ltjrrich
01-12-2010, 07:18 PM
Cast: Me - 24/25
Mom - 53
Dad - 56
Kim, gf - 22, and her first trip
My family and I are veterans since 1988 but hadn't been to WDW since July '03, but this was my girlfriend's first real trip to Disney World (outside of visiting DHS one time when she was younger and riding ToT over and over).
The trip began Saturday Jan. 2nd. The four of us drove down to FL in two cars, because sadly Kim had to return to school in GA right after the trip. We left Long Island at 5 AM, stopped for breakfast at a diner in NJ (exit 8, for those of you keeping score at home), then drove some more. I got to live out my lifelong goal of driving through Delaware, so that was exciting. We stopped for lunch at a Shoney's in Virginia, and I always say that it isn't officially vacation until a stop at a Shoney's or Cracker Barrel. We stopped for the night at the Microtel in Walterboro, SC.
Sunday 1/3: Left early in the morning again. My parents arrived at WDW first because Kim and I stopped for breakfast at a Cracker Barrel. Mom had made all the reservations, so she checked in for us. We stayed at the CBR, which we haven't been to in years. The rooms are nicer than I remembered. We were in Martinique, building 25 - rooms 2501 and 2502. Kim and I got the corner room, which is always nice. After unloading the cars, we departed for our first day tradition - lunch at the GF Cafe. Drove over there, and Kim was amazed at the GF's main building. All four of us were amazed at how cold it was.
:freeze: We enjoyed our lunch, which was made even better with the DDP! The DDP more than paid for itself. It's one of the best decisions we've ever made, and I don't just mean Disney decisions! I mean EVER.
After lunch Kim and I went over to the MK. Kim's two main goals for the trip were to ride the monorail and see the castle. Her trip peaked early. LOL. I was very surprised to see the Christmas decorations still up. I thought those were taken down right after New Year's. By the end of the trip, we wondered if Disney ever took them down. Kim and I caught the tail end of the parade on Main Street. We peeked in a couple of shops, then I took her to Frontierland so she could watch Princess Tiana's Riverboat Jubilee (or whatever it was called. I think that's it. I know I'm sitting at a computer and could easily look it up, but I'm really that lazy.). She loved it, then we moseyed over to PotC - our first ride together. The last time I had been on it was July '03, so all the Jack Sparrow stuff was new to me. I liked it. I think it blended well with the existing ride. As far as I'm concerned, as long as the ride has "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)," the mayor being dunked in the well, and the pirates chanting "We want the redhead!" then the ride is fine. We doubled back to the Country Bear Jamboree, which I've always loved and continue to love. After that mom messaged me on my Blackberry saying she and dad were at the Hall o' Presidents. Again, I haven't seen it since it's been updated and I liked it a lot (except for seeing that ruffian Franklin Pierce in AA form!). Kim and I then wandered on our own. We saw some kind of dance party at the Hub in front of the castle. Then we got some waters (thanks, snacks on the DDP!), and went to my favorite land - Tomorrowland. Since Stitch's Great Escape was the first thing we saw, we did it first. Once again - new attraction to me (and of course new to Kim). I don't know how people here feel about it, but neither Kim nor I liked it. In fact, this might be the first time I can ever say that I actively dislike this attraction. Alien Encounter wasn't great, but at least it was amusing. Stitch is just irritating. It was worse for Kim because she had never done AC. The shoulder harness was a total surprise to her, and she was not happy about it. She did enjoy Buzz Lightyear, though. A note about Buzz: When did they start taking pictures on this ride, and why does the flash have to be so bright? It really hurt my eyes. I left the ride with a pounding headache. Anway, we then did the TTA, then walked through Fantasyland. My family surprised Kim with dinner at CRT, which was quite lovely. I don't think we've eaten there since it was King Stefan's. Dad, Kim, and I got a lot of Fantasyland done after dinner thanks to the EMH. It was the first time I had done Dumbo in years! Just as boring now as it was then. LOL. First time I got to see Philharmagic. I enjoyed it a lot. The Mickey Mouse Revue was before my time. I remember when it was Magic Journeys, though. That's actually how I had to tell my mom where it was - "It's where Magic Journeys used to be." We ended the day with a Fastpass for SM. Note on SM: Am I the only one who likes to call it "Spa-chay Mountain?" I assume I am. This concludes Day 1.
Day 2, 1/4: Kim and I began the day with the EMH at AK. We saw their Christmas tree and got our Photopass picture taken in front of it. We went right to EE, got Fastpasses for later, and walked right on the Standby line. Again - a new ride for me. The ride was great, although I thought the yeti was supposed to be on it. I don't recall seeing it any of the three times we went on during the trip. There was that video of the shadow of the yeti ripping up the tracks, but I don't recall actually seeing it. Is the yeti really small or something? We did Maharajah Jungle Trek, EE again, and TTBAB. The plan was to have lunch at Yak and Yeti (which to the best of our knowledge didn't accept the DDP), but my mom messaged me on the 'Berry saying she and dad didn't feel up to coming to the AK. She did however make reservations at Whispering Canyon for a later time, so Kim and I decided we'd eat there with them. We did Dinosaur, which Kim loved, then left the park. On the way out, we stopped at guest relations to get Kim a First Visit button and me a Happy Birthday button (which was actually the next day). Took the bus to WL, and ate at Whispering Canyon. Not only had I never eaten there, I had never even been in the WL. What a nice place - both the restaurant and the resort! That's definitely a place where I'd love to stay. The all-you-can-eat skillet was fantastic, and the waiter was hilarious. I don't have enough nice things to say about it. Briefly back to the room for a break. We got our resort mugs (thanks, DDP!) and our 100 point game room cards (thanks, MYW package!). The evening was spent at my favorite park: EPCOT! I like the new ending to Spaceship Earth a lot, although the narration was a bit lacking. I prefer Jeremy Irons over Judi Dench, and Walter Cronkite over Jeremy Irons. I also miss the scene of Greek theatre. The new ride struck me as Spaceship Earth Light. Energy was funny as always. Kim did M:S Orange, but I was too scared so Dad and I did Green. Dad and I had actually done M:S before - our last trip in July '03 was M:S's soft opening. So we had done it before there was a Green and Orange. I was fine on the ride back then, but I didn't want to take any chances to I did the green. We did the TT single rider line because there's always a huge wait for standby and I want to know - why? As Kim, a first-timer, said - the drive down to FL was more exciting than the ride. The only real difference between the ride and the real drive was that the ride is in a convertible - which was not pleasant in the frigid Florida weather. On the other side of Epcot we did Listen to the Land and Imagination. I had played "One Little Spark" for Kim before, so she was very excited to finally ride the ride - even if it's nowhere near as good as the original. It's so disappointing riding it knowing how it used to be, isn't it? I'm a big fan of Eric Idle - I mean, Dr. Nigel Channing - but I'd rather see Dreamfinder. We saw the world-famous huge line for Soarin', and we had a dinner reservation for Rose & Crown so we couldn't wait. The 4 of us went to the WS, and Dad, Kim, and I saw O Canada. I like the new film a lot. I happen to be a fan of Martin Short, and I thought he was delightful. I've heard that Manitoba was angry about the film because it was partly funded by federal money but they were not represented in the film. Is that true? I mean, is it true that they're angry? They obviously aren't in the film at all, which is a shame. It's like making a movie about the U.S. without much of the midwest. That's a huge chunk of the country missing! We went over to R&C, pausing briefly to watch Off Kilter, and checked in. We were hoping to get a table outside despite the cold so we could see Illuminations. I know they don't guarantee location at the restaurant, but we've actually been lucky enough to always get a table outside. I haven't actually eaten inside R&C in years. Seriously, it's had to have been at least 15 years since I've eaten inside. This year was no exception - the table we were supposed to have was indeed inside, but it had accidentally been given to other people. So we had to wait again to a table to open up, and lo and behold - we were outside. The streak continued. It was pretty cold, but we were right under a heater. I was actually fine, but Mom and Kim complained about the cold - until Illuminations started. Perfect timing, too. We got our dinners just as it started - dinner and a show, Epcot style. Kim got one of those kiddie drinks with the light-up Tinkerbell. She wore the Tinkerbell on her coat for the rest of the night.
More to come later
Mom - 53
Dad - 56
Kim, gf - 22, and her first trip
My family and I are veterans since 1988 but hadn't been to WDW since July '03, but this was my girlfriend's first real trip to Disney World (outside of visiting DHS one time when she was younger and riding ToT over and over).
The trip began Saturday Jan. 2nd. The four of us drove down to FL in two cars, because sadly Kim had to return to school in GA right after the trip. We left Long Island at 5 AM, stopped for breakfast at a diner in NJ (exit 8, for those of you keeping score at home), then drove some more. I got to live out my lifelong goal of driving through Delaware, so that was exciting. We stopped for lunch at a Shoney's in Virginia, and I always say that it isn't officially vacation until a stop at a Shoney's or Cracker Barrel. We stopped for the night at the Microtel in Walterboro, SC.
Sunday 1/3: Left early in the morning again. My parents arrived at WDW first because Kim and I stopped for breakfast at a Cracker Barrel. Mom had made all the reservations, so she checked in for us. We stayed at the CBR, which we haven't been to in years. The rooms are nicer than I remembered. We were in Martinique, building 25 - rooms 2501 and 2502. Kim and I got the corner room, which is always nice. After unloading the cars, we departed for our first day tradition - lunch at the GF Cafe. Drove over there, and Kim was amazed at the GF's main building. All four of us were amazed at how cold it was.
:freeze: We enjoyed our lunch, which was made even better with the DDP! The DDP more than paid for itself. It's one of the best decisions we've ever made, and I don't just mean Disney decisions! I mean EVER.
After lunch Kim and I went over to the MK. Kim's two main goals for the trip were to ride the monorail and see the castle. Her trip peaked early. LOL. I was very surprised to see the Christmas decorations still up. I thought those were taken down right after New Year's. By the end of the trip, we wondered if Disney ever took them down. Kim and I caught the tail end of the parade on Main Street. We peeked in a couple of shops, then I took her to Frontierland so she could watch Princess Tiana's Riverboat Jubilee (or whatever it was called. I think that's it. I know I'm sitting at a computer and could easily look it up, but I'm really that lazy.). She loved it, then we moseyed over to PotC - our first ride together. The last time I had been on it was July '03, so all the Jack Sparrow stuff was new to me. I liked it. I think it blended well with the existing ride. As far as I'm concerned, as long as the ride has "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)," the mayor being dunked in the well, and the pirates chanting "We want the redhead!" then the ride is fine. We doubled back to the Country Bear Jamboree, which I've always loved and continue to love. After that mom messaged me on my Blackberry saying she and dad were at the Hall o' Presidents. Again, I haven't seen it since it's been updated and I liked it a lot (except for seeing that ruffian Franklin Pierce in AA form!). Kim and I then wandered on our own. We saw some kind of dance party at the Hub in front of the castle. Then we got some waters (thanks, snacks on the DDP!), and went to my favorite land - Tomorrowland. Since Stitch's Great Escape was the first thing we saw, we did it first. Once again - new attraction to me (and of course new to Kim). I don't know how people here feel about it, but neither Kim nor I liked it. In fact, this might be the first time I can ever say that I actively dislike this attraction. Alien Encounter wasn't great, but at least it was amusing. Stitch is just irritating. It was worse for Kim because she had never done AC. The shoulder harness was a total surprise to her, and she was not happy about it. She did enjoy Buzz Lightyear, though. A note about Buzz: When did they start taking pictures on this ride, and why does the flash have to be so bright? It really hurt my eyes. I left the ride with a pounding headache. Anway, we then did the TTA, then walked through Fantasyland. My family surprised Kim with dinner at CRT, which was quite lovely. I don't think we've eaten there since it was King Stefan's. Dad, Kim, and I got a lot of Fantasyland done after dinner thanks to the EMH. It was the first time I had done Dumbo in years! Just as boring now as it was then. LOL. First time I got to see Philharmagic. I enjoyed it a lot. The Mickey Mouse Revue was before my time. I remember when it was Magic Journeys, though. That's actually how I had to tell my mom where it was - "It's where Magic Journeys used to be." We ended the day with a Fastpass for SM. Note on SM: Am I the only one who likes to call it "Spa-chay Mountain?" I assume I am. This concludes Day 1.
Day 2, 1/4: Kim and I began the day with the EMH at AK. We saw their Christmas tree and got our Photopass picture taken in front of it. We went right to EE, got Fastpasses for later, and walked right on the Standby line. Again - a new ride for me. The ride was great, although I thought the yeti was supposed to be on it. I don't recall seeing it any of the three times we went on during the trip. There was that video of the shadow of the yeti ripping up the tracks, but I don't recall actually seeing it. Is the yeti really small or something? We did Maharajah Jungle Trek, EE again, and TTBAB. The plan was to have lunch at Yak and Yeti (which to the best of our knowledge didn't accept the DDP), but my mom messaged me on the 'Berry saying she and dad didn't feel up to coming to the AK. She did however make reservations at Whispering Canyon for a later time, so Kim and I decided we'd eat there with them. We did Dinosaur, which Kim loved, then left the park. On the way out, we stopped at guest relations to get Kim a First Visit button and me a Happy Birthday button (which was actually the next day). Took the bus to WL, and ate at Whispering Canyon. Not only had I never eaten there, I had never even been in the WL. What a nice place - both the restaurant and the resort! That's definitely a place where I'd love to stay. The all-you-can-eat skillet was fantastic, and the waiter was hilarious. I don't have enough nice things to say about it. Briefly back to the room for a break. We got our resort mugs (thanks, DDP!) and our 100 point game room cards (thanks, MYW package!). The evening was spent at my favorite park: EPCOT! I like the new ending to Spaceship Earth a lot, although the narration was a bit lacking. I prefer Jeremy Irons over Judi Dench, and Walter Cronkite over Jeremy Irons. I also miss the scene of Greek theatre. The new ride struck me as Spaceship Earth Light. Energy was funny as always. Kim did M:S Orange, but I was too scared so Dad and I did Green. Dad and I had actually done M:S before - our last trip in July '03 was M:S's soft opening. So we had done it before there was a Green and Orange. I was fine on the ride back then, but I didn't want to take any chances to I did the green. We did the TT single rider line because there's always a huge wait for standby and I want to know - why? As Kim, a first-timer, said - the drive down to FL was more exciting than the ride. The only real difference between the ride and the real drive was that the ride is in a convertible - which was not pleasant in the frigid Florida weather. On the other side of Epcot we did Listen to the Land and Imagination. I had played "One Little Spark" for Kim before, so she was very excited to finally ride the ride - even if it's nowhere near as good as the original. It's so disappointing riding it knowing how it used to be, isn't it? I'm a big fan of Eric Idle - I mean, Dr. Nigel Channing - but I'd rather see Dreamfinder. We saw the world-famous huge line for Soarin', and we had a dinner reservation for Rose & Crown so we couldn't wait. The 4 of us went to the WS, and Dad, Kim, and I saw O Canada. I like the new film a lot. I happen to be a fan of Martin Short, and I thought he was delightful. I've heard that Manitoba was angry about the film because it was partly funded by federal money but they were not represented in the film. Is that true? I mean, is it true that they're angry? They obviously aren't in the film at all, which is a shame. It's like making a movie about the U.S. without much of the midwest. That's a huge chunk of the country missing! We went over to R&C, pausing briefly to watch Off Kilter, and checked in. We were hoping to get a table outside despite the cold so we could see Illuminations. I know they don't guarantee location at the restaurant, but we've actually been lucky enough to always get a table outside. I haven't actually eaten inside R&C in years. Seriously, it's had to have been at least 15 years since I've eaten inside. This year was no exception - the table we were supposed to have was indeed inside, but it had accidentally been given to other people. So we had to wait again to a table to open up, and lo and behold - we were outside. The streak continued. It was pretty cold, but we were right under a heater. I was actually fine, but Mom and Kim complained about the cold - until Illuminations started. Perfect timing, too. We got our dinners just as it started - dinner and a show, Epcot style. Kim got one of those kiddie drinks with the light-up Tinkerbell. She wore the Tinkerbell on her coat for the rest of the night.
More to come later