Shooter 364 & family go to WDW... despite Bin Laden About This Page:

[shooter364]

Bill and Family go to WDW

Pre-Trip day from heck

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not-quite-3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23


Our pre-trip report actually starts two days before our departure for Disney World... please, bear with me.

September 11, was a day like no other for most decent, civilised people. It was a day of senseless death and mayhem. A day of evil deeds perpetrated by barbarians under the guise of religion. It is in the immediate aftermath of these events that our story begins...

My leave was due to start on September 11, at 3 PM. Mind you, I wasn't leaving for WDW until the 13th, but I was taking the day off on the 12th in order to finish doing things around the house. I was on the firing line with ten officers, getting them through their bi-annual pistol qualifications, and had just been joking with a coworker that today was my last day for two weeks, and that soon we would be on our wy to Disney World! Suddenly, my supervisor relieved me to take a quick look at the television in our classroom area, and what I saw nearly made me physically ill.

We suspended firing for a bit in order to see what was going on… but after 10 minutes we needed to get back to work and finish shooting. A few minutes later, we received a "cease fire" order. The Pentagon… a scant mile and half away from us, had been hit by a plane as well! The chief of Police cancelled training for the day, and we issued fresh ammo to the officers and sent them out into the street.

We stood by at the armory, ready to issue shotguns and other emergency equipment if it became necessary. While we were waiting, there was a report on the news about a car bomb exploding in one of the buildings where my wife works. I had spoken to her shortly before this report and was hoping she had left there by then… problem was, that Cel phone communications were disrupted all around the northeast. I sat at my desk, trying to be calm and not let any of my apprehension show. Fortunately, an hour later, my wife finally got through to me to tell me that she had abandoned our plan to meet at Pentagon City Mall… she was walking across the city to get to where I am.

Once she got here, my supervisor told me that I wasn't needed and that I could go home. We were supposed to pick up our rented minivan at Dollar rent-a-car that afternoon… the location that is right next to National airport! Suffice it to say, that we weren't getting ANYthing from there on September 11th.

We drove home, passing the still-burning Pentagon, and smelling the acrid fumes from the fires. It was hard to believe that we had driven within 30 yards of the impact point just four hours before the plane was crashed into it.

When we got our town, 25 minutes south of DC, we rented a minivan at a place near our home, for $400 more than we had been quoted at Dollar, but there was no way that we were going to be put off.

Once home, I installed the portable CD player, and the "Video-in-a-bag" while Susan started packing.

It was a long day for us, for our country, and for everyone with a shred of decency in their hearts. I was between rage and tears all day, but one thing was certain, if there was ever a time to go to our Laughing Place, this was it.

I watched the news late into the night… finally going to bed at midnight.

The next day, Sept 12, we did last minute things around the house and just basically made ready to depart. I took the back row of seats out of the minivan, which was a Ford Windstar, in order to increase cargo space. After that, I took our dog, a retired racing Greyhound called Duncan, to the home of the people that would be caring for him while we were gone. While I was away, Susan made ready as best she could while trying to keep a two year old in check.

After Olivia (finally) went to bed... Susan began to pack in earnest. While she packed, I carried cases to the van, put ice in the portable cooler, went to the supermarket for some wine, and generally stayed out of her way.

I went to bed around 2330.

We were ready.

Tomorrow: Day One... Are we there yet?

[shooter364]

Day One… are we there yet?


Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not-quite-3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23

The alarm clock beeps once, and we are out of the bed like rockets! So what if it is only 3 AM? we're going to Disney world!

After we took care of hygiene, Susan packed our last case (toiletries etc…) and I put it in the van (everything else had been packed the night before). We took a quick look around and went over the checklist: Is the AC off? All the doors are locked? No appliances left turned on? Great! We were set.

We retrieved the still-sleeping Olivia from her bed and took her straight away to the van, which was already running. Susan got her door shut (barely) and away we went, into the dark September morning. We were within ten minutes of planned departure (4 AM) so I was happy. Five minutes after we pulled away from home, we were on I-95 south and on our way!

As I fully expected, my darling wife, the love of my life, great mother, great friend and co-driver, promptly went to sleep… snoozing away along with Olivia. I had kind of hoped for some conversation, but what the heck… you can't have everything, eh?

I made good time through Richmond, by avoiding the Richmond bypass… for those of you that drive south along the I-95 corridor, give some thought to driving straight through Richmond, unless it is midday, the bypass is no reduction in time.

A note on Richmond: I mean no offense to any Richmonders by saying this, but the portion of Richmond that I-95 travels through, really stinks. I don't mean stinks as in "it's a bad area" I mean it smells really bad.

The smell was so bad, it woke Susan from her slumber, which she resumed as soon as we got clear of the city.

It was first light when we reached the North Carolina state line, and Susan had been awake for a while to keep me company. Olivia slept until around 7:30, bless her soul, and she woke up in a really good mood (as per usual).

After Olivia woke up, and had the chance to clear her head and talk with us for awhile, we put what was to become our best travel tool to work. That tool was our "video-in-a-bag" system. You may have seen these things before, essentially, it is a VCR, with a detached screen that can be hung on the back of a front seat, suspended between the two front seats, or sat on the floor. Anyway, Olivia loved it, and was able to watch the videos (Disney, of course) that we had brought along to keep her entertained. We were concerned about her getting too bored, because a 12-14 hour car trip can be a tough thing for a two year old to sit still for.

At 8:30, we stopped in Lumberton, NC to have a quick breakfast at McDonald's and get some gas. It was here that I came to the realization that I was going to have to stop on this trip more than I normally would like to. My back, hip, and knee were killing me! After over 4 hours behind the wheel, It takes a few minutes of walking to get me to the point that I didn't look like someone with a real physical disability. Anyway, after a good stretch and some food, we were on our way again.

Note: Have any of you ever noticed how many strip joints there are along I-95 in NC and Ga.?

By 1250, we made it to Brunswick, Georgia, which is just a wee bit north of the Florida state line, and stopped for lunch. I always like to stop in Brunswick, because it is the home of the federal law enforcement training center, where I went to the police academy. I still train there from time to time, so I like to drive through the town and see what is new since last I was there. Another draw for Brunswick (for me, anyway) is Sally's Cop Shop, one of the best police supply shop's I have ever encountered. We had lunch at the Glynn Place Mall, to give Olivia a chance to run around a bit and stretch her legs. After lunch, we got gas and headed off for the last leg of the drive.

It started raining while we were in Brunswick, so we had to slow down a bit as we approached the Florida line. We passed an uneventful drive through Florida and were really starting to get excited, despite the rain.

We arrived in Orlando @ 6 PM and proceeded to Palm Parkway in Lake Buena Vista to the Homewood Suites Hotel. We checked in quickly and went to our suite… and were thoroughly disappointed. The suite was big enough, but the layout wasn't what we were led to believe it was. Let me explain. Many of you know that we like to stay in suite hotels because of the fact that having a separate room is a really convenient thing when you have a little one that is supposed to be in bed at 8:30. When we got our reservations at the Homewood, we thought that the door to the bathroom would be outside of the bedroom area, which would decrease our traffic in the area where Olivia was sleeping. Anyway, that was bad enough, but we could deal with that.

We wanted to do a night-time drive around the parks and Down Town Disney, so we put the Millenium CD (which I am listening to as I type) in the player and off we went. We drove Past Down Town, and Pleasure Island, and the West Side, Typhoon Lagoon, and EPCOT. I was really excited just to see Spaceship Earth all lit up!

We decided to go have a quick dinner, so we went to Perkin's at Crossroads. Our dinner was good, but we were tired and were ready to call it a day.

When we got back to the room and got Olivia off to bed, we were going to have a glass of wine and chat before we went to bed. I went to the cabinet and got a glass out and held it up to the light to inspect it… and was instantly disgusted! The glass was dirty! I checked everything else and found some utensils that were not as clean as I am accustomed to. Grrr! We decided that in the morning we were checking out of this hotel and going to the Embassy suites down the street. We usually stay at the ES, but decided to try the Homewood because we got a really great price.

Susan went to bed, she was really tired by this time. I stayed up and began reading my vacation book. This year it was "Blood and Iron", book one of the American Empire series, by Harry Turtledove. After 10 minutes of being unable to keep my eyes open through page ten, I decided to call it a night.


Tomorrow: A date with Gabrielle

[shooter364]

Day Two, A date with Gabrielle

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not-quite-3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23

We rose at 7 AM today, and made ready to depart from the "lovely" Homewood Suites. While Susan collected Olivia, I drove over to the Embassy Suites (a long drive of about 200 yards) to see about vacancies.

When I told the clerk about our experience at the Homewood, she gave us a nearly comparable price right away. Homewood and Embassy Suites are owned by the same parent company, so I guess it didn't make much difference to them. I went back to the Homewood, and Susan had Olivia all ready to go. I went down to the front desk and told the clerk that not only were we checking out because of the cleanliness of the suite (I had brought the dirty glass and other utensils with me for illustrative purposes), we weren't paying for the night we stayed either! She immediately said that there would be absolutely no charge and apologized profusely. Tropical Storm Gabrielle was still dumping rain on Orlando, so we loaded the van in a drizzling rain and headed for the Embassy Suites. We checked in so smoothly (as always)… we were in our room five minutes after walking into the hotel. Because we did this so early in the day, we were able to take advantage of the Embassy Suite's made-to-order breakfast. After breakfast (around 9 AM) we decided that since it was still raining, we would head for Downtown Disney and do some shopping.

Our first stop was World of Disney… I was instantly in heaven, and had to work hard to restrain myself from spending a huge amount of money right away. I bought a few pins and Susan got a mini snow-globe (don'tcha just love those things?). I took the time to caht with CM Rose (from New York) who has plans to go home and visit her family in October… she like so many others, is apprehensive about flying. I told her the same thing that I have been telling others. "Life goes on, and as Americans, we can't just stay home and hide. Besides, the economy MUST be stimulated, and the best way to do that is travel, work, and buy things!" Since I believe in taking my own advice, I started spending money like it wasn't real (not that I needed a terrorist attack to prompt me to spend money at WDW).

Next up was Disney "At Home", we love that place too, even though we didn't buy anything there. There was a great book there called "Be our guest". The book, all about Disney's philosophy on customer service, was published by the Disney institute. I plan to buy it in December and see how much of those principles I can incorporate where I work.

We had lunch at the Disney Gourmet and decided what our next move should be. We had originally thought that since it was raining steadily that we wouldn't activate Susan's Premium Annual Pass until the next day… however since the rain seemed to be getting lighter and lighter, we would activate it right away and ope for a visit to Epcot later in the day.

We decided to do something that so many other clubhouse members do… visit some of the resorts! We drove out to the All-Stars and got to look at how they were set up. The thing that struck us immediately was that the parking lot was so EMPTY. It really was an incredible sight.

Next we drove over to the Disney Institute… we thought that it was nice and might be good for a long trip. A quiet place that is a wee bit off of the beaten path.

We decided that we should also take a look at the new Premium Outlet Mall that is directly across I-4 from our hotel… we didn't see any shops that we couldn't shop in here, so we didn't bother to go in.

Our next destination was something that has become a ritual to us. At least once during every trip to Orlando, we have to have a drive down International Drive… I-Drive, for short. Why do we do it? I dunno, could be that the first two times we went to Orlando, we stayed at hotels along that strip. While we were driving along I-Drive, the rain stopped! I started getting excited, and Susan and I decided to give Epcot a shot.

When we arrived at Epcot, we parked in row Journey 8… the parking attendant told us that there were only 4,600 people in the park compared to a normal day of tens of thousands of visitors.

We walked into the park and experienced the thrill of the Epcot music playing loud and strong. The music, coupled with the view of Spaceship Earth is enough to give me goosebumps. We proceeded directly to Spaceship Earth and walked right on with no wait… it was so empty, we were the only people on the entire string of cars! People can say whatever they like about me, but I absolutely love that ride…especially the part about the burning of Rome, and the ending. As we made our way to the Canada pavilion, we heard the sound of bagpipes and guitars, and knew that Off Kilter was on! So we headed directly there. I have to tell you that Olivia truly loves the bagpipes. We listen to a fair amount of bagpipe music at home, and frequently attend Scottish Highland games here in our local area, so Olivia was right at home listening to Jamie Holton jamming on his pipes… she couldn't resist dancing which was very cute.

Next was the UK… we went in to the first shop, and noticed an immediate change… where had all of the tartan gone? Through our last visit, in Dec., 2000, there were plenty of Scottish-made tartan wool products, but now there is almost none. I asked the young CM but she didn't know, as the shop had been this way since she started a few months ago. She suggested that perhaps those products were not moving fast enough to be worthy of continuing to stock it, which made sense to me.

We strolled through the "International Gate" and took a stroll in the boardwalk area for a while before going the rest of the way around World Showcase. We didn't do much more than walk around and take in the sights on this visit… although we did stop at the Mexican cantina for some tasty Margarita's… which were VERY good!

We left the park and went to Gooding's to pick up some things for dinner. We settled into our suite for the night, gave Olivia a bath and let her watch a video before sending her off to bed.

Susan was off to bed after her customary 45 minute "couch nap" while I stayed up to get some reading and journal-keeping done.

It was a good day… very relaxing, which is just another reason why we love Disney so much.

Tomorrow: Surreality

[ 10-01-2001: Message edited by: shooter364 ]

[ 10-01-2001: Message edited by: shooter364 ]

[shooter364]

Bill and family go to WDW

Day three, Surreality


Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not-quite-3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23


We rose at 7:30 today… well I rose at 7:30, Olivia was up by 6:45 and had some personal time with Susan. After getting showered and dressed (and watching the Disney channel for a while), I looked out of our window, in the direction of the parks, and saw…. A perfect rainbow! This wasn't your run-of-the-mill rainbow, this was a true to life rainbow of the full arc variety… we don't see them very often where we are from. Olivia marveled at it as much as we did. It turned out to be a good omen for our planned adventures for the day.

We had breakfast at the hotel, which was as good as always. If any of you ever decide to stay at the LBV Embassy Suites, make sure you have an omlette done by Ed, the Chef. He makes a really tasty (and super sized) ham, cheese, and sausage omlette.

We arrived at the parking lot of the Ticket and Transportation center @ 10 AM and took the ferry to MK. We like to take the ferry because of the view and the breeze… we always try to be up front, so "Stroller Queen" Olivia can see everything.

We went in to the MK after having one of the security officers inspect the diaper bag. The wait wasn't terribly long, and all of the guests were quite patient. Once again, after Sept 11, who can be stupid enough to be annoyed about security?

NOTE: It is a bloody shame that it takes a tragedy for people to start to take these things seriously.
Ahhhh! The Magic Kingdom! We entered the Kingdom and headed straight to "Le Chapeau"… I had been in Orlando all of this time, and I had yet to get my new MM ears! Time to change all of that. While I got my customary ears with "Daddy" embroidered on the back, Susan got herself a WDW sun-visor (she isn't really a hat person), and Olivia got one of those pink, cone shaped Princess hats… the kind with the filmy pink gauze hanging from the point.

Having accomplished this important task, we proceeded up Mainstreet, amazed at the lack of people. We weren't really surprised, but understanding the reasons and seeing the reality are two different animals. We usually go in mid-september, so light crowds are the norm for us, but this was weird!

After passing through the castle, Olivia saw the Carousel, and immediately wanted to ride. I took her on the "horsies, daddy!!!" and told Susan to get in line for Dumbo. After the carousel, we walked to Dumbo, and Susan was just standing there, because she actually had to get out of the line because Dumbo was literally a walk-on!

To make a long story short, we rode the Carousel, Dumbo, Pooh, Peter Pan, and Small World inside of an hour. We had only gotten to the parking lot at 10, and by noon we had gotten hats, bought some pins, walked to Fantasyland and finished those rides.

We went to Cosmic Ray's around noon because Olivia was hungry (well, I suppose I was hungry too!). Ray's was nearly empty. There were no lines. Some of the tables were totally undisturbed.

After lunch, we went on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. I had never done this ride before, and I must tell you that I really enjoyed it. It might be too tame for some… it isn't really fast, and there are no spectacular spins, falls, drops, or loops… but it is fun nonetheless.

After TTA, we rode Buzz Lightyear twice. I scored 17,900 and Susan scored 7,100… go figure. I don't think those scores really mean anything, but the ride sure is fun. Olivia had a good time with it with all of the colors and the ability to control the spin of your craft.

1:30: Olivia goes to sleep in her stroller. We mosey on over to Frontierland and purchase Mickey Bars. Mickey Bars have always been sort of a wicked parent's treat for us. Olivia would certainly want to eat one just because we are eating them… the problem is that she would probably make a sinful mess of the whole thing. So… We only eat them when she is napping, which she can always be counted on to do. It was always a guilty pleasure, but, sadly, that has been taken from us. Apparently, another company now produces the Mickey Bar. It used to be Dove, but I think Nestle is doing it now. The Mickey Bar is now a pale and thin shadow of the robust and delectable snack that it once was.

We wandered around for a while longer, shopping, chatting, people watching, and absorbing everything waiting for Olivia to finish her nap, which she did, around 4 PM. We headed for the exit, stopping briefly to shop in the emporium, where I bought some more pins (starting to notice a trend here?). We then made our way to the monorail headed for the TTC. I had been waiting for this moment since last December! All of you monorail fans know what I mean…

"Please Stand Clear of The Doors… Por favor mantengan se allejados de las puertas"

We drove to Epcot and parked in the far-flung fifth row from the front. We rode Spaceship Earth, again with no wait. The CM remembered us from the day before… there were that few people in the parks.

We went to Ice Station cool, which was producing no snow and ice, but still had ice-cold beverages. Somethings never change, folks… some unsuspecting soul always tries the Beverly with disastrous results, and today was no different. I enjoyed partaking of the "Krest" ginger ale from Mozambique, which has been my favorite for a long time. We wandered toward the Canadian pavilion and watched Off Kilter again… I have to tell you that I wish the guys would do sets that we longer than three songs. I also wish they would do the "fish dance" again. Another thing I wondered about as I stood there sweating… those kilts can't be made completely of wool! They move about a lot easier than even a medium weight kilt would… I suppose it makes perfect sense, though… bloody hot in Orlando for a 16 oz. Strome weight kilt.

I stopped at the merchandise cart in the UK, to buy a Scottish flag for Olivia's stroller and had a brief chat with the young CM there. She was from the Midlands, and had spent some time visiting in Washington, DC… turns out her favorite area of the city was the neighborhood I lived in when I was a bachelor. She has good taste, as I really loved my old neighborhood.

Next, we went to the French pavilion. There we saw the film, "Impressions de France", we enjoyed it. The production values were great, and the music was fabulous. Having said that, I still prefer "O Canada!"

OK, I have to rant here, just a bit…. Would someone in authority at Disney make a decision and bulldoze the "Outpost"? It serves no purpose and could give such better service as an Australian, Jamaican, or Korean pavilion. If you want to make a from a "black" African country pavilion, pick a country and do it… I find the "one-size-fits-all" approach to be extremely silly and slightly offensive. Sub-Saharan Africa is a big place and has more to offer, culturally, than some carved wood and bongo drums.

OK, I'm done.

We had margaritas at Mexico, the very nice fellow at the counter gave Olivia a free cup of Hi-C because she was really charming the guy. After our little margarita break we headed towards Rose and Crown for dinner… we were hungry and figured it would be best just to eat now.

For the first time ever, I was disappointed by my meal at the R & C! I had the fish and chips and frankly, it wasn't very good. Certainly not up to the usual standard. Susan had the vegetarian Shepherd's pie, and wasn't thrilled at all.

I think we will have to stick to Rose & Crown as a lunch venue only.

Upon leaving the Rose and Crown (around 8 PM) we noticed that people were still wearing their ponchos…! IT hadn't done more than sprinkle for 10 minutes all day! And that since 11 AM. Go figure.

As we headed towards the exit, we stopped off at Mouse Gear once again so Susan could pick up some T-shirts, and I could buy another pin (by this time I had already bought 11).

We thought about staying for Illuminations… but Olivia was really beat and Susan was starting to feel a little queasy, so we called it a night.

I did some reading after Susan and Olivia went to sleep… another happy Disney day comes to a close.


Tomorrow: Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom

[PhilaDisney]

Great trip report so far. Can't wait to read more. When we were driving south on I-95 we also noticed the numerous places for adult entertainment. I don't know if that says something about people who live down there or not.
You were right about Richmond. We noticed the smell too, but we've driven through cities that smelled a lot worse. Oh well, I guess not everything can be a nice country drive.

[shooter364]

Day four, Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach


Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23


Olivia slept in this morning, which means WE got to sleep in this morning. Getting up at 8 AM is heavenly for us, as we normally rise at 4:15.

Susan and I read the newspapers as Olivia watches a video that we brought with us… It is about a pre-ballet class, taught by someone called "Miss Anita." Friends, I try. I really do try, but Miss Anita has such a screechy, sugar coated, high-pitched voice, I could take an Uzi to the TV every time she is on. However, Olivia likes it, so it is good enough for me… sue me, I'm a Dad.

After breakfast, we head for Blizzard Beach. The parking lot is nearly empty, which is a good sign for us! I purchased an annual water park pass for $104 (which includes taxes). We like to come to the water parks often, and at nearly $30 per entry, the Annual Pass pays for itself by your fourth visit.

Susan, being a true water person, heads straight for the wave pool as soon as we get out belongings settled into a locker. Olivia, truly being Susan's daughter heads right in after her, and would have gone all the way, if not for my restraint. Our daughter takes after both of us in that she loves the water, and she has no fear of being submerged. We walked along the edge of the wave pool (up to Olivia's waist) while mommy swam, and swam, and Swam… she was having a ball.

Later, we went to Lazy River (or whatever you call it) and floated around for a bit. We all really love to do that.

One of the things that struck me while moving about the park on this beautiful, warm, sunny day, was that I was hearing more British accents than I had heard the few days prior. This pleased me a great deal as it meant that many of the British travelers that were affected by the events of September 11th had finally started to arrive. We enjoy having the chance to mingle with the large numbers of Brits that come to Orlando… it always reminds us of time we have both spent in the UK.
We had planned to go to Animal Kingdom later that afternoon, so we decided to eat at Blizzard Beach. While I was walking toward "Lotta Watta Lodge" wearing my "Real Men Wear Kilts" T-shirt, an older gentleman fixed me with the ol' gimlet eye and said in a strong Scots burr: "D'ye wear the kilt?" When I replied in the affirmative, he nodded once and said "Good man!" and walked away. After lunch, we headed out to AK.

It was a beautiful day and the crowds were a little heavier than I thought they might be. Before we even got to the gate… there was Donald Duck, posing for photographs with all of the children. Olivia had her picture taken, and afterwards stated, very seriously, that "Donald loves me, mama." It was terribly cute. I chatted briefly with one of the security CM's at the gate. We engaged in a bit of police small talk (he was a retired Philadelphia Policeman)… and then it was on to the Animals!

We strolled through Animal Kingdom, and decided to the baby care center to change Miss Olivia's diaper. We noted the baby care center at AK is nowhere near as nice as the one in Magic Kingdom or Epcot.

We strolled through the Asia section with the now sleeping Olivia, and took pictures of the Tigers and Bats. We really had a good time looking at the birds… and enjoying the detailed theming that must have taken an awful lot of research to put into place.

One of the things we noted about AK is that the park is visually attractive, but lacks a center.

Since there is no end to the number of shops in AK, we had the chance to browse around and see what we could find. The first thing we found was that it pays to shop at lots of different places for souvenirs because the ebb and flow of the stock differs from place to place. We found a really neat AK picture frame that I plan to use for one of our Tiger pictures.

A CM took a photo of us with a great view of the tree of life behind us… if it turns out (we'll know this afternoon) I'll put it up on our website. I also took some "artsy" photos while we were there. Unfortunately, this involved getting down on the ground to do take them, but hey, a good photo is worth it. The problem with all of this is that because of the arthritis in my hips and knees, getting up AFTER taking a nice artsy photo isn't always easy.

We were tired and were calling it quits a little after 5… we were tired, and wanted to relax this evening.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the West Side to go to the Virgin Atlantic Megastore. We wanted to get some movies to watch for after Olivia goes to bed. By this time, watching the news had become quite depressing. We stopped at Gooding's for food (and beer for me). While we were in the Deli section, by the Cheese display, Olivia pauses… and vomits! Splat! No warning, no nothing! Susan whisked her off to the restroom to clean her up, while I notified the front desk. I was concerned about motion sickness, dehydration, the bubonic plague and everything else, as to my knowledge, this was the first time Olivia has vomited since her infant stage. The funny thing is that once she vomited, she was immediately perky. She was behaving normally, and said she felt fine. She had her supper and a bath and it was off to bed for her at 8:30.

Susan and I stayed up for a while… We watched "Band of Brothers" on HBO. I liked it; Susan found it a bore. Go figure, eh?

Today was quiet and low key for us, but that's the way we like our vacations… we spend a lot of time running hither and yon at home, so this suited us perfectly. Susan went to bed at 1115. I followed just a little while later.

Observation: Quite a few of our British cousins are going to go home with what appeared to be the most ungodly sunburns! Some of what I saw was painful for me to even look at!

[September]

I also noticed the Brits tendency to sunburn--when we were down the first week in September I saw a few people whose faces and shoulders were blistered--the horrible thing was that they were still walking around in tank tops and exposing themselves to even more sun.

[shooter364]

Day 5, Not in the Car seat!

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified???

Dates Sept. 13-23

We awoke at 0730 to an absolutely gorgeous morning! After personal hygiene essentials were accomplished and breakfast was consumed, we were heading off for a morning spent at Blizzard Beach, with MGM scheduled for the afternoon/evening. I was looking forward (as always) to some time in the cool water. We also had planned to go on the big family-sized raft ride, whose name escapes me for the moment. I was also looking forward to giving MGM another try, as it is the very least favorite of the four main theme parks for me.

As I strapped Olivia into the van, she erupted with not an inconsiderable amount of vomit. She got me, the car-seat, herself and her stuffed dog and friend-for-life, Shelby. It was quite a mess. We hustled her out of the seat and wiped her and the seat off as best we could with one of the beach towels. Susan hustled her upstairs while I tried to clean up as much as I could before it dried. Getting that finished I went back to our room to get some cleaning materials to make sure that I got everything as clean as possible. Susan, my logistics genius, had packed away a cleaning product called "Greased Lightning" that cuts through grease, grime, and all sorts of dirt. I brought the Greased Lightning and a roll of paper towels to the parking lot and started cleaning, which went well. After this, I started a load of emergency laundry.

Susan was getting Olivia bathed and dressed again during and we both worried over what could be wrong with our little angel, who, by the way, was a real Trooper… she always stayed chipper and upbeat. Anyway, after all of this, Olivia seemed perfectly normal. So we decided to try our luck at MG for the remainder of our day… we could always go to the hotel pool later if we wanted to, so no harm done.

We parked near the front of the MGM lot (which happened throughout our trip, as I am sure you noticed) and Olivia caught a glimpse of the tram. Of course, to a two year old, a tram isn't a means of transportation, it is a RIDE! Susan and Olivia walked toward the tram while I, not wanting to fold and unfold the stroller, walked to the entrance… they beat me by less than a minute J

We made it to the 1205 showing of the Little Mermaid show, which was really great. Truly, an unexpected pleasure. What I liked most were the mist and rain effects and the on stage rendition of "Under The Sea."

From there, we headed to the amphitheater to see the Beauty and The Beast show… which was also very good, but nowhere near as good (in my humble opinion) as The Little Mermaid. The important thing here is, that Olivia really enjoyed both of the shows.

I was starting to get really concerned that Olivia was dehydrating because she didn't want to drink water all of a sudden. By this time hunger was starting to be a factor for me (I get grumpy when I need food), so we went to the ABC commissary for lunch. I had the Lo Mein, Susan had the Yakitori chicken, and Olivia largely ignored her Macaroni and cheese (of course she had no problem eating half of MY lunch!.

We decided to stay in the Commissary for a while, and let Olivia cool off for a good while… this gave her some time to play and relax, while I scribbled in my notebook.

After taking a bit of a break at the commissary, we decided to browse the shops. In the large shop (name unknown) that is nearest the entrance to the park, Olivia saw a purple ball the has flashing lights when dropped or bounce, and decided that she HAD to have it… AND a princess bracelet… AND a Princess hat antenna topper. OK, truth time, Susan was the one that had to have the bracelet and the antenna topper.

We left MGM around 3:45 and headed off to Epcot. Olivia had dropped off to sleep on the way to Epcot, so we decided to just stroll for a while. We decided to get a Toll-House cookie Ice cream sandwiches… we got them and sat down to eat them near the kiddie fountain that is near Universe of Energy. As much as we love ice cream, we were unable to bond with the Toll-House cookie version of the Ice Cream sandwich. We watched the little one play in the fountain, and sat peacefully, relaxing in the perfect weather, just enjoying each other's company. At this point in the story, you are probably asking yourselves "how in heck can you people spend so much time at Epcot?" My answer to that question is: "Easy… we just like it here." Vacation is supposed to be about doing only what you like, so there it is.

Susan decided that on this particular day, we should stop in at Mouse Gear to do our shopping BEFORE we do anything else. Not being in a great tearing hurry to do anything else, I agreed. After a quick run through, we came to the mutual conclusion that we prefer to shop there in the evening… as we are about to exit the park. I suppose we are just creatures of habit.

Well… on to World Showcase (we just can't get enough of it, sorry). In the Canadian trading post, an older gentleman asked the young woman if he could get a Scottish flag there. The girl half smiled as though he might have been joking, but she saw that he wasn't, and said: "maybe you should try the UK area." The poor fella looked confused and went on his way. We looked around the shop, finding all sorts of neat things that we would love to have… particularly the fleece sportswear from "Roots." The problem with all of the "Rootswear" items is that they are exceptionally expensive, expensive even for Disney World, so we passed on them. As we were heading out of the shop, I asked the CM (the same girl as before) if she knew where I could get a flag from Zimbabwe… She stood there with her mouth open, not knowing how to answer. I let her off the hook and told her I was kidding. I don't think she twigged to the idea that I was teasing her about the guy that had been in the store just a few minutes before.

We next went to the UK shop that sells perfumes, jewelry, tea cozies, etc… the CM positively doted on the still sleeping Olivia. She was having a good time peeking at her through what I call "the observation window" of her stroller canopy. After a while, the young CM went out of the store and Olivia and I followed Susan while she shopped. I was giving serious consideration to buying some cologne called Burberry. I always liked to smell it when we have been to WDW in past trips, I thought this might be the year for it to come home with me. I put down the cologne, figuring I would return for it later in the trip, when we noticed that the CM that had been paying so much attention to Olivia earlier had come back into the store, and was walking our way. She had a bag in her hand and reached in a produced a stuffed bear! Actually it was a plush classic Winnie The Pooh! She gave Pooh to me even as I protested that she shouldn't… I didn't want this kid to get in trouble, which is why I won't mention her name. She wouldn't hear of it, and insisted that it was alright for her to give it away. Anyway, that was a lovely gesture. When we go back in December, we will certainly pay her a visit and thank her again for her generosity.

I noticed something while we were at the UK pavilion that day… all of the UK CM's were wearing the UK and US flag pins side by side… I thought that was a really nice gesture. I'm not usually much of a flag waver, I figure the Marine Corps tattoo on my shoulder is enough, but seeing those pins worn side-by-side in that fashion, made me think that it is nice to know who your friends are when times are tough. The United States has lots of allies and lots of friends, but I don't think anything could break the bonds between the United States and the United Kingdom.

We stopped in the French perfume shop again, so Susan could check out the fragrances, but we didn't stay long.

We by-passed Morocco because the acrobats were out and I didn't want the drums to wake the little one if we could help it.

We went into the shop at Norway, and Susan sampled the perfume there. The perfume designer, Geir, was on-site promoting his new fragrance, and Susan decided to get some, but would come back for it later. While we were there, we looked at the Helly Hansen clothing line. I think the HH clothing is nice, but truthfully, I can't find it in my heart to plunk down $50+ on a pair of shorts, no matter how nice they are.

We stopped for a Margarita (again) at Mexico, and passed some quiet time watching the people pass, looking across the lagoon and enjoying weather that is as near to perfect as any I can ever imagine. It was a beautiful late afternoon... warm but not hot, the sky ws clear and there was a gentle breeze. Perfect! In addition to our regular camera, I had a disposable camera that I kept in my fanny pack. I used this camera to take several pictures across the lagoon. I hope that when they are developed that I will have enough shots to make a nice panoramic view of the world showcase. This is where Olivia wakes up, and naturally wants to go look at the flamingos. After a diaper change, we take our leave (after another ride on Spaceship Earth!).

After supper and a bath, Olivia goes to sleep and mommy and daddy have a little time to talk before we to, are off to the land of nod

Tomorrow: Let's try Blizzard Beach again!

[PS - I LUV WDW]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">quote:</font><HR>At this point in the story, you are probably asking yourselves "how in heck can you people spend so much time at Epcot?" My answer to that question is: "Easy… we just like it here." Vacation is supposed to be about doing only what you like, so there it is.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Really had to chuckle at this quote. We are constantly asked this question because we spend so much time there. Glad to find someone who feels the same way!! Funny too that MGM is our least favorite of the four parks [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Great trip report!

[shooter364]

Thank you both... I love going to the MK... and I really love the water parks, and Animal Kingdom is fun, but Epcot... is like a second home to us. We love everything about it, from the fountains )which were back in action after Gabrielle dumped so much rain on central Florida), to the food, to the entertainment... Epcot has it all for us.

[bfth]

Ok, now I'm going to have to start an "Epcot Lovers" anonymous! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[bfth]

Bill, I must agree with you completely. Little Mermaid is better than BatB. But more importantly, you can NEVER have too much Epcot. I could probably go there every day of the vacation and not get tired of it!

[shooter364]

Day 6, Lets try Blizzard Beach again

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified???

Dates Sept. 13-23

We rise at 7:30 on another beautiful morning, and despite the turmoil shaking our country, we count our blessings as we prepare for a new day at Disney World. Olivia seems chipper this morning, after a long night of sleep. We are going to try to go to Blizzard Beach today, and soak up some rays while we soak in the cool water.

Olivia is thirsty, which I see as a good sign, but as soon as she has a few sips of water…. Well, if you have been reading these reports, you can well guess what happened next! Fortunately, all was contained in a bath towel. This was the last straw… this wasn't a matter of dehydration… my girl was sick. So off we go to Centra-Care, the walk-in, urgent care facility located on Apopka blvd., right across from Crossroads shopping center. We got there at 8:15 and figured that since there was only one other person there that we wouldn't have to wait for long… HA!
We wound up waiting for nearly 45 minutes before we saw a Doctor (We suspect none of the Doctors arrive at the clinic's scheduled opening time). The quack, er… Doctor, whose name I shall leave out as I don't need to be sued, examined Olivia. She did a throat swab to get a strep culture, checked her ears and eyes, poked her stomach and all of the other stuff, then pronounced: "She might be a little dehydrated… nothing to worry about, kids just get a little sick in a strange place sometimes." Great! The same conclusion I came to… The last thing she wanted to do was to check a urine sample to make sure that there was no sign of urinary tract infection. To make a long story short, it took quite a while to produce a sample, as Olivia had now gone to sleep. When we left the clinic (4 hours after we got there), I asked the Doctor what treatment she recommended… Should she stay in bed?, could she go to the parks or anything… The Doctor said that all was well, just give her water, in small amounts from time to time.

Fine.

We went to the MK, via monorail, and by the time we took a brief pass though the Emporium, Olivia was snoozing away. We were hungry (no breakfast today!), so we went to the Plaza Pavilion for a bite.

Now, I don't know if you are familiar with the Plaza Pavilion, but let me tell you, I think it is the best counter-service eatery in the Magic Kingdom. The food is good and they offer a few things you don't always see elsewhere. I had the "Italian Stack' sandwich, and Susan had the chicken fingers. The Italian Stack is a meal. Believe me. I am a big guy (6' 1" and 250 lbs), and I like to eat, but this sandwich filled me up completely, which isn't always the easiest thing to do. Anyway, we sat and watched the people cross to and from Tomorrowland for a while, and just let Olivia snooze… we were in no hurry. After a bit we decided to just stroll around… Susan, ever ready to shop, indulged me with something I am still boyishly fond of. A trip to the arcade! She took Olivia with her while I spent some money in the video arcade next to Space Mountain. I played my favorite game, the firefighter game (know which one I mean?) and lamented about the fact that there aren't anymore "shoot 'em up" games (although that isn't such a bad thing).

At around 2 O'clock, we went to Fantasyland. Susan wanted to ride Peter Pan, which is her favorite, while I waited with Olivia. Just as Susan was going to get in line, Olivia woke up shrieking! "I want to ride Dumboooooo!" So, what did we do? Don't ask silly questions! You know what we did! We went and rode Dumbo! Once again, Dumbo was only a 5 minute wait. After Dumbo, we went on the carousel, because Olivia wanted to ride "the horsies with flowers, Daddy!" After the carousel, it was "Small World" twice without waiting, (heck they were even running empty boats). Finally, Susan gets her wish, and we go on Peter Pan after a wait of maybe ten minutes. Olivia wanted to go back to Pooh, so we went in got in the short line. Just as we got in line, Olivia said: "Mommy, I'm too warm," and proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach all over Susan's white shirt. For the love of the merciful and forgiving God, how can a little body hold SO MUCH STUFF? Poor Susan was covered, and so was Olivia. I put Olivia in her stroller, and headed for the baby care center, with my poor wife following. Susan cleaned Olivia, I cleaned the stroller, then Susan tried to clean her shirt, which was pretty much impossible. Once again, since unloaded the contents of her belly, Olivia was as right as rain. So while she played, I went to the emporium and bought a new shirt for Susan. The poor soul.

Let me take a moment to tell you about my wife. She is quite possibly the most patient person alive (she must be to put up with me). She was taking all of this in stride and didn't "lose it" even once. I married well, friends, I am here to tell you.

Needless to say, this was the end of our outing for the day. Despite Olivia's illness, we got a lot done, and had a good time just being together.

When we got back to the hotel, Susan took Olivia swimming, while I was sent out to hunt for food.

When I returned, we had supper. Olivia played and watched a video (the Little Mermaid" this time while I did laundry. The laundry room is where I took my notes for the day.

It was a tough day, and the two of us were more than a wee bit stressed out.

I stayed up to read after everyone else went to bed, and eventually got there myself.

[bfth]

Sounds like a rough day.

I think you deserved a little more information from the dr. though. Geeze!

[shooter364]

Day 7, Sand Lake Hospital

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, cleaner of vomit stained stroller & car seat.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, the very picture of patience.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified, indomitable spirit.

Dates Sept. 13-23

I'll cut right to the chase today… As you can guess from today's subtitle, we never made it to the parks.

We had originally planned to stay in today, to let my sick angel rest in a cool environment, so we weren't concerned about missing any attractions today. We thought she might be fine first thing in the morning… but alas, she tossed almost right away. She did so again at midday. When she did so again a few hours later, we knew that things were turning for the worse, so off we went to Sand Lake Hospital.

Sand Lake Hospital is located on Turkey Lake Road, which is extends from Palm Parkway, and parallels I-4 (Interstate Highway 4). It is approximately a 10 minute drive from Downtown Disney. We got to the ER at about 5:30, and were immediately seen by the triage nurse, who assigned us to an examination room, where we were seen, immediately, by another nurse. The nurses and the doctors were very professional and courteous. The nurses were really good with Olivia and made her feel at ease. They did a urinalysis and monitored her for a few hours (while we waited for lab results). They also gave her popsicles as a way to help her take fluids. The Doctor gave us a prescription for an anti-nausea medication, but only to give to her in case she experienced more vomiting. The diagnosis was that she just had a bit of a virus, and not to worry (oh, and she WASN'T at all dehydrated). What she needs is some rest and she'd be fine. When we left the hospital, Olivia was just fine, and mom and dad were VERY relieved.

After putting Olivia to bed (after a bath and some play time) mom and dad had a glass of wine, relieved to know that all would be well.

Tomorrow: Rest, Relaxation, & Recuperation
Day 8, Rest, Relaxation, & Recuperation

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, relieved and worry-free father to Olivia.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, the very picture of patience.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified, indomitable spirit.

Dates Sept. 13-23


Olivia was tired the next morning. I can understand why, the poor soul has been through a lot in the last few days. Susan and I were up and about, but Olivia just wanted to sleep. In fact, with the exception of about 2 hours throughout the day, she just slept or lay quietly in bed. This would be worrisome if not for these mitigating factors: she was drinking more water, and her appetite returned (she only wanted crackers, but who can blame her?).

Susan and I passed a quiet day reading and starting to breathe again. My good wife, knowing I get cabin fever easily, sent me off to an Internet café on International Drive, so I could check email, and visit the forums. After checking in with various friends and comrades, I returned to the hotel. Olivia was still mostly sleeping, but still had not experienced any stomach problems. Later in the afternoon, Susan sent me on, what I found out only yesterday (10/9), was a wild goose chase. She sent me out to the Border's bookstore on Sand Lake Drive to get the special edition of the New Yorker magazine. She knew they would probably be sold out, but she could see that I needed to be doing something. As I said in my day 6 report, I married well. I won't say I am a control freak, but I am not someone that is used to being unable to influence my environment. To make a long story short, I was feeling helpless. Not being able to help my daughter, who is my precious jewel, really hurt me.

So after I returned from the bookstore, we had dinner, and then watched GW Bush's speech on TV. It must be said that I am no fan of Mr Bush. I didn't vote for him in 2000 (like the majority of the electorate) and I have no intention of voting for him in 2004, but I will give credit where credit is due, and say that he gave a fairly decent speech that night. I'll reserve my other comments as politics is not the reason for this report.

We went to bed knowing that all was well with Olivia, and that we could get back out to the parks tomorrow for the last day of our vacation. We weren't really sad about missing some days, because we got to do almost everything we wanted to. Add to that the fact that we already had reservations for a long weekend in December for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Walt's 100th birthday (12/5), and my birthday (12/6).

Tomorrow: The last day?