06.04.06 Update

Hello from the Wilderness Lodge.

We are in a great rehabbed woods view room on the fourth floor (4016).

We have a great view of the castle, though you can't actually see it in this picture because of the sun.

And here is the carpet in the hallway of rehabbed floors.

Epcot was really not that busy yesterday and no one noticed my Horizons shirt. But there are lots of beautiful topiaries out for Flower & Garden. Maelstrom had a 5 minute wait, Soarin' was 40, The Land was 60, and M:S was 30. There was a short line for SSE. Test Track broke down for a bit while we were on line. In all my years of going to WDW, I never knew there was a bathroom off to the side of the Liberty Inn in America.

The Village Fry Shoppe is open in Fantasyland but I didn't get a picture. We managed to get a fastpass for Winnie the Pooh on Friday night.

They added new posters to the Print on Demand at the Art of Disney in Downtown Disney; the Wedway and Crystal Palace are the ones I remember. I think I'll get the Wedway one.

I can't think of anything else right now, but I'll try to upload more later.

 

[maelstrom]

Fantasia broom topiary in Downtown Disney.

 

[maelstrom]

We just got stuck in a horrible rainstorm. We ate at the Trail's End restaurant at Fort Wilderness and just as we finished, it started to downpour. We were stuck under a canopy for what must have been an hour. Then it finally let up and we caught the bus back to the WL. There's magic hours tonight at the MK so we'll probably go there later.

Also: did Medieval Times close? We drove by today and it looked closed. They took all the vines off the walls and everything. The sign for Splendid China is down too. I thought that was still up not too long ago.

 

[mousermerf]

Great pics

 

[MerHearted]

Nice pictures!!! :wave:

 

[Timothy Q Mouse]

Thanks for the pics! I really like the new decor for the updated WL rooms.

 

[maelstrom]

Here are a couple of pictures of the torrential rain yesterday at Fort Wilderness.

Did they take apart the dock at Discovery Island?

Floors 5 & 6 on the Bay side are still getting rehabbed at the Contemporary.

And me enjoying the balcony.

 

[maelstrom]

I am VERY excited because my cousin and her husband are coming over to WDW tomorrow! They were over in Tampa looking at apartments and got done early and said they'd come hang out with us. Woo!

 

[BeachClubVillas]

The bathroom by the Liberty Inn is one of my favorites. :lol:

Great pics, looks like you're having fun.

 

[maelstrom]

The wait for Soarin' today was 140 minutes. Needless to say, we did not ride. We ate at the restaurant in Italy for dinner and it was very expensive and served very small portions. It wasn't worth it.

The MK was a nightmare. There were long lines at Cosmic Ray's and Pinocchio's before they even opened. We rode BTMRR shortly after opening with a 15-20 minute wait. It was around an hour wait for both Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. Even iasw had a 20 minute wait. It was just too busy and too hot.

I'm so worn out. zzz.

 

[maelstrom]

Me & Figment at Epcot yesterday. He's back! And I'm sunburned.

Me & Chef Mickey on Monday.

 

[maelstrom]

My cousins came over yesterday and we went to the MK first thing. It was very crowded. We were able to ride Big Thunder, Wedway, Small World, Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain. My cousin wanted to ride the Teacups and Dumbo but the lines were too long. They had lunch at Cosmic Ray's and I got pizza at Pinocchio's. Cell phone reception is very bad at the MK I've noticed. Most times when I try to make a call, it just doesn't go through. This has never happened before.

We then went over to Epcot at around 1:30p. Soarin' fastpasses were all gone for the day. We got fastpasses for Test Track for 6:40p. Then we went on Living with the Land, Imagination, El Rio Del Tiempo, and went into The Living Seas. My cousins have a salt water tank at home with live corals, so they were really interested in the corals they are growing at TLS. We walked all around WS and ate dinner at Alfredo's in Italy (not worth it). After riding TT, we took the monorail back to the TTC and my cousins left to drive back to Tampa and get ready for their flight home today.

There was a problem on TT. Either they were running too many cars or the timing was off. In the ABS test, our vehicle stopped abruptly in the middle of the fast part. We also stopped at the entrance to the heat room and before the barrier test. I was so afraid we were going to stop like that again doing 65mph outside, but we didn't. Cars were backed up coming into the building. And our particular car was making a horrible squealing noise. I told a CM and he called maintenance, which was nice, since usually CM's just look at me crazy when I tell them stuff like that.

Today we went to Downtown Disney first to get the new Disney Visa pin. I bought a pin lanyard and an Eeyore rattle for my friend's baby at the World of Disney. Then we went to the Caribbean Beach for lunch because we really like their food court and the atmosphere. I had breadsticks and my mom had minestrone soup and salad. It was freezing inside so we sat outside. They have a lot of Pirates merch in the gift shop. I bought a Captain Jack button to put on my new sequined Tinker Bell messenger bag. Then we went to MGM and walked around for a short while. I bought a Darth Vader sticker for my car ("You have failed me for the last time."). Then we left MGM and came back here to the WL. I think we're gonna go to the MK a little later.

I am so sunburned. I really did wear sunscreen. I guess I'm just too pale.

 

[KnK]

Thanks for the day to day post. I've been looking forward to them. WL is our fav and the new rooms look great.

 

[maelstrom]

Me with one of the refurbishment signs outside PotC.

The Village Fry Shoppe is alive and well in Fantasyland.

A small waterfall at the Fantasyland Skyway station.

The empty Fantasyland Skyway station.

The empty Tomorrowland Skyway station.

Caribbean Plaza.

Did the steel drum band used to perform here?

 

[DDuck1974]

Thanks for the trip report! I am really enjoying it, especially the great pictures. Look forward to the next update.

By the way, I love how you still refer to it as Wedway. It will always be Wedway to me as well.

 

[maelstrom]

Tomorrow is the first day of Peter Noone at Epcot! His website has up pictures of Flower & Garden Festivals past and it sounds like he's really looking forward to coming back.

For those of you who don't know who Peter Noone is, he was in Herman's Hermits, a very popular group in the 60s. They seemed to appeal to a bit younger of an audience than the Beatles, but that may just be because Peter Noone was so young. He is very awesome and if you're going to be around within the next four days, I suggest you stop by and have a listen. Shows are Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the America Gardens Theatre at 5:45p, 7:00p, & 8:15p.

 

[aeillill]

I really enjoyed all the great pictures and the update, thanks a lot. It gives me a lot to look forward to for my upcoming trip in September.

I look forward to reading all about eh rest of your trip as well!

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Great pics - thanks for posting

 

[maelstrom]

This morning at the Wilderness Lodge.

Me futzing with my camera.

This is a hint for my boyfriend.

 

[maelstrom]

I met a really cool CM named Nick tonight at Uptown Jewelers. He makes up for all of the CMs that suck.

We saw the first two Peter Noone shows tonight at Epcot and there was a very long line and we waited almost an hour. But it was so worth it. Peter is so fun. If you're down here, please try to get out to see him in the next few days.

Tomorrow we have to go pick my dad up at the airport. Two hours out of my day to drive to Sanford and back.