WDW – Oct. 4 – Oct. 8 2003
Cast :
Me – Brian 32 (12th trip to the world)
My wife – Karen (4th trip)
My sister in law – Deanna (2nd trip)
Lodging : Courtyard by Marriot at Lake Buena Vista (Downtown Disney)
Car : Dollar rental car.
Airline : Airtran
My wife and I decided in July that we needed to get away to WDW, and that Oct. is a good time to go. It’s not real hot, and the crowds aren’t too bad. Plus it’s off season so it’s a little cheaper. We decided to invite my wife’s sister who lives in NYC, and pay for her to join us. She moved to NYC to pursue her acting career 3 yrs ago, and she doesn’t have a lot of extra money to take vacations, plus this would give her an opportunity to spend some quality time with her nephew. In addition it would help us, having an extra hand around. Our son is very laid back, and never fusses or complains about anything, he has slept through the night since he was 1 month old, but we also thought it would be helpful doing baby swaps with an extra person with us, that way we would not have to ride rides alone. We live in Northern Kentucky about 10 miles from the Cincinnati airport, but airfare here is the most expensive in the U.S. as Delta operates a hub here and charges whatever they want with little or no competition. We saved $200 by driving almost an hour and a half to Dayton and flying with Airtran. We flew Airtran out of Dayton in Sept. to Myrtle Beach and had no problems. Our flight was for 7:30 so we left the house at 5:00, and got there in plenty of time. Neither one of us got any sleep as we were both too excited. We arrived at MCO at 9:30 and it was 79 degrees. It was 50 when we left our house. We collected our bags and made our way to the Dollar rental car counter. I had reserved a compact for 4 days for $122 incl. tax, using a code I found on the internet. We got a white dodge neon (this should be easy to spot, in a crowded parking lot). Deanna’s flight from LaGuardia wasn’t due in until 1:15, and I had requested an early check in at the Courtyard, so we decided to go check into the hotel and come back and pick up Deanna in a couple of hours. We checked in using a friends Marriot Friends and Family discount, $39 a night. I had asked for a room facing Downtown Disney so we could see fireworks at nite, but when checking in, they told me there were none available. So I got the choice of looking at I-4 or the hotel next door. I chose the hotel next door. The lobby was very nice, and included a small concession stand, fountain, a bar, and Disney store. We took the glass elevators to our room on the 11th floor. Our room was fine, but I was expecting a balcony, but there wasn’t one. I later saw that the rooms that faced the highway did have balconies, and in all honesty it offered a better view, even if it was of the highway. We got to see the roof of the restaurant that is connected to our hotel, the parking lot, and the hotel next door. We got the air going in the room, and started to unpack. We found out later that our room would be very humid for our entire stay. We turned on the TV to the WDW tour channel, and relaxed for a ½ hour or so. I really wanted to rent a VCR and tape this so I could watch it back home when I need a dose of Disney. I’m sort of a dork when it comes to DisneyWorld. Not so much the films, and characters, but WDW itself. I listen to the various internet stations on Live365 that play Disneyworld music and attractions at work every day on my computer, and tape the specials on the Travel Channel. We headed back over to the airport to pick up Deanna, but first stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant on I-drive called Peacock Garden, it was OK. We arrived at the airport after giving another $1.25 to the state of Florida at the tolls. Deanna’s luggage did not arrive from NY on her flight. She had a layover in Virginia, so maybe it was there. We talked to the person at Airtran’s counter, and they said they would try to find it and give her a call when it came in. We thought that the ticket that they stick on your luggage had a tracking # on it, that you could find out where the bag is at all times, apparently not. They had no idea where it was. This is the 2nd time that an airline has lost her luggage in the past 3 times she has flown. She was hungry so we stopped at an Uno’s on I-drive. We each had a beer and pizza ($42).
We headed back to the hotel, I stayed there with Aidan and we walked down to the Tipsy Parrot for the free happy hour from 5-6 pm. I was told it was 4-6pm on some other reviews, and I think it even says it on their website. Karen and Deanna went to Publix to get some water, juice, beer, wine, cheese for Aidan, and a Styrofoam cooler for ice to store these items. When they returned around 6:00, I went with Deanna to Bargain World down the road so she could pick up some cheap shorts and a t-shirt to wear tomorrow as they still had not called about her luggage. When we got back we relaxed in the room for an hour or so, while Aidan napped. Aidan usually goes to bed at home at 7:30 and sleeps until 5:30am, you can set your watch by him. But since we are on vacation, his schedule was going to change a little. We walked over to Downtown Disney to do some shopping. Aidan ended up falling asleep in his stroller on the way over. It is a very nice walk down to the Marketplace from the hotel. You pass a nice lake and fountain in front of the Hilton next door. We ate dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express, as all the other restaurants had very long lines. My wife and I split a Pizza Margherita, and Deanna got some sort of salad with goat cheese, and we each had a beer I think it was around $30, as I paid cash and I don’t have a receipt to go by. We shopped for awhile and headed back around 10:00 pm. Karen went to bed, and Deanna and I went downstairs to have a drink and watch the rest of the Cubs/Braves game. The weather today was sunny and 86.
10-05-03
Today we were going to Epcot. We figured that the MK was more crowded on Sun. and with Epcot being much larger, the crowds wouldn’t be as bad. My parents were already down here on vacation, staying a week with some friends who live in Orlando. They were going to meet us and go to Epcot with us today. We got up at 5:30 (Aidan woke us up at his normal time) and met my parents at 7:00 in the lobby. We decided to go for breakfast where we went last year. It is a Western Sizzler right down the road on 535. It’s a really good deal, $3.99 for the breakfast buffet, there is also a 10% coupon in any of the discount books that you can pick up. We wanted to make sure we arrived at Epcot before it opened, because my wife wanted to see them let the doves go at rope drop. They did not do it this time, not sure why. Anyway, they had a bus full of characters come up to the gate and countdown. That’s OK, it gave us plenty of time to look for our Leave a Legacy tile that we purchased on our honeymoon in 2000. The rope dropped at 9:00 and we ventured into Future World. We paused for a moment to take pictures with some of the characters from the bus. Aidan is a very laid back baby, and is not afraid of anyone or anything, so we knew he would not get upset by the characters when he first saw them. He loved them, and honestly he didn’t want to leave them. He kept giving Pluto kisses on his nose.
We headed to Mission Space first but it was down and wasn’t working. They said to try back later, so we decided to do Test Track. We used baby swap, so Karen waited with Aidan outside for us to come out and then she rode it with her sister. The ride lines were about 10 min.
We then went to Ellens Energy Adventure. I’ve always liked this attraction. Although I don’t agree with her views on most things, I think she is very funny and talented. Despite it being very loud (big bang theory, beginning of the universe portion) Aidan managed to fall asleep in my lap. We then got fast passes for Mission Space and headed for Spaceship Earth. Between bottle feedings and diaper changes (this is our first child and our first experience at WDW with a baby) it was getting close to lunch time. We decided to head back to Mexico and eat at the San Angel Inn. It was around noon, and there was no line, so we were immediately seated next to the water. I had the tacos el carbon, Karen had the Nachos platter, and Deanna had enchiladas. We each had a large Dos Equis, and the total was $61.50 incl. tip. We rode El Rio del Tiempo after eating and then hurried back to Mission Space for our fast pass time. My dad took Aidan so we could all ride MS. He’s not a big thrill ride person, plus he wanted to check out Innoventions. We didn’t get to see much of the Queue, as the line was very short. I’m not going to spoil it for anyone as alot of people have yet to ride it. I will say that the blast off is very intense, and it is very real feeling. I think it is an awesome ride though. We did experience a problem when it was over though. We had to sit in our capsule for about 10 minutes as they could not get the doors open ,and had to come around and do it manually. I guess there are still some bugs, but with the grand opening being Oct. 9th, I hope they get these worked out. We had an hour until we had to meet up with my dad so we went to Body Wars. This ride needs replaced so bad, it is so outdated. In fact the whole pavilion needs to be overhauled. Nothing has changed in this pavilion since it opened, it’s the same old tired stuff. We met up with my dad and looked around in MouseGears for awhile. I told everyone about Ice Station Cool, and how they all had to try Beverly and how it was the best soft drink they will ever taste. They couldn’t wait to get inside to try it. At the same time I was turning my digital camera on so I could capture the looks of disgust on their faces. I was laughing so hard I almost fell down on the ground. They all had a few choice words for me that I won’t repeat. We then went to The Land. The line wasn’t too bad, about 20 minutes. We had a very nice older lady as our guide. She sounded like she may have been from Ireland. The fish farming portion was closed, as they were cleaning or rehabbing this. Also, the hot air balloons that are hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the atrium did not go up and down anymore like they used to. We then walked over to Living Seas. I like the film, so we stayed for that instead of walking on in. This pavilion really needs an overhaul also. We stayed longer than we normally would, because of Aidan. He liked to look at all of the fish, but after 10 or 15 minutes there really isn’t anymore to do. We then went to the Imagination Institute. Karen and I waited outside with Aidan, while my parents and sister in law went to HISTA. We like the movie, but since we’ve done it so many times, we felt we could sit this one out. After that, we checked out Journey Into Your Imagination, or whatever it’s being called the 3rd time. This was the first time for all of us on the new version, and I have to say that I was not the least bit impressed. I think they could have done a better job. It was better than the 2nd version, but it will never be the original. I love the old Figment, but the new one just doesn’t do it for me. I don’t know if it’s because the voice is different or what, (Billy Barty did the voice for the original Figment, but he has since passed away) but I just don’t have any fondness for Figment now what so ever. We had seen everything in Futureworld, and since it was 6:00 and Futureworld closed at 7:00 today, we all decided to start heading into World Showcase. We all got beers as we headed into Canada from a cart vendor. $7.25 each, for a 16oz Moosehead draft, and I thought the beers at the Reds game were expensive. We just missed an off-Kilter performance, but they had one more at 7:00 pm that we would try to make. We walked around in the UK for awhile. They used to have a thatched roof cottage that sold Irish merchandise, but I did not see it this time. I asked an English castmember where they sold Irish items, as I had bought an Irish rugby shirt the last time here, and she proceeded to tell me that Northern Ireland was part of the UK. Well thanks for the newsflash, but that is not what I was asking. I did not pursue it any further, as she did not understand what I was talking about. We walked into one of the English gift shops and found Piglet had just walked in with no line. We got Aidan’s picture taken with Piglet, and found that he absolutely loved Piglet. He has never really had a fondness or for any of his stuffed toys, and has never even seen piglet as far as we know, except for watching the “Book of Pooh” in the mornings. After getting our picture taken with Piglet, we walked into the next room where they had Pooh stuffed characters for sale. We held up each one to Aidan: Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit….etc., but the only one he reached for was Piglet. So $12 later Aidan has a Piglet to carry around. His whole nursery at home is decorated in Mickey Mouse, including a 7 foot Mickey Mouse stuffed plush in the corner of his room.
We then moved on to France, but with the living statues not out we kept on going. We only had a couple of hours before Illuminations was to start and we still needed to eat and see the rest of World Showcase. We stopped in Japan and looked around in the gift shop for awhile and then made our way over to American Adventure, but there was a show that already started, and with limited time, we continued on. We usually don’t try to cram all of Epcot into one day, but with this being our only day, and my sister in law never having been to Epcot, we wanted her to see as much as possible. We noticed that the “Wayne Brady Show” was going to be broadcasting live from the theatre on the lake in front of American Adventure next week. We’ll have to tape it when we get home, so we can see what they show of Epcot. We moved on to Italy, where they had the people with the white and black ceramic masks on, who pose with you for pictures. These people really creep me out. We watched for awhile and then moved onto Germany, where we were all going to get a brat and a beer at Summerfair. We got in line, and after waiting for 10 minutes or so, they tell us that their cash register isn’t working and they would have to close down. So, we then went to Norway, where we would get a sandwich at the bakery. We got in line and when it was our turn to place our order we were told that they were out of sandwiches and beer. It was only 8:00pm, and we were starting to get kind of angry. We were very hungry, and I guess a little cranky also. We stood in line for Maelstrom and rode it. I like this ride and especially the film at the end. It makes me want to got to Norway for a vacations. We then hurried over to the UK to stake out a place for Illuminations. We found a spot right in front, and set up shop. Aidan was asleep, and would miss the whole show. I videotaped the show, while Karen took pictures with our digital camera. It was unbelievable as usual. My wife and I were shedding tears. I guess most people can’t understand how Disney World can choke you up and move you to tears, but I’m sure that there are people reading this who know what I’m talking about. We were even shedding tears when Epcot was opening this morning. I can’t explain it myself, I’m a big guy, who never gets emotional about anything, but somehow WDW just does it to me sometimes. We never did find anything to eat, and left Epcot after the show. We said goodbye to my parents and drove back to the hotel, we ended up ordering a pizza from the room, and went to bed around 11:30. One note, the beds at the Courtyard are very soft, and if you have a bad back like I do, you will wake up in the morning in pain. Since we were only here for 4 days, we decided that we would only do 2 parks (Epcot & MK), and have a free day in between parks. It would also make us less tired and wouldn’t be as exhausting on Aidan. The weather today was sunny and 87.
Cast :
Me – Brian 32 (12th trip to the world)
My wife – Karen (4th trip)
My sister in law – Deanna (2nd trip)
Lodging : Courtyard by Marriot at Lake Buena Vista (Downtown Disney)
Car : Dollar rental car.
Airline : Airtran
My wife and I decided in July that we needed to get away to WDW, and that Oct. is a good time to go. It’s not real hot, and the crowds aren’t too bad. Plus it’s off season so it’s a little cheaper. We decided to invite my wife’s sister who lives in NYC, and pay for her to join us. She moved to NYC to pursue her acting career 3 yrs ago, and she doesn’t have a lot of extra money to take vacations, plus this would give her an opportunity to spend some quality time with her nephew. In addition it would help us, having an extra hand around. Our son is very laid back, and never fusses or complains about anything, he has slept through the night since he was 1 month old, but we also thought it would be helpful doing baby swaps with an extra person with us, that way we would not have to ride rides alone. We live in Northern Kentucky about 10 miles from the Cincinnati airport, but airfare here is the most expensive in the U.S. as Delta operates a hub here and charges whatever they want with little or no competition. We saved $200 by driving almost an hour and a half to Dayton and flying with Airtran. We flew Airtran out of Dayton in Sept. to Myrtle Beach and had no problems. Our flight was for 7:30 so we left the house at 5:00, and got there in plenty of time. Neither one of us got any sleep as we were both too excited. We arrived at MCO at 9:30 and it was 79 degrees. It was 50 when we left our house. We collected our bags and made our way to the Dollar rental car counter. I had reserved a compact for 4 days for $122 incl. tax, using a code I found on the internet. We got a white dodge neon (this should be easy to spot, in a crowded parking lot). Deanna’s flight from LaGuardia wasn’t due in until 1:15, and I had requested an early check in at the Courtyard, so we decided to go check into the hotel and come back and pick up Deanna in a couple of hours. We checked in using a friends Marriot Friends and Family discount, $39 a night. I had asked for a room facing Downtown Disney so we could see fireworks at nite, but when checking in, they told me there were none available. So I got the choice of looking at I-4 or the hotel next door. I chose the hotel next door. The lobby was very nice, and included a small concession stand, fountain, a bar, and Disney store. We took the glass elevators to our room on the 11th floor. Our room was fine, but I was expecting a balcony, but there wasn’t one. I later saw that the rooms that faced the highway did have balconies, and in all honesty it offered a better view, even if it was of the highway. We got to see the roof of the restaurant that is connected to our hotel, the parking lot, and the hotel next door. We got the air going in the room, and started to unpack. We found out later that our room would be very humid for our entire stay. We turned on the TV to the WDW tour channel, and relaxed for a ½ hour or so. I really wanted to rent a VCR and tape this so I could watch it back home when I need a dose of Disney. I’m sort of a dork when it comes to DisneyWorld. Not so much the films, and characters, but WDW itself. I listen to the various internet stations on Live365 that play Disneyworld music and attractions at work every day on my computer, and tape the specials on the Travel Channel. We headed back over to the airport to pick up Deanna, but first stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant on I-drive called Peacock Garden, it was OK. We arrived at the airport after giving another $1.25 to the state of Florida at the tolls. Deanna’s luggage did not arrive from NY on her flight. She had a layover in Virginia, so maybe it was there. We talked to the person at Airtran’s counter, and they said they would try to find it and give her a call when it came in. We thought that the ticket that they stick on your luggage had a tracking # on it, that you could find out where the bag is at all times, apparently not. They had no idea where it was. This is the 2nd time that an airline has lost her luggage in the past 3 times she has flown. She was hungry so we stopped at an Uno’s on I-drive. We each had a beer and pizza ($42).
We headed back to the hotel, I stayed there with Aidan and we walked down to the Tipsy Parrot for the free happy hour from 5-6 pm. I was told it was 4-6pm on some other reviews, and I think it even says it on their website. Karen and Deanna went to Publix to get some water, juice, beer, wine, cheese for Aidan, and a Styrofoam cooler for ice to store these items. When they returned around 6:00, I went with Deanna to Bargain World down the road so she could pick up some cheap shorts and a t-shirt to wear tomorrow as they still had not called about her luggage. When we got back we relaxed in the room for an hour or so, while Aidan napped. Aidan usually goes to bed at home at 7:30 and sleeps until 5:30am, you can set your watch by him. But since we are on vacation, his schedule was going to change a little. We walked over to Downtown Disney to do some shopping. Aidan ended up falling asleep in his stroller on the way over. It is a very nice walk down to the Marketplace from the hotel. You pass a nice lake and fountain in front of the Hilton next door. We ate dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express, as all the other restaurants had very long lines. My wife and I split a Pizza Margherita, and Deanna got some sort of salad with goat cheese, and we each had a beer I think it was around $30, as I paid cash and I don’t have a receipt to go by. We shopped for awhile and headed back around 10:00 pm. Karen went to bed, and Deanna and I went downstairs to have a drink and watch the rest of the Cubs/Braves game. The weather today was sunny and 86.
10-05-03
Today we were going to Epcot. We figured that the MK was more crowded on Sun. and with Epcot being much larger, the crowds wouldn’t be as bad. My parents were already down here on vacation, staying a week with some friends who live in Orlando. They were going to meet us and go to Epcot with us today. We got up at 5:30 (Aidan woke us up at his normal time) and met my parents at 7:00 in the lobby. We decided to go for breakfast where we went last year. It is a Western Sizzler right down the road on 535. It’s a really good deal, $3.99 for the breakfast buffet, there is also a 10% coupon in any of the discount books that you can pick up. We wanted to make sure we arrived at Epcot before it opened, because my wife wanted to see them let the doves go at rope drop. They did not do it this time, not sure why. Anyway, they had a bus full of characters come up to the gate and countdown. That’s OK, it gave us plenty of time to look for our Leave a Legacy tile that we purchased on our honeymoon in 2000. The rope dropped at 9:00 and we ventured into Future World. We paused for a moment to take pictures with some of the characters from the bus. Aidan is a very laid back baby, and is not afraid of anyone or anything, so we knew he would not get upset by the characters when he first saw them. He loved them, and honestly he didn’t want to leave them. He kept giving Pluto kisses on his nose.
We headed to Mission Space first but it was down and wasn’t working. They said to try back later, so we decided to do Test Track. We used baby swap, so Karen waited with Aidan outside for us to come out and then she rode it with her sister. The ride lines were about 10 min.
We then went to Ellens Energy Adventure. I’ve always liked this attraction. Although I don’t agree with her views on most things, I think she is very funny and talented. Despite it being very loud (big bang theory, beginning of the universe portion) Aidan managed to fall asleep in my lap. We then got fast passes for Mission Space and headed for Spaceship Earth. Between bottle feedings and diaper changes (this is our first child and our first experience at WDW with a baby) it was getting close to lunch time. We decided to head back to Mexico and eat at the San Angel Inn. It was around noon, and there was no line, so we were immediately seated next to the water. I had the tacos el carbon, Karen had the Nachos platter, and Deanna had enchiladas. We each had a large Dos Equis, and the total was $61.50 incl. tip. We rode El Rio del Tiempo after eating and then hurried back to Mission Space for our fast pass time. My dad took Aidan so we could all ride MS. He’s not a big thrill ride person, plus he wanted to check out Innoventions. We didn’t get to see much of the Queue, as the line was very short. I’m not going to spoil it for anyone as alot of people have yet to ride it. I will say that the blast off is very intense, and it is very real feeling. I think it is an awesome ride though. We did experience a problem when it was over though. We had to sit in our capsule for about 10 minutes as they could not get the doors open ,and had to come around and do it manually. I guess there are still some bugs, but with the grand opening being Oct. 9th, I hope they get these worked out. We had an hour until we had to meet up with my dad so we went to Body Wars. This ride needs replaced so bad, it is so outdated. In fact the whole pavilion needs to be overhauled. Nothing has changed in this pavilion since it opened, it’s the same old tired stuff. We met up with my dad and looked around in MouseGears for awhile. I told everyone about Ice Station Cool, and how they all had to try Beverly and how it was the best soft drink they will ever taste. They couldn’t wait to get inside to try it. At the same time I was turning my digital camera on so I could capture the looks of disgust on their faces. I was laughing so hard I almost fell down on the ground. They all had a few choice words for me that I won’t repeat. We then went to The Land. The line wasn’t too bad, about 20 minutes. We had a very nice older lady as our guide. She sounded like she may have been from Ireland. The fish farming portion was closed, as they were cleaning or rehabbing this. Also, the hot air balloons that are hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the atrium did not go up and down anymore like they used to. We then walked over to Living Seas. I like the film, so we stayed for that instead of walking on in. This pavilion really needs an overhaul also. We stayed longer than we normally would, because of Aidan. He liked to look at all of the fish, but after 10 or 15 minutes there really isn’t anymore to do. We then went to the Imagination Institute. Karen and I waited outside with Aidan, while my parents and sister in law went to HISTA. We like the movie, but since we’ve done it so many times, we felt we could sit this one out. After that, we checked out Journey Into Your Imagination, or whatever it’s being called the 3rd time. This was the first time for all of us on the new version, and I have to say that I was not the least bit impressed. I think they could have done a better job. It was better than the 2nd version, but it will never be the original. I love the old Figment, but the new one just doesn’t do it for me. I don’t know if it’s because the voice is different or what, (Billy Barty did the voice for the original Figment, but he has since passed away) but I just don’t have any fondness for Figment now what so ever. We had seen everything in Futureworld, and since it was 6:00 and Futureworld closed at 7:00 today, we all decided to start heading into World Showcase. We all got beers as we headed into Canada from a cart vendor. $7.25 each, for a 16oz Moosehead draft, and I thought the beers at the Reds game were expensive. We just missed an off-Kilter performance, but they had one more at 7:00 pm that we would try to make. We walked around in the UK for awhile. They used to have a thatched roof cottage that sold Irish merchandise, but I did not see it this time. I asked an English castmember where they sold Irish items, as I had bought an Irish rugby shirt the last time here, and she proceeded to tell me that Northern Ireland was part of the UK. Well thanks for the newsflash, but that is not what I was asking. I did not pursue it any further, as she did not understand what I was talking about. We walked into one of the English gift shops and found Piglet had just walked in with no line. We got Aidan’s picture taken with Piglet, and found that he absolutely loved Piglet. He has never really had a fondness or for any of his stuffed toys, and has never even seen piglet as far as we know, except for watching the “Book of Pooh” in the mornings. After getting our picture taken with Piglet, we walked into the next room where they had Pooh stuffed characters for sale. We held up each one to Aidan: Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit….etc., but the only one he reached for was Piglet. So $12 later Aidan has a Piglet to carry around. His whole nursery at home is decorated in Mickey Mouse, including a 7 foot Mickey Mouse stuffed plush in the corner of his room.
We then moved on to France, but with the living statues not out we kept on going. We only had a couple of hours before Illuminations was to start and we still needed to eat and see the rest of World Showcase. We stopped in Japan and looked around in the gift shop for awhile and then made our way over to American Adventure, but there was a show that already started, and with limited time, we continued on. We usually don’t try to cram all of Epcot into one day, but with this being our only day, and my sister in law never having been to Epcot, we wanted her to see as much as possible. We noticed that the “Wayne Brady Show” was going to be broadcasting live from the theatre on the lake in front of American Adventure next week. We’ll have to tape it when we get home, so we can see what they show of Epcot. We moved on to Italy, where they had the people with the white and black ceramic masks on, who pose with you for pictures. These people really creep me out. We watched for awhile and then moved onto Germany, where we were all going to get a brat and a beer at Summerfair. We got in line, and after waiting for 10 minutes or so, they tell us that their cash register isn’t working and they would have to close down. So, we then went to Norway, where we would get a sandwich at the bakery. We got in line and when it was our turn to place our order we were told that they were out of sandwiches and beer. It was only 8:00pm, and we were starting to get kind of angry. We were very hungry, and I guess a little cranky also. We stood in line for Maelstrom and rode it. I like this ride and especially the film at the end. It makes me want to got to Norway for a vacations. We then hurried over to the UK to stake out a place for Illuminations. We found a spot right in front, and set up shop. Aidan was asleep, and would miss the whole show. I videotaped the show, while Karen took pictures with our digital camera. It was unbelievable as usual. My wife and I were shedding tears. I guess most people can’t understand how Disney World can choke you up and move you to tears, but I’m sure that there are people reading this who know what I’m talking about. We were even shedding tears when Epcot was opening this morning. I can’t explain it myself, I’m a big guy, who never gets emotional about anything, but somehow WDW just does it to me sometimes. We never did find anything to eat, and left Epcot after the show. We said goodbye to my parents and drove back to the hotel, we ended up ordering a pizza from the room, and went to bed around 11:30. One note, the beds at the Courtyard are very soft, and if you have a bad back like I do, you will wake up in the morning in pain. Since we were only here for 4 days, we decided that we would only do 2 parks (Epcot & MK), and have a free day in between parks. It would also make us less tired and wouldn’t be as exhausting on Aidan. The weather today was sunny and 87.