whoSEZ & boBmouse: It all started w/ a Mousefest; 1/26 -- photo, TR complete, what's happened since! About This Page:

[boBºoº]

Destination: Walt Disney World
Dates: December: Sunday 5th to Monday 13th
Adventurer: Bobºoº , Darn close to 40 and its my fifth trip
Resort: Pop Century
Celebration: The Christmas and almost Forty trip

Meetings: Hopefully a couple and Mousefest is going on.



December 5th Travel day and Downtown Disney



I have not slept since 9:30 am on Saturday. I had to work at night and when I got home I was to keyed up to sleep. I watch CMT until it is time to leave for the airport. I leave the house at 3:10 am and drive to the car park. I get the shuttle to the airport and I am checked in by five. I now have two hours to kill before my flight lifts off. I dose for about a half hour before we are loaded it to the plane. I am flying Delta/Song and I love the video screens on the back of the seats. I played some music trivia then watched "I Robot". It was better than I thought it was going to be and a lot different than the book. We land a little early which has happened on all my trips down. I take my time getting to the luggage conveyer. I have learned that all I would be doing is standing around if I get there to soon. I get to the bottom on the escalators and don't see my Tiffany Town car driver. My luggage conveyer has not started so I look around for driver and he showed up about five minutes later. He apologized saying my flight had got in a bit early. No bigy, we had to wait for my luggage anyways and it is like the last off the plane.



It is a quick and pleasant ride to Pop Century. We chat about the weather and all the storm damage that you can see. Man those hurricanes wiped them. Check in is quick and I go to my room. It is on the forth floor of the seventies building. That was a mistake it is long hike up those stairs at the end of the day. I'm unpacked by 11:00 and off to Downtown Disney.



It is busy and crowded here today. I bought some sunglasses because I forgot mine in my truck. It was dark out when I got to the car park and I didn't think about them. I also bought a Christmas hat for MVMCP that I am going to on Tuesday. The crowds frustrated me so I grab a bit to eat at Mickey D's. I share a table with an older couple and we chat about Disney while we eat.



I stroll around DTD for a while and decide to go to a movie. I saw National Treasure, loved it. The theater is huge it has two entrances and of course I go in the one on the opposite side for where the screen on which the movie is playing. I had to walk the whole length of theater to get there. LOL



After the movie I stroll a bit more. I buy some pins, which are a major expense on my trip. I stop and watch the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra play a few Christmas songs before heading over to the Virgin Record store. It is too big, totally over whelmed me.



I had dinner at Wolfgang Pucks tonight. My waitresses name was Rhonda. I started off with a Spinach and five-cheese dip. with crispy Parisian flat bread. It was delicious, the crispy bread was fabulous and the dip was just awesome. I then had a bowl of their Butter Nut Squash soup. It was a very tasty cream soup with just a hint of roasted red peppers. Yummy. My entrée was the Wolf-Fredo Fettuccine. It was very good. It had chicken in it and had a bit of a bite to it. For dessert I had the Crème Brulee sampler. It four different flavors - Strawberry, Vanilla Bean, Chocolate and butter scotch. They were all delicious.



In the corner by my table there was a TV with live feed from the cooking line and sushi bar. It was kind of cool. It switched from station to station too quickly though. You very were able to get into the flow of the line. I liked that other waiters brought your food out to you besides your waiter. It means that your food is not sitting on the counter cooling of while your waiter is busy with another table. I could have used my AP for a discount here but had not looked at the benefit booklet I got with it until later in the week. Oh well.



I head back to my resort to go to bed. I am pretty beat. In my room I shower and get my hip pack ready for tomorrow. Then watch the weather and of to bed.



Memories of my Journey



The weather was cold when I left and warm when I arrived.

The best thing about my journey was its destination.

The worst thing about my journey was not getting any sleep.

The funniest thing about my journey was the little boy dancing in his mother's arms on the plane as we were boarding.

During my journey I tried the in flight movie and the result was that it was a nice way to pass the time.

The most magical moment during my journey was pulling into the Pop Century Resort.



Memories of my room



The first impression of my room was very nice.

The best thing was everything is real new and in good condition.

The worst thing was that it was on the fourth floor.

The amenities were all the basics.

I tried breakfast at Allthings Pop and the results were decent but not great.

The most magical moment was Mouse keeping arranged my hats on the spare bed and putting Santa stitch on my bed and the towel creature.



Memories of my first day:



The weather today was sunny and warm

The best thing today was the warm weather. So much nicer than home.

The worst thing today was not getting any sleep and the crowd in DTD.

The funniest thing today was watching the little boy dancing in his mom's arms.

Today I tried Wolfgang Pucks Café and the result was a fabulous meal.

The most magical moment today was driving on to Disney property.



I walked 7.2 miles today.

I spent $159.06 today.

[boBºoº]

December 6th Animal kingdom and Epcot



I was planning to get up early to go for a jog this morning but it felt so comfy in bed so I stayed there. I got up at 6:45 to get ready to go to Animal Kingdom for extra magic hour. It is partly cloudy and looks to be a nice day.



I walk over to Kilimanjaro safari when I get there. It is always the first ride in that park. I stroll the Pangani Forest trail next. The Meerkats are not out because it is chilly and they do not like it. I then go to Camp Minnie Mickey to get my picture taken with the characters. I end up only getting one with Santa Goofy as I was going to Donald for breakfast and the lines where long. I stop and get some post cards on the way to Dinoland.



My waiters name is Neil and he asked if I want some coffee. When I decline he then offers me a screwdriver. He describes the buffet and sends me up. I am listening to him talk to the table next to me and I hear that they are from Griswold, which is a town real close to were I live. Neil took pictures of me and the characters and a couple of them signing a post card for my sister. Neil got me with the fake ketchup bottle. I like how the staff here plays around with the guests, so much fun. Neil was great at taking pictures for all his tables. Which was a challenge since all the characters were in his section at once. When Neil brought back my change there where extra ones stuck together. So I added them to his tip.



I go back over to Camp M/M to get pictures with Minnie, Mickey and Donald. I then went and had photos taken with Eeyore, Tigger and Pooh. I like all the characters Christmas outfits. After That I leave AK to go over to EPCOT.



The first ride in EPCOT is Spaceship Earth of course. I love this ride. Over to Mission Space to take a trip to Mars. I love the take off on this ride so fun. I buy some more pins. I make my way into World Showcase. Off Kilter was playing when I got to Canada. It is the first time I have seen them play. I only got to see the play one song but hope to catch them later in my trip. I watched the story tell talk about Papa Noel. Then over to great Briton and see father Christmas. I see the Daruma seller in Japan. As they do not celebrate Christmas. Their storyteller talks about their New Year traditions.



At 4:10 I got in line for the Candle Light Processional as it was half way through Japan already. Candlelight was incredible. I was wondering how they were going to do the narration. Jim spoke between the songs. He mentioned the Passion a couple of times. At the end he spoke about Jesus and his life. How he never traveled more than 250 miles from his birthplace. The audience was invited to sing along when the orchestra played Silent Night. The Candlelight Processional was sold out for the 5:00 showing, so not many people in the stand by line got in and that line was longer then our line. I can't wait to see it again on Thursday when Marlee Martin narrating. I wonder if she will do her own sighing for the show.



I am dining at Chef de France tonight. Nathalie is my waitress. I have to say I really love their France accent. For an appetizer I had the Cassole d escargots de Bourogne Aubeurre Persille. It is Burundian Escargots baked in parsley and garlic butter. It was very good. It was served in a very interesting casserole dish. It was 4 inches in diameter and had six one-inch holes in it, which held the snails and parsley butter. My entrée was Filet de Boef Grille with Salsa au Poivre Noir, Gratin Dauphinois et Haricots Verts. The Filet with a black pepper sauce was great. Potato gratin of savory were fabulous they had cheese melted on top of them and the green beans were good too. For dessert I had Fondant au Praline et a vanilla. Which is layers of praline and vanilla moose with caramelized sponge cake and strawberry ice cream. It was very good. Nathalie was very attentive and when I first sat down she asked if I was waiting for some one. I said no and she asked if it would be good if she sat with me. I said it would be better.



I bought some more post cards and found a spot to watch Illuminations from. I fill them out as I wait for the show to start. Illuminations are my favorite fireworks show, though I have not seen Wishes yet. I loved the extra fireworks added for the holidays. Very beautiful and very loud.



Mass exit from the park and back to my resort. Tomorrow is a long day.



Memories of My Second Day



The Weather was beautiful and warm.

The best thing today was the Candle Light Processional.

The worst thing was waiting for the buses.

Today I tried Chef de France and the result was a great meal.

The most magical moment today was Illuminations



I walked 12.5 miles today.

I spent $96.34 today.

[boBºoº]

Tuesday December 7th- Disney Studios and Magic Kingdom



I am up at six to get ready to go to MGM for early entry. I go down to All Things Pop to mail postcards and get breakfast. I notice that I left my sunglasses in my room. So it's back up four flights to my room then off to the bus stop.



I ride Rock'n'roller coaster first then Tower of Terror and back on to RNR again. I love theses rides. I go and see the Muppets three-D. I check out the doors to all the labs on my way to the queue. They are funny. For the most part the preshow is funny, I love Rizzo the Rat. I would say he is my favorite Muppet. I hunt down my first Mickey bar for the trip and I do mean hunted. I had a hard time finding a vender. Where is Forti when you need her? I go and play Who What's to be a Millionaire. I am in the 1st spot after the 1000 pt question but dropped to eighth at 32,000 pts. I am not even on the final board. The Second guy in the hot seat let the time run out on him on the first question. I finished fifth in the second show. On the way out of park I buy some postcards.



I am going to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party tonight and I head over there early. I enter Magic Kingdom for the first time this trip. I love the decoration and the tree is beautiful. But my eyes are drawn down Main Street to Cinderella's castle as always. I love the castle, it is my favorite icon. I go into Fantasyland to see Mickey's Philharmagic. It is a great show their best 3-D movie yet. I then ride the Haunted Mansion; I have to hang out with my ghost friends. I cross the park into Tomarrowland and ride Buzz Lightyear, they have up dated it since my last trip and it is nice again. I got a score of 110,000. I am walking toward Space Mountain and I notice that Carousal of Progress is open. Yippee, so I have to ride that. I then go and ride Pirates of the Caribbean. The new Stitch Escape is cute but not nearly as scary as Alien Encounter.



I saw a Cast Member handing out the bracelets for the party and I go over to get mine. They make your pass so you can keep it and not use it for someone else. I am hungry so I make my way to Tony's where I have a PS for dinner.



My Waitresses name is Ashley. She comes over and greets me and asks if I wand a drink. I forgot that MK is a dry park and ask for a Margarita. I get the sorry no alcohol here. Oh well water will have to do. I started with the minestrone soup and it was very good. I was not even half finished with my soup and my entrée came out. I had Spaghetti with meatballs. I was delicious as always and they give you plenty of it. I have the Tiramisu for dessert. I love Tiramisu and could eat it as my make course. I am ready to leave and Ashley seems to have disappeared and I waited for a long while before she came by again. Then it takes her awhile to get my check.



After I leave Tony's I go to the Galaxy Theater to watch the Mickey's "Twas the Night Before Christmas" show. Very nicely done. I like the way they managed the scene changes. I when to find if I could get the MVMCP pin and AP pin. I got sent to three places. Finally I was told that you could not buy them until after seven o'clock. I go up Main Street to watch the Celebrate the Season show in the castle forecourt. It is colorful and very busy, lots going on. I am waiting for NCGal and SuzyQDisney for a meet. If I had known how crowded it would be there I would have chose a different spot to meet. I saw Kristie first but having not met her before I did not know it was she. Boy did that make any sense. Suzy found me and then there was Kristie. Introductions where made. Kristie introduced her DH Chris and Suzy her Husband Glen. We talk for a few minutes. Suzy is wearing a case on her left arm. She had been hit in her car on Friday the 3rd and broke her arm. Her cast was a festive red s it fit in with the season. She is also bruised up and her feet were hurt, so she was sporting some slippers that match her case.



We decide to do some rides. We went to Haunted Mansion first. I love walking up to HM in the dark it has a different feel to it. A little more eerie. We then went and rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Suzy sits this one out and good thing it was a jerky and bumpy ride. Off to Tomarrowland with a stop to see Mickey's Philharmagic. In Tomarrowland we ride Buzz; I think I had the high score of the group with 240,000.



It is time to watch Wishes. We view it from the bridge into Tomarrowland. We did not get to hear the music to well but had a great view of the fireworks. The last ride was Pyrites of the Caribbean. Suzy and Glen are going to get their picture done. So we make are farewells. It was nice seeing Suzy again and meeting Glen. Kristie, Chris and I find a spot to watch the parade. After the parade we part company. It was great meeting Kristie and Chris; I had a blast with them all. Suzy was the first Passporter I met in person in 2002. That met went well and I think the first met you have set how you feel about future ones.



I go in search of the MVMCP and AP pins. I had to buy them in two different places. I suggest you get them early for the MVMCP pin can sell out. I then make for the bus. Our driver id great, gave us a tour of the route back to Pop. We sang two songs on the way. The last one being the Mickey Mouse Club song. It is a long climb to my forth floor room. I get ready for bed and fall a sleep.



Memories of my third day



The weather today was Beautiful, sunny and warm.

The best thing today was Wishes just awesome.

The worst thing today was learning that Suzy had been in a accident.

Today I tried MVMCP and the result was a great time a little more crowded then I thought it would be though.

The most magical moment today was being able to watch wishes with Passporter friends.



I walked 12.9 miles today.

I spent $79.80 today.

[whoSEZ]

Wednesday, December 8, 2004

Here's where she meets Prince Charming, though she won't discover that it's him 'til Chapter 3 ...

I have to start by saying that I kept terrible notes this time, so we'll see how this goes!

Lesley and I have been to WDW together four times before this trip, and we usually take the early flight. As usual, I stayed at Lesley's house the night before the trip because it's closer to the airport, so she picked me up late the night before, and I got to bed sometime after midnight. I think I got about 4 hours of sleep; Lesley got even less because she hadn't started packing yet!

Wednesday morning, Lesley's Aunt Diana arrived, and we loaded our bags into her car for the ten-minute drive to MSP. We had already checked in online, but we still needed to stop at the curbside check in to check our bags with a skycap (tip: $3), then made our way through security (where I saw someone from work, big surprise). We had plenty of time to spare, so we stopped at McDonald's for a quick breakfast (Sandy: $3.51; Lesley: $3.99). When we got to the gate, there was still a ton of time to wait, so I sat down to write a poem, because I foolishly promised I would throw some poems in my trip report. (Tara, look what you've started.)

Sitting at the airport
Waiting for our plane
Really, super happy
That there's no snow or rain.

We noticed, after sitting there for a while, that there were very few families on the flight -- for some reason, it was mostly business people. Very strange for a flight to Orlando!

The flight was pretty uneventful, and we arrived pretty much on time at MCO. Found our Quicksilver driver right away (though he had my name misspelled, and I'm sure you can guess how much that irritates a proofreader ). My luggage came right away, but Lesley's took forever -- Damilson joked that the entire NWA baggage staff had gone on break at the same time. It was so bad that NWA finally made an announcement, saying that the bags were coming, and thanking us for our patience. (Obviously, lots of people had complained by then!) Finally, we saw Lesley's bag, and Damilson went over to haul it off the conveyor.

We went outside, and much to my surprise, Damilson didn't offer to go get the car and pick us up; instead, we walked with him across the road to the lot where he'd left the car. Not a major deal, and the traffic was light so it wasn't an issue of safety, but I did have to cart my own bags. One of the reasons I like to splurge on a towncar is so someone else handles the baggage! Oh well; at least I had my wheeled suitcase.

We stopped at Publix for some groceries (mostly breakfast stuff and munchies: $35.78), and then Damilson gave us a magic moment. As soon as we crossed into Disney property, he turned on the Parks CD and we heard the Magic Kingdom Railroad announcement ("Your attention please..."). It was a very cool thing to do! Overall, our Quicksilver experience was good, and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

We arrived at Pop Century well before official check-in time (I think it was about 1:00 p.m.), and CM Bruce gave us our choice of buildings, floors, and rooms. We knew we wanted one of the 70s buildings for the location, and he found us a third-floor room near the elevators. We were in Room 6302, just two doors away from the giant Mickey phone, overlooking the foosball table and the Hot Wheels. Bruce then mentioned that there was $85.85 still due on my reservation, which I knew wasn't correct -- I had paid in full! I knew that amount was the amount of my original deposit (before the AP rates came out), and that amount was showing on the reservation sheet I had with me. Bruce made a couple phone calls and found out that I had indeed paid the $85.85 (gee thanks, Bruce), and that they would try to get it to correctly applied to my account before we checked out on Sunday. He advised that I stop back in a day or two to check on my reservation and make sure it was all taken care of. I was just glad it was only $85.85 and not a larger sum.

We made our way to the room, then called Bell Services, leaving them a tip in case they brought the bags while we went to lunch. We ate at Everything Pop ($40.85 including two mugs), then went back to the room to unpack. There was a note from Bell Services, thanking us for the tip -- a nice touch! Somewhere in there, Mousekeeping brought our refrigerator, so we unpacked the groceries and then got ready to hit the parks. MGM, here we come!

We left for MGM about 3:00 p.m., and arrived during the parade. We knew we were coming back the next day to see the parade, so we checked the schedule and found out that the Indiana Jones show was about to start. It's not a must-see for me, but I know Lesley likes it, and it was close to where we were meeting boBmouse for dinner, so it made sense to go there. After the show, we booked it over to 50s Primetime Cafe, and I was afraid we were late. There was a guy sitting there, and though I didn't really think it was Bob, I asked him anyway. Here's what my notes say:

At the 50s Primetime,
Asked a guy if he was Bob.
He laughed and said, "Uhh, no."
I felt like such a knob!

So we sat and waited for a few minutes, and pretty soon, I see this guy walking toward us, wearing a PassPorter pin. Even without that, I think I would have known it was Bob, just from the look of recognition on his face. We made our introductions, then went to check in. I don't think we waited very long, and Bob and I chatted away like old friends. Lesley didn't say much -- probably because she couldn't get a word in edgewise. (Sorry, Les!)

Little Sister Amanda was our server, and she was great! She complained that she was missing the sock hop for us, and took great delight in calling Bob "Nosey" and me "Smarty Pants." Now that I think about it, I wonder if Lesley kept quiet because she didn't want to get yelled at. The people at the table next to us were joining in all the fun, too -- and they laughed hysterically every time Amanda scolded me. One time, I asked (very nicely, I might add!) for a refill on my water when she had time, and she said something like, "I know you're thirsty, but you're just going to have to wait. I have 13 other people who need drinks too!" and the guy at the next table laughed so hard I was afraid he was going to choke. Lesley and Bob both cleaned their plates, but I didn't, and Amanda made me clear the table as my punishment. (You can bet the guy at the next table enjoyed that.)

After dinner, it wasn't quite time for the Osborne Lights, so we decided to hit a couple rides. We went to Sounds Dangerous, which always cracks me up, and then joined the herd making its way to the Lights. So beautiful!! It was a great way to start our holidays at Disney World.

After the Lights, the three of us headed over to the Great Movie Ride, and somewhere in there, Lesley and Bob ganged up on me. They both love Tower of Terror, and I hadn't been on it since they switched it from lap bars to seatbelts. I knew I wouldn't get out of it with both of them trying to convince me, so I finally agreed to ride it as long as I could sit between them and grab on to both of them. As soon as we left the Great Movie Ride, they rushed me right over to TOT -- probably knowing if they waited too long, I'd change my mind!

They assured me, while we were in line, that you can tighten the belt as much as you want, so I felt a little better but wondered if I'd still like the ride as much as I did with lap bars. As soon as we sat down, Lesley and I tightened our belts all the way. Bob, as it turns out, likes to get a little "air time" and left his loose! The second we dropped, I grabbed both of them -- I swear I had them both from elbow to fingertips, and you couldn't have paid me to let go! Before the ride, Bob had asked me if I was a laugher or a screamer, and I told him screamer. It surprised me to find out that I was actually a laugher (how could I not know this already?), so after about the third drop, I turned to Bob and said, "I guess I'm a laugher!" I loved every second of it!! The funniest part to me was feeling my right arm go higher than my left because of Bob's sick need for air time -- he was really flying! We wanted to get our photo, but the people in front of us had their hands up, and all three of our faces were completely blocked. Oh, I forgot -- there's another poem:

Somewhere during the Movie Ride,
They talked me into the Tower.
I didn't want to ride without bars,
But I laughed for another hour!

By then, we were all having such a good time that we didn't even think about saying our goodbyes; we just all hopped on a bus to Downtown Disney. Lesley is a champion Disney shopper, people ... you really all need to see her in action! She went off to all the kids' sections, getting Christmas presents for her niece, nephews, and some cousins. Bob and I went from room to room looking at t-shirts and just chatting away. Pretty soon, we were comparing itineraries for the rest of our trips, and I invited Bob to meet us on Saturday at AK, when we were meeting Angelalar's family.

Did a little more shopping, then we all hopped on a bus back to Pop Century. Lesley and I headed back to our room, where we worked on our TR notes and a couple postcards. I tried to call to set a wake-up call and was surprised to hear a live voice answering! Turns out the automated system was down, and the CM was very funny about it. She said the system had been down since she'd arrived at work that day: "I got to my desk and someone handed me pen and paper, and I said 'Huh'?"

Memories of Our Journey

The weather was: 32/cold when we left and 87/humid when we arrived.
The best thing about our journey was: being able to sleep on the plane!
The worst thing about our journey was: waiting for luggage at MCO.
The funniest thing about our journey was: there were only five families with kids on the plane; lots of solo businessmen.
During our journey, we tried: Quicksilver
The result was: So-so. Had to walk to the car, dragging my own suitcase, but our driver (Damilson) surprised us by playing the WDW Parks soundtrack CD as we entered the WDW gates.
The most magical moment during our journey was: When Damilson turned the WDW CD on and we heard "Your attention please..." as we officially arrived on Disney property.

Memories of Our Lodging (Pop Century)

Our first impression of the hotel was: Wow! And fun.
The best thing about our hotel was: price, size of room (fine for two people), service, and fun details.
The worst thing about our hotel was: didn't have record of my paid in full reservation (original deposit missing).
The amenities at our hotel were: simple but total Disney fun.
At our hotel, we tried: fridge in room
The result was: great way to save some $$$ on breakfast!
The most magical moment at our hotel was: the staff taking extra time to provide a bit of extra magic (Bruce and Megan trying to figure out why deposit was missing; bell services note when we weren't in room; Mousekeeping leaving us a towel Christmas tree).

Rooms and Views

Our room was: full of fun details (like Mickey doing the John Travolta Saturday Night Fever pose)
The view was: fun (Hot Wheels, Mickey phone, Foosball
Best feature: PRICE!
Worst feature: If we had to pick something, we'd say the size of the resort.


Memories of Our First Day

The weather today was: 87/humid and gorgeous!
The best thing today was: just being here. It had been a year for Sandy, and more than two years for Lesley.
The worst thing today was: not getting enough sleep the night before.
The funniest thing today was: Tower of Terror -- Sandy grabbing on to both Lesley and Bob and hanging on for dear life!
Today we tried: meeting Bob for dinner and a walk through the Osborne lights.
And the result was: we all had such a good time, we ended up spending six hours together!
The most magical moment today was: Hearing the WDW CD as we officially arrived on Disney property and walking through the Osborne lights.

Meals and Snacks

Breakfast: McDonald's at MSP -- Sandy $3.51, Lesley $3.99
Lunch: Pop Century food court (including mugs) -- Lesley (for both of us) $40.85
Dinner: 50s Primetime Cafe -- Lesley (for both of us) $33.79 including tip
Snacks: water (from a machine that wouldn't give change) -- Sandy $3.00
Groceries: Publix $35.78

[stretch2864]

Sounds like a fun trip so far! Can't wait to read some more...

[boBºoº]

Wednesday, December 8th MGM and WhoSez & Lesley



I had a PS for Boma this morning but did not make it. I slept until eight. RNR was down when the park was open and I did not feel like riding TOT. So I went to ride the Great Movie Ride. I stopped and got a picture with Mickey in front of the hat. He had a nice Christmas outfit on. Love the top hat he was wearing. After GMR I go and ride RNR, my favorite roller coaster in WDW. I go to Who Wants to be a Millionaire after the first show I walk right back in for another show. I made it to the hot seat. I am not as tense as I was the first time I made it to the hot seat in Sept. 2003. Though I did not do as well this time. I got the 32,000 pt question wrong. Lets say that I know the color scheme of the flag of Switzerland now.



I go to see the Beauty and the Beast show and the line is long and when they don't start loading us in at the time it says of the sheet I leave. I ride RNR again and return to B&B to go right in to sit down. I love this show so colorful and I wish the Hunchback show were sill open. I go and do the Magic of Disney Animation tour. It is different now, they have a film that you watch and you don't see any of the studios now. I liked it though I did not like having to wait for the characters to come out at the end. I waited over ten minutes and all I wanted to do was see them. So I took off. I found a spot for the Hollywood Holliday Parade. I like how they make up the car, especially Hades with the dead holly and ever greens on it. I went to ride RNR once more before dinner but it had a thirty-minute wait. On the way to the Primetime Cafe I stooped and watched the street show with the plumbers. This three man show is funny and a don't miss if you see it going on. I got pulled out of the crowd to be part of a group photo at the end of the show.



I waited outside the restaurant and it was getting close to five, the time I was to meet Sandy and Lesley. I did not see them, so I looked at the restaurant to make sure I was at the right one. It was not; I was by Hollywood and Vine. So I high tail it over to Primetime and there they were. We introduced our selves and walked to check in. We stood in the family room chatting and were seated in a few minutes. I have to say that Sandy and I hit it off right away. Lesley was a little quite but I am not sure if she could have gotten a word in edgewise anyways. Little sister Amanda was our server tonight. You know how little sisters are and she yelled at me for having my elbows on the table. I told her that I was coloring but she said that only kids get to color. I said I was a kid and she replied that it did not matter only kids under 11 were aloud to put their elbows on the table when coloring. As punishment she made my set the table. I muttered that cousin Jenn let me color last year. When we ordered our dinners, Sandy forgot to say please and little sister Amanda went "What was that?" Lesley and I made sure to say please. While Amanda was talking to another table I was listening and glanced over. She told me to mind my own business, Nosey. Our dinners came out like seconds after we ordered them. Lesley and I had the Meatloaf. Sandy had the vegetarian stuffed pepper. The meatloaf was delicious. It came with mashed potatoes and green beans. Sandy said her pepper was good too. She said it had some spiciness to it. I had ordered a chocolate milk shake and it was very thick. I could not drink it at first. Little sister Amanda came by and told us to eat all our veggies. Lesley and I finished our dinner's veggies and all. Little sister gave us a good job for that. Alas Sandy did not and she was told she had a lot of work to do. She wasn't going to have dessert, so she said she did not have to finish. I said to Amanda "I would like to take my milk shake to go, Please." She said what and I repeated myself. She said she was just making sure I said please. I replied if you had just listened you would have heard me. She brought over our grocery list and we were on our way.



We had some time before the Osborne Family Lights were turned on so we went over to Sounds Dangerous then the Great Movie Ride. We then walked through the light show, looking for hidden Mickey's and just being stunned by it all. It is so incredible and not to be missed if you are there that time of year. Lesley and I talked Sandy into riding TOT with us. She agreed as long as we let her hang on to us. I still think I have a mark on my arm where she grabbed me. Just kidding Sweetie. We had a blast on it. I am glad they got rid for the lap bars and installed suicide belts. He He



Sandy and Lesley were going to Downtown and I asked if I could tag along. They said sure. I think that Lesley got most of her Christmas shopping done that night. We looked into a few of the stores, Sandy and I chatted away. Toward the end of the night Sandy asked what I had planned for Saturday and I said I had no plans. She asked if I wanted to meet with them when they meet with Angie and her family? I said I would love to. We hoped the bus back to Pop Century and said our good nights.



Memories of my Fourth day



The weather today was sunny and warm.

The best thing to day was getting to meet Sandy and Lesley. Also the Osborne Lights were incredible.

The funniest thing today was the plumber show and the Hollywood Glee Club.

Today we tried Primetime CafE and the results were great meal with a fun waitress.

The most magical moment today was getting into the hot seat.

I walked 6.7 miles today.

I spent $44.91 today.

[whoSEZ]

Thursday, December 9, 2004


Boy, that guy looks familiar...


Stitch called to wake us at 7:30 ("No sleeping!") and we took our time getting ready, having breakfast, etc. Caught a bus to MGM at 8:45 a.m.; the plan was to catch everything we'd missed the first day and then meet Dr. Dolphin for Fantasmic and dinner.

First stop at MGM was One Man's Dream. I absolutely love that entire display, and I hope they decide to keep it open, at least until my parents get a chance to see it in January 2006. Lesley took my picture with one of the huge Walt photos -- it looks like I'm kissing his cheek.

After that, we did a little shopping (big surprise), then saw the Little Mermaid show (love it!) and I waited while Lesley went on Star Tours. It seemed like it took her a long time, but I didn't mind -- I was completely entertained by a band performing rock versions of Christmas carols. Pretty funny. We must have really taken our time that morning, because after that, it was time for lunch.

After lunch, Lesley went to get FastPasses for RnR, while I stood in line for Beauty and the Beast. I don't think Lesley had seen the new version of this show before, and we both enjoyed it as usual. There was a family with incredibly cute kids in front of us, so that was our pre-show entertainment (instead of Four for a Dollar -- toss up on which would have been more entertaining ).

After the show, it was time for RnR. On our way in, we saw a Disney security guard escorting four young men out, and he was telling them to hand over their tickets and leave the park. Not sure what all that was about, but obviously, it was something serious!

RnR is one of Lesley's favorite rides, but it's one that I will ride once per trip -- that's plenty for me. And usually, I like it. This time, we were in the second to last row, and I hated it. Blech. Yuck. Never again in the back of the limo!! We stopped to get our pictures (perfect for scrapbooking) and then headed off to find good spots for the parade.

We ended up sitting on the steps in front of the ABC Studio (next to Sounds Dangerous) -- perfect for seeing everything. We did some people watching, got some snacks, and just chatted away, enjoying the day. Pretty soon, I see this small group of people coming toward the steps, apparently meeting up with some people who were sitting to my right, and one of them looks strangely familiar. I said to Lesley, "I think I know that guy" and I kept watching him, trying to read his nametag. I literally stared at the poor guy, watching him until I could finally see for sure -- it was WillCAD! We chatted for a few minutes before the parade and waved goodbye after. A nice surprise to see him again!

I saw a familiar face in the crowd
And said his name right out loud
Turned out to be our friend WillCAD
And seeing him didn't make me sad!

The parade was the usual "Stars and Motorcars" with a Holiday twist. I think it was called the "Holly Days Parade" -- and really, the only change was the decorations on the car. Oh, and Santa made an appearance. I love the cars in this parade and got some great photos.

Next, we tried the animation tour, and we missed getting in by about ten people. We didn't have time to wait for the next tour, so we skipped it for this time and settled for the Backlot Tour instead. The most interesting part for me was seeing the Lights, Motors, Action set and all the changes they've done because of that show -- including the fact that you can stand in line for the tram and actually see the whole "Catastrophe Canyon" set straight ahead of you.

After the tour, we stopped to get our pictures with Mickey (dressed as the Sorcerer's Apprentice), then went to meet Terri for Fantasmic. We didn't have to wait long -- and as usual with PassPorter meets, I recognized her right away! What is it about PP meets that makes it so easy to recognize total strangers?

The three of us headed over to find seats for Fantasmic. The biggest frustration of the day was that we could see the first few sections were full and the CMs weren't letting us go to the next section. They insisted we go down one particular stairway, so when we got about halfway down, we picked a row, climbed over every single person in that row, and (shame on us!) went to the next section the hard way. There was a group of four women a couple rows behind us, and they'd done the same thing. Pretty soon, a CM came down and said to us, "We're not seating anyone in this section yet; you'll have to move to that section." The poor CM probably wasn't expecting a chorus of seven women saying, "There aren't any seats in that section!" The CM just held up her hands and looked at the seven of us, then walked away. We looked at the other women and just laughed -- we hadn't intended on yelling at the poor CM, but all seven of us saying the exact same thing to her probably seemed like yelling. We moved up a row so we could sit and chat with those ladies while waiting for the show, and Terri went up to get us drinks and snacks.

It turned out the four women were from California, so we talked a lot about Disneyland and WDW (they were all fans of Disneyland, and I think this was the first trip to WDW for three of them). One of them was wearing a Mall of America shirt, so we talked a bit about that. She had recently visited MOA, and she cracked us up with her story about her trip there: "We flew to Minnesota, paid for a hotel, and the first store we went to was Sears." They were great fun, and we enjoyed chatting with them. The crowd did the wave, of course, and there was a guy a few rows down from us leading a singalong. Every time a well-known Christmas song came on the loudspeaker, this guy would stand up and direct us in singing the chorus -- kind of fun listening to a big crowd of people singing "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" just because some guy got up and waved his arms at us.

After the show, which was great as always, Terri and Lesley and I went off to catch a boat to the Boardwalk area; we had a PS for Spoodles. It seemed to take a long time for the boat to arrive, but we spent the time chatting about anything and everything. We were able to get on the first boat, and decided on the way to get off at the Swan and walk over to Spoodles from there. Spoodles was new for both Lesley and me, and we both really enjoyed it! Terri was kind enough to give us a ride back to Pop Century, and somewhere along the way, we stopped for a photo op -- the people who took our picture really liked Terri's camera, so they chatted about digital cameras for a while.

Back at Pop Century, I decided to stop and see if the missing deposit had been found -- it hadn't. I explained the whole thing to a fantastic CM named Megan, who did such a great job that I asked for an address where I could send a note about her. I ended up calling my credit card, telling them the problem, and asking them to give me the dates and amounts of the "Disney Parks and Resorts" charges that I'd made in the past several months, telling them I was specifically looking for the $85.85 charge, which I knew had been the first. The guy at my credit card was awesome, giving me everything I needed. Megan then took all that info and verified it in the system, which helped when she called CRO. As it turned out, that $85.85 was in CRO's system, but it had never properly downloaded to Pop Century. MEGAN ROCKS!!! CRO told Megan they would try to force another download to Pop, and Megan promised she would call our room and keep us updated when they did.

A missing deposit
Could have had me beggin'.
What would Walt do?
He'd ask Megan!!

Megan did call our room a little later that night, saying it wasn't yet straightened out, but that she'd keep on top of it for us. When we checked out a couple days later, the $85.85 was there, marked as a "manual override" on the next day, so obviously, Megan kept with it until she was able to get it fixed.


Memories of Our Second Day

The weather today was: cloudy; sprinkled briefly; 75-ish and humid
The best thing today was: the people we met! Surprise meeting with WillCAD, the four ladies we met at Fantasmic! with Terri, and Megan at Pop Century. Also, our really good parade spot at MGM.
The worst thing today was: Sandy: RnR and blisters. Lesley: nothing. (If she had to pick, she'd say the wait for the boat after Fantasmic!)
The funniest thing today was: The woman behind us at Fantasmic! telling us about her trip to the Mall of America: "We flew to Minnesota, paid for a hotel, and the first store we went to was SEARS."
Today we tried: Spoodles.
And the result was: good food, great service! (Natalie was earning her ears.)
The most magical moment today was: Seeing the young girl who LOVED Catastrophe Canyon (she was so excited!). Also, Megan -- who did what Walt would have done!

Meals and Snacks

Breakfast: In room
Lunch: Backlot Express -- Sandy: $6.99, Lesley -- $8.60
Dinner: Spoodles -- Lesley (for both of us) $38.00 including tip (also including Terri's 20% discount)
Snacks: drinks at Fantasmic! -- Sandy (for both of us) $4.00; snacks while waiting for parade -- Sandy $4.87, Lesley $5.95; pretzel -- Lesley $3.00

[boBºoº]

December 9th Magic Kingdom and EPCOT



I go to Magic Kingdom for Early Entry. I start off riding Peter Pan. This ride is designed so well and I love the ship you ride in. Next I ride Snow Whites Scary Adventure. There are two girls that run off the ride and through the queue to ride again. They are in the same mine car as me. We are in the Doc mine car. Over to ride in a honey pot, it seems that I find something new on this ride every time. I venture in to Tomarrowland and fight Zurg. Racking up a score of 140,400.



I have breakfast at the Crystal Palace today. I ask the 100 acres boys to sign a postcard to my mom. Pooh turns it over to look at the front and smudges his signature. It looked fuzzy but it is all right because he is fuzzy too. The buffet is very good and I get my moneys worth. I love watching the children interact with the characters. The look of wonder in their eyes is incredible.



After breakfast I went over to Toontown to get a Fiery God mailer done and have a thank you card signed by the Cinderella. I struck gold as there are three princesses there today, Show White, Aurora and Cinderella. The queue was an hour long.



I strolled over to Liberty Square and ride the Haunted Mansion. I love this ride but I wish I had someone to ride with me. Maybe next trip.



I took the monorail over to EPCOT. I want to see the storytellers. Looking at the schedule, I don't think you can see them all in one day. I saw Canada's, United Kingdoms and Japans storytellers the other day. I go to France first and see Pere Noel. Instead of stockings he fills shoes with toys. Then to Mexico where their storyteller talks about the nativity and the seven pointed piñata. Over to Germany where they talk about caroling and the Christmas pickle. It's a German tradition were the parents put a pickle ornament on the tree and the children try to find it. The first to find it get an extra present. They also talk about nutcrackers and have a life size one come out for pictures. In Morocco the storyteller talks about Ramadan. Which is a month of fasting and prayer. In China it is a tale about the monkey king. Which was very fun and animated. The Italian version of Santa is a witch, who fills kids shoes like Pere Noel. The storyteller in Norway is a gnome. They live in the haylofts and love porridge and that is what the kids leave for him. I go to the American pavilion to see the Hanukkah and Kwanzaa storytellers. They were very interesting. I learned a lot about Kwanzaa that I did not know. I really did not understand the celebration and I'm glad I now have a better idea about it. When I walk out side to go to Morocco, the Fife and Drum Corp is coming out to play so I stop to watch.



I dine at the Restaurant Marrakesh tonight. Unfortunately I did not get my waiters name. He did a very good job. I start of with Beef Brewat as a appetizer. It was very good, I love the use of cinnamon in Moroccan cooking. For my entrée I had the Couscous with Lamb Shank. The lamb was so tender there was no need for a knife. The Couscous is delicious and plenty of it. The dessert with the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package was predetermined. It was an assorted pastries and all I have to say is WOW.



After dinner I get in line for the show and the line was about as long as on Monday. It is about an hour before they start letting us into the theater and the show is starting before every one is in and sitting. They let us in early on Monday but that could because it was the first show. Marlee Martin was beautiful. She was wearing a black velvet dress and her was free. She had an interpreter speak the lines of the Christmas story as she signed it. When we sang Silent Night with the choirs she sang it through signing. Her signs where grander as she did this. She introduced the family that she had help on the show "Extreme Makeover Home Addition." They were there as her guests. She did speak at the end of the show wishing us all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.



I find a spot to watch Illuminations by the Christmas tree in world showcase plaza. I did not stay for the whole show, as I am tired. I am by Spaceship Earth when the Christmas portion of the show goes of and it was loud even from there.



Memories of My Fifth Day-



The weather today was cloudy, humid and warm.

The best thing today was the Candle Light Processional.

The worst thing today was all the walking.

The funniest thing today was China's storyteller, the Monkey King.

Today I tried listening to the Kwanzaa storyteller and the results were that it is an interesting celebration and I learned that is not what I thought it was.

The most magical thing today was getting three different princesses to sign a thank you card for Courtney and Cinderella to write out a postcard for a fiery god mailer.

I walked 15.3 miles today.

I spent $84.39 today.

[whoSEZ]

Friday, December 10, 2004

"It's a whole town, you know."

I woke up early -- about 6:30. I've known Lesley long enough to know that she's NOT a morning person, so I usually get up early and take my time getting ready -- knowing she'll get out of bed when she's good and ready. She was up about 7:10, I think. I had breakfast in the room; I think Lesley ended up skipping breakfast most days on this trip.

We were at MK for the opening at 9:00, and were we happy about that!! There was nobody there! We had 0 minute waits at Pooh, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Peter Pan, Snow White, and PhilharMagic again! The second time at PhilharMagic, Lesley sat behind a very tall man with a very big hat, so she couldn't see most of the stuff happening in the center of the screen. I was glad that wasn't her FIRST time seeing that show!! (And so was she.)

Next was Haunted Mansion, which we both love, then the Christmas version of the Country Bears. Very cute! One of my earliest Disney memories is seeing the Country Bears with my family at Disneyland, so I don't care how corny it is -- I love this show. Somewhere in there (I think while we were in HM), it started raining, but lucky for us, it always seemed to rain when we were inside, and it was kind enough to stop raining while we were walking from place to place. Yayyy!

Next was lunch at Pecos Bill's -- we ended up eating lunch early most days, but since poor Lesley hadn't eaten a thing all day, I didn't mind. Lots of people were doing the same thing -- probably to avoid the rain. Big crowd!!

After lunch, we went to Pirates, where there was a bit of a line (people avoiding the rain again, we think), then we splashed through the puddles on our way to Jungle Cruise and the Tiki Room. Three more classics that I always love! After that, another first for both of us: Dole Whips! Lesley enjoyed it, but I have to admit, I didn't. I didn't even finish mine! (Where's my Mickey Bar??)

We stopped at the First Aid station behind Casey's so Lesley could get a couple bandaids (she'd partially ripped off a fingernail). We were expecting them to hand her a couple regular bandaids, but they were kind enough to give her those special fingertip ones that have "arms" that wrap around the finger and stay on a little better. Very cool!

Next was more shopping (imagine that!) on Main Street -- I bought a new Mickey umbrella, which I'd wanted to get anyway. We were scheduled to take the Jim Hill Tour at 2 p.m., so we wandered over to the meeting spot and found them. By then, the rain had become a downpour, so we didn’t actually "tour" the park with Jim -- instead, we stood near Exposition Hall, hearing some great stories about the history of the parks. Then we made our way to Tomorrowland (by the pizza place) for a few more stories, and finally, when the rain had pretty much stopped, we went over to Fantasyland and heard some interesting rumors and possibilities for what's next for MK. A fun "tour" of the park, with lots of great info!

We thanked Jim and headed back to the room for a quick break before our evening at Epcot. We relaxed for a bit in the room, got our sweatshirts, had a quick dinner (Lesley went to Everything Pop; I had a quick snack in the room), and then met back up at the Epcot bus stop.

At Epcot, we immediately went on Spaceship Earth (walk-on, of course!), then wandered toward the World Showcase. We stood for a while and watched the dancing lights in the archway near the Christmas tree -- really cool! We had plenty of time before we needed to meet everyone for the Dessert Party, so we stopped to see "O Canada" -- I think that was Lesley's first. Wow, does that movie need to be updated! Being there made me think of Donna, though -- looking forward to when I would meet them on Monday!

We were still a little early, but we decided to go to the International Gateway and meet the MouseEars folks and get checked in for the Dessert Party. I knew Jennifer and Dave would be there with Allison and Alexander, and I couldn't wait to see them again. Before they arrived, though, I saw some people I'd met at MouseFest 2003 -- including Ann and George, who I just love. I saw them coming at me and gave them both big hugs -- it was such a happy surprise to see them! I knew they'd like Lesley (and vice versa), and soon the three of them were chatting like they'd known each other forever.

Two more familiar faces I see
Walking straight toward me!
My dear ol' friends George and Ann --
I hugged them both as tight as I can!

Soon, I saw the Marx family -- yayyyy! Big hugs with Jennifer and Dave -- a quick hello to Allison, who was busy having fun with Nikki -- and then I got to meet Alexander, who is the happiest traveling baby I've ever seen. I didn't get to hold him, but I had fun watching Ann make him laugh. So darn cute.

The Dessert Party was great fun -- lots of laughs, including many at my expense, but I have brothers, so I'm used to that. At one point, I said something about looking in Toontown for a friend of mine, not knowing exactly where to meet up with her, and Lesley got in the crack of the night, "Well it's a whole town, you know." As it turned out, Ann also enjoyed teasing Deb Wills -- mostly about people asking for Deb's autograph. It was so great to chat with all of them -- and eating dessert, of course! -- while waiting for IllumiNations. Ohhhhh, and speaking of that, the extra holiday ending, narrated by Walter Cronkite and including "Let There Be Peace on Earth," was simply outstanding. And incredibly LOUD!

We made plans to meet Ann and George later in the week and said our good nights. Back at the hotel, I started thinking about our plans for the next day and realized that I was thinking about Bob for the, oh, 20th time that day. I said to Lesley, "Okay, I'll admit it. I'm looking forward to seeing Bob again." She just looked at me with this "Yeah, and?" look on her face and went back to her TR notes.


Memories of Our Third Day

The weather today was: rainy, getting colder (jeans and sweatshirts by day's end)
The best thing today was: five-minute waits!
The worst thing today was: the weather. And foot pain for Sandy.
The funniest thing today was: "It's a whole town, you know" and the entire IllumiNations Dessert Party conversation with Ann, George, Deb Wills, and Barbara.
Today we tried: Dole Whips.
And the result was: Lesley liked them. Sandy did not.
The most magical moment today was: "Let There Be Peace on Earth" at the end of IllumiNations.

Meals and Snacks

Breakfast: in room.
Lunch: Pecos Bill -- Sandy $6.78, Lesley $8.29
Dinner: Sandy -- in room; Lesley -- food court -- $7.02
Snacks: Dole Whips -- Sandy $2.98, Lesley $2.98

[boBºoº]

December 10th Animal Kingdom, Some Mousefest fun



I am up at seven and grab a banana and OJ for breakfast then to the bus stop. I see Its Tough to be a Bug. It is the first time I see some one leave the show. Their child is up set by the show. I take a walk around the Tree of Life checking out the carvings and taking pictures. I go over to where the Safari meet is meeting. I do not see any Passporter pins so I sort of back off a little nervous. I then see Dave Marx and walk over and say hi. We chat few a minutes and he gave me Mousefest guide and pin. I move around listening to people talk while waiting for us to get going. A lady walks over and says hi and asks if I was bobmouse of course I say yes. She is Ripkensnana (Carol), she introduces me to her DH Bob. He told me that I have his Passporter pin and I reply no no he has mine. We all bunch up for a picture then onto the ride. One person in our group is in a wheel chair so a bunch of us go to the wheel chair assessable safari jeep. We wait forever because there is only one of those jeeps running today. We have a great time on the two-week tour.



After the safari I decide to hang out with Ripkensnana and Bob do the hidden Mickey challenge. We meet Maggiemay, Timon Tracey and DisneyM5 and chat for a few minutes. Then we go to the meet place for the HM hunt at Tamu Tamu. I met Steve Barret the author of the HM field guide. He is a very nice guy. He gives us the HM challenge with some questions to answer to prove we have seen them. It took us a while and we did not find them all. We go to the meet place for the end of the hunt. Steve tells us that we did a good job and tells us where the ones we missed are. He gave us each a HM field guide key chain and pin. I had a great time with Carol and Bob today. We say good-bye and I go off to Pizzafari for The meet with Dave, Jenn and Alex. I see them but do not go over. I would like to say that I did not want to disturb them but that is not true. I am just nervous and chicken out. I moped around a bit after lunch beating myself up over not stopping by.



I rode Dinosaur and walk around the Tree of Life taking pictures of the carvings again. I see a Great Horned Owl out side the Flights of Wonder show and stop to hear what the CM is talking about. The owls name is Joe and is very beautiful. I go in to see the show. The tour guide is very annoying and I think the show would be better with out him.



I find a spot to watch the parade by the bridge in Africa. This is wear the parade starts and ends too. I love how they made it into a holiday parade by adding snow and garland. After the parade I join the thong of people following be hind until I see a path that goes around the Tree of Life that I have not gone down before. This one took me right up to the base of the tree and I got some great pictures. After that I jump on to the bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge. I am eating at Boma tonight.



I think the tree there is very cool with its African themed ornaments. I take a walk out on Arusha Rock to see the animals. I shop at the gift store getting a polo shirt. I then go down to Boma and check in. While I wait I check out the Christmas village they have set up by the pond next to the entrance to Boma. My pager goes off and I am seated toward the back. Paul my waiter comes by to explain the buffet and take my drink order. I eat way too much. Here are the highlights of my meal. The seafood curry stew was fabulous: I had two bowls. I had a salad with Mango Vinaigrette all I have to say is WOW. The chicken pepper pot soup was yummy. I love the desserts. I had almost one of every dessert.



It is early yet so I go over to EPCOT to watch Illuminations. I find a spot in World Showcase Plaza. You get a very good view here and have watched it here many times. The wind seems to always to blow away from here, so no smoke. It is back to the resort for the night and bed.



Memories of My Sixth Day



The weather today was overcast, rainy and cool.

The best thing today was meeting Ripkensnana and Bob and doing the HM challenge with them.

The worst thing today was the rain.

The funniest thing today was Kili Rapids with a family of nine.

Today I tried walking the trails around the Tree of Life and the result was that I got some great pictures of the animal carvings.

The most magical moment today was getting to meet fellow Passporter.

I walked 13 miles today.

I spent $189.86 today.