Michelle & Mark Making Magical Memories! About This Page:

[All Ears]

DAY TWO: still... A Brush with Beverly."

Okay, so we are on to Muppetvision next. We, of course, check under the mat at the front entrance for the key-- & yep, it's there alright! We notice the CM is a little shocked about us doing this. We are suprised by this -- as we figure CM's must see hoardes of tourists doing this same thing daily. Then again, maybe it wasn't a look of shock but a look of boredom?! Hee! Hee! J/K!
So, while in the pre-screening room we take the time to gawk around the room looking for all the neato little details. We do see the "Net full of Jell-O," "2-D Fruities, and even a funny little soldier man hanging from aboe who appears to be aiming a rubberband (?) at you!
Muppets is fun, as usual. I also love to watch the reactions of those around me -- especially when Harry comes out! Several people nearby, actually took off their 3-D glasses to see if he was "real!" Too funny!
Outside the theatre, we notice another new thing (or at least new to US!)... when looking up towards the building, I believe to the right of the entrance (? I am uncertain on the exact locale at this time -- though -- so bear with me, here) you can see "potted" plants along a ledge. Well, one of the "plants" has been replanted as an ice cream sundae with pink "ice cream," and a few "plants" down from this one is a re-potted, melted "ice cream" sundae! We thought this was cute, but had never noticed it before!
We work our way around Mig-Gum, and stumble across the well by IJSS. DH has to set off a chain reaction by pulling the rope. Of course, masses of copycats line up to do the same. DH was proud to be the trendsetter here.
Mig-Gum is desserted. It seems this is the ideal time of the year to come. We are used to fall trips -- with what we thought were few crowds. Well, this trip makes our fall trips seem like peak season or something!
We are able to quickly see and do all the things we want to at Mig-Gum, with the exception of Fantasmic. We had planned to see this on this nite -- but the weather became a bit chilly and we weren't dressed properly. Not to worry -- we'll hit "home" quick then go to Illuminations instead. (as it was about 4:30 or 5:00PM, so we knew we wouldn't make it back in time for Fantasmic.)
Upon exiting the park, we encounter an adult guy who has had his face painted like a tiger (probably done at 1 of the carts in ANN EEE Mull King-Dom). We think this is quite funny -- which prompts me to try to persuade (okay, harass...) DH into undergoing the same feline transformation. I mention how he could feel so fierce & be so envied by all. He doesn't buy into this spiel. He agrees that while it IS a look, it's not a good one. Bummer...
Once all suited up in our warmer threads, it was on to EPP-Cot!
Yep! Another little ditty -- this one is all futuristic. Think of that Volkswagen commercial with the "Mr. Robot-o" song in it -- and the robotic movements. Orrrree orree gotto, Mr. Robot-o.... well, do the little slow motion animatronic kinda movements and say "EPPP Cot!" in a digital sorta voice -- that's easy enough, right?! You got it? Good, then let's head to EPPP Cot!
Once at Epcot, we decide to board SE. It had been 5 years since our last time on this one. We are uncertain if any changes had occurred or not -- due to some short and long term memory impairments. It sure is all downhill after age 25 huh??!
We then made a bee-line for Ice Station Cool. Can I just say, how come I absolutely NEVER noticed this place being here?!? I mean, how could I NOT?! With that like plow sitting in front and all?!?! How long has this been here? I start to seriously question my mental status at this point. After a quick self-analysis that I have indeed suffered from some sort of mental impairment rendering me completely oblivious to my surroundings... we enter the arctic Ice Station Cool. BRRRR... There is actually a guy who's sole job is to shovel snow in here?! Poor schmuck! I wonder how he was nominated for such a job?! Can you imagine the conversation with friends, say back home? "Hey, I am working at WDW!" "Really? That's cool! Where at?! What do you do?" "Well, I freeze my !@#*^ off in this igloo thing where people come in and line up to try some really NASTY sodas from all over the world!" Only in WDW, would such a job exist & someone be all too happy to do it! Then again, in the summer heat -- people probably LINE up for that guy's job! I guess to work at WDW, I would probably do any job!!
Anyways... we grab our mini-cups and begin our adventures. DH has a brush with Beverly. OOOHH!! His face was priceless. At first, he tries the whole "I'm cool, it's not that bad" schtick. Soon, his face begins contorting like he is morphing into some alien-like creature. His lips twist upwards then downwards then side to side, his eyes squint tightly shut then burst wide open. He throws his head back and lets out the gasp followed by a rapid shaking of his head from side to side. Then he roars loudly ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH! What was that?!? Just think, that was with only one small sip of that lethal concoction. Yikes! I step away from the soda fountains quickly. Ain't no way I am suckin' down that stuff, mister! We manage to test out the other choices and deem "apple" the best of all. This, however, isn't much of a compliment given the other choices!!
At this point, we are proud to be Americans where we have the freedom and access to choose such beverages as Sprite, Coke, etc.
Next up, we will eat our way around the world.... or at least die trying!

[All Ears]

oops.. a double post, sorry!
All Ears

[This message has been edited by All Ears (edited 02-11-2001).]

[allysonh]

Keep it coming All Ears!!!! Between you and Nate, I am having the best time reading the trip reports!!! It keeps me in that Mickey Mood I love so much (like I'm not in that mood 24/7 already)!! Reading the reports makes the 7 months until my honeymoon at WDW seem much closer than it is!!!



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-Allyson
4/81 - Off site
2/88 - Off site
10/99 - All Star Sports
9/01 - Beach Club

[DisneyFan]

All Ears,
Oh my gosh...there were parts where I laughed so much I cried. My DH came in to to see what the heck I was laughing about.I have enjoyed reading your report. Keep it coming girl.
We were just at WDW, stayed at ASMusic for 5nites/6days - had a wonderful time. Still I enjoyed reading about your experiences! You should write for a living.
Thanks for the enjoyment.
DisneyFan

[All Ears]

Thank you guys for the compliments -- you are tooo kind. Sorry about the little delay in posting, twas a really LONNNNNG week at work, but I digress....
So here we are again...
DAY TWO: Two Tourists who ate TOO much in Too many different countries!
First stop in WS, the UK. DH is practically drooling at the thoughts of a pint of Bass Ale. Please note: He does not have a drinking problem & actually rarely drinks -- but when we go to WDW, he is very enamored by the thoughts of drinking all these foreign beers served by CM's with accents. I guess he just doesn't get out much & realize that you can buy imported beer here in the states. Shocker!
So, DH saddles his way up to the Rose & Crown pub and orders his brew. The CM here has a striking resemblance to the main character in "The Full Monty" -- his name escapes me at the moment -- but he is the one who comes up with the notion to do the whole stripper thing, he has a son, anyways.... the CM looks like him. He is very attentive & also very determined to have me try one of England's finest. (drinks, that is! Afterall, I AM A MARRIED WOMAN!! LOL!) I politely decline & we set off to see the world.
DH is happily consuming his jumbo beer while I am having a hankering for a Kaki-Gori. Until this trip, I had not yet experienced this blissful little Japanese delite. Wow, I have been missing out! These are wonderful! I could barely decide which flavor to order -- I chose strawberry. In a word: Yummalicious! DH whines that he forgot about Kaki-Gori's. He is most jealous and precedes to shoot me a few dirty looks as we walk on.
We finally reach Mexico when the tummies rumble again. We decide to order some grub at the Cantina de San Angel. We have heard some mixed reviews about this place -- but there are large crowds here who seem pretty happy with their meals. We figure if Taco Bell can still rake in a killing -- it cannot be all that bad here, can it?! LOL!
DH orders the "wet burrito." I order plain tortilla chips with nacho cheese. (These are not actually on the menu -- but if asked, they will accomodate you. The menu lists a big Nacho-y type thing with beef, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc. But being a picky veggie-head, I wanted basic chips & cheese.) The CM is happy to provide the same for us.
DH's burrito was not excactly "wet" -- but it sure was sloppy! Maybe that's what they mean by wet?! He reported it as being delicious. The nachos were also great. But being a bit hungry still, I decided to order the flan. Big mistake! YUCKKKKKKKKK!! This was not a good decision. The flan, not the burrito, was "wet," as in watery, liguidy carmelly stuff on the bottom. Now, I normally like flan -- but this was so nasty. Arghhh!
We decided to linger at our Cantina table to view TON and Illuminations. This idea seemed to catch on with others -- as we noticed people eye-balling our table from afar. Now, we did NOT keep the table from other diners -- as there were plenty of other open tables around, just not any other tables with the prime water location we scored. I felt slighltly guilty about "lingering" -- but only slightly, as I said -- there were other tables around. So instead, I feel a bit like bonusing now.... BONUS! So we stayed put.
Next up... TON! That is Tapestry of Nations, not TOn, as in by now we weighed a TON from all the crap we had consumed on this trip!! Hee! Hee!

[All Ears]

DAY TWO: "Look, Mom! No tears! = No fireworks in my eye!"
The first time we saw TON was in October of '99. We viewed this from Germany -- which proved to be a wonderful spot -- as we basically saw two parades -- the entrance of one & the exit of another. (Yep, BONUS!) But this time, the viewing from Mexico was not as good. Now don't get me wrong, as it wasn't "bad" -- but our table-staking didn't work for TON. As we could see the puppets -- but weren't close enough to really see the puppets. Does that make sense?! So, I guess I preferred Germany's 2-for-1 special.
But on the flipside, Mexico provided a TERRIFIC view for Illuminations. In '99, we sat along the water's edge (by the railing) to see this show -- but it proved to not be such a good spot for viewing the globe & all the great effects. It also proved to be hazardous to my eye!
You see, there are like little spouts around the water's edge that shoot off some of the fireworks or something -- well, in '99, when one of those went off -- that coupled with the wind from being by the water -- some ash was blown into my eye!!! OUCH!! That was our last nite there, so we spent some time at First Aid trying to work the ash loose. It apparently must have been a somewhat commom problem that nite as at least 2 others were being treated in First Aid for the same dilemma! Yikes! So be forewarned about this -- although maybe they have corrected the problem, I dunno. But ash to the eye is BAD. Very bad....
So, this year -- no tears, no ash in the eye -- just a good spot for a great show! And boy whatta globe view! We really saw what all the hype was about -- as in '99, we couldn't get the full effect of the show without a good globe view, but now.... Holy cow! It was impressive. So if you cannot get the much-coveted Rose & Crown PS for Illuminations, stake out a spot at the Cantina.
TON was also good -- but I think I really enjoyed it more in '99. Maybe because I was seeing it with fresh eyes then -- or maybe because it was coupled with the Millenium hoopla -- or maybe seeing the 2-for-1 deal helped. Who knows??! I still loved it though -- and who can't love all of those "heylas?!"
After all of the nite's festivities wound down, we hung back a bit to try to let the crowds subside. It seems as though others caught on to this idea -- as everyone apparently hung back! By the time we reached SE, we were in full gridlock! We patiently muddled through the crowds and out to the bus stop. No energy for a doo-wop tonite. This girls was far too tired, and besides the bus gods must have sensed my need for transportation. Because what did my eyes behold?! TWO DXL buses waiting for us at our stop. Is this a mirage?! Nope, just a...... BONUS!
Beddy-bye time. Late to bed, early to rise, that's the motto of Disney's wise! Hee! Hee!

[This message has been edited by All Ears (edited 03-22-2001).]

[whoSEZ]

What a great report! I'm looking forward to reading more.

Sandy

[All Ears]

I promise I will get another installement up by the end of the week! It's been a hectic time for me, but I am finally getting back to my daily routines!
Thanks for your patience.. and more writin' is a comin'....
All Ears

[All Ears]

DAY THREE:
E very P erson C omes O ut T ired
We encountered a witty bus driver today -- who recited a couple of clever "Epcotisms." (see above for example). He made our journey to Epcot a little more lively! We love to see those CM's enjoying every minute of their job!
We had PS for breakfast at the Garden Grill. I received, yet again, that special VIP treatment when the chef personally came to our table to discuss my vegetarian preferences. (BONUS!) (If you are a veggie diner & make PS -- just let them know at that time, then at full-service restaurants, the chef will usually meet with you to discuss your likes/dislikes/etc.) Usually I am able to find something on the menu that is to my liking, but due to this restaurant's "down home country cookin," I was leary of how things were to be prepared.
When I asked the chef what my options were, he said with a huge smile, "You tell me, we're in YOUR world now!" Aw, shucks! We then settled on my food order and let the character fun begin!
We had some great interactions wiht Chip, Dale, Mickey, & Pluto! I absolutely adored how cute Chip & Dale looked in their bib overalls with their fuzzy tails poking out the backside! Too cute! (I had to make that sight alone a Kodak moment!)
We finished up our hearty breakfast and rolled ourselves back out into the park. On a sidenote, I especially enjoyed the honey butter with biscuits here. Super yummy!
Although we liked Garden Grill, we are partial to Donald's. That Duck can sure serve up a mean breakfast buffet! LOL!
We made our way over to Test Track. The crowds at Epcot were particularly lite today. I guess those Disney Gods were still on our side. (Yep, bonus....) We continued throughout FW with Universe of Energy, Circle of Life, etc. By this point, WS was set to open -- so we hustled towards Mexico.
Our 1st stop was in Norway. A joyful Norwegian lassie welcomed us to her "country" with free samples of Norway's finest pastries! Absolutely yummalicious, might I add! Had we not just stuffed ourselves like pigs at breakfast, I could have been easily persuaded to buy a few of their sweet temptations. While still licking our lips, we boarded the Maelstrom.
Seemingly we were riding in the company of celebrities on this boat -- as none other than Norway's honorary "Chef of the Day" was seated amongst us commoners. Apparently this honor -- with a liking towards Nate's (of the NASTEE fame, of course!) "Viking of the Day" is bestowed upon visitors. We, however, missed the official coronation or celebration of such a fine honor -- but we did get to be in her presence. We are uncertain if the "chef-dom" ceremony possesses the same pomp & circumstance as the "Viking" ceremony -- but nonetheless, we were humbled. The said, chef, was probably an 8-10 y.o. girl who wore her large, paper chef hat that proclaimed her title with pride.
Neither full bellies or wild horses could keep us away from the KakiGori cart. Yep, it beckoned us in for another sweet ice treat. This time, DH chose a tangerine one. Again, a most yummalicious choice.
We backtracked to the American Adventure for a bit of patriotism. We left feeling most "American." But I had a bit of a hankerin' for something French...
no, not a french kiss or a French guy or even a french fry! I was in search of a Napoleon -- of the pastry kind, that is! DH headed towards Canada in search of the illustrious beavertails.
Along the way, we met back up in the UK. We took in one of our favorite acts of WDW -- the world renowned "WS Players!" I LOVE these guys & gals! Of course, the show was one of my personal faves -- "King Arthur & the Holy Grail." Grail! Grail! Grail! UHHH! Of course, the show was RUBBISH! For those of you not in the know, these are inside jokes from their "lavish" production. We especially get a kick outta one of the guys who looks like a heavier version of Paul Reiser. We have seen him 2 or 3 times now in this production.
We highly recommend seeing this troupe! And if you are especially lucky -- they may even choose you to be part of their little group for their latest run.
By now, we were getting closer to the time for our 3:00 PS for the ice cream social. (it was about 1:30 or 2:00) We simply could not stand the thought of devouring more junk food. I know, can you believe it?! So we decided to cancel that PS (we went & did this in-person). We were sad to have to cancel, but decided any more high caloric, sugar intake may just prove to be too much for our bodies.
Later on, we decided on a healthier meal -- so we journeyed to the Sunshine Seasons Food Fair for some baked potatoes with cheese. The atmosphere in there is so----o loud, but the food is cheap & tasty.
Leaving Epcot, we realized the bus driver's other Epcotism...
E very P ocketbook C omes O ut Thinner
was also true! However, we weren't exactly prepared for thinner pocketbooks & thicker waist lines! Hee! Hee!
We decided this would be a good time to scout out a future resort option... onto CBR!

[This message has been edited by All Ears (edited 03-22-2001).]

[Aerobics]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">quote:</font><HR>But I had a bit of a hankerin' for something French...
no, not a french kiss or a French guy or even a french fry! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmm...I'd take any or all of the above! LOL!

So glad to see you posting again, Michelle! I've never heard of the "Chef of the Day"; I wonder if they anoint a different "occupation" each day (I just hope I'd never be chosen as "Troll of the Day"...ouch! ).

Looking forward to your next installment...

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My little baby's all grown up, and....saving China! sniff...You got a tissue?

Wilderness Lodge/All Star Music--September 2000

[NoahNMe]

Okay, This is SO WONDERFUL!!! Of the 5 of us going in May, I am the only certifiable Disney addict. It's been frustrating trying to plan this with these bozos!! I can't thank you enough for these wonderful reports. It is getting me SO psyched about going. Also, Thank you for inspiring me to keep a daily journal of our trip, so I won't forget any details. Not a prob for me as I'm on such a disney high I usually don't sleep while we're there. Keep those reports cooming!!!

------------------
Shelly in IL

Disneyland 5/81
WDW 2/83
WDW 5/92
WDW 5/3/01-5/12-01
Port Orleans - Riverside

[All Ears]

Nate,
LOL! If I wasn't married -- then maybe the french guy giving the french kiss while feeding me french fries!
It feels good to be "back!"
All Ears

[All Ears]

DAY THREE: CBR: or the Size of this place could JAMAICA me Crazy!

After leaving Epcot behind, we decided to check out CBR. One of our "must-do's" on each trip is to scout out resorts for future trips. It is our lifelong goal to experience each and every one of WDW's resorts -- with the exception of FW, as I will NOT camp or stay in any camp-like settings. (There is nothing against camping, in itself, this personal loathing of the sport stems from the traumatic family trips I was forced to endure with my family where camping by TENT (ewwwww!) was our only means of lodging on each & every awful family trip. As if driving in the old Ford Grenada half way across the country with 3 kids wasn't enough torture -- let's now all CAMP together. But I digress....
Sidenote: for those of you camping fans & FW fans, no offense meant here. I am sure camping and FW lodge are not inherently bad -- it is just the memories conjured up by the aforementioned childhood story are bad.
So, anyways... we had to check out CBR.
To us, we were absolutely amazed at the mammoth size of this place! Holy cow! How does anyone find their way around here?! Then, judging by the resort's monstrous size, one would assume the main pool would be Olympic-sized or something. Nope! That pool is ridiculously small in comparison to the resort's size! One could only imagine how it must be when it is crawling with millions of sweaty pre-pubes (pre-pubescents, that is) during peak season! Ummmm... no thanks.
As for the resort -- it seemed similar to CS. (where we stayed in '99 and really enjoyed)
After our short jaunt around CBR, I began to feel the Disney $ burning a hole so deep onto my pockets that the baby hairs (those annoying, fine, unshaveable hairs that cover the bodies of mammals) on my legs were beginning to singe! So we HAD to head to DD.
Afterall, we had specifically down-sized our packing list to accomodate any newly acquired items for bringing home. Smart thinking, eh?!
While at DD, we decided "World of Disney" should seriously undergo a name change. We think "Where in the $%^#* did I see that ___________?!" would be a more apt name. For those of you who are not keen on swearing, we could easily omit the $$%&# part to be more Disney friendly, and just call it "Where in the world did I see that _________?!" Also, the ________ of course means to fill in the blank with the item is question. Anywho -- World of Disney is GREAT! We love this store! Why can't the Disney stores back home be like this?!?
With lotsa bags in hand -- we left DD, to head back to the resort. Yep, we still could not for the life of us remember that we could have been delivering all of our loot back to the room. DUH! I guess that short-term/long-term memory thing must be the first thing to go, huh?!
We were about to experience the much coveted E Ride nite that evening and wanted to get back to the resort in time to change our clothes/etc.
Next up.... Wristband, plllllease!

[All Ears]

DAY THREE: E-Ride, Me-Ride!

Well, being the lucky folk we are, our trip coincided with the illustrious E-ride nite. Everyone together now, "ooohhhh, aaahhhhhh...." Yep, that's right.
We were fortunate enought to be blessed once before (9/97) with this little gem, so we were quite eager to experience it's perks again. This e-ride would be a late niter, though -- as it was scheduled 10p-1a. That's bedtime for me! Yikes! But hakuna matata, if there's an e-ride nite, I'm gonna tape my eyelids open to stay awake if I have to! LOL! It would practically be a sin to let a good e-nite opp. go to waste, wouldn't it??!
So after DD, I had to let DH get in a nap. For me, this meant the opportunity to oogle my newly acquired treasures before packing them nicely in my "bring home suitcase." (a suitcase we brought with us, basically empty -- to lug home all of our "loot" in!)
E-ride also coincided with MSEP & the fireworks. Of course, we wanted to take in both of these events, too. So, I had to rustle DH from his slumber to head to the park.
Once there, we took in a few rides before staking out our prime parade viewing spot for the MSEP. We like to watch the parades from the Frontierland area, so we chose a wonderful little spot across from the Liberty Tree Tavern. This was great as A.) we could sit/or lean on the bricking there & B.) we could watch the parade as it rounded the corner. Another 2 for 1 deal! Yippee!
We liked MSEP, but it's no SpectroMagic. Our hearts hold a special place for Spectro, as when we first ever went to WDW (11/95) and were married there --our "wedding evening" was spent at MK watching Spectro! Note, I did say "evening," not nite! Hee! Hee!
We loved the music from Spectro, and all it's magic. MSEP is beautiful -- but it's just not the same for us.
Sorry about my waxing nostalgic for a moment up there.... so after MSEP, we headed behind the castle in FL to ride Snow White, Peter Pan, etc. This was a good plan -- since most of the parade watchers gathered in front of the castle to watch the upcoming fireworks & Tink's journey.
At Snow White, I almost experienced a near death experience! Just as I was about to board the "dwarf buggy," the operator must have hit the "run over your guest" button on the ride! Hence causing the ride to quickly jerk forward & causing me to lose my balance & almost land on the track! (in the perilous path of the said buggy!) Yikes! Had it not been for the other quick-acting CM with the "Mom Arm" (this is the action a Mom uses in the car when she has to slam on the brakes causing her right arm to thrust out from her body and thwarting all said danger to the person's chest who is sitting immediately on her right.) That CM's hearty Mom Arm saved me! Kudos to her, or I coulda been a goner! hee! hee!
We finally boarded safely and enjoyed our ride.
We then boarded Peter Pan. This is such a wonderful, little ride. It really brings a smile to my face. If I was a child & riding this for the first time, it would be so magical. Ohhh, I can only imagine...
The fireworks began as we left Peter Pan. Just in time! Yeah! (yep.... bonus for timing here!) So we watched them from behind the castle. This is a great spot -- as no one ever goes back there during the fireworks. You do miss seeing Tink -- but you also have an uncrowded, "private" viewing!
I am still amazed that WDW can deliver such shows as this nite after nite. WOW! Such magic!
After this, we headed to HM where we encountered the freakiest, scariest, best actor in a theme park role... Holy cow! This guy is good, kinda CM! If Golden Globes could be awarded... well, you get the idea, right?! He was AWESOME. He was working the "stretch room."
When we walked in, he immediately began his "drag your wretched bodies to the center of the room" spiel -- but with his devilish glare and vampire mystique... So, I hustled my biscuits front & center! This guy wasn't messing around! He then slammed the door shut -- causing a near panic attack for one lady! She shrieked so loud I think only dogs could hear her! Wait... if I heard her, what does that mean?! Anyways... He then began his perilous pace around the perimeter of the room. I kept my eyes fixed on his every move. I vowed, "I'm onto him. He's not gonna scare me. No sirreee..." Well, the lites went out & when they came back on, "oh, my!" Who was staring me right in the eye?! Yep, you guessed it! I screamed "OH MY LORD" soooooo loud I think they heard me in Tomorrowland! Everyone was laughing & laughing & laughing... all the while this CM never once broke character. He stayed in his role perfectly.
Some serious snaps go out to him, wherever he is!
With my heart in my mouth, we boarded the doom buggies. It was certainly a more eerie experience after just having the heebie jeebies scared outta me, though!
It was fastly approaching 10P. DH & I were eager to display our coveted e-ride wristbands. And sure enough, at 10p, the CM's began to check for the bands & the park rapidly cleared! Ya gotta love having the park basically to yourselves, huh?
We were able to continuously ride BTMRR and Buzz without so much as even having to disembark! We could have rode them a million times! Too cool! This e-ride is such a perk!
Next up... a walk down a VERY quiet Main Street....


[This message has been edited by All Ears (edited 04-03-2001).]

[This message has been edited by All Ears (edited 04-05-2001).]

[karmic]

All Ears Great report! Better edit again. Cathy