Six Days in the World! Trip Report finished! About This Page:

[disneyqueenmum]

DAY 1- MK Nov. 19

Shame on me that I didn't write down anything as the days were unfolding! Unfortunately we went into this trip so exhausted that it took several days to get out of the fog!

Well..I think the best thing would be to share the highlights, and maybe more details will come to mind as I am writing this.

We arrived at AKL late Thursday night, around 11:30 p.m., after driving in from Tampa Airport. The rental car we got looked was a Dodge..something or other, and looked like a hearse! My husband hated the car because the back window was so small that with our luggage he had about two inches of viewing space out the back! We had all been to school and work that morning, and couldn't wait to find the beds and jump in them! When we arrived at the lodge, I had money in my hand ready to hand over to the bell service guy because I could not bear the thought of dragging my 500 lb. suitcase another inch! Of course the lobby was stunning, and all the stops the bellman made along the way to show us the animals milling around in the savannah viewing windows were exciting, but after the week we had, all I heard was, "Blah, Blah Blah."

The next morning, we headed for MK. Both my kids have been pin collectors since 2000, so they wore ALL their pins on 2-3 lanyards apiece around their necks all day. I think (know) they loved the attention they got as people commented on their pins or asked to see them.

Our first stop was Mickey's Philharmagic, followed by the Fantasyland rides. Since it was still the week before Thanksgiving, and not yet the weekend, it was surprisingly easy to get on everything. We then headed for Tomorrowland and waited no more than 15 minutes to do the Buzz Lightyear ride. My DD and I rode together and had more fun spinning the chair than shooting at the targets! We were laughing as we heard DH and DS behind us in competitive mode, yelling out their scores every few seconds. Then DD and I headed for Space Mountain as the guys went to pin trade with some CM's. There was hardly anyone in line for Space Mountain, but as we waited we found out why. The ride was experiencing technical difficulties. We waited about 20 minutes, and decided to take the TTA to find out what was going on in there. As the TTA went through Space Mountain, we were treated to a never before seen view of the actual roller coaster in a fully lit room. It was all steel, and we could see how it wound around the room. By the way, we never did get to ride it during this visit!

On to Carousel of Progress, and a counter service lunch. By afternoon we were really drooping. My guys wanted to do Frontierland Shootin' Gallery, so DD and I headed for Splash Mountain. The line was huge, and it was getting hot outside, so we decided to skip it. Instead we headed for Jungle Cruise.

At around 5:00, we headed to Tony's Town Square for our PS seating. The marinara sauce she brought was so delicious, I had to comment on it. A few minutes later, a copy of the recipe was in my hand! We did a little shopping after dinner, and if we rode anything else, I honestly can't remember! Wishes was beautiful, but I missed seeing Tinkerbell fly from the castle. After that we couldn't wait to get back to our beautiful lodge and look around.

Back at the lodge, we headed out back and looked "In" from the large picture window. Wow! The view from outside in was better than the view from inside out! We headed to the Mara for some dessert and hot chocolate, and headed to bed.

Day 2- R&R, or so we had hoped!

Well one thing about sharing a room with four people is that when one has to rise at the crack of dawn to go to the bathroom, the amplified flush is a sure bet that all will have their eyes open when that person emerges!

And so it went on day two. We knew we needed a down day so that we could enjoy the rest of the trip, but it wasn't to be! Following the early flush, came the flood of light as DS threw back the curtain to do an animal count! After his name was yelled in contempt by every member of the family simultaneously, curiosity got the better of us, and we all had to have a look. We were never disappointed when we went on our balcony! The feeding truck was driving through and drivers were waving to people as it passed. I can't tell you what I saw, as I only recognized the giraffes. My DS should probably be writing this part of the report, as he memorized them all!

After breakfast at the Mara, we hopped a bus to DTD for some Christmas shopping. I thought I was going to find so many gifts, but as I looked, I realized that because so many of the items are Disney themed, I was going to have a hard time finding gifts that my friends and family would appreciate. So... I bought some gifts for someone I KNEW would appreciate the Disney theme: ME! One of the favorite purchases was the new Disney Resort and Park Chef Cookbook they were selling everywhere. Since I have been home, I made the Terriyaki chicken recipe from Nine Dragons, and everybody loved it.

After a lot of walking and looking, we decided to eat lunch at Wolfgang Puck Express. The food was delicious! I don't remember exactly what was on my sandwich, but my kids said all I did the whole trip was eat portobello mushrooms and eggplant, so it must have been one of those!

We finally ended up in the Sports themed store, where my DS and DH immediately parked themselves in front of a t.v. to watch a game. They forgot they were in a store and were yelling at the T.V as if they were at home! This was my DD's and my cue to leave them there, out of embarassment for them... okay us. We later met up at the bus stop, and headed back to the lodge.

Finally, we got the chance to wander the AKL lodge a little bit, and get our bearings. I was a million miles from the laundry room, and could not find a way to get there except to walk through the lobby with my bags in hand. So, off I went to do that while my guys swam. We made a quick trip to an overpriced grocery store on 192, and DH and I popped open a couple of beers and put our feet up while the kids went to the Zawadi Marketplace to spend some Disney dollars. When I went down to the lobby to find them, there were T.V. cameras everywhere! I didn't even think to ask what they were taping, and saw no familiar stars anywhere, so I figured it was for some kind of Disney promotion video. Later at my passporter meet I was to find out how wrong I was! I am one of those "always the last to know" people!

At 4:00, I delivered my DD-14 to Jiko for a culinary tour of the two restaurants. She is an avid cook and couldn't wait to do this. When I approached the girl at the Jiko podium to ask if this was where everyone was supposed to meet for the tour, she looked at me like I had three heads and said VERY curtly," Please sit down. I will be with you at EXACTLY 4:00!" (My only experience with a rude employee during my whole visit).

At 5:00 we met DD at Boma, and ate an amazing dinner! I requested the recipe for Carrot Ginger Soup, and the pineapple cheesecake. MMMNNNN!!! I have to say that though the zebra domes were good, I was expecting to fall in love with them, and I didn't. But the cheesecake melted in my mouth. Different strokes, I guess.

AT 9:00, I met with Stephanie P, Tara, and Susan and her DH and friend in the Lounge. Everyone was great, and it was then that I learned from Tara that we had missed Raven Symone in the lobby. My DD was not to happy with me for not asking why the T.V. cameras were there when I told her this!

The kids and I decided to head to bed early, but DH wanted to watch the Wisconsin Badger game, so I sent him to the laundry room.

Day 3- Animal Kingdom Park- a delightful surprise!

Okay, I have to admit, last time we visited AK park was in 2000. What a difference 4 years has made! Our last visit was short, and we went with friends that didn't want to do DAK. So, our kids were 6 and 10 on our last visit there. This visit they were 10 and 14, so everything was an option. My DS has never been a big thrill ride kind of kid. But somehow we found a CM that talked him into riding Dinosaur. He LOVED it! This was the beginning of a new chapter in his life..that chance that things might not be as scary at 10 as they were at 6 was an eye-opener for him. He wanted to do it again, but we were bound for the safari, for which we had gotten a fastpass.

I think what struck us most was how much the landscaping had grown since we were last there. It was absolutely gorgeous.

My DD and I rode Primeval whirl and hated it. That is saying a lot for her, because she IS a thrill ride kind of girl, and she thought this ride was "stupid". My guys played midway games, and we headed for Festival of the Lion King. Wow! (That's all I can say about it!)

We ate a yummy lunch at Flametree Barbeque, and headed out on some of the walking paths. We must have spent the better part of an hour watching the gorillas. There's something fascinating about them. The babies wrestled with each other just as any two little boys would do. The male gorilla was sitting right up against the window looking in. You could just see how intelligent he was. We asked a lot of questions, and headed on to see the asian tigers.

When we spotted the tiger, he was pooping! My DS got a kick out of that, and took a picture of it. But like all his pics (that were not of the backs of people's heads) the tiger looked like a dot in the background. Oh well.

We ate dinner at Rainforest Cafe, and headed back to the hotel for a swim and some people watching in the lobby. (My DD's favorite activity. She LOVED the lobby.)


Day 4- Finally EPCOT!!! My Happy Place

This morning I was the early flusher and curtain opener, because I could not wait to get to Epcot. I thought SURELY I would get some great Christmas gifts there.

We arrived before the opening, and got to see the character bus drive by. We headed straight for Mission Space, and DD and I rode it. I felt a little sick on the part of the ride that simulates takeoff, and didn't like the sensation it gave me in my stomach. However, that part only lasted a few seconds, and then I felt fine. Once it was over, my DD watched DS so that me and DH could ride it together. Knowing what to expect helped me get through it a second time, but my stomach was upside down all morning after that!

The line had already grown for Test Track, and by then the fast passes were for our dinner PS times. As with Space Mountain, we never did get to do Test Track on this trip. If I had to do it again, I would have headed for the fast passes right away. Oh well.

My kids send their grandmother a movie/e-mail from on of the computers at Innoventions. We have rarely stopped at Innoventions in past visits, but this time they were more interested, and spent about an hour there.

We did all the usual stuff in Future World, and decided to eat lunch at the Fish and Chips in "England". One of the items on the menu posted in the window was "Child Hot Dog". Like a dummy, I thought it said "Chili Dog", and ordered one. The gal taking my order corrected me, and said a lot of people make that mistake. (Probably not!)

This time, I was able to convince my kids to go to all three Circle Vision movies in World Showcase. In the "Impressions de France" movie, my DD recognized a lot of the classical music from having been in band the last three years. When we got out, a CM asked how we like it, and we commented on the music. As per Disney usual, he handed me a printed list of the songs! Amazing.

By late afternoon, DS was losing it, and DH decided he would just as soon go back to AKL and chill. So...!!!!DD and I got free reign of the World Showcase, and all the shopping without stopping was fun. We ate some dinner at the Tangeirine Cafe, and caught Illuminations before we headed for the bus stop. It is still as spectacular as I remember it, but I really miss the Tapestry of Nations Parade.

I wanted to note that I am a music teacher, and one of the things I love most about Epcot is the phenomenol talent that is to be found at any moment in any place. Half my trip video is of musicians performing at all the parks. My kids had to pull me away on several occasions, because I would be happy to do that all day long!

Though I enjoyed all the looking and touching in the stores, I came out of the park with one bottle of wine from Paris to bring to my cousin's house (in Sarasota) for Thanksgiving Thursday.

DD and I got back to the hotel, and sat outside by the firepit looking in the window at the Christmas decorations in the lobby. We headed up to the room, and hit the sack, as the guys were already asleep.

Day 5- DS gets his Birthday Button!

Every day of the trip, my DS (who turned 10 on our trip) asked if he could get a birthday button. I told him to wait until it was his actual birthday and then it would be special.

We got a little later start this day since we had a late PS for Chef Mickey's breakfast. It took forever to get there, and I thought we were going to miss out, but we made it by the skin of our hungry little teeth!

Since my DS was very small, he has loved Chip and Dale. I hadn't told him they were going to be there, so he was elated! They did not disappoint, as Chip messed up my kids' hair, and tied DS's shoelaces together. The food was pretty good...nothing spectacular, but when the waiter found out it was DS's birthday, he had everyone in the room whirl their napkin around in the air, and played fanfare music and switched on the bubble machine. It was great! Disney magic all the way.

After collecting signatures from all the characters, we decided to make a quick trip over to Wilderness Lodge just to see what the buzz was about. We headed back to MK on the monorail, switched to the TTA center and tried to find the boat dock. When we finally did, the boat took 30 minutes to get there! Then, we had to ride to Fort Wilderness first, so it took quite awhile to get to WL. We entered from the boat dock, and walked past the pool area. I was a beautiful pool, with the river from the lobby running into it, but to me it didn't compare to the one at AKL. We walked around for about 1/2 hr, and headed back to the TTA to catch a bus to MGM..my least favorite park.

MGM was swarming with people when we arrived. First thing we did was visit guest services for a birthday button. There was no chance of getting on RRC or TT that day, so we did the animation tour, backlot tour, Muppet Vision and Great Movie Ride. We had dinner at Primetime, where the waiter had everyone in the room sign a birthday card for their "cousin", my DS. He got a great desert on the house, and we headed out for Fantasmic.

The roped lines were set and we lined up with the other "sheep" waiting to be let in. When they finally gave us the go, it was like walking into a soccer game in Brazil! Two steps forward, once step back.. People are hilarious. They were actually "mooing" and "baaing" as we shuffled in. Fantasmic is just what it is called. It was the second time I have seen it, and I loved it just as much. (got a little wet, though, because we sat in the third row!)

Back to the lodge, and our evening sit at the Arusha Firepit, and then off to bed.

Day 6- Wrapping it Up

I don't know what it is about MGM, but other than a few redeeming qualities, I just don't care for it. Anyhoo, of course everyone wanted to go back and finish up. DD and I headed right away for RRC for a fastpass, and stood in line for TT. The guys headed over to Indiana Jones, which I have seen one too many times. Believe it or not, this was the first time in 6 visits since MGM opened that I have ridden TT. I was always the one waiting near the exit with DS. It was a lot of fun, and to me, not scary at all. I don't know why all the hoopla about surviving it. It was pretty tame. My DD thinks they changed it.

Anyway, we headed over to do Muppet Vision while waiting for our fastpass time to come up for RRC. Near there I discovered a little coffee shop/bakery/bookstore that in all my visits I had never seen. I grabbed a latte and a cookie to split with DD, and we strolled over to RRC. The fastpass invention is so smart, as it really makes it easy to get on the ride in a decent amount of time. To be honest, I don't remember RRC having so many twists and turns. Maybe it's age, but this time I really felt them! It was a rush, and I had to buy the picture of my DD screaming her head off! Don't ask me to upload it, because I have tried everything and can't seem to get my pics up!

After those two rides, my DD was satisfied. We met up with the guys, and went back to the hotel for a break and to do some laundry. . About 3:00 we headed back to Epcot and re-wrote Maelstrom. My husband's family is Norweigen and he is fascinated with this ride. There wasn't much time to do anything else but a little shopping before we headed over to Teppanyaki for PS's. We shared a table with a family from Wisconsin, who were very nice, but my kids do a whole lot of talking and their kids didn't say a word all night. The chef was really entertaining and it turns out he's from Texas!! He sliced an onion and layered it like a volcano, poured in some alcohol and it steamed like Mount St. Helens. Then, he pushed it across the Habachi, and used his spatula to bang on the metal table so it sounded and looked like a train. The food was wonderful.

After that, my guys decided to go to the American Adventure which DD had done Monday night after the guys left early. So, that's when we headed over to France to buy a bottle of wine to take with us the next day to Thanksgiving dinner at our cousins' home. As we were waiting at the exit of American Adcenture, the skies opened up, and we ran to a little kiosk to buy ponchos. When DS and DH emerged, they were handed ponchos, and we walked slowly around the lagoon as Illuminations was taking place, so we could be over to the other side by the time it ended.

Back at AKL we were satisfied with what we had accomplished this trip. Thought we missed a few coveted rides, we were too tired to care! I began doing a little packing as my guys wandered the property, and we ended the day with our last night in our beautiful hotel room.

DAY 7 - Our sad goodbye to AKL and a drive to Sarasota

Well, this was it. The last day of the magic had arrived. The morning was spent packing, and we called the bellman who arrived within 10 minutes to take our bags down. My DH went to get the car and met him out front as the kids and I took a final video tour of everything. We had been invited to go to Sarasota for Thanksgiving with my cousins, and had a room on Lido Beach booked for that night. I don't suppose you want to hear the rest, since it was not Disney related. Anyway, Friday morning we drove to Tampa, flew home, and that's that.


The End

[Stephanie P.]

Hey Debbie!

That is cool about getting to see the Space Mountain lit up! You're probably one of the few who can say that!

How nice of the waiter to bring you the recipe for the marinara sauce!! I love those above and beyond stories!

My favorite dessert that I kept getting from the Mara was the chocolate moose - yum yum!!!

Keep it coming!

[mestitch]

That stinks you didn't get to ride Space Mountain on your trip but it is pretty cool you got to see it in a way very few probably have

Keep remembering the details so you can give us more!

[luvnwdwgal]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!!!

[Tara O'Hara]

Debbie! Waht an awesome report and a great time you guys had!! It was wonderful to meet you!! You are a lot of fun!! Thank you for sharing your trip!!

[Colexis Mom]

Great report Debbie Thanks for sharing your travels with us

[Stephanie P.]

Hey Debbie!

I just read the rest of your trip report - you remembered quite a bit after all!

The night the skies opened up at Epcot was the night we tried to go and ended up turning around at the gate! I agree with you on MGM - I could completely do without that park! One thing I was curious about was the animation tour - we were thinking about doing it, but the lines lookes too long. What was it like?

Glad you guys had a good time and I agree, I need a day in Epcot without anybody else there!

[wdwlovers]

Great report!!!

[Joy J]

Wonderful trip report, Debbie - I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us.

Joy

[dsnytina]

Great TR! Thanks for typing it up - too bad about the pics not loading, but thanks for trying!
Tina

[disneyqueenmum]

[ QUOTE ]


I agree with you on MGM - I could completely do without that park! One thing I was curious about was the animation tour - we were thinking about doing it, but the lines lookes too long. What was it like?



[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Stephanie!

In answer to your question about the animation tour, in the past it was wonderful. It was our favorite attraction at MGM. They used to have an artist interacting with you and to be able to ask questions while the artist was drawing a character from a recent or upcoming movie. Then you could go watch the artists working through glass windows. This time it was a guy with his back turned doing a little sketching while we watched a hokey little movie. Then they let us out in kind of an art gallery where we just walked around and looked at stuff and that was it. Very disappointing not to be able to see the artists in action.

[Stephanie P.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


I agree with you on MGM - I could completely do without that park! One thing I was curious about was the animation tour - we were thinking about doing it, but the lines lookes too long. What was it like?



[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Stephanie!

In answer to your question about the animation tour, in the past it was wonderful. It was our favorite attraction at MGM. They used to have an artist interacting with you and to be able to ask questions while the artist was drawing a character from a recent or upcoming movie. Then you could go watch the artists working through glass windows. This time it was a guy with his back turned doing a little sketching while we watched a hokey little movie. Then they let us out in kind of an art gallery where we just walked around and looked at stuff and that was it. Very disappointing not to be able to see the artists in action.

[/ QUOTE ]

The old tour is the one I remember - glad we skipped the new one then!! Thanks!

[bsblady01]

sounds like you had a great trip

[whoSEZ]

Sounds like a great trip, Debbie! Thanks for sharing the details! So when's the next trip?