2001 - A Disneyworld Odyssey About This Page:

[BostonTeaParty]

Let me begin by saying I was inspired to write this trip report after reading The NASTEE, Fortissimo's, and Cruella's first installment of her adult's trip. While this trip took place last October, I wanted to share our fun after enjoying reading so many of the wonderful reports posted here. Let me also say, that I've been humbled. It is not nearly as easy to write these things as I thought it would be. I've been working on this first installment all weekend between my sons hockey games, taking them to the movies and all the other household stuff I didn't get to during the week. However, the reward has been reliving all the magic and all the fun my family shared on our trip. So, without further ado, I give you, the first installment of --- 2001 - A Disneyworld Odyssey.

The Cast:

Me - Nancy (Wife to Paul, mom to Paul and Chris)
Paul - my DH, devoted Dad and all around great guy
Paul - our 12 year old son
Chris - our 10 year old son

The Dates: October 19th - 24th

Prologue:

This trip had been in the works almost from the day we returned from our November 2000 trip to DW. That trip had been the very first one to DW for my husband and two sons, and my first trip back in about 15 years. They were completely blown away, and I got to enjoy watching all of their reactions to everything. That alone 'made' the trip for me. We decided we needed to return as soon as possible, as we realized we had barely scratched the surface of 'the world.' For months we discussed dates and resorts, we made itinieries, made reservations and waited. Then came 9/11. That certainly put the brakes on our plans as we mourned with the rest of the nation. Eventually, I approached Paul and the boys with the option to postpone our trip indefinitely. Figuring the kids might be afraid to fly, and understandably so, I wanted to make sure everyone was still comfortable with traveling. It only took the expressions on the kid's faces to make me realize that canceling the trip was the furthest thing from their minds. At least I had offered. So, the mail was cancelled, airport rides were arranged and bags were packed. The trip was on! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Day One - Friday, October 19th

The first day of our much anticipated vacation had finally arrived. Our alarm clock went off at 3 am and we rolled (or was that stumbled?) out of bed. Time to rock and roll! We had packed the evening before and only needed to get dressed and go. My sister Cindy had graciously offered her husband Dan to drop us off at the airport. We got to their house at around quarter to four and they were still sound asleep. We woke them up knowing they would be sooo happy to see us (isn't everybody happy to be woken at 4 in the morning?) [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] We chatted a bit while Dan got dressed and were on our way again within 20 minutes. He rode with us in our Caravan, as the plan was for him to take our car back home to stay in their driveway. We arrived at Logan airport at 4:45 am. Our flight was scheduled for 7 a.m. and we were told to be there "at least 2 hours early." Dan helped us unload our bags, gave us all hugs, and then we waved goodbye.

Expecting to see really long lines, we were surprised to find the US Airways terminal not that crowded at all. We made small talk in line with other travelers until it was our turn to check our luggage. We spent a total of maybe 30 minutes in the luggage check line. I should mention here that we are generally light travelers, one bag per person. Last year we had only carry on bags, the same ones this time, but the boys really wanted to bring their skateboards. As long as we were checking those, we decided to check all our bags. We had plenty of time before our scheduled departure, so we grabbed a bite to eat at the only airport food stand that was open at that hour. We stopped at a newsstand and bought a couple of magazines to read.

Our original flight had been Boston to Orlando non-stop, but with all the chaos that was taking place with the airlines, things had changed. We now had a stop in Philadelphia. Our flight left right on time at 7 am, and we landed in Philly at 8:30 am. I called my sister Cindy to let her know that we were in Philly and would check back with her once we were settled in Orlando. We were underway once again at 9:30 am and, after an uneventful flight, touched down in Orlando at 12 noon. It was partly cloudy and in the 80's, yippee! [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

We decided to go with Tiffany Town Car rather than a rental car, and just use Disney transportation during our stay. It seemed a waste to pay for a car that would basically be sitting in a parking lot all week. Last year we had used a different Town car service, but after reading so many good things about Tiffany I wanted to compare the two. We found Tiffany to be excellent, but really no better than the other town car service. My husband Paul found our driver, Daniel from Brazil, holding the sign with our name on it. We retrieved our luggage and Daniel easily fit it all into the trunk. We sunk into the comfortable seats and had a pleasant chat all the way to the Beach Club Resort.

At 1:30 pm CM Tiffany greeted us at the check-in desk. We were given room number 4538 which was a smoking optional room. We took it as it was the only room immediately available. If we wanted a non-smoking room we would have to wait. In retrospect we should have waited. Figuring there was only a slim chance that we'd even notice any odor, and eager to get moving, we decided to go for it. Of course as soon as we opened the door wouldn't you know it, we could smell stale cigarette smoke. In the grand scheme of things this was not a big deal. You know what they say "Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff." We opened the door to our small balcony with a lovely view that overlooked the construction of the new BCV, and let the fresh air in. Our room was really nice: 2 queen beds, a couch, table with 2 chairs, a small fridge stocked with goodies (danger) such as soda, beer, wine, nips, mixers, etc., and a snack tray (more danger) loaded with candy, M&M's, Pringles' chips and such, at laughably ridiculous prices. Except, we eventually caved in and drank some beers and sodas --- it was too easy! Next time we'll have them empty the fridge before we have the chance to lose our minds again. [img]graemlins/dizzy.gif[/img]

We unpacked and had just enough time to check out Stormalong Bay before we had to get ready for our 5:15 PS at the Polynesian Luau. The four of us went for a swim and just had to try out the way cool ship wreck's broken mast waterslide. The boys just loved it and rode it as many times as they could for about a half an hour. We swam past Hurricane Hanna's and it felt really good to see in person the places I had viewed online and in brochures.

On our way back to our room we stopped at our quiet pool for a quick but soothing dip in the hot tub. That time was well spent, but it threw off our schedule a bit, and now we had to hurry if we were going to get to the Luau on time.

We caught the bus to the MK and then rode the monorail to the Polynesian. On our last trip, for some reason, we never used the monorail and the boys were very eager to check them out. They mentioned how fun it must be to sit up where the driver is. I had no idea that was even an option. I do remember back to the very first time I rode the monorail, and how futuristic it seemed at the time. I was in awe that we actually went through the Contemporary hotel, and wondered if Paul and Chris would have the same reaction.

We actually made it to the Poly with time to spare. We were greeted with "Aloha's" by smiling CM's who placed pretty silk flowered lei's around our necks, explaining that the lei is a "symbol of our love and friendship and means welcome." What a wonderful way to start our vacation. We were seated at a table near the front and to the right of center stage. A band was onstage strumming on ukulele's, guitars, and also playing a keyboard, creating an ambiance of the South Seas. Dinner was tasty and plentiful starting with banana coconut bread, salad and fresh pineapple wedges. Our main course consisted of pork ribs (DH's favorite food on the planet is ribs), chicken, fresh veggies and shrimp fried rice. It was all you cared to eat, and the servers were very attentive, making sure we were taken care of. We drank soda with dinner, cokes and sprite. Dessert was cake (mmmm, cake), served with dramatic flair, and I won't spoil it for you by revealing exactly what happened. But it was fun!

After dinner it was time for the show "Journey through Polynesia." The MC came out and greeted us with a hearty "Aloooooooohaaaaaa" which we returned with an equally enthusiastic "Aloooooooohaaaaaa!" She joked with the audience a bit and had Paul and the boys laughing really hard. That was my first magical moment. Watching the three of them really enjoying themselves reminded me that this is what it is all about. I was so happy to see them so happy that my eyes unexpectedly welled up. That didn't last long as the show had begun and I was caught up in looking at the stunning costumes. We took a lot of pictures and they came out really well. This show was really good. Last year we caught the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, which we were told was a must see. Of course it's all subject to personal taste, and I did enjoy the HDD, but I liked the Luau much, much better. The show included Hula dancing, (at one point my son Paul asked, "how do they get their hips to move like that mom?"), and many, many costume changes (again prompting Paul to ask, "how do they change so fast?"). The MC provided a narrative throughout the show, explaining the different island customs, and interpreting the dances for us. Finally, in a very dramatic climax to the show, one of the male island dancers came to the center of the stage and began twirling first one and then two batons lit with fire on both ends. His performance was astonishing! How did he pass that baton between his legs without scorching himself? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

After the show we walked to the shore and both Paul and Chris pointed out Cinderella's castle which was now bathed in breathtaking changing colors. We took some pictures with our new digital camera purchased especially for this trip, and made our way back to the monorail. We rode to the MK for a quick walk through the park, and we only had time for one ride. We decided to try Alien Encounter as we had missed it on our last visit. Not knowing what to expect on AE I was a little (okay, more than a little) nervous. It turned out to be a lot of noise and smoke and heavy breathing....kind of like going back to when Paul and I were dating...lol. The park was closing early as a direct result of 9/11. That was fine, we had already had a very long day and we were ready to crash. We caught the bus back to the Beach Club, and when we got to our room DH Paul downloaded the pictures onto our laptop. We brought it along so our family (especially the boy's grand parents) could view our daily escapades.

See you real soon!

[Suzie]

Sounds like you had a great trip! Keep posting!
Suzie

[BostonTeaParty]

Thanks Suzie, we did and I will! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[BostonTeaParty]

The Cast:

Me - Nancy (Wife to Paul, mom to Paul and Chris)
Paul - my DH, devoted Dad and all around great guy
Paul - our 12 year old son
Chris - our 10 year old son

The Dates: October 19th ? 24th 2001

Day 2 ? Saturday, October 20th

I woke up first, between 7:30 and 8 am, and grabbed the first shower followed by DH. The boys were awake when I got out of the shower, and we all got dressed then headed out for breakfast. We strolled over to the Yacht Club Galley, just observing all the little things that make DW such a unique place. Beautiful flowers were in bloom everywhere, their vibrant colors just jumping out at us. Being from the Northeast, where winters tend to be long and at times dreary, just the sight of all the bright flowers is enough to lift my spirits and put a smile on my face. The flowers at DW have always been incredibly beautiful to me. We took a few pictures of the flowers, and the boys posing next to a cute topiary of a very nautical Donald Duck outside the YC. I really wish there was some way I could post some of our pictures here to share with everyone.

There was no wait for breakfast, in fact, the restaurant was only half occupied when we got there. We were seated right away, and soon we were enjoying our first vacation breakfast. I ordered Eggs Benedict, while Paul and the boys opted for pancakes and bacon. The food was very good. We took our time leaving to stop and look at all the interesting nautical items throughout the restaurant and lobby area. They had a plaque with various knots, beautiful prints of ships, a ship?s steering wheel and tons more neat stuff. (An interesting side note: this restaurant closed for business the next day. We were surprised to learn this, as there was no outward indication that this was going to happen. Maybe until business at the resorts picks up?)

Anyway, we had decided to spend our first day at the MK, so we hopped on the MK bus and headed straight over. Our first stop was Tomorrowland. We picked up fast passes for Buzz Lightyear and took a tour of Tomorrowland on the Tomorrowland Transit. I hadn?t been on this ride since it was known as the Wedway People Mover, and it was the first time for Paul and the boys. Has anyone else noticed how funny the announcer?s voice is on this ride? I think he was being intentionally funny, while Paul thought he was trying to mimic the style of a real subway train announcer. Either way he cracked us up. Our next stop was the Carousel of Progress. Again, this was an attraction I hadn?t visited in many years, and it was a first for the others. The only thing I remembered was that I had really liked it, and all these years later it didn?t disappoint. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the kids enjoyed it as much as we did. After the show we all walked out singing ?It?s a great big beautiful tomorrow?? We learned it is one of the longest running shows at the MK and one of Walt?s personal favorites. (Another side note: This show closed the very next day. We were beginning to get a complex?lol. Should we take these closings personally, or just consider ourselves lucky we got the chance to enjoy them.) After COP it was time for Buzz Lightyear. We were all ready to help Buzz defeat the evil emperor Zurg. We all gave this one a big thumbs up. What a fun ride! Although, the imagineers must have been having a 60?s flashback when they designed this ride. The best way to describe it is psychedelic. It is similar to the Men In Black ride at Universal. Both are like being inside a pinball machine. We decided to revisit Buzz at least once more this trip.

After BL my son Paul and I got FP?s for that perennial favorite, Space Mountain. DH and Chris tried it last year, but that was enough for them. DH was sure he had sustained whiplash, and Chris isn?t really into thrill rides. I couldn?t stop laughing as we exited SM. The three of them looked as though they were in mild shock?lol. I still chuckle at the memory. DH now claims that he would ride SM again. He says that riding in the front seat while trying to hold our camera equipment threw him off. He also says that SM was really like being in a pinball machine.
But I digress. FP?s in hand, we took a break for lunch. We walked to Liberty Square and ate at the Columbia Harbor House. Paul and Chris had chicken bites and fries, DH had the fried chicken and fish basket, and I tried the clam chowder in a bread bowl. As I was placing our order I mentioned to the cashier that being a New Englander I would be interested in tasting their chowder to see how it compared. She told me that she was originally a New Englander too?from Massachusetts too! Boy was I surprised to learn that. It IS a small world after all. Growing up on the Massachusetts coast how could I not love seafood? I make a pretty mean chowder myself, so my standards are high. All in all I would have to say the CHH chowder was not too shabby! I have had worse. It was very traditional and had just the right consistency. Could have used more clams though.

After lunch DH and Chris went to ride the Tomorrowland Speedway cars, while Paul and I went to SM. A major disappointment for us, the ride was being serviced and we had to come back later. Fearing he wouldn?t get the chance to ride SM, Paul was on the verge of tears. I assured him that we would not return home without a ride on SM. Putting my arm around his shoulders, I steered him over to Cosmic Rays for an ice cream cone. Before long the smile was back on his face.

We met up with DH and Chris, and went back to the BC for a swim and short rest. That evening it was back to the MK for the Spectro Magic parade. No one does parades like Disney. It was just beautiful, completely lit up by dazzling floats and other effects, and Disney characters waving to everyone. The accompanying music and singing add a stir of emotion. And I have to give the performers credit here. I don?t know how they do it, but I would bet every child in attendance felt singled out and special. They seem to wave to everyone!

After the parade Paul couldn?t wait to head back over to SM, which was up and running now. While DH and Chris waited patiently, we went for a thrilling ride, screaming and laughing as we careened at breakneck speed through the darkness of space. I have to add that I completely agree with comments I have read about SM being ?lightened up.? It use to be pitch black dark in there and you can definitely see more now.

After SM the boys wanted to check out the new Aladdin?s Magic Carpet Ride (okay, we did too). It was a lot of fun; we enjoyed it, even after the camel squirt water on us. Finally, we ended our evening at the MK watching the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks.

Back in our room at the BC, we splurged on room service and ordered pizza for dinner. We relaxed in our room for a while, just watching TV, talking about our day, DH downloaded the day?s pictures and I went over my notes for the day. Soon everyone was tired and we decided to call it a night. We all wanted to be up nice and early tomorrow. We were going to MGM!

[Elliot'sDragon]

I am enjoying your report. I can see all the effort that goes into writing these reports. I also am feeling guilty that I haven't written one myself. I think I will try to take notes on my next trip and post a report.
On the side.........did I bump into your husband as I was exiting AK? I was there at the same time, Oct. 17 -21. Also stayed in Beach Club on the ground floor with water view. I begged for an upgrade for a birthday present and the CM gave it to me.

[BostonTeaParty]

Thanks Elliot's Dragon for reading my report. I'm not sure about bumping into my husband. I need a little more info. We did of course spend time at the AK.

[BostonTeaParty]

The Cast:

Me - Nancy (Wife to Paul, mom to Paul and Chris)
Paul - my DH, devoted Dad and all around great guy
Paul - our 12 year old son
Chris - our 10 year old son

The Dates: October 19th - 24th

Day 3/Part I - Sunday, Oct. 21st

This morning we enjoyed a character breakfast at Cape May Cafe. It was a short stroll from our room to breakfast where we met Chip and Dale, Minnie and Goofy. The kids got autographs, and we took lots of great pictures. Mostly of the kids, but even a couple w/DH and the boys w/Goofy and the others. I wish I had thought to ask someone to take a picture of all of us. That would have been fun! I did get one picture of me w/Minnie. I spotted her when she first got there. I just happened to be sitting nearby. So before a line even formed I walked over and greeted her, and she was awesome! The picture came out really good too. How cool is that! The food was delicious, and in addition to the more traditional fare (pancakes, bacon, juice, scrambled eggs, coffee, etc.), included items with a decidedly Southern influence. They offered biscuits, gravy, and...grits!

After we finished eating breakfast we took the water taxi to MGM. I should mention that all during our stay, our bags (camera, video and my purse) were inspected regularly at all park gates. It was always brief, and there was never a problem. The CM's were very good-natured about it and we understood they had to do it. In fact I was glad, for a few minutes extra time our safety was better ensured. Once inside the gates we walked down Hollywood Blvd. and straight on to Mickey's towering Sorcerer's Hat. It is just immense and very impressive to behold. After we took a few shots of "the hat" we went to Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular for FP's. From there we headed over to Star Tours (a family favorite) to see how long the wait was. Since it was still early there was no wait, and we walked right on. While it is fun to be able to do that, I did miss checking out all the funny pre-show stuff. It's all so cleverly presented that I look forward to it. Still, I also liked not having a long wait. The ride to the moon of Endor was as fun as ever thanks to that darn rookie pilot. My son Paul likes this ride so much he always tries to ride it at least twice.

Next, we strolled around until we reached the Studios Backlot tour. First we saw how some of the special effects in the movie Pearl Harbor were achieved. It's always funny to watch the audience participants get drenched during this segment of the tour. The playback video is hysterical and gives one a new appreciation for the hard work and creative talent that goes into making movies.

After we completed the tour it was time for the Indy Jones show. We were really looking forward to seeing this show as we hadn't seen it before. What a treat this show was! The volunteers pulled from the audience were a riot. They got to perform as extras during the show. It was entertaining and very funny. After the show we hung around so Paul and Chris could meet the actors and stunt people from the show. Not a whole lot of people did this, we practically had them to ourselves. They were very gracious and interesting to talk to. We took some more pictures, the boys got autographs and then we said goodbye. Time for them to prepare for the next performance, and time for us to do more exploring. The clouds had looked threatening all morning, and now the skies opened up. It was pouring out as we donned our ponchos and decided to find an indoor activity. The obvious choice was The Great Movie Ride, another attraction we had yet to experience. From reading other trip reports I gather there are two sides. At the time I didn't know that, but we did ride on the gangster side. I enjoyed best the scenes from Casablanca, Alien, Singing in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz.

It was clearing up when we got out of TGMR, and Chris really, really wanted to go to the Millionaire show. He watches it on tv whenever he has the chance and just loves it. So we got FP's for after lunch.

We ate at the Sci-Fi Dine In, which I was really looking foward to trying. It was hands down one of our favorite places to dine of the entire trip! We loved watching the cheesy old B movie clips of Sci-fi movies from the '50's. It was like watching an episode of MST3K, only better because we got a very tasty lunch too. DH Paul had his usual burger and Coke. DS Paul had a hotdog, Chris ordered pasta and they both got drinks in these really cool glow-in-the-dark souvenir cups they got to keep. I had the Sci-Fi salad which is out of this world (no pun intended), [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] and had to try one of their famous shakes (vanilla). I only got about three sips because everybody kept wanting to taste (read gulp) it. It really was scrumptious. I also ordered a chicken salad sandwich, not realizing the salad would be big enough for a main course. I only ate half of it, and gave the rest to DH, but it was also very good.

We had to rush the end of lunch a bit, no time to linger if we were going to make it to Millionaire on time. We just made it as the show was about to begin, and it was a blast! It was almost like being on the real show. An exact replica of the NY set has been built, and our host was funnier than Regis! The familiar music started, house lights dimmed, lights began flashing, the cameras were panning the audience and members of the audience were flashing by on the jumbo screens. Now I can understand how flustered a person could become trying to hit the correct button quickly!

After our exciting morning, we went back to the BC for a swim (and a nap for me). That night at seven, the MK was hosting Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and we were going!

[PS - I LUV WDW]

Nancy - great report so far!! I love reading trip reports as it helps to keep me going until our next trip (May 2002).

What part of Massachusetts are you from? I know you mentioned the coast. We are from Brockton.

Pam

[BostonTeaParty]

Hi Pam, thanks for stopping by to read my trip report. I know what you mean about reading them. I'm addicted to them! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I'm a south shore girl too Pam. I grew up in beautiful Hull, Mass.

I hope you have a great time in May (but we know you will right? [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ).

[BostonTeaParty]

The Cast:

Me - Nancy (Wife to Paul, mom to Paul and Chris)
Paul - my DH, devoted Dad and all around great guy
Paul - our 12 year old son
Chris - our 10 year old son

The Dates: October 19th - 24th

Day 3/Part II - Sunday, Oct. 21st

Refreshed from our nap (me) and swim (the guys), we excitedly unpacked our costumes and dressed for the fun night ahead. The costumes weren't anything fancy; we each had a black cape and a mask. We knew we were going to Mickey's Halloween party, so about a week before our trip we went to a local party store and tried on all kinds of masks. We spent about a half an hour or so trying on everything and having fun. I cautioned the kids against big, rubber masks; once you put them on they smell weird and cause your face to get too hot. However, they couldn't resist a couple of truly hysterical rubber masks, and insisted they would wear them and it would be fine. DS Paul got a giant, and I mean giant, purple monster head with a grotesque smile, and a great big stick of dynamite protruding from the top of his ruptured skull. (I think it's from the movie "Spy Kids.") Chris selected an Elvis rock and roll Werewolf mask. DH Paul got a scary clown mask, from the Stephen King novel "IT" and I got a creepy horned monster half-mask with fang teeth.

We walked through the hallways, rode the elevator and then went through the lobby to the MK bus stop in our costumes. The double-takes, laughter and comments we got from other guests started our night off on the right note. Although the boys were a little shy about it, we could tell they enjoyed the attention.

We took the MK bus and arrived just as the party was getting underway. Once through the turnstyle we stopped short. Was this the same DW we visited just yesterday??? Disney had done it again! The park had been completely transformed into a magical Halloween paradise (or was it the other direction? [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] ). The park was eerily lit, and large, floating, glowing jack-o-lanterns hovered over the park. Just before Main Street, in the town square, there were decorations of pumpkins, haystacks and lots of mist all around the trees. Of course the music and sound effects added the perfect touch to this incredible scene. There were decorations and really nice touches everywhere you looked throughout the park. I wish I had taken more notes about them, but I was so caught up in enjoying them that I forgot to jot things down. Oh well, having fun IS the priority right? I got a great photo of Cinderella's golden coach, beautifully lit and surrounded by, what else? pumpkins!

CM's handed out bags to all the kids for trick-or-treating at selected areas throughout the park. DS Paul got a lot of compliments from the younger, age 20-somthing male CM's who absolutely loved his mask. For a 12 year old that's about as good as it gets. I thought DH's mask was just a scary clown, but many people walking by would point and say "IT, from Stephen King" that we decided that's who he must be.

Anyway, in between trick-or-treating, we stopped at the Frontierland Shootin' Arcade. In place of the usual targets (cactus and such), we shot at ghosts, bats, caskets and other assorted goblins. It was too funny. Our "must do" for tonight was a ride in the Haunted Mansion. Predictably, it was a very popular attraction that evening. The HM has always been one of my favorites. I especially like when the walls of the foyer stretch to reveal the comical second, and third, portions of the paintings. We got in line for Peter Pan's Flight, which was moving along nicely, then suddenly stopped. They apparently had some temporary technical problems that only lasted maybe ten minutes. Some people decided they weren't going to wait and away they went. We moved up quite a bit closer after that, and before too long we were on our way to Neverland. Our next stop was over in Tomorrowland. We all wanted to ride BL again. In honor of Halloween the goblins must have been playing pranks, because we got stuck while on the ride. We only stopped for five minutes or so, but sitting in that day-glo time tunnel was enough to make anyone a little dizzy.

When we finished Buzz we decided to stop and have our complimentary picture taken. I'm sure the photographer thought we were a little batty (again with the puns! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ), because we all wanted to wear our masks in the picture. To this day I chuckle when I see that picture. (That was probably the last time the boys wore their masks for the rest of the evening. They seemed so...surprised...when they didn't like the smell and began to feel too hot. If only someone had warned them... [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] ). Lol.

Now, as earlier today, it had begun to rain again. Lightly at first, then a bit harder. There were to be two showings of the Halloween parade that night, but now the first one was cancelled. We were getting hungry anyway, and stopped at Casey's for hotdogs and fries. Due to the rain, the crowds had thinned considerably. Consequently the boys got to meet tons of characters including: Daisy Duck, Jafar, the Beast (from Beauty and the) who wasn't signing autographs because his paws are too big and awkward, Tigger, Eeyore, Pinoccio, etc. Many pictures and autographs later it was time for the parade to begin. It had stopped raining, but so many people had already left that there was not a huge crowd at all. That was when we had our second very magical moment at DW. I was videotaping the parade, and because there just weren't that many guests in town square (maybe further down the route?), many members of the cast in the parade played right to my camera, and to the boys. Talk about feeling special! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

The parade began with the Headless Horseman who galloped by on a real horse to the strains of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkries," while holding a lit jack-o-lantern aloft. It was incredibly dramatic. And the music they used for the parade really set the mood for the dancing corpses, and dancing spiders, and floats w/ just about every evil character from every Disney movie.

The evening was nearing it's end, but there was still one more thing to see...yes, the fireworks. There was mention of something special for tonight and we couldn't wait to see what it was. Soon the display lit up the sky and all I can say is...WOW! The crowd audibly gasped as we were surrounded by 360 degrees of fireworks. We have NEVER seen anything like this. Every time we think that Disney has gone over the top and can't possibly out do themselves, they do it again!

The festivities ended at midnight, and our tired but happy crew climbed onto the bus for our ride back to the BC for some much needed zzzzz's. Paul and Chris fell asleep against us immediately on the ride back, (Wish I had a picture of that!) eliciting a knowing chuckle from our fellow shuttle bus passengers.

We half dragged them back to our room where they fell right into bed. DH did the download thing, I did the looking over notes thing, and then we too fell into bed. Tomorrow would be here before we knew it, and another full day of Disney adventures awaited.

[TiggGrrrl]

Really enjoying your report Nancy [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] I know what you mean about all the work they take, I tried to keep up with mine while in WDW but I'm still working on it! Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

Peace, love & ºoº

[BostonTeaParty]

Hi Jeannie, I see that you've posted a trip report too. I'm going to check it out as soon as I type in my latest installment. See you over there!

Nancy [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[BostonTeaParty]

The Cast:

Me - Nancy (Wife to Paul, mom to Paul and Chris)
Paul - my DH, devoted Dad and all around great guy
Paul - our 12 year old son
Chris - our 10 year old son

The Dates: October 19th - 24th

Day 4/Part I - Monday, Oct. 22nd

The sound of the phone ringing at 7 a.m. woke me up. I knew who it was, because I had previously arranged to have Mickey call and wake the kids up. Unfortunately, they slept soundly through the entire call - DRATS! Guess they were just too tired from our late night. Next time I'll have to remember to activate the speaker phone. [img]graemlins/blush.gif[/img] I did my morning routine and finally roused them. They were only a little grumpy and snippy with each other; I chalked it up to them having a candy hangover, or TMF (too much fun).

Finally our day was underway. First stop was the 9 a.m. character breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary. Our first stop was a family photo they take of each party before you sit down to eat. I cringed, then laughed when we saw ours. You can tell we had a late night. We all looked spaced out; half smiling, half "who turned the lights on?".

After our photo we were seated and greeted by our friendly waitress (didn't get her name), who told us to help ourselves to the buffett. We ate the standard breakfast fare and enjoyed the party. It was much wilder than the one at Cape May with everybody clapping and dancing and waving napkins high over our heads, like we were Steelers fans waving our terrible towels. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] We met Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale and Pluto! I love Pluto! He's just so irrepressible. I took a great picture of him w/Paul and Chris.

After we finished breakfast we took the monorail to the TTC to catch the bus to the Animal Kingdom. Once again the boys mentioned how they great it would be to ride in the front of the monorail. I asked DH Paul if he knew if this was possible, and just then we saw a couple of people doing just that. Wow! Now I wanted to do it too! I told the boys I would find out what I could about it, and we would have to see. In the meantime it was a beautiful day, sunny and mild, just perfect for our first stop, the AK. Today's plan was to spend a few hours at the AK and then move on to Epcot for late afternoon and evening.

Once inside the gate of the AK we headed straight for the "It's Tough to be a Bug" show. We had missed it on our last trip, and had heard so many good things about it (but not enough to spoil the surprises), that we made it our first priority this trip. Needless to say, it was a really great show! We all shared many laughs (and one well placed
shriek). [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

The next thing on our "must do" list was the Kali River Rapids. Somehow we missed this attraction last time too. The line wasn't very long, maybe 15-20 minutes. Enough time to take in some of the details of the interesting Asian culture displayed throughout the waiting area. The excitement was building as we got closer to the raft boarding area. We pulled out our ponchos after seeing sign after sign, warning us that we "would" get wet. We climbed into our raft with a really nice family from England. I always feel a special bond with the British because that's where my dad is from. So we all piled in and stored our stuff as best we could in the center compartment. As we pulled our poncho hoods on I turned to the other family and said "I know we must look like weenies for wearing these." They laughed and said "no, you're the smart ones. We wish we had thought to wear ours." Well, it turned out it was a good thing we wore the ponchos, because Chris and I were in the "drench seats." I was stunned at the amount of water that was dumped on us. But at the same time it was hysterical! None of us could stop laughing for the entire ride. It was so much fun we decided to go for another ride, and got right back in line. For some reason the line was much shorter this time and it was only a few minutes to wait. While we were in line for our second ride I did notice a lady exiting the ride. She was totally soaked through, looked very unhappy and was complaining about how wet she was. I overheard her say "that was not funny at all." I said to DH Paul "did she miss the umpteen signs warning about getting wet?" [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] Did she not notice that half the line was wearing ponchos?

Anyway, after our second ride on KRR we decided to just walk around for awhile, and meandered through the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Very enjoyable, but we only spent about a half an hour or so there before we decided to head back towards the Discovery Island trails. We took a pass on the Safari and Dinosaur! as we had done those on the last trip, and they weren't high on our repeat list. We'd rather try new stuff we didn't get to last time. As a bird and flower lover I really enjoyed the DI trails. I got a couple of incredible pictures of exotic flowers. We spent some time examining the carvings on the Tree of Life, and then it was time for a snack.

We wandered along the paths until we got to Africa, and stopped at Tamu Tamu for softserve. While we were there a small band danced by playing traditional African instruments. A crowd was instantly drawn to them. We watched for a while as the band played and pulled people from the crowd to dance. They showed them some of the traditional dance steps, and before long children and adults alike were hopping on the good foot. We were ready to move on, but not before an impulsive stop at a nearby drum display. There were several different types of African drums that anyone passing by can bang away on. I loved plalying those drums. I got a little carried away and spent more time there than I intended, but it was fun!

Walking back towards the Oasis now (it was almost time for Epcot), we ran into several of the AK characters (including Rafiki), and stopped for pictures and autographs. We passed the Rain Forest Cafe which we've never bothered to stop at, mainly because there is one at the mall about five miles from our house.

We caught a bus back to the BC and stopped at our room briefly to freshen up before heading over to Epcot for our PS at the Coral Reef. This was the second restaurant (after Sci-fi) that I was really looking foward to. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[BostonTeaParty]

The Cast:

Me - Nancy (Wife to Paul, mom to Paul and Chris)
Paul - my DH, devoted Dad and all around great guy
Paul - our 12 year old son
Chris - our 10 year old son

The Dates: October 19th - 24th

Day 4/Part II - Monday, Oct. 22nd

The BC is literally a two minute walk to Epcots IG entrance. We had a PS for a three p.m. lunch at the Coral Reef. Eating a late lunch worked to our advantage. Since we arrived after the lunch crowd and before the dinner crowd, the place was practically empty. And what a place! The CR is beautiful! We were seated directly across from the massive tank, and just gazed at the undersea world during our meal. Our server, whose name is Tony, was outstanding! He was responsible for providing our next magical Disney moment (although I guess lunch is a looong moment huh?) [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] From the moment we were seated he was friendly, he was helpful, he was courteous, he was fun to talk to, and he went out of his way, the extra mile, to make sure our experience at the CR was pure bliss.

As we were looking over the menu I expressed an interest in sipping a glass of wine before dinner. I asked Tony for his suggestion, and he recommended a California Chardonnay from Cakebread Cellars, Napa Valley 99. It was a little on the expensive side, but we were on vacation so I ordered it. It was one exquisite glass of grape juice let me tell you. [img]graemlins/yuma.gif[/img] For an appetizer DH Paul and I shared an order of seared sea scallops on a sugarcane skewer, with sweet potato hash and mandarin orange reduction. It was heavenly. The boys weren't interested in an appy and were happy to sip on their cokes. They stood by the tank, entranced by the deep sea life, particularly the sharks.

For our main course DH Paul (to my great surprise) ordered grilled Mahi-Mahi w/honey soy glaze, egg noodle and mushroom stir fry in sweet Thai broth. The reason I was so surprised is because DH is usually very predictable about food, and will almost always order a burger, a steak or his all-time favorite - ribs. His favorite food is Chili's babyback ribs. I thought for sure he would order the grilled NY strip steak, but it was nice to see him throw caution to the wind and try a new menu item. (BTW, he pronounced it delicious and proceeded to eat every bite.) DS Paul and Chris chose from the kids menu, and both ordered Triton's pasta. I ordered the garlic roasted shrimp, clams and mussels w/sundried tomatoes, vegetable medly and saffron rice. This dish was so good I could have eaten it every day and not tired of it. But I didn't finish it because I had to save room for the next course - dessert! We couldn't leaver without dessert could we? We didn't think so either, especially after we got a peek at the dessert menu. Chris ordered the peanutbutter playdough and Paul, the build your own sundae. These desserts were so cute we took pictures of them. Again, I wish I had a way to post them here. Pictures really enhance any trip report. At Tony's suggestion, DH and I shared The Chocolate Wave (pause here for a moment of reverence). The Chocolate Wave is warm chocolate cake w/ white chocolate, Grand Marnier center, white chocolate ice cream and dried cherry compote. It was dessert nirvana. Enough said.

While we were waiting for our dessert, DH and I shared a concoction known as Octopus juice. It was Chambord-Pina Colada fusion and wooo hooo! it packed a punch! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] It was like a slush for grown ups, and it was great!

By now you, dear reader, may have noticed that my description of this meal had much more detail than previous ones. That is due to the fact that I looked through my stuff, and found our menu's that Tony and I wrote all over, so I wouldn't forget later. We even have him on video pointing out to the boys the various types of fish, sea turtles and even the scuba divers swimming by. Tony even asked me to show him how to use our video and digital camera, and he took pictures and videotaped the four of us! He is one super guy. If you decide to eat at the CR do ask for him.

After our long and leisurely lunch we strolled around for awhile. It felt good to walk around after such a feast, like the traditional walk after Thanksgiving dinner. Eventually we found ourselves in the Wonder of Life Pavilion where the first stop for DS Paul and me was Body Wars. (Big Mistake.) I was really looking forward to it because as a kid I had seen "Fantastic Voyage" and was fascinated by the idea of being shrunk to a microscopic size and riding around in a human being. Well, in hindsight, BW after a big meal is not the best idea I've ever had. I had to close my eyes more than once, so I wouldn't lose my expensive lunch. Paul looked a little green afterwards too. We decided that our next stop would be something that didn't move, so our stomachs could settle down. We chose Cranium Command as our next attraction and we all really enjoyed it. It was fun picking out the various celebrities that appear in this show. Jon Lovitz is so funny.

After CC we wandered into the interactive area which Chris especially enjoyed. We rode the Wondercycles (and worked off a little of the chocolate wave [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ). I watched the monitor as I pedalled, I was traveling through DisneyLand. I got a kick out of pedalling really fast and watching the people in the video powerwalk through DL. Chris really liked the sensory funhouse, so we spent some extra time on these exhibits; the optical illusions and visual games were especially fun. Finally we pulled Chris away from all that good educational stuff so we could head over to World Showcase in time to catch the Tapesty of Dreams parade.

On our way over, the smell of something yummy caught my attention. There was a guy at a kiosk selling warm, roasted, sugar coated pecans. I had to try them as my mouth was watering. I asked the guys if they wanted some too, and they all said no. As usual, as soon as I tasted them, and LOVED them, they wanted to taste them. As we walked along I shared them with my pecans and they devoured them. It never fails (sigh). I should just remember to always order two of anything, KNOWING they will change their minds. But that way okay, we were on our way to finally see the TOD parade.

We found a good spot from which to view the parade over in China. The parade was very beautiful and moving. More than once I was very moved as the puppets reached out to people, especially children, and the voices of children told their own dreams. I especially liked the clock drums.

When the parade ended we walked over to Norway for a ride on Maelstrom. Not knowing very much at all about the heritage of Norway (or the ride), and not knowing what to expect, we found the ride a lot of fun, and we learned a few things along the way.

By now DH and I were getting tired and wanted to call it a night. But the boys reminded up that Aladdin was in Morocco tonight, and they really wanted to meet him. I ignored my aching feet, and we walked all the way over to Morocco. We did find Aladdin, and there was absolutely no one in line. So we got to take some cute pictures of the boys with Al that came out really nice. Paul and Chris got their autograph books signed, and then it really was time to leave.

Back at the BC our quiet pool was anything but quiet. We decided to join the crowd and went for a late night swim/hot tub. We watched the Illumination fireworks from just outside our pool area. Another perfect ending to another perfect Disney day.

Tomorrow: Blizzard Beach, a virtual jungle cruise and VooDoo shrimp.

[LLaffinPlace]

Nancy, thank you, thank you for the report on Coral Reef! I had been hesitant to try it after some of the old comments I had heard, but was thrilled to read yours. BTW, Cakebread Cellars is one of my favorite wineries, so I was pretty envious. And believe it, I had my own moment of silence in homage to the Chocolate Wave! [img]graemlins/yuma.gif[/img] I'll have to check it out on the next visit.