliff notes version of World Showcase and got to Canada, drenched in sweat and hot by 3:30! Weather at landing was a humid 78 degrees and by the time we got to Canada it was not much cooler! We were seated promptly at 3:40 and had wonderful dinners. A great start! Ivan tried the cheddar cheese soup (5.49) and I had the shrimp cocktail (9.99). We both had the mushroom filet (28.99 each) – like buttah! Then we had desserts and I had a milkshake (4.99) to go. The dining plan includes a lot of food – too much food. Ivan had the crème brulee (5.99) and I had the chocolate whiskey cake (7.99). Ivan also had a drink before dinner. Can’t remember what it was.

After dinner and hydration, we were given our Candlelight Processional (CP) passes and headed to the O’Canada movie. Very nicely redone with Martin Short. It’s a 360 in the round so I stood in the very front to minimize motion sickness, it worked. After strolling through the shops, we walked over to the reserved line for CP. Ivan almost dozed off a few times while we waited. It’s been a very long day. John O’Hurley was surprisingly very good. I was afraid he would seem too theatrical but he didn’t. While waiting in line, we saw the nightly tree lighting across the lake. After CP, we found a perfect spot near France, on the water, to watch the Illuminations fireworks show. I realized I forgot my earplugs so the noise makes me jump a few times. We enjoyed a partly cloudy night of awesome fireworks! This is absolutely my favorite show! After the show, we forced our tired bodies to swim in the sea of humanity to the buses. We waited a very long time for wheelchairs to be loaded and decided, along with many others, that there must be a better way to accommodate everyone. Got back to the resort late, bought two refillable mugs (additional 12.99 each) and a hairbrush for me and made it to our rooms before midnight. A spectacular but exhausting first day!

[pokci]

Tuesday 11/27/07

Slept in until 9:15! Change in plans – flexibility is key. We both needed the rest. Ivan got up earlier than I did and walked the property and met me around 11:00. We took our mugs to the food court for beverages, stopped by the front desk to pick up overnighted VISA gift cards and headed to EPCOT. At EPCOT we saw Journey Into Imagination with Figment before our noon reservation at Coral Reef. Ivan and I each had the Land and Sea appetizer (10.99 each) which was perfectly proportioned. Then he had the blackened catfish (16.99) and I had the mahi-mahi (18.99). Yum! For dessert I had the chocolate wave (7.99) with molten berry lava in the center. I don’t remember what Ivan had. Our beverage was iced tea and water. The view of the fish was peaceful. Afterwards, we saw The Seas with Nemo and Friends – I miss the deluge movie. But all in all it was cute. Then we went to Turtle Talk with Crush! Awesome, dude! WOW! This is interactive and witty. After that we checked out the rest of the living seas and even saw the manatee. At this point it was time to head to Magic Kingdom (MK) for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Today we were smarter and wore shorts. We took the



Monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) then back to EPCOT on the monorail to show Ivan EPCOT from above then back to the TTC where we picked up the ferry to MK. We took the ferry over Seven Seas Lagoon to MK and transferred to a boat to . Our captain was Julio from Columbia. It was a mostly cloudy afternoon but a very pleasant boat ride. Julio misses his family but enjoys his job. We got off at Wilderness Lodge and refilled our mugs and walked around the geyser, the pool with ducks and people in it and through the very impressive lobby. It’s amazing and Ivan’s favorite so far. Then got back on the boat with Julio and back to MK. We went through the gates with our special tickets (additional 45.12 each) and got our wristbands. We were there in time for the flag retreat where the barbershop quartet sings, an honorary vet is picked and the flag is lowered. Very patriotically moving. We then walked down Main Street and found Cosmic Rays for counter service dinner. Ivan had the fried chicken with fries (6.89) and yogurt (1.99) and I had the baked chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes (9.09) and chocolate cake (3.59). We both also had beverages (2.00 each). Not bad. As we were eating, we saw the castle change to “ice” in the new Christmas lights! Breathtaking! We stepped outside to catch most of the nightly fireworks display “Wishes!” then headed to Galaxy Theatre. We had great seats for Mickey’s ’Twas the Night Before Christmas performance. Fun. It started spritzing but rain was not in the forecast so no worries! J After the performance, we rode the Tomorrowland Transportation Authority which I still call the Wedway People Mover. Then we had time for Monster’s Inc Comedy Laugh Floor. This was really good and funny but be ready to be picked on. Everyone was a good sport and it’s all in good fun. After this we were headed to the Crystal Palace for free hot cocoa and cookies but found a fantastic spot in front of the castle to watch the Christmas fireworks. We ended up watching the parade and I talked with Bill from Philadelphia who has been down there for ten years. He loves working for Disney! When the parade finished, Ivan went to get cocoa and cookies and I guarded our spots. Well, it started to rain. It poured. Everyone cleared out, presumably to get ponchos or leave. But I stood my ground! One man in front of me pulled out a sweatshirt and put it on his head – we looked at each other and started to laugh at the scene. Wet tank top, wet shorts, wet glasses, wet top and wet backpack and no Ivan in sight! J Finally Ivan shows up with a bag of apples. He claims he “lost” me and this is why he was gone so long – I of course think he smartly chose to stay indoors during the rainstorm. The fireworks went on – they only cancel them if there is lightning in the area – and they were sweet but the smoke came our way and rain kept falling. A good time was had, nonetheless! When the fireworks were over, we both went to Crystal Palace for cocoa, mine sugar free, and cookies and apples. I tried to dry off to little avail. Well, it’s Disney so I was committed to fun and just rolled with the punches! It was cool but tolerable. We managed to go on It’s a Small World, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Snow White’s Scary Adventures and Haunted Mansion. Ivan is starting to enjoy the stores that are at the end of every ride! LOL He found a nice coat for his sister, which would become a challenge for me to find in the next few days. We got another refill and ended up on Pirates of the Caribbean – nicely updated. We dragged ourselves back to the resort by 1:00 am and promptly, presumably, fell asleep! We did manage to find the keychain mom asked for on our way out of dodge that night!

Wednesday 11/28/07

Up at 7:30 am. Sunny, mid 70s. The day was a bit humid. My third day tends to be strained and cranky. We met for a very filling breakfast (about 8.99 each) at 9:00 am at the food court. Then we headed off to EPCOT by 10:15. Yes it’s my favorite park so this was a very skewed tour! Once we got there, we rode Universe of Energy – still cool! Then we walked through Mexico and rode the refurbished ride – it’s a bit kiddy-ish and very much like It’s a Small World but cute. Then off to Norway and the very scary Maelstrom! Polar bears and trolls and a drop off! J Beautiful movie, lovely people, very welcoming, outrageously priced goods. We walked through the Rhine Valley in Germany and headed to Morocco so Ivan could try some of their food. He had the couscous (1.95). At this point the humidity and mild dehydration and aching feet were starting to make me headachy. We caught the American Fife and Drum Corps on our way to International Gateway where we boarded the boat to the deluxe resorts. We got off at Yacht and Beach Club and walked through the deluxe resorts around Crescent Lake. We walked through the yacht and Beach Club and the sand bottom pool; we walked through the lobby at Boardwalk and then headed over to the Swan and Dolphin resorts. Then we picked up another boat to MGM now called Hollywood Studios. MGM was fun but it’s still not my favorite.

We caught the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, most of the Holly Day Parade and then got in first for the Indian Jones Spectacular. Excellent seats and great show! We decided to not make ourselves crazy with Fantasmic! And instead enjoy a leisurely dinner and the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. We had reservations at Mama Melrose and were seated promptly. My headache was not getting better so I ran over to the little store across the way and knew to ask behind the counter for some aspirin. For 2 bucks you get 4 pills. Once we sat, I had two aspirin, two tall iced teas (about 2 bucks each) and two glasses of water and in no time felt a world better! The cool air and pleasant company and easy atmosphere helped. Ivan had the Caesar salad (5.49) and I ordered the artisan breads and spreads (6.99). He had the shrimp, mussel, spaghetti fra Diablo (17.99) and I had the wood smoked salmon (18.49). Both were very good. We both had the crème limone (6.99 each) that was surprisingly refreshing. Revived, we walked through New York City and the dancing Osborne Christmas lights! WOW! It snowed on America Street – so cool. Then we walked to the ferry and rode to EPCOT. It’s all magical and satisfying at night. We arrived in EPCOT to visit Future World and managed to get on Soarin’ in ten minutes. That’s a really short wait for a new attraction. I was anxious about the ride being potentially nauseating but so relieved and thrilled to have been able to do it. It’s wonderful and I can’t wait to do it again! We then leisurely walked to the Cantina in Mexico and got a cappuccino (3.00), a cocoa (1.89) and a churro (2.50). Ivan loved the churro J all sugar and some dough! From Mexico we had a good viewing spot for Illuminations and then got to the bus in record time and to the resort pool before 11 pm. Many laps, volleyball and stretches later, we were refreshed, stretched and ready to enjoy our refilled mugs and a good rest.

**Note to self: my inner beast appears around day three. By 72 hours I am underslept, over tired, feet aching and headachy. It’s hard to rest when you’re so excited and hard to hydrate when you’re doing so much walking. But all of the stores have aspirin. I need to learn to pace myself!

[pokci]

Thursday 11/29/07

Today is Norway! We went to EPCOT, again, for park opening this time – they countdown with characters to gate drop. Everyone headed to Soarin’ so we went to Imagination. This is always a good show. We were the first people there so we had time to play with the dancing waters outside, take pictures and then talk with one of the older cast members. KODAK puts on a good tear jerking pre-show! After the show, we leisurely walked to Norway. Princesses everywhere. We checked in, bypassed the photo shoot, checked out the Stave church before lunch and relaxed. Akershus is now busier and noisier but the food is still authentic. Ivan had the lamb (24.99) and I had the salmon sandwich with mushroom barley soup (24.99). Yummy! The koltbordt was wonderful with beets and brown goat cheese. Silie from Norway, our server, was pleased to hear that were there for the food. Never the less, three princesses came by for which Ivan was grateful! He declined any photographic evidence of this event! After Norway, we decided to hang out by the pool at the resort. Buses have been great. We went back to Pop Century and got in the pool for two hours. We then headed to EPCOT to catch the monorail to TTC and Polynesian. I asked to sit in front and we got to which put us straight on course for the MK fireworks at 6:00 pm – right in front of us! Awesome! Then we headed to Polynesian for dinner. Dinner (25.99 each) at O’Hana, which means family, was served by Debbie and Aziz. Neither are from Polynesia but both were very attentive. The food is plentiful and good. The steak was a little dry but the turkey was good. After dinner, we strolled to the beach, actually up to where they have weddings and at that point you look straight at Cinderella’s castle. Then we walked back down to the beach and got a lounge chair so we could watch the Electric Water pageant and then the Christmas fireworks from MK. The evening was lovely, the atmosphere so relaxing and the shows wonderful. It’s a completely different perspective from the beach. We finally saw the neat shapes the fireworks explode into when they’re launched. Very nice! Then it was time to take the monorail to Grand Floridian. We got to ride in the front again so we now each have two copilot licenses. Grand Floridian smells like Christmas. The ginger bread house had just closed for the night but the lobby is truly grand and it was a nice walk through. Then we boarded the monorail again, decided we were too tired to see Contemporary and got on the bus at MK to head to the resort. We refilled the mugs and off to sleep. Another great day!

Friday 11/30/07

Got up early and met for a light breakfast (5.99) at Pop Century. On the bus to MGM before the gates opened. Heard the countdown and headed in. Ivan went on Tower of Terror – this will prove to be the most exciting ride for him J - and I waited on the bench below. It was very overcast today and spitting here and there. Ivan bought a shirt at Tower of Terror “Lost my mind – send search party”! We ended up buying ponchos later in the day – should bring them next time from home! Saw Beauty and The Beast the musical – poor Beast was losing his pants in the second act. The actor was great though being mindful not to moon the crowd and the show went on! Very colorful show. Then headed to Sci Fi dine in on the way stopping at the Great Movie Ride. The bandit got us but the munchkins saved the day. Had lunch at the Sci Fi – good food though a little dark. The black and white horror movie clips are funny. Ivan had the BLT soup (5.49) and the beef salad (14.99), fruit (4.99) and a milkshake (4.29) and I had the spinach and artichoke nachos (6.99) followed by the smoked turkey BLT (10.99), chocolate tart (5.99) and a milkshake (4.29). Oy my tummy is bursting! The dining plan makes you want to order everything and get the most out of the plan but the shakes are too sweet and the food is much too much! It’s all good but tummies a’burstin’!

We rolled out of there and caught the Muppets in 3D then a few minutes of the musical group Mulch, Sweat and Shears and got in to Lights, Motors, Action! This is very loud but really a great stunt show worth the wait! After Lights, Motors, Action we bought ponchos (8.99 each), walked through the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground and went on Backlot Tours. Got a bit wet in Catastrophe Canyon but the ponchos helped and it was fun! After that we walked through One Man’s Dream which is a nice history of Disney and then Ivan went on Rockin’ roller Coaster. The wait was twenty minutes, the ride was barely one! For the season, the Harlem Gospel Choir performed and we clapped to that, then witnessed the Fantasmic Spectacular! Stunningly, we used snack credits to get popcorn (4.50) even though we had been bursting earlier! On the dining plan you get one counter service, one table service and one snack each day for each person. Fantasmic is cool! We wanted to catch the boat to EPCOT for Illuminations but the wait was too long so we walked. As if there isn’t enough walking! LOL Past Boardwalk, past Yacht and Beach Clubs and into EPCOT. We hoofed it to Soarin’ only to find a 45-minute wait. We decided to head to Japan for a quick dinner and then realized that EPCOT was open an extra three hours that night explaining the large crowds and long wait. We got our wristbands and headed to Yakitori House. There we each got the Tonosama Special (7.49) a cookie (1.99) and ginger cake (3.99) along with some plum wine (additional 4.25 each). Alcohol is not part of the dining plan. We sat outside to eat, warm evening and then moved to the front of the Pagoda to catch Illuminations. Once again, powerful and so much better with ear plugs! Best show in town! EPCOT is spectacular at night! After the fireworks we headed to America for the American Adventure. At this point, we were both beat and watched the show though admittedly Ivan dozed off a few times and I, while moved, had a few moments myself with belly fully, heart content and feet aching that it was hard not to be lulled into dreams. The show has been updated and it’s beautiful and very moving. We decided to skip Soarin’ and just head back “home”. Another long, jam packed day. Eyes closing, feet throbbing, heart full!

Saturday 12/1/07

Happy December! We met at 8:15 am to head to Rain Forest Café in though there is also one in Downtown. Love this place! Geraldo was our server, his second week on the job. Ivan had the Tonga Toast (8.99) and I had the Breakfast of Bandits (8.99) we also both had drinks and Rainforest is not on the dining plan so this meal we paid for ourselves as opposed to prepaid. Very filling. Then off to no wait at all! We saw lots of animals including the lions and helped rescue Big Red and Little Red, elephants, from poachers. After this we sang at the Festival of the Lion King – we were in the warthog section – snort, snort! The weather was perfect today. So off to Tough to be a Bug – Ivan really enjoyed this one. It’s in the roots of the Tree of Life and the audience includes lots of unseen bugs! J We decided to see what the wait was for Kali River Rapids only to find there wasn’t one. I brought an extra pair of undies just in case since the rapids are hit or miss. We got in, secured our backpacks in the center wheel and off we floated. Up the first incline and down and I got drenched – completely. Everyone laughed until the raft spun and the other side got drenched – this older grandma fully buttoned in her overcoat took it quite well! Ivan smartly brought his poncho and wound up not getting all that wet. A few more drenches and it was a wet tank top contest! I changed my undies and we headed to Maharajah Jungle Trek to find the tigers and try to dry off some more. Animal Kingdom is not complete without a Mickey Bar so on the way out we each got one with our snack credits. Ivan pointed out that these are like Dove ice cream bars but I don’t usually eat those at home so this is always a treat for me. We headed to the bus. It started clouding up just a bit but it’s good pool weather and we were in the pool by 1:30. I rested while Ivan jogged and did laundry. Nice long hot shower and got dressed for a Saturday night on the town. We met at 5:15 for the bus to in downtown. Downtown Disney is actually three sections, Marketplace for stores and shops, Pleasure Island for adult clubs and bars and West Side for the fancy stuff and restaurants and movies. We got to Downtown and had dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express – great iced tea. Ivan had the fried chicken strips, fries, home made chips and an apple (14.14) and I had the BBQ flat bread pizza and a brownie (14.25). These were on the dining plan. Stopped at most of the shops then headed west. At the West Side after walking through Pleasure Island, we arrived in time to be let in for Cirque De Soleil’s La Nouba (122.91 each). The performance, after a slow start turns out to be quite thrilling. The little Chinese girls are incredible. The tall lanky weird dude is weird and the whole thing is rather dark and industrial but quirky and interesting. Our seats were in the premium section and just before they started a guy proposed to his girlfriend a few rows behind us. One section higher would have been better to see the full show without needing to strain your neck. Great show but I would not see it again. After the show, we found out the buses were back at Pleasure Island. They used to be at all three. So we walked around, got on the bus, got to the resort, refilled our mugs and agreed to meet back at West Side at 10:00 am. I sat by the pool a little later soaking in the night air and relaxing atmosphere. So relaxing.

[pokci]

Sunday 12/2/07

Heathen that I am I slept in a bit. My feet were screaming. Ivan got a cab to mass in Orlando for 7:30 am. He said he paid a lot of money for that ride. There are no more services on property. I leisurely headed down to the bus to get to West Side. I decided to get off at Marketplace and check for the jacket I wanted in the big store. At 9:15 am they had just opened and the computers weren’t up. The very nice woman called all sorts of stores on property but no one had the jacket in my size. Oh well. So I headed to West Side. The weather is stunning – warm and blue and sunny. I walked along the river. It’s so peaceful compared to last night. We met at House of Blues for the Gospel Brunch (additional 35.25 each). Very inspiring. We stomped our feet and clapped our hands and got up to the songs. The food is a southern buffet and greatly filling! We then headed out, rolling on our tummies, and headed back to World of Disney in the Marketplace with a stop at Sosa cigars where I bought Andrij a 40th birthday cigar for 40 bucks, I think. At World of Disney the very nice woman who had earlier called everywhere still could not locate the jacket. We got back on the bus and headed back to the resort in time for a few needed hours by the pool. Yum! Sunny, warm, the water was almost too warm. I rested. Ivan took a walk then fell asleep by the pool. I could have used a light water volleyball game!

Around 4:30 we headed to MGM studios by way of EPCOT. At EPCOT I decided, having taken a bonine, to try Mission space the green zone!! Oy!! Thank God for bonine! I don’t know how folks do the full-fledged orange zone ride. I got queasy on the green zone. But – I did it!! The effects are great – wish I had better equilibrium. LOL We were going to take the boat to MGM but the line and my queasiness prohibited this. You must be flexible so we decided to walk the mile and a half along the water between the parks. Humid, tough on my feet walk but worth it. We got there by way of Boardwalk and checked out some stores before checking in to 50s Prime Time café for our dinner seating. Quirky, oddly familiar place – very crowded, very noisy possibly due to the extra magic hours that night at MGM. They were also running late. Our server was Tio Herman or Uncle German. The characters are very true to life and into their roles. The little old lady who played grandma really was a tiny old lady. When they call you for dinner they call you like your mom did! Ivan had an Electric Lemonade with a glowing ice cube (9.50 not on the dining plan), I had a glass of shiraz (8.50 not on the dining plan). He had the Caesar salad (5.49) while I opted as a poor choice for the fried herb cheese with crusty bread (6.49). I would come to regret this choice. HA! We both had the seared salmon for dinner (19.99 each) very good, then both had the angel food cake with fresh berries for dessert (4.99 each). The food was good but not great and the place was noisy. Again we took milkshakes to go and ended up tossing those. By the time we walked out, my belly hurt and my body was rebelling! Rather than go back to EPCOT for Illuminations, we boarded the bus at MGM and headed “home”. At the resort I picked up my items at the store from earlier purchases in the parks, made some tea in the refillable mug and went to sleep. Another full day but with nice pool time. And no they no longer deliver packages to the room so you have to stop at the store. How Eeyore is going to fit in my suitcase if beyond me!

Monday 12/2/07

We were going to go to Animal Kingdom for park opening at 8 am but even I - the most avid excited Disney fan am worn out. I love being here in Disney World, the almost perfection, the attention to details, politeness and feel of the place from sounds to scents but I always find out that I don’t know how to pace myself and wear myself out. The problem is that there is so much to do and never enough time to do it all. I’ve been here 18 times and there are still things I have not done or seen. We met at the Animal Kingdom bus stop at the resort at 9 am and headed there for a transfer to Animal Kingdom Lodge. We got on the bus to the lodge and were there in minutes. WOW! It’s very impressive from the grasses to the thatched roof and overall size. We had breakfast at BOMA. There were only a few African items for breakfast but lots of tasty food to choose from anyway. I’ve heard that dinner here is spectacular and interesting. Next time. We learned temalu is hello in Setswanese. We also learned obrigado, gracias, tawk, sche sche which all mean thank you in Portuguese, Spanish, Norwegian and Chinese. The cast members from other countries appreciate interest in their native cultures. After breakfast, we walked the property and found all three Savannahs. I can see why this lodge is popular. There are wild animals literally in the back yard. Gazelle, Giraffes, Kudu, Elan and more! After checking the resort out, we boarded a bus to Animal Kingdom. It was busy today because they opened early. Any time a park is open one hour early or three hours late it’s busier than the other parks. We walked to a store and found the jacket I wanted in the size I needed and had that sent to our resort. YAY! Then we headed to Dinoland so Ivan could ride Dinosaur! Not me. I had another Mickey bar and enjoyed the sun. He got his picture on the ride and said it was shaky but good. We got in for the 1 pm showing of Nemo the Musical. Oh how sweet! I welled up a few times. It’s colorful, sweet, true to the story and done in true Disney Broadway style. Lovely. Afterwards, we walked past Expedition Everest – gorgeous and awesome and I’m never going to go on it! No way! But stunning and we had our picture taken in front of it. We decided to head to Magic Kingdom at that point. It started getting cloudy so we took the bus and then transferred to the ferry to MK. At MK we got Andrij a birthday button at city Hall and headed toward the Jungle Cruise. This had a wait so we opted for the Enchanted Tiki Room – cute but dated – then Ivan got a Dole Whip. He liked it. In the first drops of drizzle, we got on the monorail to Grand Floridian. The boat was full. We rode through Contemporary and between there and Polynesian it poured. Then we got off at the Grand Floridian and walked to the Spa. It had stopped raining and was just cloudy during our walk. We checked in for our 5 pm foot massages and were whisked into peace and quiet with subdued lighting and lavender. Ahhh Once indoors it was soothing. I would love to book a half-day there. I was shown the women’s lounge were I dropped my things in the locker, changed into slippers, made a cup of tea and relaxed. Nyce was my foot massage therapist and picked me up in the lounge. When we walked into the hand and foot treatment room I met up with Ivan and his therapist. This was his first foot massage and his treat and his request. How relaxing. Mine went a little longer by a few minutes. Afterwards, I sat in the lounge with a banana and another cup of tea and just soaked up the soothing atmosphere. When I was ready I met Ivan in the lobby and we walked back to the monorail. The sky had cleared so we were back in MK and down Main Street. We checked out the Hall of Presidents that I still love, Haunted Mansion then dinner at Columbia Harbor House on the scenic and often overlooked second floor. Ivan had the white tuna Anchor’s aweigh with chips and coleslaw and yogurt (12.36) and I had the fried fish basket (6.99) with chocolate cake (3.58) and chocolate milk (1.99) – gave up any semblance of healthiness. We decided to take the picturesque and slow ride on the Liberty Belle Steamboat and got off in time for the Spectromagic Parade. This is always fun. Then in my head I remembered Big thunder Mountain as a little kiddie coaster and suggested we go on it. There was no wait so we went. I remembered it wrong! J Ivan said it was longer than Rockin’ Roller Coaster and more fun! I only closed my eyes for part of it! HA! We opted against Splash Mountain since it was getting cool and I wasn’t feeling so brave. LOL We walked over to Jungle Cruise – no wait! Always the corniest of jokes but pretty neat at night. Got off in time for the fireworks! Watched those as we walked through Fantasy Land. We opted to walk through Tommorowland and sit for an almost private showing of Carousel of Progress – one of my favorites! After this – oh I forgot to write that at the Grand Floridian I bought a shingle of the gingerbread house dipped in chocolate - we walked through town square by the castle, got our picture taken in front of the castle, ate the gingerbread shingle and enjoyed the night! Lovely!

Then we walked through the castle and out to the carousel. We rode the carousel – those poor horses, and enjoyed the castle from behind. It’s breath taking in the new lights. Off to the Adventures of Pooh, Peter Pan’s Flight and then down through the castle again onto Main Street. By this point it was getting cold but we stopped anyway at the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor and used snack credits to get ice cream. Ivan had the fat free ice cream float and I had a scoop of chocolate and scoop of mint chocolate chip. We sat on the Launching pad balcony overlooking the castle and freezing! On the way into MK at night after the foot massage, we stopped at the watch store where I bought Andrij a light in the dark alarm clock. I hope it’ll wake him up. On the way out, we stopped at the Crystal Shop where I spotted a vase by Murano. It’s lovely, a unique pink and all sorts of colors. Hmm have to think about it. We walked over to the buses, crowded with cheerleaders and were back after midnight. Another long day but it’s all magical and lovely and memorable.

[pokci]

Tuesday 12/4/07

Well it’s almost the last day. It got colder and I’m moving more slowly. We agreed to meet at 10 am but I decided to hang by the pool during the day. Ivan set off to MK on his own to explore. We’ll meet at Germany at 5 pm. As I say this in the lobby while he heads for the bus a woman laughs and comments that it sounds funny until you realize that Germany is in EPCOT and it’s doable!

I counted the money I’ve spent and will get the Murano vase today after I check to see what they have in Italy. It’s beautiful so if they still have it and there’s nothing nicer in Italy, I’m getting it. I’ll take my chances. Murano is Italian so it’s worth a look. It’s finally cold enough to wear my Christmas sweater with Mickey and Minnie! Tonight is our last night, Germany for dinner and then a final Candlelight Processional with Dennis Franz. The days are long and the feet definitely need attention. But, it’s Disney so every ache and pain, as Nyce said, is well worth it. After breakfast and parting company, I went back to the room, changed for the pool and hung out there for about an hour. At that point I decided that I wanted to spend the afternoon at EPCOT. So I took the bus over, did Universe of Energy again, had lunch at the land – baked salmon with carrots and green beans, chocolate milk and fruit tart (15.05) and leisurely soaked in the blue skies, warm weather and gentle pace of the last full day. It occurs to me that while traveling with a friend is fun, if I had to I could come alone and maybe do the application TRADITIONS process. I didn’t think I’d want to work here but it’s harder and harder to leave. Company is better but if I had to… I walked the long way to Germany where I had to check out the Steiff bears. This is also a tradition for me. I found the sweetest little bear just a bit more than the vase, if you can believe that, and decide to get him instead. Grown up vase or collectible bear – bear won! No surprise! Then I headed to the American Adventure in time to catch the voices of Liberty Acappella group give a Christmas performance in the Rotunda. Wow… Lovely. Ivan and I had previously walked through the National Treasures exhibit so I headed straight into the American Adventure Performance for the 2nd time. I always well up on this one. Very moving and epic in proportion. I strolled through the little store and found full sized boxes of mint meltaways that had eluded me the whole trip. I would later notice them right in our own resort food court! I bought two boxes and stuffed them into my backpack. I caught the Fife and Drum corp again then decided to sit in Italy on the water and lose myself in the day. As I’m relaxing, this rude middle-aged couple with funnel cake come over and decide it would be fun to feed the seagulls. Idiots! How foolish. In a rare annoyed moment, as seagulls are flying low overhead, I huffed away and found an even better spot with easier seating in Germany on the water. In the alcove on a picnic table, I looked over the lake to Future world and around at the various countries. The air was perfect, the sights and sounds unmistakably EPCOT. Ahhh… b r e a t h e…Around 5 pm Ivan came by and we headed to Germany to the Beirgarten for our 5 pm seating. We were seated at a long table with four businesswomen who had no desire to make friends – fine with us. It was the second tier almost center stage and close to the buffet! (23.99 each). We each had wine and several helpings at the buffet. The Oom Pah band performed Christmas songs and that old familiar, childhood European feeling settled in. Afterwards, we got out CP passes and headed out. Ivan wanted to see Morocco so we walked through their shops and museum. I actually think he was solely interested in Princess Jasmine but he played it cool! LOL We missed Japan’s store, France’s movie and some other things but you can’t do it all even on a longer trip. It was time to get in the CP line. The wait wasn’t too bad. I finally had a chance to put on some warmer clothes! Dennis Franz seemed a bit out of his element. Surprisingly, John O’hurley was better. But the CP is always stirring and did not fail to please! Though, I do miss the “snow” during Silent Night. Afterwards, we walked around to try to move towards the buses but still see the Fireworks. We were able to watch the show between United Kingdom and the main entrance to Future World. Awesome! We then boarded the bus, got back to fill the mugs, pick up the packages and shop a little at the resort which is when I discovered the full sized boxes. Oh well! When we got back to our own rooms, I started packing and organizing. My next visit has to be more leisurely! It always goes sooooooooooo fast!!!

[pokci]

Wednesday 12/5/07

Got out of our rooms by 9:30 and checked the bags in holding until this afternoon. I had jeans on for the day, a little warm but I knew we’d be landing in snow. We grabbed very quick bites at the resort and headed to EPCOT. We still had some snack credits to use for the last day and a counter service meal left. It’s a lot of food. We went to Soarin’ and waited about 30 minutes, even better the second time around. Then we walked over to Norway to the Kringla Og Café for our last counter service credit. Our meals came to about 15 bucks each but were on the dining plan. Snacks later would be more Mickey bars and a frozen banana! After lunch we walked over to the American Pavilion to hear the Liberty Singers. We saw the Adventure again – my third time! Love it! We thought we’d catch France but found it was getting late so we strolled to the front gate stopping at the Camera shop on the way. I purchased a package of three pictures and one of the castle for around 30 bucks – worth it. We said goodbye to EPCOT sniffle sniffle and headed to the resort. I used my last snack credit on one more Mickey bar then spent some time making charm bracelets for mom and myself. Ivan went out by the pool. At 4:30, we picked up our luggage, at 5:15 we got on DME and by 6 pm we were at the airport in Orlando. I like this airport. Got through security easily and Ivan bought us dinner at Panera. My final Florida purchase, lest I take any money home with me, was a small silver spiral ring at the airport. Very nice. Got on our flight and sat behind the bulkhead – lots of leg room and nice view. We zoomed home and landed in snow!

It goes so quickly!!!

That’s my humble recollection of events. Ivan may need to publish his own though I’m certain that at least some of the time we did the same things! :cloud9:

[pdrlkr]

Thanks for the report! :smickey:

[Bethis26fan]

Sounds like it was a great trip. Thanks for sharing it.

[faline]

It's always fun to visit Disney during the holidays!

[dolphinmickey9170]

Thanks for sharing.

[ChipnDaleGal]

That was fun to read. Makes me hanker for another holiday trip myself. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. :mickey:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Can't wait for our Dec 08 trip, thanks for all the details....

[Tinkerfreak]

Wow I am exhausted just from reading your report, no wonder you were worn out at times. It sounds like such a great trip it makes me want to move my trip from Nov. 1st until Dec. 1st.
Thanks for the great report.