Two "Grownup Girls" on First December Trip Ever
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**cindybelle** · 12-13-2005, 09:47 AM

Flew in Monday morning (Dec. 5) and flew home Thursday afternoon (Dec. 8). My pal is NOT a Disney person, so I didn't want to press my luck by asking her to stay longer. Turned out just great.

First time using DME. We hadn't received our luggage tags before leaving St. Louis, but no problem--when we got to Orlando airport, we checked in at the DME desk, they found us in the system (I had called beforehand, to make sure of that), we handed over our airport luggage receipts and described our bags. Then we boarded the bus for CSR, which my friend found utterly beautiful (would I choose anything else?). We checked in, discovered the scooter I had ordered wasn't going to arrive until 4:00, so we opted to head to MK without the scooter. (My toes hurt a lot that night and the next morning, but who cares? I was at WDW!) We got to the park around 2:00.

Kathy had last seen MK about 20 years ago, when her daughter was little. She was amazed by Mickey's PhilharMagic, which we experienced again later in the day. She kicked my butt on Buzz Lightyear (which I had done much better on in May--go figure!)

Kathy won't ride roller coasters, so I enjoyed Space Mountain by myself. But she was pleasantly surprised by It's a Small World - she said, "It's not nearly as obnoxious as I remembered it!" (High praise, indeed.) We both have such fond memories of Haunted Mansion that we absolutely loved visiting it together. I managed to get her on Goofy's Barnstormer. The crowds were heavy, but the wait times were reasonable, about 10-15 minutes. I spent quite some time inside the castle's collectibles store, where I had two items shipped home and obtained a list of my favorite items -- I can call them anytime and order them. We caught some of the SpectroMagic parade while we downed a couple hot dogs, then called it a day. We were tuckered out!

Tuesday was spent at Epcot, where Kathy marveled at Soarin', which we rode again later. Turtle Talk with Crush has certainly become popular since I saw it in May--probably our longest wait of the week (about 20 minutes). Whenever I heard people wondering if they should see it, I told them it's a MUST DO. Dory is now a permanent fixture in the show.

Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Circle of Life film, Living with the Land, Universe of Energy, half of Mission Space (I just couldn't do it, and Kathy was definitely not going on it.) We just grabbed some popcorn to get us through the early afternoon, then headed through World Showcase. Kathy has been to Europe several times and expected to find this "cheesy," but she was blown away. She found so many of the buildings authentic looking, she couldn't believe it.

We had a 4:30 ressie at Le Cellier as part of the Candlelight Processional package. Good food, and good conversations with married couples near us who come every year. The concert (with Cicely Tyson narrating) was truly awe-inspiring, and both Kathy and I had tears in our eyes when it was over. I purchased the CD (with Phylicia Rashad narrating), which I've now listened to about 5 times in my car).

The holiday lights at Epcot were absolutely beautiful, synchronized to music. We had the best time, walking under them.

Wednesday, I took Kathy to my favorite park, and a place she's never been: MGM Studios. It quickly became her favorite also. I already knew she wouldn't get on TOT or R&RC, so I did those by myself (finding some new buddies along the way) while Kathy enjoyed the architectural details all over the street. Then we went through the Animation building together.

Time for our 11:30 dining experience with a Disney Imagineer. My favorite restaurant is the Brown Derby, and while we enjoyed the atmosphere and the conversation with four other fans, the imagineer was disappointing. Kevin Thomas is a nice guy, a graphic designer who makes a lot of the signs you see inside attractions. But he didn't know the answers to any of our questions about TOT, the safari ride, or other attractions. I would have rather dined there on our own and had the entire menu to choose from, plus we wouldn't have spent 2-1/2 hours over lunch. Oh well--live and learn. I had requested Theron Skees. Even on that morning, no one could tell me who our imagineer would be. Disappointing. Food & service were excellent. The commemorative plate is nice, but I'm not sure I want to take up that much space in my Disney room for an item that I regard as a sham. Oh well--it was the only disappointment of the trip.

We spent the afternoon enjoying Star Tours (twice), getting our pics taken with Mike & Sully, seeing the Muppet show, looking at footprints at the Great Movie Ride, One Man's Dream, etc. We rarely waited more than 5 minutes for any attraction, which was GREAT. Kathy was very impressed.

I had booked a 5:30 ressie at Sci Fi Dine In, and was glad I did. We were just a little hungry, so had salads and split a shake while we enjoyed the surroundings. What a hoot. Surprised that they don't serve burgers at dinner.

Then we got to Fantasmic about 10 minutes before it started, and lucked out with two seats on an aisle. Kathy was blown away by this show. (I was feeling pretty smug by this point, since she's always slamming my fascination with all things Disney.) The weather was perfect the entire day--overcast, about 65 during the day and about 55 at night. The Osborne Family Lights are beautiful--we loved them, and agreed we would always picture them whenever we hear "Jingle Bell Rock."

Thursday morning, we just had time for two jaunts on the safari ride at AK, then stood in the rain for my requisite pics with (Santa) Goofy, then got a few looks at the Tree of Life and experienced It's Tough to be a Bug, which Kathy proclaimed the best scripted 3-D show of the trip. We had to be back at CSR by 12:15 to catch our DME ride to the airport. Perfect, absolutely perfect.

I can see why some people make an annual trip in December. While Kathy isn't convinced that WDW is a place for multiple visits, I am more convinced than ever.

As Crush would say, "Rock on, dudes!" [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img]

auntread · 12-13-2005, 10:16 AM

thanx, cindy. what a perfect little trip for two friends.
you were very thoughtful of Kathy's feelings and i'm glad to hear that you were able to impress a "skeptic"