WDW 2007
Overheard at Walt Disney World:
"... this is Vegas for kids..."
Yeah, minus the topless revues... Then again, there's that wench auction in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. "We want the redhead, we want the redhead..." Um... wtf?
Anyway... so does that make Vegas the "Disney World for grown-ups"? And what does it say about my mental age that I can have just as much fun at either one? :D
Some of the perks I missed out on when I stayed at a hotel outside WDW last year:
* Free transportation to and from Orlando airport, and within WDW (plus they bring your luggage right to your room from the airport).
* Friendly staff cast
[Oddly enough, it's other guests that can be a problem. I overheard a few people complain about "waiting too long for a bus". I've had to go to Dulles airport from downtown DC, and would consider myself lucky to see a bus within one hour's time. Never mind trying to get from class in Rio Piedras (San Juan's college town) to my home in Caguas after 6:00 pm on a weekday. You won't hear me complaining about a 20-minute wait at Disney World.]
(ok, on with the good stuff...)
* All-you-can-drink coffee/chocolate/soft drinks at the hotel, with the purchase of a $12 mug (that's about three espresso drinks at Starbucks)
* Extra Magic Hours: if you're staying at one of their hotels, you can go on the rides at the parks for a few more hours after their regular closing time (or get in an hour before opening time)
* Pizza delivery right to your room
* Christmas in Florida, in November? Well, you can't beat not having to shovel snow...
Yeah, Santa Claus, cookies and hot cocoa before Thanksgiving...
Each park had its own tree near the entrance, and the daily parades also took on a Christmas theme. The piped-in music got old pretty quickly, but other than that, I'd say it's one of the best vacations I've ever had. Well, except for all the money I spent on pins. Why didn't anyone warn me those things were so addictive??
And except for Expedition Everest. Dude; don't even get me started on that...
Originally there wasn't much of a plan for this vacation. Just dining at a few places we were interested in, attending special events at the parks, and taking advantage of the Extra Magic Hours (yeah, I know, could I be any more vague?). But then I mentioned the trip to a co-worker... who happens to be a member of the Disney Vacation Club. Next thing I know, I have a list of must-sees so long, it spilled over to the next vacation (whenever that turns out to be)...
One thing I have to keep in mind: as long as I continue residing in a place that is this close to the airport, there is a very high probability that SuperShuttle will show up early. And as annoying as it is to wait for them, it's even worse knowing that they're parked outside waiting for you.
The inbound flight was fine. I like Southwest's new boarding process--basically, they go by the number on the boarding pass (which is the order in which passengers check in, either online or at the airport), and you still get to choose your own seat. So now it's even more of a race to get online and check in 24 hours prior to your flight. I still think it's cool... :)
As soon as we landed at MCO, "operation: spoil guests rotten" began in earnest. We were able to skip baggage claim and go right to the motor coach that got us to Pop Century. When we arrived at the resort, our room was ready. When we stopped by the food court, we discovered the refillable mugs--with unlimited refills. We learned that we can use the room key to charge purchases to our room tab--plus we can have purchases at the parks sent to the room, or shipped home. All that, and we haven't even gotten to a park yet...
Yep, I've decided that staying at a hotel outside of the Resort is just not worth it. :D
We kept hearing from a lot of people that we picked one of the best times to visit; right before the holiday rush from hell. Although we missed the Halloween party, and arrived on the last day of the Food & Wine fest (didn't see much of it); we did get there at the beginning of the Very Merry Christmas party, which was cool...
Sunday
We started the week at Epcot, trying to get to a demo from the Food & Wine Fest. No luck, though. The shortest line we found was for a demo where we'd be seated too far back to get a sample. So we opted for lunch at Cantina de San Angel in the Mexico pavilion, and did a walkthrough of the World Showcase. We would have gone to Magic Kingdom for the evening Extra Magic Hours, but we had tickets for a concert at House of Blues (Downtown Disney) that night. The headliner was Badfish (Sublime tribute band), with a couple other bands.
We weren't actually trying to go to a concert, we just wanted dinner reservations. Their website, however, isn't as user-friendly as I'm used to (though disneyworld.com itself is even worse, surprisingly). So we figured we'd go for a concert in an attempt to sneak in dinner. Still, nothing doing: the concert venue and the dining area are separate entities.
We got a quick bite to eat at Earl of Sandwich before continuing to House of Blues. The opening band was already playing--the showtime on the ticket apparently didn't include the opening act, go figure. In any case, we were tired (and bored), and the venue wasn't very comfortable, so we left before the special guest* got onstage.
[*in my day, that's what they used to call the band stuck between "opener" and "headliner". As in "better than", but still "not as good as". It wasn't always a compliment.]
Monday
Animal Kingdom had Extra Magic Hours in the morning. We quickly realized that getting up early enough to be anywhere by 8:00 a.m. is anathema when you're supposed to be on vacation. The morning EMHs were pretty much ignored for the rest of the week.
So we're off to Disney-MGM Studios; the name, btw, is being phased out in favor of Disney Studios (or Disney's Hollywood Studios). No idea where MGM is going (or why)--as is usually the case in those situations, there's a lawsuit involved. So anything with Disney-MGM on it will soon become a collector's item. Just saying...
It was difficult enough trying to find a Disney-MGM pin. Btw, this is where I started my pin collection. Yet another expensive hobby, as if I needed another one. Yes, I know the idea is pin trading, but anyway...
[I also got an album for my pressed coin collection. I only got one pressed coin at WDW, but I had a few from other trips.]
ETA: In my defense, Laitaine got more pins than I did... ;)
We went on the Star Tours ride; and I confirmed that in order to avoid feeling sick to my stomach, the trick is to *not* look directly at the screen. Which is a shame, since it also means I'm missing part of the ride. But since it's better than the alternative, it'll have to do.
Got on The Great Movie Ride; and finally saw Lights, Motors, Action. Pretty awesome show. Also caught the sound studio show (Sounds Dangerous, starring Drew Carey), the Muppet Vision 3-D show, and the Hollywood Holly-Day Parade.
Dinner was at Sci-Fi Dine-In, one of my favorite places in the entire Resort. It's indoors, yet made to simulate a drive-in theater. Pretty cool. After dinner we went to the second performance of Fantasmic (best fireworks show in the Resort, IMO).
Christmas at Disney world is more than an event, it's an experience. We spent some time at "Streets of America", watching the Spectacle of Dancing Lights... and watching at least one kid making "snow angels" on the street.
This was the park with evening EMHs, so we spent the rest of the night here. After checking that we had a resort hotel room key, we got our wristbands so we could get on the rides. With practically no wait to speak of, btw.
We got on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (cue the music). It was scary. Cool scary, but scary nonetheless. I temporarily cut off the blood circulation to Laitaine's left hand. But I was laughing when we got out, so... yeah, cool scary. Bad Scary comes later.
Tuesday
Started at Magic Kingdom: We had a reservation for lunch at Crystal Palace, and got to do the kid thing and get our picture taken with a few colorful characters...
After lunch we did some shopping on Main Street, to comply with the obligatory cliché, "my [relation] went to [destination], and all I got was this lousy [item]".
In a rare moment of connecting with some inner child I didn't know about, Laitaine bought herself one of those Mickey icon balloons.
I got more pins.
Later we went back to Downtown Disney, having finally secured a dinner reservation at House of Blues... and tickets to La Nouba. (Score two more points for Laitaine and her mad phone skills)...
Wednesday
Brief visit to the Animal Kingdom. Just long enough to walk the Maharajah Jungle Trek and see some cute big cats. Then we skedaddled to the Grand Floridian Resort for Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Lounge, and saw this amazing gingerbread house (it's actually a working shop).
We missed the evening EMHs at Animal Kingdom. Had an early night (after ordering pizza), to get ready for the gawdawful early morning next day...
Thursday
Breakfast at Whispering Canyon (Wilderness Lodge resort). Now there's an experience. That word, "Whispering", in the name? Beyond tongue-in-cheek. We got stuck with Bridget, arguably the loudest, most obnoxious server in the place.
We got a breakfast skillet that was more brunch than breakfast (refillable, like the mug...). The guy who recommended the place said that we should ask for ketchup. When we did, the guests at a nearby table walked over to us and dropped off six bottles. "Just passing it on..." they said with a grin.
So later, when another server bellowed from across the room, "HEY, WHO'S GOT THE KETCHUP??", we passed on five bottles to someone else... :)
Overheard at Whispering Canyon:
"HEY, THE HONEYMOONERS FINALLY MADE IT OUT OF THE ROOM!"
-- a server, referring to the couple he was waiting on.
By contrast, the rest of Wilderness Lodge is a beautiful, quiet place...
So what better way to follow this up, than with screams of terror... yay.
Back at Animal Kingdom, we went from Kilimanjaro Safari (which I like), to Expedition Everest (which I think I would pay not to ride again). And in retrospect, the ride isn't as bad as others I've seen. And consciously, I know they design these rides to be safe. That's part of an imagineer's job, after all. But being in the middle of it, that's not what's going through my head. What I'm thinking is omgthisflimsylapbarisgoingtoflyopenandImgoingtobesenthurtlingtomydeathsomewhereontheotherendofthepark (that's in between the screams, mind you :)
Never mind the elaborate ambience and storyline and whatnot, I was so frightened, I was unable to enjoy the ride. Besides making me feel like an idiot, it's rather frustrating. Because I can remember a time when I used to enjoy rollercoasters.
And to make matters worse, once we were out of it (and my knees had stopped shaking enough for me to put weight on them again), I realized I'd been gypped. Where was that 22' tall audio-animatronic Yeti I've been hearing so much about? In the shop?
(Trust me, I couldn't have missed it... my eyes were quite wide. Ask laitaine2004)
I woke up the next day with ugly purple bruises on my right arm, from where I had tried to grab onto the side of the car--which led to my elbow getting pretty banged up as the train banked and turned. The bruises have faded by now, but my arm still feels sore.
[ETA: Well, it did... about two or three weeks ago, when I first typed this...]
After Everest, we made our way (slowly) back to the Tree of Life, to see "It's tough to be a bug"--another one of those 3-D shows which are a must-see in our friend's book.
Then, it was over to Magic Kingdom (hooray for Park-hopping), for the Wishes fireworks show, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This is where the cocoa and cookies come in--and a second fireworks show (Holiday Wishes), and the "Once Upon a Christmastime" parade (although I'll be happy not to have to hear that song again), and more faux snow...
And somewhere in between all that, we did some more shopping (for the home), went to the Hall of Presidents, and to the Pirates ride...
Friday
Apparently there are only two resorts which have business centers. And you only get your boarding pass printed by the concierge if you're flying on a participating airline (unfortunately, Southwest is not on that list). So it helps to have friends willing to take care of online check-in for you (*waves to summerqueen*)...
[That BlackBerry is looking more and more like a really good idea...] (Yep, it was a good idea :)
Had a late lunch/early dinner at the ESPN Club (at the Boardwalk), then took the boat to Epcot and went Soarin'. Huge line on this one, though. And I think I'd like to go back and try to *watch* the thing next time.
For the next couple of hours or so, we guarded our primo viewing spot near the UK pavilion for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Then after the show, we watched O Canada (the panoramic movie playing at the pavilion).
There were Extra Magic Hours this evening, but a cold front had blown through earlier that day (or the day before?) and the cold weather seemed to chase the patrons (and cast members) away.
Plus, we had to pack... :p
So we left without seeing the other films/shows (Reflections of China, The American Adventure, and Impressions de France). Put it on the list for the next one....
[There were only a couple of pictures from Friday, but there's a video I'll try to upload sometime later...]
[Carol of the Bells, by an a capella group, at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party.]
Saturday
Downtown Disney... and guess what? More shopping...
We took the balloon with us, and eventually gave it away to a little girl sitting with her family at a table next to ours at Ghirardelli.
(We thought we wouldn't be able to take it with us, but oddly enough, when we got on the plane there was a child with a similar balloon on board...)
Then we scrapped the last visit to Epcot, in favor of just hanging out at Pop Century and taking a stroll down Memory Lane... a trail with markers for each year of the "Classic" decades, summarizing some milestones which occurred in each year. (You can see a few of these in the Photobucket album)
When it came time to board the motor coach back to the airport, we had the luggage to deal with (maybe we can fly AirTran next time...)
The outbound flight was great, though. It wasn't full, so we had room to stretch out... and it was a lot quieter than the Magical Express motor coach...
Lessons learned:
* Do some walking or other exercise--there's going to be A LOT of walking and standing around. And bring comfortable shoes.
* Do get suggestions from people who've been there; just don't expect to be able to pack all the suggestions into one vacation...
* Value resorts are your friend (especially during value season...)
* Get the Dining Plan next time...
* Park hopping is good. Hang out at one park for a few hours; take a break at a resort for lunch/snacks, or to sit down and take in the surroundings and do some people-watching (any resort will do, not necessarily where you're staying), then go to another park once you've "recharged".
* Evening Extra Magic Hours are very good. Less crowds, short lines (if any).
* Bring. Comfortable. Shoes. (obviously that cannot be emphasized enough...)
* Refillable mugs = extra caffeine (woo-hoo!)
The supermega Disney vacation photo album (photos by laitaine2004 and olotie)
Next on my reading list:
The Imagineering Way: Ideas to Ignite Your Creativity
(A collection of essays by Disney Imagineers)
The Imagineering Workout: Exercises to Shape Your Creative Muscles
"... this is Vegas for kids..."
Yeah, minus the topless revues... Then again, there's that wench auction in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. "We want the redhead, we want the redhead..." Um... wtf?
Anyway... so does that make Vegas the "Disney World for grown-ups"? And what does it say about my mental age that I can have just as much fun at either one? :D
Some of the perks I missed out on when I stayed at a hotel outside WDW last year:
* Free transportation to and from Orlando airport, and within WDW (plus they bring your luggage right to your room from the airport).
* Friendly staff cast
[Oddly enough, it's other guests that can be a problem. I overheard a few people complain about "waiting too long for a bus". I've had to go to Dulles airport from downtown DC, and would consider myself lucky to see a bus within one hour's time. Never mind trying to get from class in Rio Piedras (San Juan's college town) to my home in Caguas after 6:00 pm on a weekday. You won't hear me complaining about a 20-minute wait at Disney World.]
(ok, on with the good stuff...)
* All-you-can-drink coffee/chocolate/soft drinks at the hotel, with the purchase of a $12 mug (that's about three espresso drinks at Starbucks)
* Extra Magic Hours: if you're staying at one of their hotels, you can go on the rides at the parks for a few more hours after their regular closing time (or get in an hour before opening time)
* Pizza delivery right to your room
* Christmas in Florida, in November? Well, you can't beat not having to shovel snow...
Yeah, Santa Claus, cookies and hot cocoa before Thanksgiving...
Each park had its own tree near the entrance, and the daily parades also took on a Christmas theme. The piped-in music got old pretty quickly, but other than that, I'd say it's one of the best vacations I've ever had. Well, except for all the money I spent on pins. Why didn't anyone warn me those things were so addictive??
And except for Expedition Everest. Dude; don't even get me started on that...
Originally there wasn't much of a plan for this vacation. Just dining at a few places we were interested in, attending special events at the parks, and taking advantage of the Extra Magic Hours (yeah, I know, could I be any more vague?). But then I mentioned the trip to a co-worker... who happens to be a member of the Disney Vacation Club. Next thing I know, I have a list of must-sees so long, it spilled over to the next vacation (whenever that turns out to be)...
One thing I have to keep in mind: as long as I continue residing in a place that is this close to the airport, there is a very high probability that SuperShuttle will show up early. And as annoying as it is to wait for them, it's even worse knowing that they're parked outside waiting for you.
The inbound flight was fine. I like Southwest's new boarding process--basically, they go by the number on the boarding pass (which is the order in which passengers check in, either online or at the airport), and you still get to choose your own seat. So now it's even more of a race to get online and check in 24 hours prior to your flight. I still think it's cool... :)
As soon as we landed at MCO, "operation: spoil guests rotten" began in earnest. We were able to skip baggage claim and go right to the motor coach that got us to Pop Century. When we arrived at the resort, our room was ready. When we stopped by the food court, we discovered the refillable mugs--with unlimited refills. We learned that we can use the room key to charge purchases to our room tab--plus we can have purchases at the parks sent to the room, or shipped home. All that, and we haven't even gotten to a park yet...
Yep, I've decided that staying at a hotel outside of the Resort is just not worth it. :D
We kept hearing from a lot of people that we picked one of the best times to visit; right before the holiday rush from hell. Although we missed the Halloween party, and arrived on the last day of the Food & Wine fest (didn't see much of it); we did get there at the beginning of the Very Merry Christmas party, which was cool...
Sunday
We started the week at Epcot, trying to get to a demo from the Food & Wine Fest. No luck, though. The shortest line we found was for a demo where we'd be seated too far back to get a sample. So we opted for lunch at Cantina de San Angel in the Mexico pavilion, and did a walkthrough of the World Showcase. We would have gone to Magic Kingdom for the evening Extra Magic Hours, but we had tickets for a concert at House of Blues (Downtown Disney) that night. The headliner was Badfish (Sublime tribute band), with a couple other bands.
We weren't actually trying to go to a concert, we just wanted dinner reservations. Their website, however, isn't as user-friendly as I'm used to (though disneyworld.com itself is even worse, surprisingly). So we figured we'd go for a concert in an attempt to sneak in dinner. Still, nothing doing: the concert venue and the dining area are separate entities.
We got a quick bite to eat at Earl of Sandwich before continuing to House of Blues. The opening band was already playing--the showtime on the ticket apparently didn't include the opening act, go figure. In any case, we were tired (and bored), and the venue wasn't very comfortable, so we left before the special guest* got onstage.
[*in my day, that's what they used to call the band stuck between "opener" and "headliner". As in "better than", but still "not as good as". It wasn't always a compliment.]
Monday
Animal Kingdom had Extra Magic Hours in the morning. We quickly realized that getting up early enough to be anywhere by 8:00 a.m. is anathema when you're supposed to be on vacation. The morning EMHs were pretty much ignored for the rest of the week.
So we're off to Disney-MGM Studios; the name, btw, is being phased out in favor of Disney Studios (or Disney's Hollywood Studios). No idea where MGM is going (or why)--as is usually the case in those situations, there's a lawsuit involved. So anything with Disney-MGM on it will soon become a collector's item. Just saying...
It was difficult enough trying to find a Disney-MGM pin. Btw, this is where I started my pin collection. Yet another expensive hobby, as if I needed another one. Yes, I know the idea is pin trading, but anyway...
[I also got an album for my pressed coin collection. I only got one pressed coin at WDW, but I had a few from other trips.]
ETA: In my defense, Laitaine got more pins than I did... ;)
We went on the Star Tours ride; and I confirmed that in order to avoid feeling sick to my stomach, the trick is to *not* look directly at the screen. Which is a shame, since it also means I'm missing part of the ride. But since it's better than the alternative, it'll have to do.
Got on The Great Movie Ride; and finally saw Lights, Motors, Action. Pretty awesome show. Also caught the sound studio show (Sounds Dangerous, starring Drew Carey), the Muppet Vision 3-D show, and the Hollywood Holly-Day Parade.
Dinner was at Sci-Fi Dine-In, one of my favorite places in the entire Resort. It's indoors, yet made to simulate a drive-in theater. Pretty cool. After dinner we went to the second performance of Fantasmic (best fireworks show in the Resort, IMO).
Christmas at Disney world is more than an event, it's an experience. We spent some time at "Streets of America", watching the Spectacle of Dancing Lights... and watching at least one kid making "snow angels" on the street.
This was the park with evening EMHs, so we spent the rest of the night here. After checking that we had a resort hotel room key, we got our wristbands so we could get on the rides. With practically no wait to speak of, btw.
We got on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (cue the music). It was scary. Cool scary, but scary nonetheless. I temporarily cut off the blood circulation to Laitaine's left hand. But I was laughing when we got out, so... yeah, cool scary. Bad Scary comes later.
Tuesday
Started at Magic Kingdom: We had a reservation for lunch at Crystal Palace, and got to do the kid thing and get our picture taken with a few colorful characters...
After lunch we did some shopping on Main Street, to comply with the obligatory cliché, "my [relation] went to [destination], and all I got was this lousy [item]".
In a rare moment of connecting with some inner child I didn't know about, Laitaine bought herself one of those Mickey icon balloons.
I got more pins.
Later we went back to Downtown Disney, having finally secured a dinner reservation at House of Blues... and tickets to La Nouba. (Score two more points for Laitaine and her mad phone skills)...
Wednesday
Brief visit to the Animal Kingdom. Just long enough to walk the Maharajah Jungle Trek and see some cute big cats. Then we skedaddled to the Grand Floridian Resort for Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Lounge, and saw this amazing gingerbread house (it's actually a working shop).
We missed the evening EMHs at Animal Kingdom. Had an early night (after ordering pizza), to get ready for the gawdawful early morning next day...
Thursday
Breakfast at Whispering Canyon (Wilderness Lodge resort). Now there's an experience. That word, "Whispering", in the name? Beyond tongue-in-cheek. We got stuck with Bridget, arguably the loudest, most obnoxious server in the place.
We got a breakfast skillet that was more brunch than breakfast (refillable, like the mug...). The guy who recommended the place said that we should ask for ketchup. When we did, the guests at a nearby table walked over to us and dropped off six bottles. "Just passing it on..." they said with a grin.
So later, when another server bellowed from across the room, "HEY, WHO'S GOT THE KETCHUP??", we passed on five bottles to someone else... :)
Overheard at Whispering Canyon:
"HEY, THE HONEYMOONERS FINALLY MADE IT OUT OF THE ROOM!"
-- a server, referring to the couple he was waiting on.
By contrast, the rest of Wilderness Lodge is a beautiful, quiet place...
So what better way to follow this up, than with screams of terror... yay.
Back at Animal Kingdom, we went from Kilimanjaro Safari (which I like), to Expedition Everest (which I think I would pay not to ride again). And in retrospect, the ride isn't as bad as others I've seen. And consciously, I know they design these rides to be safe. That's part of an imagineer's job, after all. But being in the middle of it, that's not what's going through my head. What I'm thinking is omgthisflimsylapbarisgoingtoflyopenandImgoingtobesenthurtlingtomydeathsomewhereontheotherendofthepark (that's in between the screams, mind you :)
Never mind the elaborate ambience and storyline and whatnot, I was so frightened, I was unable to enjoy the ride. Besides making me feel like an idiot, it's rather frustrating. Because I can remember a time when I used to enjoy rollercoasters.
And to make matters worse, once we were out of it (and my knees had stopped shaking enough for me to put weight on them again), I realized I'd been gypped. Where was that 22' tall audio-animatronic Yeti I've been hearing so much about? In the shop?
(Trust me, I couldn't have missed it... my eyes were quite wide. Ask laitaine2004)
I woke up the next day with ugly purple bruises on my right arm, from where I had tried to grab onto the side of the car--which led to my elbow getting pretty banged up as the train banked and turned. The bruises have faded by now, but my arm still feels sore.
[ETA: Well, it did... about two or three weeks ago, when I first typed this...]
After Everest, we made our way (slowly) back to the Tree of Life, to see "It's tough to be a bug"--another one of those 3-D shows which are a must-see in our friend's book.
Then, it was over to Magic Kingdom (hooray for Park-hopping), for the Wishes fireworks show, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. This is where the cocoa and cookies come in--and a second fireworks show (Holiday Wishes), and the "Once Upon a Christmastime" parade (although I'll be happy not to have to hear that song again), and more faux snow...
And somewhere in between all that, we did some more shopping (for the home), went to the Hall of Presidents, and to the Pirates ride...
Friday
Apparently there are only two resorts which have business centers. And you only get your boarding pass printed by the concierge if you're flying on a participating airline (unfortunately, Southwest is not on that list). So it helps to have friends willing to take care of online check-in for you (*waves to summerqueen*)...
[That BlackBerry is looking more and more like a really good idea...] (Yep, it was a good idea :)
Had a late lunch/early dinner at the ESPN Club (at the Boardwalk), then took the boat to Epcot and went Soarin'. Huge line on this one, though. And I think I'd like to go back and try to *watch* the thing next time.
For the next couple of hours or so, we guarded our primo viewing spot near the UK pavilion for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Then after the show, we watched O Canada (the panoramic movie playing at the pavilion).
There were Extra Magic Hours this evening, but a cold front had blown through earlier that day (or the day before?) and the cold weather seemed to chase the patrons (and cast members) away.
Plus, we had to pack... :p
So we left without seeing the other films/shows (Reflections of China, The American Adventure, and Impressions de France). Put it on the list for the next one....
[There were only a couple of pictures from Friday, but there's a video I'll try to upload sometime later...]
[Carol of the Bells, by an a capella group, at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party.]
Saturday
Downtown Disney... and guess what? More shopping...
We took the balloon with us, and eventually gave it away to a little girl sitting with her family at a table next to ours at Ghirardelli.
(We thought we wouldn't be able to take it with us, but oddly enough, when we got on the plane there was a child with a similar balloon on board...)
Then we scrapped the last visit to Epcot, in favor of just hanging out at Pop Century and taking a stroll down Memory Lane... a trail with markers for each year of the "Classic" decades, summarizing some milestones which occurred in each year. (You can see a few of these in the Photobucket album)
When it came time to board the motor coach back to the airport, we had the luggage to deal with (maybe we can fly AirTran next time...)
The outbound flight was great, though. It wasn't full, so we had room to stretch out... and it was a lot quieter than the Magical Express motor coach...
Lessons learned:
* Do some walking or other exercise--there's going to be A LOT of walking and standing around. And bring comfortable shoes.
* Do get suggestions from people who've been there; just don't expect to be able to pack all the suggestions into one vacation...
* Value resorts are your friend (especially during value season...)
* Get the Dining Plan next time...
* Park hopping is good. Hang out at one park for a few hours; take a break at a resort for lunch/snacks, or to sit down and take in the surroundings and do some people-watching (any resort will do, not necessarily where you're staying), then go to another park once you've "recharged".
* Evening Extra Magic Hours are very good. Less crowds, short lines (if any).
* Bring. Comfortable. Shoes. (obviously that cannot be emphasized enough...)
* Refillable mugs = extra caffeine (woo-hoo!)
The supermega Disney vacation photo album (photos by laitaine2004 and olotie)
Next on my reading list:
The Imagineering Way: Ideas to Ignite Your Creativity
(A collection of essays by Disney Imagineers)
The Imagineering Workout: Exercises to Shape Your Creative Muscles