Michelle's Spring Break Trip @ Contemporary
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michnash · 03-31-2001, 02:05 PM

Woohoo! That sums it up. I finally made myself sit down and start my trip report. I am really glad I did. It brings back such nice memories. I'm glad I am documenting my trip while it is fresh in my mind. I hope you enjoying reading it.

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Michelle
Soul-mate of Pooh.

July 1976 - off site
May 1984 - off site
June 1987 - off site
May 2000 - All Star Movies
Dec. 2000 - All Star Movies
March 2001 - Contemporary Resort

michnash · 03-31-2001, 02:07 PM

Who? Michelle (single mom, 34) and Todd (her son, 8), Mamaw (Michelle’s mother, 65), and Papaw (Todd’s hero, Michelle’s dad, 66)

Day 1-2 March 9-10, 2001
The Road Trip, or “I’m late, I’m late! For a very important date!”
I took the day off today to frantically begin (yes, folks, I said begin) to pack! I will never, never wait until the last minute again. Scout’s honor. I was determined to have a clean house to come home to, so I cleaned house and packed all day. I was also preparing my dog and cat for our absence. Luckily, I have a wonderful neighbor who agreed to take care of my pets. (That saved me $250 for a kennel!)

Finally, we were ready to go at 4 p.m. However, I would later discover that I left my cameras at home in the rush to go.

(I may have subconsciously wanted to leave them, since I dislike carrying cameras and viewing my vacation through a camera lens. But, I love to have pictures…so there’s my dilemma.) My son and I drove to pick up my parents, who live about 6 miles from us. We loaded the van with luggage, walker, cane, and wheelchair! Oh, yes, and passengers, too. My parents are both able to walk, but neither one very well. My dad suffered a major stroke three years ago and my mother has severe arthritis and bursitis in her knees and is overweight- a bad combination.

I am the only person able to drive in our group, so the trip is a long tiring one. I have decided I would like to fly my next trip. The gas for the trip cost about $100.00, plus two hotel nights at about $75.00 each. That’s not bad for 4 people. But when it’s just my son and I, it would cost about $400.00 for both of us to fly. To me, that’s worth the money.

We drove to Shreveport, LA and started looking for a place to stay the night. HINT: Make reservations for hotels ahead of time. We continued to drive and look until we got to Baton Rouge. We stayed somewhere between there and New Orleans. We finally were forced to take a smoking room out of exhaustion! Everywhere we stopped, and we stopped at many places, only had smoking rooms available. At this hotel, after inquiring about a room, the desk clerk informed us that the only rooms available were smoking rooms. I guess she saw the look of disappointment on my face and I hesitated to answer, because she quickly added, “But you don’t have to smoke in it, just because it’s a smoking room!” I can’t believe she said that and was serious. Lol.

I reluctantly agreed to take it. We didn’t rest well that night, and I did smell the smoke. But I was so tired I probably would have slept on the ground. We were on the road again around 8 am, which is 9 am Disney time. (We don’t enter Eastern time until Florida.) We passed the time by playing travel games and listening to Harry Potter on tape. We also listened to all of my Disney CD’s along the way. The road from Dallas to WDW is a boring one. There aren’t many sights to see. We managed to get to Tallahassee that night and stopped around 11 pm. That was a long day of driving for me! Again, we had trouble finding a hotel with a room available. We could feel the Disney excitement growing after we crossed into Florida!

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Michelle
Soul-mate of Pooh.

July 1976 - off site
May 1984 - off site
June 1987 - off site
May 2000 - All Star Movies
Dec. 2000 - All Star Movies
March 2001 - Contemporary Resort

[This message has been edited by michnash (edited 03-31-2001).]

[This message has been edited by michnash (edited 03-31-2001).]

michnash · 03-31-2001, 02:20 PM

Day 3, March 11, 2001
The Arrival, or “Wow!”
While loading the van the next morning, I met a nice lady from Wisconsin. I, of course, shared my enthusiasm for the PassPorter and I gave her one of the “tickets” from the back of the book. I hope she decides to join us online.

My last trip to WDW was only a couple of months ago, at Christmas. We stopped at the Disney Information Center in Ocala on that trip and we stopped there again this trip, too. There is also a Sam’s Club in the same center and we stopped to get snacks for the trip there. We got to Ocala around lunchtime and stopped for exact directions to the Contemporary. We picked up maps and schedules for shows and hit the road again! We only went across the parking lot to the Sam’s Club. We got snacks and my son a toothbrush. (However, if you know Sam’s Club, you can’t just get a toothbrush. You have to get many toothbrushes!) I really meant to get a package of disposable cameras, but alas, in my excitement I forgot this item. I’ll pay for that mistake later.

We’re on our way again! We’re almost there! By the way, the weather when we left wasn’t wintry, but it was chilly all the way there, in the 50’s. But, when we got close to WDW, the weather magically turned to upper 70’s low 80’s and gorgeous!

We arrived at the Contemporary around 4 pm Eastern time. WOW!! The service was awesome! A nice young man met our car and unloaded all of our luggage, etc. and put it in the holding room and valet parked our van. I tipped him and we proceeded into the lobby. I loved the atmosphere! It reminded me of what we always imagined the future to be when I was a little girl. I almost expected the Jetsons to fly in! I waited in line to check in about 5 minutes. Joey, (the CM), helped me check in and he was very patient and kind. I had requested a balcony with a view of the Castle. (We had a tower room.) We also requested a handicap accessible room. Joey informed us that we would get everything we asked for! (Wow, what a man!) However, we would have to wait for the room to be cleaned. I was more than happy to wait! A Castle view!! I was so excited! We went up to the 15th floor to the observation deck. Wow! What a view! I didn’t realize you could go outside. That was really neat. I was dying to go to the Magic Kingdom! We went back down to the Snack Bar and waited for our room. We all purchased the refillable mugs and snacks.

Finally, our room was ready! Our room was on the 10th floor. We had the last room, which meant it was closest to the Magic Kingdom! Wow! (Did I say that already? I need to come up with another interjection!) Wow! What a room! I love it! It was so big! (I had only stayed at the All Star Movies before this.) The bathroom was large and handicapped accessible, which meant it had bars on the walls and no door separating the toilet from the tub area. We had a large balcony with a breathtaking view of the Magic Kingdom. I adored the “futuristic” décor in the room! Everything was “curvy” and had wild prints.

We called for our luggage. They would bring it up in about 15 minutes. We called for the ECV that my mom rented from Randy’s Mobility. They stopped deliveries at 5:00 pm and it was 5:20 pm. Oh, well, they said they would deliver it first thing in the morning, at 8 am. Todd and I couldn’t wait any longer. We headed out for the Magic Kingdom! My parents were going to stay in to unpack and relax. (Todd and I have AP’s and my parents have 2 days left on a 5-day hopper from December.)

Todd and I went to the monorail on the 4th floor. We asked to sit up front and luckily, we were granted our request! What a magical day it has been. We enjoyed the trip around the other resorts to the Magic Kingdom in the front car of the monorail. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom around 6:00 pm. We went straight to the Emporium to sign a big farewell card for the Main Street Electrical Parade and pick up our free lithograph. (This was a special promotion for Annual Pass holders only.) I broke down and bought a disposable camera for $20.00.

(Lesson: Don’t forget your camera, or you’ll have to pay!) We headed down Main Street. We wanted to get a good viewing location for the MSEP. The street was crowded with people sitting on the curb waiting for the parade. We headed for Liberty Square, where we saw a great location, just past the bridge, right at the rope. We sat and waited here for the MSEP. I was so happy, that I didn’t even mind sitting on the hard ground.

By the time the parade came, my behind was sore and tired. But, nothing could dampen my spirits now! I love the MSEP. I am really going to miss it. As the last float passed, we got up and followed it all the way to the end! It was so fun. We were in the parade! We danced as we walked and waved to the people on the sidelines. At the end of the line, we turned to go to BTMRR! This is Todd’s (and my) favorite ride. The line was practically non-existent. We waited 2 trains, I think, to get on. The ride was awesome. It was faster than I remembered!

After BTMRR, it was time for the Fireworks. We were walking back through Frontierland, and Todd likes to take the bridge walkway. (We call it “the shortcut”, although it’s not really a shortcut.) There were only a few people around on the bridge and this turned out to be an excellent viewing spot for the Fireworks! Of course, from here, it doesn’t look like the fireworks are behind the Castle. If this is important to you, to see them behind the Castle, then you’ll need to be on Main Street for that. After enjoying the fireworks, we headed out of the park. We decided to walk back to the Contemporary. This turned out to be much quicker than waiting for the monorail. Even though I was tired, I’d much rather walk than stand in a line.

We got back to our lovely room and I still had to unpack! Tomorrow, I was planning to get up at 6 am and go to EE morning at MK. I called and asked Mickey to wake me up at 6 am. I got to bed around midnight. I was the last one in bed and I would be the first one getting up in the morning. But, I don’t mind. I want to spend every minute I can awake and enjoying this magical trip!

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Michelle
Soul-mate of Pooh.

July 1976 - off site
May 1984 - off site
June 1987 - off site
May 2000 - All Star Movies
Dec. 2000 - All Star Movies
March 2001 - Contemporary Resort

**Fortissimo** · 04-01-2001, 10:56 AM

WOW! Great trip so far!

Hurry, we want more!

aurora1429 · 04-02-2001, 08:52 PM

WOW!! Enjoying the trip, more please.

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Kristen

Sept 2000 Port Orleans
Waiting patiently for my next trip and cruise in 2004.

michnash · 04-03-2001, 10:53 PM

Who? Michelle (single mom, 34) and Todd (her son, 8), Mamaw (Michelle’s mother, 65), and Papaw (Todd’s hero, Michelle’s dad, 66)

Day 3, March 11, 2001
Addendum to The Arrival, or “Wow!” (Day 3, Part 2)

“What are your thoughts about our first day here?” I asked everyone.

Mamaw – “My favorite part of today was getting a comfortable bed and a nice big bathroom! And, I really enjoyed seeing the fireworks show from our balcony.”

Papaw – “My favorite part was going to bed.” (He’s easy to please!)

Todd – “I have 4 favorite parts: looking at the room for the first time, seeing the Electric Parade, riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and watching the fireworks!”

My thoughts: “Wow, I love this room! I can’t believe we’re finally here! I loved riding the monorail and seeing Main Street at MK for the first time.” (The first time this trip, that is!)

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Michelle
Soul-mate of Pooh.

July 1976 - off site
May 1984 - off site
June 1987 - off site
May 2000 - All Star Movies
Dec. 2000 - All Star Movies
March 2001 - Contemporary Resort

[This message has been edited by michnash (edited 04-03-2001).]

michnash · 04-05-2001, 12:13 AM

Who? Michelle (single mom, 34) and Todd (her son, 8), Mamaw (Michelle’s mother, 65), and Papaw (Todd’s hero, Michelle’s dad, 66)

Day 4, March 12, 2001
Early Opening, Chef Mickey’s and MGM or “Fancy meeting you here!”

Mickey’s call to wake me came very early the next morning!

He always sounds so cheery.

You know, though, I am the only member of my family who has ever heard his voice on the phone! Well, I tried to get Todd to get up and go to Magic Kingdom’s Early Opening with me, but he was too sleepy. So, I went alone.

I left around 7:10 am, thinking that since the park is scheduled to open officially at 9 am, this was plenty of time for EE. As most WDW fans know, when Disney says the park opens at 9 am, they really mean 8:30 am. And so, EE would be 7:30 am. But, I found out though, that they let resort guests in as early as 7 am on EE days! When I arrived, before 7:30 am, there was no line and guests were in the park. In fact, when I got to Space Mt., I found out that they were letting guests get in line for rides in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland at 7 am. In other words, it wasn’t just Main Street that was open. It didn’t make much of a difference to me, because I only had to wait about 5 minutes in line to ride Space Mountain. I did pick up a FastPass first, so I could ride it again! It was really awesome! I love this ride! But, I wasn’t really excited about being at MK alone. I like having others with me to share in the fun. I did meet a nice guest in line, and afterwards decided to give him my FastPass and not ride Space Mountain again. I was a little concerned about getting back for our breakfast reservation at Chef Mickey’s on time.

So, I headed back down Main Street. I like to stroll leisurely and soak up the atmosphere. I also, took this opportunity to shop on Main Street while Todd wasn’t with me. (As most 8 year old boys do, he hates to shop!) I bought some cute Mickey clips for my hair and a Mickey ponytail holder. I decided it was really warm and I really would need to wear my hair up this week. (That’s a good rationalization, isn’t it?)

I’m sure I looked very strange leaving MK as everyone was just arriving for the park opening! (It was around 9:00 am!) I loved staying so close that I could just ‘hop’ over to ride one ride! I went to the room to make sure everyone was up and getting ready for our breakfast reservation at 10:15 am. They were up and getting ready, except my son. He was hard to get going that day…(he’s always hard to get up in the morning, but you would think not at WDW, wouldn’t you?)

We made it in plenty of time for breakfast. Since both my parents are handicapped, I am the designated “food-getter” at the buffet meals. I made numerous trips to the food line…(I must have looked like a pig!)

Finally, I got to sit down and eat a little. My parents are always real good with the characters. (They seem to love my parents, too!) They like to talk and joke with them. And my dad is a good target for jokes, especially by Goofy! He doesn’t usually notice they are there for a long time, all the while Goofy or Chip or Dale are behind him making funny gestures, or sneaking up on him!

The food was delicious, as usual.

After breakfast, Todd and I headed for MGM, while my parents stayed at the hotel. My dad can walk with a cane, as long as he gets to rest a lot. My mother rode in her ECV on the slowest speed. They really liked the hotel. It was easy for them to get around in this way as there were many places to stop and rest.

Todd and I waited for a bus for about 15 minutes. We arrived at MGM around noontime.

Sidebar: I haven’t even mentioned this yet, but my very good friend, Mildred, and her husband Donn were also at WDW!

I planned her trip for her. They were going to stay at SoG (Donn is retired from the military) but they were unable to get a room. They took an overflow room at an off-site hotel. They were able to have breakfast at SoG and park there each morning. This is their first trip to WDW! We were planning to meet them at Sci-Fi Drive In for dinner at 4 pm.

Okay, back to MGM...
Todd and I saw from the information board that Sounds Dangerous had no wait. So, we headed there first. This is a ride that I wouldn’t stand in line for, but since it had no wait, it’s mildly amusing. We headed for Indiana Jones to get a FastPass. This attraction was closed on our summer trip and we didn’t get to it on our Dec. trip, so this would be our first time to see it. This was a must-see on our list of things to do see at MGM. We also definitely wanted to see where Radio Disney is broadcast and see B.B. Goode. Todd was so excited about this! We waved to her behind her glass. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet her. (Her show ends at 4:00 and that’s when we would be at Sci-Fi.)

We headed for Muppet Vision 4-D and luckily there was a very short wait for this! I love this show! I think I enjoy the pre-show almost as much as the main feature! I am a huge Muppet fan! “Movin’ right along…” After this, we got Mickey Ice Cream bars and walked on NY street eating them. We really wanted to ride the Great American Movie Ride, but the line was the longest I’ve ever seen at this attraction! It was over an hour wait! So, we headed for the animation tour. However, we realized that because the tour was 45 minutes long, we didn’t have time to see it before it would be time for the Indiana Jones show. We walked over to the tables by the water and sat to have an apple and wait.

to be continued...

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Michelle
Soul-mate of Pooh.

July 1976 - off site
May 1984 - off site
June 1987 - off site
May 2000 - All Star Movies
Dec. 2000 - All Star Movies
March 2001 - Contemporary Resort

**Fortissimo** · 04-05-2001, 01:25 PM

Mmmmm... a Mickey Bar!

Don't you just love strolling through MK early in the morning? It's so peaceful looking at the buildings and seeing small details that are hard to catch when you're winding your way through a crowd.

So, when's the next installment?

All Ears · 04-05-2001, 07:12 PM

Keep it coming...
I am really enjoying your report!

All Ears

DisneyFan · 04-05-2001, 10:30 PM

Great trip report. Keep going. This is like a novel you can't put down. I am living vicariously through your trip and enjoying every minute of it. I have to admit that if I was walking out down main st while everyone was just getting there I would not be able to keep my mind from thinking..."nannnner nanner, I've already been on my favorite rides" (I'm so bad!)
I can't believe you drove from Dallas,you're a BRAVE woman. We thought about doing that once, then remembered the drive when we moved to DFW area from Calif and said NAH!!! So we flew. I'm so excited while I'm on the plane I can hardly stand myself - I can't imagine waiting any longer than the 3hrs from DFW-MCO.
Okay, I'm ready for more story....
DisneyFan
p.s. I love the Contemporary - My husband took me there as a surprise(big splurge) for my 40th BD - I know your feelings exactly.

[This message has been edited by DISNEYFAN (edited 04-05-2001).]

michnash · 04-06-2001, 11:12 PM

Thanks, Everyone! Actually, I have been trying to post all week, but the computer freezes everytime. Here goes...

We both loved the Indy show! I’ve never heard of anyone who didn’t. I really thought it was awesome! Todd was not sure about it when I said it was a show, then when he saw it, that’s all he talked about! He loved it, too! He really wanted to see it again, but we didn’t have time. After Indiana Jones, we went to Sci-Fi to wait for Mildred and Donn. I was so excited to see my good friend at WDW! They had been at MGM since opening and had done many things. They said they were having a great time. I had given them little cards with touring tips on them. They were following my tips and said they were great.

I knew they would really like the Sci-Fi.

Mildred and Donn are a little older than I am, and this place really reminded them of their dating days. They had seen all of the old movies they show clips of! The food was great. There was one waiter, (not ours) who was so funny! He seemed to be having a good time. He, of course, had the entire movie clips memorized and would occasionally walk by reciting them in unison with the big screen! Then, there’s this one part where a man gets “stabbed” with a big needle and he screamed right at the appropriate time! It was so funny.

Mildred and Donn had not been on the Backstage Pass tour, so that’s where we went next. There was no wait for this! The best part was getting to see the set for the new Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? the ride! I wish it was open when we were there! I can't wait to try it out.

Then, we went to the Tower of Terror, our favorite ride! Mildred loved this one the best! Todd rode this 5 times last summer- he loved it! But, he did not want to go on it this trip. So, Todd and I took the Chicken elevator down and Donn and Mildred went on. Then, Mildred and I went back up the same elevator, while Todd waited with Donn. This is called kid swap.

The only thing I regret about the day was that we missed getting in to the Fantasmic show. Mildred and Donn wanted to go on ToT again, and Todd and I headed out. I still haven’t gotten to ride RnRC. My friends didn’t want to and Todd refused to try it. Maybe next trip! Todd and I went to catch the bus for the TTC. The line was so long!! We waited over 30 minutes, through two busses, before we finally got on. By coincidence, Mildred and Donn ended up on the bus, too. They were headed back to SoG to get their car there. We planned to meet up the next day at AK and parted ways at the TTC.

Todd and I got on the monorail to the Contemporary. We got back to the room around 8 pm. (MGM closed at 7 pm) When we first got to the room, my parents weren’t there. I was surprised and thought, “Where are those two party animals at this hour?”

My parents returned in about 5 minutes. They had been shopping and just came from the food court.
We were just in time to sit on the balcony and watch the fireworks at MK! That was so magical. It was gorgeous weather, too! We all discussed our day.

“What are your thoughts about today?” I asked everyone.

Mamaw – “I enjoyed shopping at the hotel and having leisure time to relax.”

Papaw – “The chicken strip dinner.” (See what I mean?)

Todd – “I loved the Indiana Jones show! I liked watching the fireworks on the balcony, too.”

My thoughts – “I loved meeting my good friends at MGM. Donn and Mildred are fun people! I like that they are having a good time, too. I loved the Indiana Jones show, too. I really enjoyed the fireworks on the balcony, too!”

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Michelle
Soul-mate of Pooh.

July 1976 - off site
May 1984 - off site
June 1987 - off site
May 2000 - All Star Movies
Dec. 2000 - All Star Movies
March 2001 - Contemporary Resort

michnash · 04-07-2001, 06:07 PM

Who? Michelle (single mom, 34) and Todd (her son, 8), Mamaw (Michelle’s mother, 65), and Papaw (Todd’s hero, Michelle’s dad, 66)

Day 5- Tuesday, March 13, 2001
Animal Kingdom, or “Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. (When I’m not on vacation!)”

The next morning, Mickey called at 6:00 am, again! After my quick chat with Mickey, I woke everyone else up, too. We all got dressed pretty quickly for a bunch of slowpokes!

It only took us an hour. We went down to the lobby at 7:15. We filled our mugs with coffee and drinks and went out to wait for the bus. It was very cool out, and a little windy. The bus driver was helpful getting my parents on the bus (the wheelchair and the e.c.v.) My mother is not good at driving the e.c.v. backwards, but the driver helped her and we made it on in about 10 minutes. The bus ride there was an attraction in itself! This bus driver drove very fast!

We got to Animal Kingdom right at 8 am. We had our photo taken in front of the Entrance, and then we headed on in. We went to the “It’s tough to be a bug” show first. There was no wait for this. *Todd and I have both been to Animal Kingdom before, but this was my parents’ first time there.* They seemed to enjoy the show. The skies were dark and we knew it was supposed to rain that day. We were hoping to be finished with Animal Kingdom before the rain. Especially since the man who rented us the E.C.V. said do not take it out in the rain!

We headed for Dinoland next. Todd and I rode the Dinosaur! Ride. We loved it! There was just a 10-minute line for this ride. It’s a really rough ride. I felt like I was bruised after riding it! (I still love it, though!) Then, we headed to get in line for the first show of Tarzan Rocks! My friends, Mildred and Donn, were supposed to be at Animal Kingdom today. We had said we might meet at the first show for Tarzan Rocks. We were the first people in line. Todd and I sat on the ground and waited for about 20 minutes. Then, we got to move all the way up to the entrance, as the line was getting pretty long by now. We kept looking for Mildred and Donn, but we didn’t see them. The CM asked if we wanted to sit in the very front or the very back (handicapped seating.) Todd wanted in the front, so that’s where we went. (Everyone else wanted the back, but it turned out all right.) I can’t say enough about how awesome this show is! It is absolutely terrific! I love it!

to be continued...

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Michelle
Soul-mate of Pooh.

July 1976 - off site
May 1984 - off site
June 1987 - off site
May 2000 - All Star Movies
Dec. 2000 - All Star Movies
March 2001 - Contemporary Resort

[This message has been edited by michnash (edited 04-07-2001).]

michnash · 04-07-2001, 06:09 PM

Who? Michelle (single mom, 34) and Todd (her son, 8), Mamaw (Michelle’s mother, 65), and Papaw (Todd’s hero, Michelle’s dad, 66)

Day 5- Tuesday, March 13, 2001
Animal Kingdom, or “Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. (When I’m not on vacation!)”

continued...
Well, after the show, we were heading over to Camp Minnie-Mickey to see the other best show at WDW, The Festival of the Lion King, and we decided to stop and buy our picture we had taken out front. It turned out to be a very good photo. I asked to have it delivered to the room. (This is such a great perk of staying on-site!)

We arrived at the Lion King show and were put in a separate line for guests in wheelchairs. I asked the CM if she thought I’d have time to go across the street and get ice cream for everyone before time to go in. She said she would “keep an eye on my parents, and see that they didn’t jump up and run away or cause trouble!” She was very funny. When I returned with the ice cream, she informed me that they behaved very nicely. (I was surprised my dad didn’t cause trouble! He’s such a jokester!) We had to eat the ice cream quickly!! It was melting fast due to the high humidity. It felt like any minute it would come a downpour. We were moved up to the entrance to wait for the show. We were under the thatched awnings when it happened. It rained. Todd and I had our yellow Mickey rain ponchos in the backpack. We used them to cover the E.C.V. Those thatched awnings that you wait under…leak. It was better than nothing, but we did get wet. It wasn’t too long, though, before we were taken in the show area and dry again. It really rained hard outside. We were lucky to be under cover! Then, surprise! Here came Mildred and Donn. They sat with us for the show. This is one of the two BEST shows at WDW! (IMHO) The other one being Tarzan Rocks! Well, everyone enjoyed the show. Lucky for us, when it was over- so was the rain. Yea!

We decided to go to the bird show next. Mildred and Donn were going to ride Dinosaur! and then meet us at the bird show. (If they could make it in time.) As it turned out, they didn’t make it and we didn’t go to it. It was beginning to rain again, and we decided to leave. We made a good decision, because as we boarded the bus, it really started to pour!

We all went to the room to rest for a while. While we were there, I asked everyone what his or her favorite part of Animal Kingdom was. (Keep in mind; we didn’t see all of Animal Kingdom.) My mother said, “The Lion King Show.” My dad said, “The wheelchair ride.” “Oh Daddy! Be serious!” “Okay, when it was over.” “Daddy, please!” “Tarzan Rocks.” (You see what I had to put up with!) Todd said, “Tarzan Rocks.” (He and his Papaw are two peas in a pod!) I loved both The Lion King and Tarzan Rocks!

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Michelle
Soul-mate of Pooh.

July 1976 - off site
May 1984 - off site
June 1987 - off site
May 2000 - All Star Movies
Dec. 2000 - All Star Movies
March 2001 - Contemporary Resort

[This message has been edited by michnash (edited 04-07-2001).]

michnash · 04-07-2001, 06:10 PM

Who? Michelle (single mom, 34) and Todd (her son, 8), Mamaw (Michelle’s mother, 65), and Papaw (Todd’s hero, Michelle’s dad, 66)

Day 5- Tuesday, March 13, 2001
Animal Kingdom, or “Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. (When I’m not on vacation!)”

continued...
Todd and I had tickets for Magic Kingdom’s E-ride night. We left to go to Magic Kingdom at 6:30 pm. We rode the monorail there. (I love having the monorail right there in the hotel!) The first thing we did was get our bracelets for E-ride night. This only took a minute. We went to the Enchanted Tikki Room next. Darn! It closed at 6 pm!

We just missed it. We went to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride next. I love this ride, too. It is so amazing. It looks like it’s a fairly small building on the outside, but on the ride you feel like you are really in the ocean!

Next, we went to Frontierland to get a good spot for the MSEP. We found a great spot right across from the Country Bear Jamboree. We noticed that the people across the street had the rocking chairs and benches to sit on and I was a little envious as I sat on the hard ground. The MSEP was wonderful, of course. We decided to run right across the street and see the Country Bear Jamboree while the crowds cleared out. It was a good idea. After Country Bear Jamboree, we headed for Tomorrowland. We watched the fireworks on our way over there. We wanted to hurry and get in line for the Indy cars before the park closed. We made it in time.

The line was about 20 minutes long. Todd was disappointed because the car in front of him was crawling along the whole time. That was a bummer. Now the park was closed and E-ride night had begun! We rode Buzz Lightyear and there was no line! (That was cool!)

Todd scored 37,400 and I got 37,000! What a close score.

We did have about a 20-minute wait for Astro Orbiter, but it was worth it! That is a fun ride. I got a little scared on that one. I kept thinking our rocket would fly off of the ride!

We could see EPCOT from up there. And we saw the smoke from the wildfires that were burning on Disney property. Todd wouldn’t go on Alien Encounter.

So, we went to the Haunted Mansion! There was no line here, either. I just love E-ride nights like this!

Next, Splash Mountain!! No line here, either. Todd almost wouldn’t ride it. He was too scared. I finally talked him into it. Guess what? He loved it, of course. He wanted to go again, but we decided to go on BTMRR instead. This was a tiny line, but I was getting so tired. My feet were really hurting me now. This is Todd’s favorite ride at WDW. I like it a lot, too. I decided I just couldn’t keep walking. My feet hurt.

We took a bunch of really cute pictures on Main Street and in the Exposition Hall. You should go in there and check out all of the photo props they have in there. The best picture that night, I think, was one that I took of Todd next to a little Goofy statue in front of the castle. It’s one of the little statues around the Partners one. I made Todd pose [i]exactly[i] like Goofy was. It turned out good! A lady who came by as I was taking it, made her husband do the same thing! Well, we left to go back to the Contemporary. We decided to take the monorail since there was no line for it, and my feet [i]really[i] hurt! (Did I mention that already?) We got back to the room around 11:30 pm. I think Todd fell asleep before his head hit the pillow. I made a few notes and hit the sack, too.

Next time… “You’ve got to try the Beverly. It’s yummy!”

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Michelle
Soul-mate of Pooh.

July 1976 - off site
May 1984 - off site
June 1987 - off site
May 2000 - All Star Movies
Dec. 2000 - All Star Movies
March 2001 - Contemporary Resort

[This message has been edited by michnash (edited 04-07-2001).]

allysonh · 04-10-2001, 12:17 AM

GREAT! GREAT! GREAT!!!

I love living vicariously through you while counting down to my own fabulous WDW adventure!!

4 months and 27 days to go!! I'm more excited about the honeymoon than I am about the wedding!!

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-Allyson
4/81 - Off site
2/88 - Off site
10/99 - All Star Sports
9/01 - Beach Club