Tikibird's May 2000 trip - Return to the World after a 20-year hiatus! About This Page:

[tikibird]

Okay, since we're reminiscing - thought I would share this report that I actually wrote back in 2000 (was posted on Mouseplanet). This was my first time back to the World in 20 years!!!

The pics aren't that great, as the company that scanned them didn't so a very good job, but I'm too lazy to scan them over, - it's also interesting to see how our perspectives on some things have changed over the past several years.....so here goes....

Who:
Sandy (myself), age 37, last trip to WDW in 1980, first in 1978. To Orlando for Computer World's Technical Recruiting and Retention Conference and as much as WDW as she can possibly squeeze in! Slight preference to DL, where she went in April of 1999.
Craig , Sandy's son, age 19, first trip to WDW and on an airplane. Begins trip skeptical of Disney in general and whether he will enjoy the trip.
Scott , Sandy's brother, age 22, fifth trip to WDW. Last trip 1996, first 1982. Big WDW fan.
When: May 19-24, 2000

Day 1
We left the house at 6:00 a.m. for the airport. My father dropped us off at the US Airways check-in at the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, which took 45 minutes. People had already boarded by the time we got to the gate, and the flight left on time at 7:45 a.m. We arrived in the Orlando airport a bit early at 9:45 a.m. Craig was impressed that the airport transport went outside, and was amazed to see a palm tree for the very first time! ("Take a picture, take a picture!') We proceeded to the Budget Rental Car check-in. I had reserved a compact car for a week at a cost of 209.99 minus a 15% discount for booking on the internet. We got a Gold Contour which was plenty big for the three of us and our luggage.

Just one wrong turn going to the hotel, which landed us at a discount souvenir shop. Craig realized at the airport that he only had one pair of boxers, as my husband had washed his others that morning and placed them in his drawer, not his suitcase. Thus began our search for underwear. The souvenir shop didn't have any, but Craig found a cool cheesy souvenir of frogs under a palm tree for $5.99 and Scott got a new carry-on (his was really worn) for $13.99.
We proceed to the Best Western Lake Buena Vista.



I am impressed from the time we drive up, knowing that I paid 89.95 for the first two nights and 79.95 for the last three. The hotel is very well landscaped. We are not yet able to check into our room, as it is 11:30 a.m., but we register and drop off our luggage and head straight to the Disney gift shop onsite to purchase E tickets for the evening. (TIP: This hotel allows guests to buy E tickets even though not an official Disney resort, but on Disney property.)

The woman in the gift shop is a bit confused, but we finally get our E Tickets and head off to find something to eat. No flames here, but McDonald's is across the road, cheap and quick. I was actually impressed with the Disney memorabilia displayed. I ordered the Crispy Chicken sandwich, which was actually not too bad. The new Dinosaur promotion is running and between the three of us, we win four food prizes. This must be why we never win anything back in Pittsburgh - all the prizes are distributed in Orlando!

We head to MGM studios after lunch. Overall, the park is not too crowded, which is surprising, as it is a Star Wars Weekend day. We walk right on to the Tower of Terror. This has great themeing, but I am a bit disappointed in the drops. I thought they would be a bit more thrilling.



We get a Fast Pass for the R-n-R and get on the Great Movie Ride. We had to wait around 10 minutes to get on this. I was really impressed with the animatronics, and the recreation of Mann's Theater.


Back to the R-n-R. We walk right on with the Fast Pass. Standby is 45 min. This ride ROCKS! What a great ride! Scott, who is a big Aerosmith fan, is overjoyed! He picks up a T-shirt in the gift shop, and I get a floaty pen.



By this time, we are parched. We find a stand that sells frozen Cokes for $2.50. Aaaahhh!
Next is Muppets. We wait around 10 minutes for this, but the preshow is fun. The show itself is delightful! Craig is disappointed that there are not more Muppet souvenirs in the gift shop.
I tell the boys I will sit out Star Tours, as I did not like this at DL, but at the last minute decide to go on. Wasn't quite as bad as I remember (I get motion sickness), but Craig was as white as a ghost and clammy when we got off! He picked up the Star Wars general pin and Darth Vader pin to resell on Ebay. I'm not a big Star Wars fan, but it was neat to see Luke Skywalker and friends posing for pictures around the ST area.

Next we walked down NY Street. Very cool! Scott took a picture of me lifting a truck!
The Backlot Tour was next. This was somewhat disappointing, but the highlight was seeing Walt's personal airplane.

By this time we are tired and cranky, but Scott talks Craig and I into going on the magic of Disney Animation Tour. We are told there will be a fourteen minute wait, and that the tour will take 40-50 minutes. I want to cry, but Scott really wants to see this. I'm really glad we stayed. This was very interesting and informative. I got to see an animator draw my favorite, Pooh, and the clips of favorite animation at the end was wonderful.

We are now in search of supplies for the room and underwear for Craig. Where can we find both? Gooding's Grocery Store in Crossroads across from the Lake Buena Vista Hotels. This place is incredibly expensive, but we get pop, juice, bananas (79 cents a pound!), underwear, and snacks.

We eat dinner at Pizzeria Uno's at Crossroads. Our waitress, Anastasia, is wonderful! I get the grilled chicken salad, which is wonderful, and costs $7.99. Craig has a spicy chicken sandwich, which he enjoys, as does Scott, with his fettuccini Alfredo.

We now head back to the hotel to settle in. I am remember the confused woman at the Disney gift shop and decide to look at my e ticket. It is not for tonight, but the 23rd! We were planning to go then, anyway, so we go back to the Disney gift shop and get the E ticket for that evening. We then head up to our room.

We are on the 11th floor, with a balcony facing the parks, as I had requested. The room is very spacious and nicely decorated. The cot and fridge I ordered are not there, but arrive within 30 minutes after I call the front desk. This room is comparable, even a bit larger, to the one I had at the Anaheim Hilton last year at $160 a night. I'm impressed.

I'm very tired at this point, so we decide to take the hotel shuttle over to the MK. We get there around 9:30 p.m. (E ticket is 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.), and get the ferry. There are only 4 other people on board beside the crew, and this is a beautiful introduction to the MK!
When we get to Main Street there are hoards of people leaving. Others are waiting for the fireworks. We get our wristbands at City Hall and head straight to Tomorrowland. First ride - Timekeeper - wait 5 min. This was cute, but I wouldn't go on it again.

Next, Alien Adventure - walk right on. This is okay, but a bit mean spirited! I also don't like having the harness around my shoulders. Buzz Lightyear is next - walk right on. Craig loves this ride, so we go on twice. I get 999,999 both times - can't imagine why, but the boys are envious! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] We wait 5 minutes for Space Mountain. This seems a bit longer than the one at DL. Craig doesn't like it , as he is very tall, and felt that he had to duck or lose his head!

We next go to Liberty Square and the HM. 5 minute wait. Craig is impressed with his first time seeing this. We walk right on to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This is cool at night! Last ride - Splash Mountain. Again, walk right on. This ride is great, although, I don't think the drop is quite as steep as DL? I buy our picture to remember this awesome day.



We meet up with Scott's favorite, Goofy, before we leave the park

We head back to the bus around 12:30 a.m., as we are exhausted. I see a real live mouse on the way to the bus and say "Ah, ah, ah!"
Back to the hotel and in bed at 1:55 a.m. Wonderful day!

[tikibird]

Day 2

We sleep in and eat breakfast from the goodies we have in the room. We take the car to the MK around 11:00 am, park in the Goofy lot, and get the tram shortly after.

We get the ferry again, although this time is very crowded. We stand in the front of the boat on the bottom deck, so are one of the first to get off when the boat docks.

We head to Fantasyland, as I must see Pooh! We learn there is no Fast Pass for this ride until June 9th, so we decide to come back later when it is less crowded.

We go on Snow White's Scary Adventure and have a 15 minute wait. I think this is a great ride, but Craig feels that a 2 or 3 year old would be scarred for life after seeing it!

I have priority seating at the Crystal Palace for 12:50, and we wait about 5 minutes after that to get seated. This is one of the highlights of my trip. I am a Pooh fanatic, and get my picture with Pooh, Eeorye, Piglet and Tigger!







There are great floral pieces that are form into these characters, and the food is pretty good - 16.95 for the buffet. I like the salmon and the desserts. Craig eats of f of the kids buffet - chicken strips and mac and cheese! Our waiter, Shiloh, is very good.

After lunch we are stuffed, so head to the Country Bear Jamboree. We must have just missed a show and wait 15 minutes. I like the DL vacation show better. Craig and Scott like Big Al.

Pirates have a big, long, hot queue line. Again, I like DL better. No fireflies? Where is the big treasure room? Scott is getting very tired of my liking most things DL better.



We walk right into the Tiki Room. Guess what - I like DL better. I guess having the new characters is fun for the kids, but I like the classic version. Craig loves this show, and sees it several times before the trip is over.

We walk into the Hall of Presidents. Impressive.
We head back to Pooh and have a 15 minute wait. This is a very fun ride for me!



Back to Adventure land, and we pick up a fast pass for the Jungle Cruise. I am happy, as this was supposed to be down for rehab. Scott and I wait in line for Dole Whips (Craig crashes on a bench). The Dole Whip at $2.50 is a wonderful, refreshing treat. Scott get the Pineapple Float (pineapple juice and ice cream) and is equally impressed.

We wait 5 minutes with the fast pass for Jungle Cruise. Looks like they added a portion at the end (or was it there before) where you go through a tunnel-like structure. I actually like this better than DL. The tour guide seems a bit tired and hot, though.

We eat dinner at the Columbia Harbor House right outside of Fantasyland. This is an out-of the way place that wasn't too crowded. I had the fish and chips (5.99) which was okay, but it took a long time to cook.

We walk for a bit, as I am now on an underwear search. I realized the night before that some of mine hadn't been packed, either! I get a pack with Pooh on them at the Brian patch. We then end up at the Frontierland train station. We take this over to Toontown and walk through Mickey and Minnie's houses, although we do not wait to meet the characters. Cute!

We end up back at Main Street, do some shopping, and then head back to the hotel around 8:30 p.m. Would have really liked to stay for the Electrical Parade, but we all feel too exhausted to fight the crowds afterward.

We go back to the hotel. We watch the MK fireworks from our balcony and crash early.

[tikibird]

Day 3

Sunday I have to get down to business and begin attending the conference. I am still determined to get in as much WDW as possible, so I get up at 6:00 a.m. (Scott and Craig have decided to sleep in and head to Epcot later) and have breakfast at the hotel buffet. At 5.95 a good value. Not the best buffet, but good for the price. I like the freshly made Belgian waffle. I drive over to AK and get there a bit past opening, at 8:05 a.m.

This park is beautifully themed! I really feel like I am in the various countries.
I head straight to the Safari after locating it on the map. I have a ten minute wait. This is very cool, but the part about the poachers is a bit cheesy.





Against my better judgment, I go to the Kali River Falls, as I don't want to get to wet. However, it is a walk-on, so I can't resist! I manage not to get my shoes too wet but the rest of me is soaked! Don't wear denim on this ride!
Next, soaked, I go on the Maharaja Jungle Trek. This is beautiful, and I take a bunch of pictures.



I next head for It's Tough to Be a Bug. This is awesome! What a great show!

I get a fast pass for Dinosaur, and do some shopping, although, I have to walk a good bit to get to a gift shop. I pick up a really cute shirt - Pooh is looking at a tiger and it says "Tigger, is that you?" and, of course, a Safari Pooh!

I wait around 5 minutes with the Fast Pass on Return to Dinosaur. This is very similar to Indy at DL, but not nearly as good. It is too dark too much of the ride.

I have lunch at the Flame Tree Barbeque and get the 7.99 combo with 2 small ribs, chicken, coleslaw, corn and a roll. Pretty good!
I had also noticed that the Dino Diner sells churros.



Hadn't seen them anywhere else, so I got one with the chocolate dipping sauce (Hershey's Syrup, I think) Wasn't as good as the apple one I had gotten in DL!

I now need to get back to the hotel to change for the conference. However, I make a quick stop at Downtown Disney to the Pooh Store where I get the park exclusive beanies, Wilderness and Lake Resort Poohs. I also go through the World of Disney, and actually think I might be reaching my saturation point for Disney merchandise!

I get back to the hotel, change, and go to the Marriot World Center for the conference. I register, and need to wait an hour until the conference start. I actually fall asleep in the lobby! There is only one session for the conference that day, so I go back to the hotel, change, and drive to Epcot to meet Scott and Craig.

I eat dinner at the Land, and have fettuccini with marinara sauce. The salad is fresh - I believe the veggies are grown there, but WAY too much garlic on the noodles! Cost - $7.99 for the combo, which includes breadstick and cookie.
I met up with Craig and Scott at the entrance to Spaceship Earth. They have done most of the rides in Future World, and really love Test Track, although it broke down the first time they were in line, and they were given a Fast Pass to come back.

We ride Spaceship earth. I am impressed with the animatronics.

I don't have too much interest in anything else in Future World, so we head over to the World Showcase. We go through the Millennium Village, which is neat. I get my husband a frog that "croaks" from Thailand. We stop at Japan, and I get a scroll for my younger son, Chris, who is at home with my husband.





We dodge the parade, and stop for the show at America at Scott's insistence. It's okay, but I'm falling asleep again!

The last country we make it to before Illuminations is Germany. I get an apple strudel, which is okay, at $3.25.

Illuminations is pretty impressive. Overall, though, I feel there is a pervasive secular humanism theme running throughout the entire park, which makes me uncomfortable as a Christian (please don't flame me for this, I am just expressing my opinion). This makes it my least favorite park, and I would probably not go back again.

[tikibird]

Day 4

This is a short report, as I was at the conference all day.
Craig and Scott did Animal Kingdom, and particularly liked the safari and ITTBAB. They felt there should be more rides, though. They actually ate chicken McNuggets at Restaurantosaurus, I believe, for lunch!

They then went back to MGM and rode R-n-R (their favorite), Muppets (Craig's favorite show), and the Great Movie Ride again. They also went on the Drew Carrey Sound Effects ride and enjoyed it. They had individual pizzas at a counter service place, which they enjoyed, and then tried to get into Fantasmic, but didn't stay , as it was standing room only. This is the one thing that I really regret we did not see, as it was wonderful at DL.

Pretty slow day compared to the rest!

Day 5

I am at the conference for the first part of the day, and get to the MK around 3:30 p.m. Scott, Craig and I are surprised when they bump into me in the Emporium, as I hadn't planned to meet them there until 7:30 p.m.! What are the chances that would happen again?!







We do some shopping, and then get our wristbands at City Hall for E Ticket. Craig and Scott have already gone on Pirates, Tiki, BTR and Splash (Fastpass). We go to Fantasyland and ride Peter Pan. Craig and Scott really like this. Back to Pooh! I enjoy this even more this time, as I am not attempting to take non-flash pictures, as I did the first time.

We have dinner at Cosmic Ray's . I like the singing whatever it is, but the tables are way too small for three people! I got a Veggie Burger and fries (5.99), Craig got a spicy chicken sandwich, and Scott, tired of fast food, got rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes. His portions were pretty small. Craig bought a corn muffin for eighty cents and took a picture of it, as it was so tiny!

We say the Tiki Room again, but this time had to wait 10 min. We walked right on to Pirates. I saw a lot more the second time, as I was sitting on the left hand side of the boat.

We headed back to Main Street and got ice cream. My hot fudge sundae with butter pecan ice cream ($3.00) was heavenly!



I then went to meet a friend Deanna, from work who was at another conference in Orlando at the Walt/Mickey statue.



She went to the Plaza Pavilion to get a bit to eat, and Craig and Scott went on their way for E ticket.

This E Ticket night was disappointing compared to the first. The 19th was not at all crowded, and this one was. I believe this is because it started at 9:00 pm, not 10:00 p.m.

Deanna and I waited for 10 minutes for Buzz. She really like this ride as well. We then waited 15 min. for the Astro Orbiter. I didn't realize you could move your ship up and down until half-way through the ride! We stood in line 20 min. for Alien. Deanna thought it was dumb. She did like Space Mountain, which was next. We waited 10 minutes to board.

We went on Buzz again, and decided to skip Timekeeper. Next was Haunted Mansion, which was a walk on. The crowds were beginning to thin a bit by then. We waited 10 minutes for BTR, and Deanna really like this ride, so we went on again. Last ride was Splash, which we both really enjoyed.

We ended up in the Emporium until 12:15 a.m. I just missed the 12:30 bus back to the Best Western, so I waited with the bus driver to head back at 1:00 p.m. I get back to the hotel and Craig and Scott are sound asleep! They are going to have to take some vitamins to keep up with me next trip!

[tikibird]

Day 6

Last day - [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]
I have a conference session in the morning, so I tell the guys to be ready to check out when I get back.

We check out at 11:00 a.m. The cost for the rollaway bed is $10 a night, and the fridge is $5. Both were well worth it. Overall, I am very pleased with our stay at the Best Western. The room and service were good. The food was okay. The bus service to the parks was good, and the overall value was very good. I would recommend this hotel to someone that doesn't want to pay to stay at a Disney resort, but still wants to be on Disney property. The ability to buy E tickets was a plus, as well.



View from our room





We head over to Downtown Disney. Craig and Scott are anxious to check out the Virgin Megastore. We all buy CD's and then go to Planet Hollywood for lunch. They have lost my reservation, but seat us anyway. Herbie from the Love Bug is hanging from the ceiling! Craig is not impressed with his cheeseburger, but I enjoy my smoky bacon one (9.99) Scott has the pork sandwich and likes it.

We walk through Pleasure Island, which looks kind of cheesy, and then hit a few shops at the Marketplace. I buy one last Pooh shirt, Craig gets an alarm clock for my husband, and Scott picks up a book on Imagineering.

We are all tired by this point, so we leave, gas up the car and head back to the airport. My luggage is bursting, so I am happy to the let a man from Skycab take our luggage to the US Airways check in. I take one last look at the Disney gift shop at the airport (guess I haven't reached saturation point yet!) and the Universal one to see what I have to look forward to during our trip there later this summer!

We then head back to our gate early to relax. Craig and I get pizza at the Pizza Express. This is a great value after Disney prices - 2.25 for a slice, and 1.35 for a nice-sized fruit salad!

Our flight is overbooked, and US Airways offers a free round-trip ticket to anyone who will take a flight the next morning. I am game, as I am thinking DL!, but Craig, Scott, and my two coworkers on the same flight all want to go home NOW, so I decide to leave with them.

We have a bit of a bumpy ride coming home, so I tell Scott and Craig we are on the Big Thunder Mountain Airplane! They tell me to be quiet! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Overall, we had a wonderful trip! Scott, who was already a fan, is more so now. Craig is a convert! He has been Disneyized! I still like DL's MK better (but just a little), and really liked MGM and AK, so would go back to WDW in a heartbeat! Disney really knows how to do it right!

[ 03-29-2003, 07:34 PM: Message edited by: tikibird ]

[tikibird]

Sandy's Tips and Thoughts:
1.Buy an E Ticket if you are able to and it is available during your stay! We were able to get the big rides in and then leisurely tour the park for the others when it was crowded

2.Best Western - Great value - and E tickets!

3.Pack underwear!

4.Take gum with you. Don't spit out anywhere but garbage can! This will help the thirst factor a bit.

5.Keep an eye out for red-ticketed items in the gift shops. There aren't many of these, but can be substantial savings. I got a Pooh Baseball Shirt on Main Street in Team Disney/Mickey? for $24.99, when all of the other characters in the same style shirt were $44.00. I also got sleeveless Pooh shirt in World of Disney for $13.99 - regular price - $28.00.

6.Rent a car if you are able to. It was really nice being able to get around - to pick up items at the grocery store, for instance, as needed.

7.I don't like the powdered soap in the restrooms! I noticed that AK and DD had liquid soap, so maybe I'm not the only one?

8.If you are really hot at AK, ride Kali River Falls. You'll be soaked, but cooler. Overall, it looks as though the best time to see this park is first thing in the morning. Cooler, and much less crowded.

9.Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

[coffeechef]

Enjoying your trip report from the past. You have not aged a bit. I hear no mention of the Tikibirds though. But I see your passion for the DOlewhip was alive then too.

[tikibird]

tikibirds are mentioned a couple of paragraphs up from the Dole Whip, and how I like the DL version better! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[AKLRULZ]

[img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img] COOL! [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img] I am so diggin' these "retro" trip reports and I'm so glad you shared this one with us and loved the photos!

[luvnwdwgal]

Sandy, thanks for the trip report!!
I wanted one of the big stuffed Pooh's sooooo bad!!!! Glad you were able to find plenty of underwear!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[chezp]

Thanks for a great report! I never realised you were such a big Pooh bear fan. There are some great photos in there and I too was surprised about how little mention there was of the Tiki Room. You only went in the once?!

Cheryl

[tikibird]

Originally posted by chezp:
Thanks for a great report! I never realised you were such a big Pooh bear fan. There are some great photos in there and I too was surprised about how little mention there was of the Tiki Room. You only went in the once?!

Cheryl

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">Pooh - was majorly obsessed there for awhile - I have an entire bedroom filled with Pooh beanies! Pooh bedspread, watches, jewerly, shirts, T-shirts, porcelain figures, snowglobes, lamp - you name it - I probably have it! Still love the silly old bear, but not quite as passionate as I was at the time of this report.

We went to the Tiki Room twice - I was really upset by the "Under New Management" thing, as I really love the original version. However, it has since grown on me, and I am anxious to see the original again in DL this June for a comparison.

[tikibird]

BTW - For those of you newer to the boards, when you are REALLY bored or can't sleep, here is an evolution of tiki reports! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

April 1980 High School Band Trip

June 2001 - First Stay on Property - enter the Food Police!

December 2001 Trip with my Mom, Dad and Brother

40th Birthday Trip - June/July 2002 - WL

December 2002 Solo Trip

Enjoy! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ 03-30-2003, 07:09 AM: Message edited by: tikibird ]

[angelina]

Thanks for posting your past trip reports, I've only read your solo trip report, so now I've got to read the rest of them [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
I love the pictures with you and Pooh Bear!