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[mattjs]

Eventually we made our way to the preshow area. They give you the option to skip the pre ride movie here. And since 95% of the people did we went with general concensus on this one and moved right to the "Hydrolator" an "elevator" that takes you down to Seabase Alpha and the ride that follows. The ride's really quick but takes you around an enormous aquarium and when you get off there's all kinds of stuff to see and do. We were really psyched to explore World Showcase though so we pretty much left right away. We'll allow more time for this next trip. Getting out was a little tricky. We wandered around for about 10 minutes looking for an exit. All the while forgetting we had to get back in the "Hydrolator". You know ... to get back to the ... "surface".

Being the crazy lefthander that I am, we decided to shake things up and do World Showcase counterclockwise. So we headed to UK where we'd ended our evening the night before. The WS pavilions are amazing and you could spend a whole day in that part of the park alone. As DF will gladly tell you, I'm an awfull shopper. I know what I want and I'm in and out James Bond style, mission accomplshed five minutes tops. In my book, if it can't be found in five minutes, it can't be found. But this ain't your hometown mall. All the shops carry items unique to their nations and the mystery of what you'll find in each is actually (hard as it is for me to admit) really fun.



[This message has been edited by mattjs (edited 10-20-2000).]

[mattjs]

I have one WS tip. If your better half wants to stop in France for a few facial products? Just give her the card and wait outside. Trust me on this one. You don't wanna know what you spent you in there. An since you're probly still working on the same $2.99 tube of Lubriderm you bought 5 years ago and only use on you face after severe, scarring, 3rd degree sunburn ... you won't understand anyhow. She'll be thrilled and that's worth every penny.

Because this was kind of a short trip we decided to skip most of te rides and movies this time. In fact, we missed a lot of things this trip in general. But we knew we couldn't even come close to seeing everything so we took a nice leisurely pace.

We wandered trough shops and gardens, nibbled on exotic foods here and there and took in every street performance we cam across. There are lots of hidden spots and incredible themeing worth seeking out. We explored awhile and then we got our only rainfall of the trip.

[mattjs]

When it rains in Florida it RAINS. CATS & DOGS. But the nice thing is it never lasts. You can pretty much count on it being over within a half hour so we dashed over to the American Pavilion and into the little shop. I love the US flag so I loved this place. I coulda bought the whole inventory so we hada to get outa there before our savings were ireperably harmed. The rain kept coming and the place was getting crowded so we moved into the pavilion itself to wait for the next show.

It's nice in there and we walked around for 10 minutes or so till the preshow started. The preshow singing group is new I think and they do a jazz acapella thing. We remembered there being more of a patriotic flag waving group with period costumes in there in the past. They were good but we liked the old group better and thought they fit in more but I suppose Disney just wanted to change it up a little. Next it was on to the show.

It seems like most people really like this show so I guess maybe it's just us. But we thought it could be better. Admittedly my over top sense of patriotism doesn't exactly make me an objective viewer. But this supposed to be the American Showpeice at Epcot. I was hoping to shed a tear of pride or two and leave with a charged, glowing, inspired, thankful feeling for how lucky we are to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Didn't happen for me in there. And we thought the original music around the parks and for Tapestry of Nations and Illuminations was so emotional and uplifting. And yet the music for this show was remarkably weak. The way I see it there's a simple formula for this sorta thing You open your wallet, Speilberg directs, John Williams writes the score and you sit back and watch the flags fly of the shelves after the show. Feeew! Alright, I'm done. That's my last comlaint all trip. Promise. I'm sure there're people reading who think I'm nuts on this one. And I will say the animatronics are very cool. But we just thought it could and should be better. Nuff said.



[This message has been edited by mattjs (edited 10-20-2000).]

[mattjs]

We got out of the show and sure enough the rain had stopped so we coninued our tour through China and Norway and Africa and evertwhere in between. Touring WS is definitely another of our highlights and we'll allow more time for this next trip. There's just so much to see with all the rides and and movies and street performances. We spent the afternoon and evening there and felt like we only touched the surface of what there was to see and do. Especially the eating cause there's something mouthwatering in every nation you pass.

We ended in Mexico which is a great one. I had forgotten what a great setting it is in there. The gift shop is a street market scene and it's next to a small "outdoor" cafe. And what a casual, fun, romantic spot for dinner that is. There's a glowing volcano in the background, a high, high ceiling with a believable starlit effect and a lazy river flowing by which the boat ride (the ride in the pavilion) passes. We really wished we had planned for a dinner here. Next trip for sure.

We left Mexico and it was sad we'd come to the end. Everytime we finished something like WS or left a park it was always a little sad cause we were one step closer to home. Maybe they'll add more nations someday. We hope so cause we loved this part of WDW and could spend a week there alone exploring and eating and drinking our way around the world.

[mattjs]

By now it was maybe 6:30 or so and we decided to head out and make our way back to WL. We strolled by Test Track on the way but it was (surprise) broken down so we'd have to try and catch it another day. We took the Monorail back and our way past the Grand Floridian we decided to jump off and take a look around. For our own taste, we prefer WL but there's no mistaking GF is a beautiful resort and I'm sure we'll give a try at some point. We walked out to the spa, then in the other direction to the marina and hopped back on the Monorail to Comtemporary and the boat to WL.

We had a 9:00 PS at California Grill. I had read so many incredible reviews and we REALLY wanted to make it but it wasn't meant to be. After a whole day in the parks we were kinda dragging and in the spirit of our layed back WDW attitude a soak in the hot tub and room service on the balcony was much more enticing. And that's what we did. Room service on the balcony with the rush of Silver Creek Falls below and the decoratively lit resort boats painting the lake in lazy patterns. What can I say. The place is magic...

AK tomorrow...

[This message has been edited by mattjs (edited 10-20-2000).]

[Aerobics]

Matt,

I'm really enjoying your trip report. Unfortunately, I've been *so* busy here at work and studying for my upcoming actuarial exam (in 2.5 weeks---yikes! ), and so I'm glad that you're still posting yours.

It's so nice to "see the World" through others' eyes--perhaps you see something that we didn't notice cuz we were in a hurry, and vice versa. It really makes you feel like you're filling in "the missing pieces."

So, keep em' coming...and I PROMISE to have another installment of the NASTEE (maybe even 2) up by the end of the weekend...

fingers crossed

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Somebody call IX-I-I!!!

Wilderness Lodge/All Star Music--September 2000

Hey Matt!! I asked him and he refused to even talk about it - too upsetting! Personally, I'm still recovering from the umping LAST season against NY (you know the game...) I am loving your trip reports and am insisting my DH read them if for no other reason than to prove that men do plan things. 10 days, 15 hours and counting!

[Cruella]

I know exactly how you feel about the World Showcase, Matt! It's like you get to see a lot of the world in such a little time, but you could spend a day in each country exploring everything they have to offer. And that's not even with talking to the CMs who can give you so much info on their countries! It's a wonderful place!

Keep posting! We leave in 4 days and I hope to read as much as I can before we go!

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Cruella ºoº
"...where the young at heart, of all ages, can laugh and play and learn, together!"

Cruella

[mattjs]

Part 2: The Parks and all the rest and so forth and so on

Chapter 3:...Early to bed, early to rise…


Up-an-at-em 7:30 this morning!!! Ugh!

I could go to bed at 3:30 in the afternoon and you know what? 7:30 is still too early to get up on vacation. That is ... unless you're at WDW. And then you stumble over to the balcony, slide open the door and let Disney wash over you like the fountain of youth it is.

Every night for us was Christmas Eve. We’d break out the PassPorter and the maps for the next day and oohh and aaaah about all the stuff we hoped to do. And every morning was Christmas morning. We couldn’t get dressed quick enough to get downstairs and see what Mickey had in store.

Today we were headed to Animal Kingdom so we got our coffees and pastry at Roaring Forks and headed out.

We caught the bus and had a great ride. By that point my dislike for the bus had completely melted. That’s cause, as with everything at WDW, there’s no comparison to the real world. It came on time. Everyone was all grins and laughing. It came on time. And all our drivers were friendly and helpful (a big change from the salty dogs we ride with around the City). But mostly...it came on time.

This morning we made quick stops at the Poly and GF to grab a few more beaming riders and then we flew out to AK.

I’d read mixed reviews for AK before we left. Some people loved it, some people didn’t like at all and A LOT of people were so, so.

Well, maybe cause our expectations were low, or we were blinded by Disney, or maybe we just like the underdog? I don’t know? But we had a GREAT day there. Granted, it didn’t take us a whole day to do it but was maybe our favorite park the whole trip. Of course, it’s actually impossible to rank the parks cause it’s their uniqueness that makes them so special. Like apples and oranges. But we loved this park. From the moment we entered we felt transported to another world. It was amazing!

Right from the start there are incredible animals in plush rainforest settings. And when we finally made our way to the bridge and the Tree of Life we were already thrilled with the day we’d had. The themeing is incredible and the animals add a touch of reality and unpredictability that you won’t find anywhere else at Disney. One of the great things about WDW is the diversity of experiences available. And with that in mind, we think AK is a fantastic addition.

We decided to ride Dinosaur first. As usual no wait at all and we made our way right into the pre-show area. The pre-show is good. Sets up the story line and allows you to become part of the plot. Let your mind go on this one and, like Alien Encounter, you’ll have a great experience. I’ve read that the Indiana Jones version of this ride at Disneyland CA is much better. I’m sure it is but I can’t imagine how. I won’t give anything away except to say, keep your eyes open the whole time and you’ll be blown away. Litteraly

We got off this one laughing so hard. We’d just gotten the pants scared off us and we laughed all the way over to Kilimanjaro Safari.

On the way we passed a woman holding a huge lizard. It was so cool. She was stroking it’s head. And it moved back and forth in her arms checking out the gathering crowd. It was great. She asked if anyone wanted to touch him and no one in the nervous crowd volunteered. So DF pushed me right out there and she brought it over. I inched forward, and just as I was about to touch the thing the girl says “It’s a Komodo Dragon”. And the guy next to me jumped back and somehow (I have no idea?) I also happen to know that the Komodo Dragon is BAD ... NEWS. And the split second I realized she was holding a fake…was a split second to late

My brain heard Komodo Dragon...immediately rifled through it’s rolodex of “potentially deadly animals not to be touched”...took one look at where I was going with my arm...and had already determined me unfit to handle the situation. So, on autopilot I reflex jumped back like I was bit by a snake, tripped over my own feet, windmilling my arms the whole way in a desperate effort to stay vertical and hit the sidewalk in a ridiculous flailing heap. Good fun for all! Especially DF who would spontaneously chuckle about it all day. She'll get hers It was all in good fun though.

And the women had the “dragon” for sale at her cart so we had one shipped back to WL for DF nephew. In fact, I think everyone there bought one. Guess I put on a good show. Before we gave the thing to DF nephew we tried the routine out in the city and it worked. So much fun to watch peoples faces. This thing looks REAL.

Anyway, when we got to Kilimanjaro there was a 20 minute wait. This was our longest of the trip so no big deal. We meandered down to the loading area and then were off on Safari. This ride was A LOT of fun. The CM spiel is a little over the top maybe but that’s part of the whole WDW experience. I don’t even think we got to see as many animals as others I’ve read about but we still loved it. It’s the unpredictability that makes it so great. It’s like watching a sporting event versus watching a sit-com. Both can be great, but only the sports event has the true unscripted, unpredictability that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You never know what you’re gonna get and that makes it so much more special when something incredible happens. We can’t wait to get back on this one. Now, all that said there is one really painful moment on this ride. Towards the end when the CM is the standing by the poacher’s truck covering it with a rifle? That’s were the already stretched “spiel” spun completely out of control. I REALLY like to let myself go with the ride storylines cause I think it’s a big part of WDW. But this was too much for even me. I wanted desperately for that CM to drop the rifle, get in our car and say “OK that bit didn’t really work did it?”. Anyway, that’s a small complaint for a fantastic little safari experience.

On the way off you end up right at the entrance to Pangani Trail. We were a little undecided about this but a couple of people who had already done it said it was great so in we went. And I have one word of advice on this one. Don’t even think about skipping it! Same goes for Maharajah Jungle Trek over in “Asia”. These trails are a big part of the AK experience and we thought they were awesome. Without a doubt the best Animal exhibits we’ve ever seen. The themeing is spectacular, the gorillas exhibit was incredible and the other exhibits you see are just as cool as well. One tip though. If there’s a wait for Safari, consider getting a FastPass and walking the trail first.

When we finished (maybe 45 minutes for the whole trail) we decided to make our way over to Kali River Rapids. As with the entire trip, we were really slow and admired all of the themeing and vantage points along the way. It’s a beautiful park and we think the Tree of Life is WDWs greatest achievement to date. It has an almost lifelike feel about it. It’s majestic, and wise, and protector of the animals and the park. The animals carved on it’s trunk are amazing and they almost seem as though they'll come to life and tell you there story. And at WDW that wouldn’t be entirely out of the realm…

Next we walked the Maharajah Trek. It was just as good as Pangani Trail so again, don’t miss it. There are tigers and all kinds of amazing animals.

When we finished there we got on the Rapids. The queue for this ride seemed really long and a little confusing at times. But we finally made it to the platform, boarded a raft and floated out into the jungle. This is a fun, wet ride. There’s a compartment in the middle to throw items you don’t want to get wet and that seemed to work fine. I had put the camera in a little ziplock just in case but it wasn’t necessary. The long and short of this ride is this: there’s one spot where 2 maybe 4 seats get REALLY wet. As in soaked. And because the ride floats and spins on it’s own there’s no way of knowing beforehand which seats it’ll be. We were those seats and we got drenched Mostly just the backs of heads, shirts and shorts but drenched nonetheless. We wanted to get wet though so we were psyched. We figured, if you’re gonna ride it you may as well get the full experience. And it was mid day and hot by now so we dried off pretty quick..

Next we went over to see Tough to Be a Bug. We think this is the best of 3D movies at WDW. It’s also the most frightening though and I don’t think I’d bring small children in there. In fact, I know a few adults I wouldn’t bring in there. It’s loud and dark, and there’s one brief period that’s particularly scary. There’re A LOT more laughs than scares though and the gags keep coming right to the last second. It’s a great one and you get to wind your way in around the Tree of Life which is worth the walk in of itself. It’s a great queue.

At this point it was probly around 1:00 and we decided to head out. We wanted to see the show but we were ready to go. So over the bridge to reality we went and back out to catch a bus. When we got outside we decided to take a trip over to Disney Downtown and since I knew this involved changing busses at least once, we opted for a cab that was sitting out in the parking lot. I think the fare ended up being maybe $10 or $12 and it was worth it to us to have a quick easy trip.

We had lunch at Wolfgang Puck express which we weren’t too impressed with. Got the pizza and it wasn’t too good. Maybe we should have gone with something else like a sandwich. The beer was good though and hit the spot and then we headed over to the biggest Disney Store on the planet and did a little shopping. Finally, we caught another cab back to WL to relax a little and take a swim before heading out to dinner at Narcoosees and an MK fireworks cruise...




[This message has been edited by mattjs (edited 10-23-2000).]

[Cinderbrella]

You had me rolling with your Komodo Dragon story, Matt!! I had a student a couple of years ago who was crazy about them. It sounds like you handled the situation like a real trooper!! I hate to think what you have planned for your DF!! Your description of the AK is wonderful- can't wait to see it in 19 days!! I know what you mean when you talk about childhood memories at the park. I remembered the smell of the waterfall in the atrium at the Poly. It still smelled the same when I returned in '94 with my DH. The WL sounds beautiful; can't wait to check it out. Looking forward to your next report! By the way, I'm a huge Tribe fan and Game #3 against Boston last year is still sadly in my memory. OUCH! I'll root for you guys any day over the Yanks, though!

[mattjs]

Part 2: The theme Parks and all the rest and so on and so forth.


We got back to WL around 3:30, took a quick swim and changed up for dinner. We ordered a cheese plate from room service to snack on. It must’ve been some pretty good cheese cause it came to $50 with the tip. We were just hoping for a tray of cheddar cubes and a glass of wine. What we got was a mound of 4 different incredibly rare and incredibly blue, blue cheeses. My fault for just picking up the phone and ordering the thing without researching it first. Moral of the story: don’t get the cheese plate unless you’re a real cheese aficionado. It worked out for the best though cause we had a 6:20 PS at Narcoosees over at the Grand Floridian. And we didn’t really need to spoil our appetites.

Took the boat to Contemp and then the monorail to GF. Here I have a request. I can’t remember what the Monorail voice guy says in Spanish about the “closing doors” but I wish I could. We tried the whole trip to memorize it and never quite got it down. If anybody remembers I’d love to have it. Want it in Spanish though not the english translation.

We got to GF and walked through the lobby and out past the pool. Narcoosees is actually detached from the main hotel building and sits out on the water with a great view of MK. It’s a roundish building with a boaty feel and windows all around so every table has good view. We got a cold Lobster appetizer that was great. Scallops that were cooked to perfection (that is to say not overdone like they often are) and a Filet that was melt in your mouth and as good a piece of beef as we’ve ever had. Granted we haven’t eaten many places at WDW but Narcooses got our perfect 10 score for the trip. The food was top notch and the atmosphere and view were superb. Of course our scoring will have to be adjusted over time as we do more Disney dining. By the way, Rose & Crown actually got a 9.5. The food was nothing spectacular and certainly not deserving of anywhere near a 9.5 but the atmosphere on the outside patio for ToN and illuminations is legendary. I’d eat dog food to be outside there. Artist Point got a 9. The food there was also top notch but we felt just slightly (and I mean ever so slightly) below Narcoosees. I think we would have given it a 9.5 because of the spectacular WL grounds and lobby. But since we were staying at WL that didn’t carry much weight for us. Also, I don’t think I mentioned this before but Artist Point has an amazing wine list. We’re not real big wine drinkers but we do know a bit about it. And the AP wine list is one of the best I’ve seen.. So if you’re into wine you’ll love AP for that reason as well.

When we finished dinner we walked around the corner to the GF marina to meet our boat for a fireworks cruise. The lifeguards take these cruises out and we met our guy down on the dock. He was just finishing up a few odd jobs and sent us over to the snack place to pick up a few things if we wanted. I got a couple beers and when we got back he was ready to go. This was a great night right from the start. Before we got over there I was a little worried we might get a driver who was too formal. But our guy was very cool. He was a lifeguard at GF and very laid back. We cruised around the lake and lagoon and talked to him about WDW and what it’s like to work there. He loved his job and you could tell he meant it.

It was dark now and the lights of the resorts were sparkling off the water. We made our way around the lake and he told us a couple tid bits about the area. That the lagoon was actually an MK parking lot at one point. The lake by WL and Fort Wilderness is a natural body of water and has been there from the start. But it was only later (I guess when they put the Poly in) that the parking lot was flooded to become Seven Seas Lagoon. Also, the wave machine at Typhoon Lagoon actually used to sit in Seven Seas and send waves rolling up Poly shoreline.

Eventually, we pulled up in front of MK and drifted a few minutes waiting for the fireworks. Which were absolutely spectacular flaring off the water. After the show we moved into position to see the Electric Water Parade up close and personal. This is a fun little show and the flag bit they do was awesome. I got a great panoramic shot of the the stars and flags that now hangs at work. Finally we were dropped off at the WL marina which was incredibly convenient. A fireworks cruise makes for a nice trip back from GF to say the least We just had the 2 of us but I think the boat will hold up to 8 or 10 people so the whole family can take one boat. We highly recommend it.

We got back to WL and it was back in the pool for another swim, soak in the hot tub and then off to bed. Tomorrow was our last full day and we wanted to be up early. So very, very sad But by now we had already decided to be back SOON so it wasn’t as depressing as it could have bee.

Back to MK and Future World at Epcot tomorrow...

[HiddenMickey]

I just love your report. You guys did so many special little things and really took advantage of the magic of Disney! Also, thank you thank you...for you helped me solve the mystery of the blank photos on one of my rolls of film from WDW. The pictures were of the Electic water pagaent that didn't come out. I could not figure out what was missing from my film until you said you took pictures ! -HiddenMickey

[mattjs]

"Por favor mantengan se alejado de las puertas"

Yes!

Now I can't stop saying it though...

[mattjs]

I'll finish this soon. It's just I'm not so anxious to relive the leaving Disney part. It was traumatic enough the first time

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Por favor matengan se alejado de las puertas

[tinkerose]

Your report is fantastic! The fireworks cruise sounds wonderful (and romantic with just two of you). It's on my list for a future trip.

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tinkerose