Nemo14's birthday weekend

Friday – 5/4
We left for the airport about 5:15, and were pleasantly surprised at the recent changes to our airport. There is still a lot of work to be done, but all in all it’s looking great! We ran into some old friends at the gate, so we spent the waiting time catching up, and time flew by. Boarding went quickly, and soon we were on our way. Our plane actually left early, which we had never had happen to us before. It was also our first experience with a no-peanut flight (one of the passengers had a severe allergy), but that was fine by me. DH brought the portable DVD player with him so we watched Casino Royale during the flight, which really helped pass the time. Much to our surprise we arrived in Orlando almost a half-hour earlier than expected!
Although we were taking DME, we opted to not tag our bags since we were coming in late at night. So we quickly retrieved our bags and within 10 minutes we were on the DME bus. The wait on the bus was pretty long, but eventually we headed out to WDW. Our bus was really disappointing – no movie, just a scratchy broadcast of Disney music. Still, we were so excited about going to WDW that nothing bothered us. Check-in at Pop Century went smoothly, and since they knew we were celebrating my birthday, they handed me a birthday pin with my name on it and wished me my first of many "Happy Birthday" greetings. Yay!!!!

 

[Nemo14]

Saturday –5/5 Cinco de Mayo!
We had made plans for the day, but we always plan to be flexible. Originally we figured we’d sleep in a little, then head for Epcot. We had reservations for the 11:15 Behind the Seeds tour, which was our only Must-Do for the daytime. However, we were both up early enough to head over to the Studios morning EMH first, so we headed to the food court for a quick breakfast. That’s where we first saw them- the new refillable mugs (I started a thread about these for people who don’t read trip reports.) I can’t say I’m a big fan of these, they no longer say which resort you’re staying at, and are just pretty blah in my opinion.

We actually didn’t get to the Studios ‘til about 9, but the park was still pretty empty. We grabbed FP’s for ToT, then basically walked on to RnRC. The sign said 10 minute wait, but it was actually about 5. We rode the front car, then walked through the queue again and rode the back car (my favorite), then headed over to ToT. The stand-by wait was up to 13 minutes by then, so we just did stand-by first, then went back on with our FP’s for a second ride. I soooooo love that ride!

A view from ToT!

 

[Nemo14]

It was getting to be time to head over for Epcot, so we left the Studios and walked over to the boat launch, only to see the boat just leaving. No problem we figured – we still had plenty of time…..
Well, 20 minutes later we finally boarded the next boat, and we were on our way. I really hate to be late for anything, so I kept checking my watch. The boat seemed exceptionally slow, and we knew it had to stop at the Swan & Dolphin, The Yacht & Beach Club, and the Boardwalk before finally arriving at Epcot. DH suggested we just get off at the Swan & Dolphin and walk in and I agreed that that was probably the best idea.

Sometimes DH forgets how much longer his legs are than mine, so keeping up with him was a bit of a challenge, but we did the walk in record time, and soon we were inside the Land pavilion waiting for our tour. We grabbed FP’s for Soarin’ before the tour started, so we’d be all set for the afternoon.

The tour was fun – our guide was Sylvia, and she was quite enthusiastic and informative.

One of the famous Mickey pumpkins

..a tomato tree

Giant pumkins taking a nap....

 

[bryce0131]

I was wondering how were the crowds at Epcot on Sat? I plan on being their this Sat & was curious.

Also, the refillable mugs are now all the same...If so, that sucks

 

[nibblesandbits]

Yay Betty!!! Can't wait to read more!

 

[Nemo14]

After the tour, we still had a while to wait for our FP time for Soarin’, so we went over to the new Nemo ride. I have to say, although this was cute, I was pretty disappointed all in all. I guess it’s just that I remember the "Wow" factor from the old sea cabs in the Living Seas, and this was just so cartoonish.
We had never done Turtle Talk with Crush, so I talked DH into going, and we were both very impressed. It was cute and funny, and DH being the techno buff that he is, was very impressed with the technology.

By now, our FP time for Soarin’ had arrived so we headed back over to the Land. There was a mom and 5 year-old daughter in front of us who had never ridden it before, so we talked to them for quite a while. The little girl was just delightful and kept us entertained. She asked if she could sit next to me on the ride because she was a little scared. She totally squealed with delight through the whole ride – it really added to the experience for me.

After a quick bite to eat, we headed out for one last ride on SSE, then the F&G show and a leisurely walk around WS.

A few random pics:

Mine!Mine!

 

[Nemo14]

I was wondering how were the crowds at Epcot on Sat? I plan on being their this Sat & was curious.

Also, the refillable mugs are now all the same...If so, that sucks

I really didn't think the crowds were too bad on Saturday - we found them to be worse at MK Sunday night and at AK on Monday.

 

[Nemo14]

We stopped for the new Mexico ride with the Three Cabelleros. Another disappointment for us – that cartoon issue again - just not the right place for it. We did see these guys after that though….

The Flower Power concert performer was Petula Clark, so we made a point of staying around the American Adventure for that. We actually sat across the street from it and sang along with a few other "Oldies’ like us. Good times!

Eventually we ended up in the United Kingdom where we watched the British Invasion band. We had a blast there, and amusingly enough 2 of the band members looked remarkably like 2 of the members of our son’s band. While we watched the band, I happened to notice someone else watching….

 

[Nemo14]

We had dinner reservations at Rose & Crown, and they really went out of their way to seat us right by the water with a spectacular view of Illuminations Reflections of Earth. This is our favorite night show, and it always makes me tear up.

We took our time leaving the park and shot a few pics on the way out....

 

[jesserin]

YAY! Great report Betty! Love it! :sohappy:

 

[Nemo14]

Sunday – Magic at the MK!
Our day started with a phone call from two of our fellow WDWMagic members. Harry and Vern (hcswingfield and Vernonpush) were over at MK and wanted to have a quick meet-up with us before they headed over to Epcot. After waiting quite some time for a bus, we were surprised to get a real coach bus (plush seats, no standees) - yay for riding in style!
We met Harry and Vern in front of the castle, and had a quick but delightful meet-up with them. It was the first time I’ve met anyone else from the forums, hopefully the first of many more!
Meanwhile Dot (Uponastar) had PM’d me that she had hidden something for me in the MK during her visit last week, and gave me a hint where to find it. DH and I looked around, and sure enough, taped under a pay phone was this:

I’ve never met Dot in person, but this really made my day!

We did a few rides (Pirates, Splash twice, Big Thunder twice, HM, Buzz Lightyear, TTA, and the Laugh Factory), had a Dole Whip float, and then left the park for our 2:30 reservations at Whispering Canyon. We loved the food there – DH had a skillet thing which was right up his alley – cardio special – and I had a chicken salad that was huge. I had heard so much about the raucous times people have had at WC, but to tell you the truth, we didn’t see anything like that. We did however get to see the stick horse race.

By the time we finished eating the skies were looking pretty bleak, so we decided to take the bus back to MK rather than the boat, then go back to Pop Century for a while. It was an EMH night for MK, so we planned to go back later on .We boarded the bus, only to find we were the only 2 on it. The driver got on, and we chatted with him for a few minutes, and in the course of the conversation we mentioned we were heading eventually to Pop Century. Seconds later, the driver got a dispatch announcement that he was to do the MK-Pop Century run for his next assignment, so we didn’t even have to change busses!Disney Magic for sure!

When we got back to Pop Century, we thought we might be able to go for a quick dip in the pool before the storm, but boy were we wrong! The storm came up fast – lots of thunder and lightning, and very high winds. We watched out our window as the pool chairs literally went flying through the air. We decided then that it was probably best to close the curtains and get away from the window.

 

[nibblesandbits]

I knew what you were getting from Dot!

 

[Nemo14]

Monday – AK!!!!
We never seem to have enough time to do AK thoroughly, so we decided this trip we’d devote more time to doing it. This was a morning EMH for AK, so we decided we’d take full advantage of that, since we had to catch our bus for the airport at 5:45. We stored our bags at the hotel, and hopped the bus for Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom. It was definitely cool that morning – not one person on the bus was heading for BB. Once we got into the park, we headed for the Safari right away, since we know that’s the best time to see the animals. We were not disappointed! My pics are not good at all from that, but here’s a few:

The animal trail was pretty crowded, but we did see quite a bit there too.

 

[Nemo14]

We had planned to get FP’s for Everest, but the FP machines were shut off, so we got in line for it instead. The sign said a 30 minute wait, but it was actually more like 20. We rode in the back seat, which is kind of fun, but I enjoy the front seat too. In fact I enjoy any seat on it – I love that ride!

DH had seen a tea place back on the path between Africa and Asia, and he really needed something to clear his head, so we backtracked there, got our tea, and headed over to get in line for the Nemo Musical. We couldn’t believe how long the line was – way into Dinoland, but the CM assured us that the theater would hold all those people, so we got into line, and before long we were seated. The show was really amazing – I’m not sure it really fits into AK, but it was great never the less.

I really wanted to see the Festival of the Lion King show, but I wasn’t sure if DH was up for it. I asked him if he wanted to just leave the park, or go find a quiet place to rest for a bit, but he insisted that we go to the show (yay!). We both always enjoy this, and we haven’t been in a couple of trips. I love the enthusiasm there, and it’s always fun.

Just a couple of pics while we waited for the FotLK.

 

[Nemo14]

After the show, I knew DH had had enough, so we decided it was time to go.

A few random pics on the way out:

We had plenty of time yet before our DME bus, so we figured we’d grab a lunch back at the hotel. Just on a whim, DD asked at the entrance to the Rainforest Café if they served his beloved sweet tea there. They said yes, so we soon found ourselves seated in front of a screaming gorilla. RC has never been one of my favorites, but this was just sooo loud and annoying – I couldn’t wait to leave. We split an appetizer sampler, and couldn’t even finish that.

 

[joanna71985]

Wow, great TR so far Betty. I am loving it! I loved the story about the little girl and Soarin.

 

[Nemo14]

Back to Pop Century and back to the airport.

We picked up our bags, and remembering how we nearly missed our flight last fall because the bus was running very late, we asked if we could ride an earlier bus. They told us to check with the driver when he came, and he checked after he boarded everyone else, and sure enough he had room for us too.
When we got to the airport we found out that our flight was running an hour and a half late, which would mean we’d be getting home after midnight. DH asked if there was an earlier flight we could take, and coincidentally there was one that was scheduled to leave in about 20 minutes, but it too was running a little late. They suggested we check in at the gate and see if we could be put on that flight instead; however our bags would still be on the original flight, so we’d have to go back to the airport the next day to pick them up.
We dashed through security and on to the gate. The attendant checked, and there were seats available, so we were able to get home before our scheduled flight even left the ground.

Closing

DH and I both noticed how many cute (and well-behaved) kids we saw on this trip. It was so neat seeing the interaction of kids with their families, with characters, and with other kids. Walt would have just loved it!
I know that people think we’re nuts to just do a weekend getaway at WDW, but we really do relax and enjoy ourselves. We used to be "Park Commandos" in our younger days, but we’ve learned to slow down and enjoy the magic! :kiss:

 

[mpoppins76]

Wonderful TR, Betty. Sounds like you had such a nice time.

Closing

DH and I both noticed how many cute (and well-behaved) kids we saw on this trip. It was so neat seeing the interaction of kids with their families, with characters, and with other kids. Walt would have just loved it!
I know that people think we’re nuts to just do a weekend getaway at WDW, but we really do relax and enjoy ourselves. We used to be "Park Commandos" in our younger days, but we’ve learned to slow down and enjoy the magic! :kiss:

I love that. You are so right.

 

[Nemo14]

Wonderful TR, Betty. Sounds like you had such a nice time.

I love that. You are so right.

I'm not sure why, but there just seemed to be so many genuinely happy families this time. We did see a couple of major bickerings, but for the most part, it was just so many happy little kids. Must have been some pixie dust!

 

[tigsmom]

Great report and so glad you had a great birthday trip. :wave: