A big trip deserves a big report...lots of big pics, too

Another giant family trip has come and gone. 10 months of planning and organizing have resulted in an even bigger and better trip than last time.

In 2006, my wife, son and I invited other family members to join us on our trek to Walt Disney World. My mom and dad, brother and his two sons joined us for that trip, and the report can be found in several parts on this very board.

So, the 2008 trip included the same cast as before, but this time we added my other brother, his wife and three year old daughter, a family friend and her 9 year old daughter… 13 happy folks in all. It took a lot of planning and several family trip meetings, but we got it all done.

DAY 1 – Sunday January 13, 2007 - Travel Day and Magic Kingdom

Other than the fact that I had bronchitis and my son was sick as well, everything starts out great. Our flight doesn’t leave until 8:40 am from Denver International, so we all get plenty of sleep. We are set to arrive into Orlando at 1:50 pm local tine, so we will have plenty of time to get a bite to eat at Pop Century and then off to Magic Kingdom for some evening EMH. What could possibly go wrong…ha ha. Well, for one, when we pull into the parking lot at the airport, I can’t find my drivers license…anywhere! I just about freak out. I look on the floor, between the seats…I am freaking out at this point. My wife finally finds it in the belt bag. I just about want to die. An almost tragic beginning to the trip.

Our flight leaves on time, and all is going well. I am listening to the in-cabin radio of the air traffic, and hear there is a problem in Orlando. A tornado was spotted near the field, and a monster rain storm is slowwwwllly moving through the area. We circle for a while before our pilot decides to get us to Jax for some fuel. We set at a gate for an hour, but the pilot opens the cockpit for kids to have their picture taken. My brother takes my niece up front for the photo op, and soon we are on our way again. As we are ready to take off, we are treated to the site of 8 F-15 Eagles taking off right next to us. It was pretty cool.

We get to Orlando, then on the DME bus and make it to Pop Century by 6:00 pm…a little later than it was supposed to be, but all is good. The weather has moved on and we get some food in the café and then get on the bus for Magic Kingdom.

We arrive just as Wishes is ending, and the crowds are pouring out. Good stuff, indeed. We plan on getting to Space Mountain fast to ride, but end up stopping and taking plenty of pictures of the castle at night, and then stopped again at Laugh Floor because nobody is in line. I was curious to see if it was as bad and uninteresting as some people have claimed. It wasn’t. We all thought it was fantastic…probably because three of us were highlighted in the show. I was unaware I could burp out the alphabet, but there my picture was on the big screen saying I could. My niece got to play the part of “Boo”, and one of my nephews got his joke told at the end. Now we could go to Space Mountain, and we rode it twice as there was no wait. We made our way over to Adventure Land, but stopped for some more castle picks. We wanted to do Pirates to see the changes, but first had to stop and get the first of many Dole Whips. I was daring and got the pineapple vanilla swirl float. Oh, man…was it the greatest! We rode Pirates (awesome, awesome, awesome changes). My wife got the coolest hoody in the shop there, and then we stopped and rode the Jungle Cruise on what happened to be the last boat of the night. It was 11:00 already. We walked real slow out of the park, and had several CM’s standing at the exit with the goodbye signs and big Mickey hands. It was a perfect ending to the park.

Our chariot awaits

Waiting at Pop to go to MK

Ahhh...pretty

More to come.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

A nice start to your trip

 

[doop]

Nice job so far, looking forward to more!

 

[Timmay]

DAY 2 – Epcot - Monday January 14, 2008

Man, that wake up call comes early after a long day like yesterday. I was really looking forward to joining my wife and brother in drinking our way around World Showcase like last trip, but having bronchitis and being on antibiotics has ruled me out of this years festivities…so I will be doing the “eating around the world” game instead. I am excited because I won’t be driving everyone around in a rented van this year, either. We are going Disney transportation all the way. I told everyone to be at the bus stop at 8:00 am (one of the rules I set forth was that you were to get on the bus at the scheduled time, even if others hadn’t made it to the bust stop yet. They could catch up later. We knew we were going to have some issues with a certain group that are usually late for everything, so I let them know up front to be there or catch up later). Everyone was on time so we crowded onto the bus and away we went. The day was pretty chilly and windy as well. Even coming from Denver and 20 degree weather, I still needed a hoody.

We end up at the gates of Epcot at 8:20, and we stood there until they let us in at 8:45. I was hoping we could get inside the main gate a little early and get to the lockers and restrooms, but no such luck. A family was chosen to “open” the park for the day, and I am sure that was cool for them. CM’s were telling people it was going to rain and everyone should get Test Track done before they shut it down due to rain. I was giddy as I looked up and saw a blue sky with no clouds and watched 75% of the crowd head towards Test Track instead of Soarin’. The kids stopped at Innoventions while adults took a potty break. I was worried the lines would already be out the door at Soarin’, but as we made our way into the pavilion, I noticed about 12 strollers parked out front…a good sign. We were able to walk on twice to Soarin’. I told my mom the horror stories of 300 minute waits for this on New Years Eve. She just shook her head and laughed.

We watched the JAMMitors for a bit before our next stop at Test Track (again, no wait), and then Mission: Space (no wait there, either). My sister-in-law and son rode Mission: Space a second time but I decided to sit that one out as the first trip to Mars played chaos with me being sick. We watched some more of the JAMMitors before heading over to the Seas and seeing Nemo. I was more than curious as to what this attraction was really like, having heard so many people complain about it. We all thought it was really well done and enjoyed it very much. There was a brief stop near the angler fish on the arm that is chasing Nemo…I just watched that thing for about a minute, fascinated at how fast it moved. We were going to do Turtle talk next, but my 3 year old niece was sound asleep, so we decided to come back later. We stopped off at Club Cool, I got to watch everyone make sour faces, and then we moved on to World Showcase.

We caught Off Kilter for a while, and then stopped in the UK for some fish and chips (no beer for me ). Afterwards, some watched the Holy Grail while the rest shopped. I was looking for a new soccer jersey for my collection, and was sad to see the shop there only had Chelsea and Liverpool (killer for a Man United supporter ). I bought a generic Adidas jersey and we continued on our way. My brother, his wife and their daughter set off on their own in search of character photo ops. I really, really had been looking forward to going over to Beaches and Cream and getting a No Way Jose, but it was too chilly to talk anyone else into going, and I wasn’t feeling that well anyway to set off on my own. So I settled for a crepe and a little bit of baguette in France. My son and his cousin got into a debate on how to say ‘crepe”…my nephew kept saying “crape” and my son had this very long, drawn out “crrrrrrrrrrrrrrep”. I told them both to just ask the nice lady selling us the things. My son was overjoyed as she pronounced it like he did.

Next stop was Morocco, and since everyone else got a drink, I got more food. Meatballs and rice…yummy. My son pointed out a couple of hidden Mickey’s and then we moved on to Japan and watched Matsuriza. Pretty soon, I noticed it was just me and my mom there. I called my wife on the cell phone…she was “shopping” and said she would be back soon. Yeah, right. 40 minutes later, she, and everyone else show up. My wife has purchased candy and soda, the kind you have to pop the marble into to make it fizz. Someone had purchased some sake, and I decided I had to try a bit. It wasn’t served warm, but good anyway. As we passed America, someone got a turkey leg and I had a bit of that. It was between America and Italy we hit the character jackpot. Pluto, Lilo and Stitch, Minnie and Mickey are all there with no one else around. I call my brother and tell him he needs to get over here right now. He tells me they have been spending the last hour in line in Germany to see Snow White. We spend about 30 minutes there with all the characters, laughing, getting some good pictures before the crowds show up.

In Germany, I hit my jackpot of soccer jerseys. There were so many, I finally decided on Ajax (not German, I know). We move on to the Outpost and clown around with some of the hats, taking pictures and shopping. We stop again in China for more food (pot stickers, soup), shopping and pictures. The CM there was nice and offered to take our picture shoveling food into our faces…how could we refuse? In Norway we have to stop and get some goodies to eat…again. My wife got a Carlsberg and I was jealous. I got the cloudberry horn pastry with sugar on the outside which was pretty tasty. The sun was setting and I got some fantastic photos.

In Mexico, we forgo the food and drink (we are stuffed) and instead ride The Gran Fiesta Tour. Again, I know people dislike all the latest screens being used, but I found the ride to be an improvement over what it was before.

It is now dark outside, the wind has picked up and I am coughing and pretty darn cold. I have my first thought of just skipping Illuminations tonight and getting some much needed sleep. But before I make any decisions, I head to Spaceship Earth. Again, I really want to see this with my own eyes and decide for myself. This is not a ride my wife likes at all. She decided to go on it after I told her there had been some changes, and she was amazed at how much she liked it. We laughed ourselves silly at the end, seeing our faces on the video. Everyone else thought it was good, too. A couple of us head back to Test Track to ride it at night, and boy was it cold. I made my mind up then and there I was going back to the hotel at closing. My wife said she had had enough too.

We all head back over to the Seas to ride one more time and then walk right into Turtle Talk since my niece is now awake. Crush took up a conversation with my nephew, who naturally talks like Crush as it is, so they hit it off pretty darn well.

In the end, my brothers and their families stayed for Illuminations while the rest of us went back to pop Century for the night. Overall, it was a great day. There were no waits for any of the rides all day, the food was good, and even though I was still sick (I would get better the next day, for those of you worried) and it was chilly, the trip is off to a great start!

Coming into the park from the bus

My son acting...French??

Me and my mon

From Norway

My brother and his wife

 

[nibblesandbits]

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Mikester71]

Loving the detail in your trip report! Can't wait to read more.:sohappy:

 

[OhioDisneyLover]

Great trip report so far. Waiting for more. :sohappy:

 

[myhappyplace]

wow, you are remembering so much detail...great report...I can't wait for more!

 

[Timmay]

DAY 3 – Magic Kingdom – Tuesday January 15, 2008

I wake up feeling better, my son still has the sniffles, but other than that he is good. We also wake up late. No big deal…we get ready, have a quick breakfast and head to the bus. We run into my brother and his two kids in the lobby and make our way out to see the 8:00 bus pulling away. I don’t see any of the rest of our group, so I sit to wait. Not five minutes go by and my mom calls, saying they left without us. Classic. I had a good laugh, because they did exactly what I old everyone to do…the bus shows up, get on it. Those that are late will have to catch up. We did catch up with everyone right below the train tracks and got to watch the little show before the park opening. Mickey and everyone arriving on the train, the Fire Chief, “Good Morning, Good Morning”…the whole deal. The weather was warmer than the previous day and overcast, but no rain.

The park opens and we head directly to…Peter Pan? Yes, I know…but the lines for this get long pretty early and we were able to get it out of the way first thing with a walk-on. We hang around in Fantasyland and hit everything there…all walk-ons. Small World, Snow White, Dumbo, Teacups and save the best for last, Mickey’s Philharmagic. I just love that attraction…I could really just sit in there all day and not move. But, we have other things to do so off we go. My brother, his wife and three year old hang around that area to get some pictures, do some more rides and see the characters. We head over towards Liberty Square, I show everyone where we will be eating later at Columbia Harbor House. This makes everyone a little hungry, and the next thing I know, my brother has a big piece of corn on the cob. We demand to know where he got it, and he shows us the cart there in Liberty Square. Soon, all of us are munching on our own corn on the cob and having a Coke. Good stuff.

My son read Tom Sawyer in school last year, and when he sees the island, he goes nuts. He insists he has to go and see it. It makes me happy and proud he has interests from something he has read in a book. We tell him we will definitely get there sometime today, but first we head for Big Thunder Mountain. I knew it would be crowded since Splash Mountain was down, but we really only had about a ten minute wait. We all headed for the Haunted Mansion after that and I was very impressed by the changes. The sound was good, the new scenes were fantastic and the best part was we walked right into the stretch room with no wait. Off to Tomorrowland we all go.

When we get there, we get right on Buzz Lightyear and then split into a couple of smaller groups. Half went to Space Mountain while the rest of us just kind of hung out over by Carousel of Progress. Pretty soon, I noticed people are actually going into the building. I grab my mom and dad and head right on in. I have never, ever seen this attraction open when we have been there and want to give it a shot. I have to say it was kind of fun to see. It isn’t something I would do more than once, or even every trip, but it was worth seeing it at least this once before it goes away. We then get on TTA for a nice relaxing ride. When we are done, we meet up with the other group and call my other brother. He says they are now in ToonTown and will meet us after lunch. I lead the 10 of us over to Columbia Harbor House and we are able to find seating upstairs for all of us together. This is still one of my favorite places to eat.

We grab a Fast pass for BTMRR as the wait is now 30 minutes, and I take my son over to Tom Sawyers Island. He is so excited…he leads us on a tour and tells us everything he remembers from the books about the caves and forts and mines. It was one of the highlights of the trip for me. We leave the island, use our BTMRR Fast Pass, grab another one to ride in the dark, and make our way over to Pirates. We ride it twice, with no wait either time. Back to Haunted Mansion, then BTMRR again, and a stop at Aloha Isle for Dole Whips before we camp out for Wishes. We load up on popcorn and soda, and a few folks head out to shop a little on Main Street. When my wife and son return, my son is happy because he bought me a pilsner glass to replace one he broke about a week before our trip…only this one has Jessica Rabbit on it (growwwwwl), which is far better than the old one with the Bud Light penguin. My son is so cool. I get some video and pics of Wishes (nothing special as I just brought a point and shoot camera this trip) and our day is just about done. We all take our sweet time heading out of the park and are some of the last people to leave. We are treated to several CM’s holding the “See ya real soon” signs and waving their big Mickey hands. Back at Pop, I wrap up my day with a meatball sub.

Every trip, I have a favorite day. 4 years ago, it was at Animal Kingdom, and last trip it was Epcot. Magic Kingdom has always been my least favorite park of the 4, but this day was my favorite day of the entire trip. Everything seemed to go just right. No lines, we experienced new things, the food was wonderful…it was just the perfect day.

Fair warning for the next installment of the trip report…we head out for a day at Universal and Islands of Adventure.

My family

10:00 am on the nose

Tough shot to get

Mmmmmm....corn.

My wife and niece

 

[EPCOT.nut]

I've enjoyed your trip report, especially the photos. Thanks!

 

[H20Babie]

Looks like you have a great family! Nice report! Waiting for more!

 

[PineapplePrincess]

Your wife's hoodie is cool! I hope they still have it in March. Looks like you guys had a great time!

 

[myhappyplace]

My little brother had fun on Tom Sawyer Island our last trip, too. I had never been, but what boy can resist running through the woods and caves and exploring an old fort, huh??

Loving the report!

 

[H20Babie]

Your wife's hoodie is cool! I hope they still have it in March. Looks like you guys had a great time!

I'm hoping the same thing :animwink:

 

[Timmay]

Your wife's hoodie is cool! I hope they still have it in March. Looks like you guys had a great time!

What is really cool is the skull and cross bones on the back...the eyes are Mickey heads.

 

[rshell68]

Trying to wait patiently for the next installment...:lookaroun

 

[Timmay]

Trying to wait patiently for the next installment...:lookaroun

LOL...sorry. Had a busy weekend. The next two will be updated tonight.

 

[Timmay]

DAY 4 – Universal and Islands of Adventure – Wednesday January 16

I knew up front that today would be a challenge, trying to see both Universal parks in one day. I was against it from the start, but so many people wanted to go to both Sea World and Universal, there just wasn’t any other way. We ended up renting a couple of the luxury vans from Mears, which was cheaper than everyone paying individually. Plus, they would work around our schedule, no the other way around. The vans were waiting for us when we got outside and got us to Universal in a short time.

It was another chilly morning, so we all stopped at the Starbuck’s in City Walk and got a warm drink. We decided to do Islands of Adventure first, figuring it would get busier as the day went on. A few of us rode The Hulk first thing, as there was no line at all, then we moved on to Spider-Man, which we were able to ride twice. I believe this to still be one of the most imaginative, fun rides anywhere, regardless of all the “screens” used. LOL. We did some shopping in the stores, got my son a Spider-Man hoody, and we moved on. For the first time since we have been coming to Universal, we found Ripsaw Falls open, but I was just getting over being sick, and it was a little too cold, so I would have to wait until next time.

Jurassic park was next, with several family photos before and after. Dueling Dragons after that, but only for my wife and sister-in-law. As much as I love thrill rides, hanging coasters make me a bit disoriented. We were all getting a bit hungry, so we kind of hurried through the rest of the park and walked over to Universal Studios.

We lunched at Mel’s, I had an awesome burger, and then headed over to the Mummy. Again, there was no wait and we were able to ride it twice in a row. We went to see the Shrek attraction, but on the way, ran into the real Shrek and Donkey. We had a great experience with Donkey on our last rip, and this time was no different. Of all the interactive attractions or characters in Disney or Universal, Donkey is far and away the best. We watched for the longest time, and I can’t remember laughing as hard as I do at him. We saw the Shrek movie and as we are exiting the attraction, Donkey sees my son and yells “Hey, Jake. Is that you again? What are you doing back here?”, and then proceeds to harass others in our group as well.

I wanted to ride Jaws since it was down last time were here, but I see the line is about 30 minutes. The two guys at the end of the line say they have been standing there for 15 minutes and the line has not moved. We decide to skip it and head to MIB. I am not a big fan of this attraction, but others wanted to go on it, so I did as well. I have to say I had more fun this time than I usually do…maybe because I got the high score. Anyway, it is getting late in the day and on the way to Terminator we stop by the new Kwik E Mart. No Squishees…too bad. There is a big crowd for the Terminator, so we have to wait a bit. The motorcycle was not working during the show, but there were still motorcycle sounds, which I thought was funny. Most of the group departs for Margaritaville while 5 of us head to Mummy for one last ride, or two. There is a little longer this time, but we are able to ride it twice in about 20 minutes. Also, the mummy animatronic wasn’t working, which is the first time I have seen that.

We all met up for some food and drink and end our day on a high note. The vans are again waiting for us, and one of the drivers has a board with my name on it. My wife thought that was pretty cool and really, so did I. I crashed right away when we got back to Pop, kind of sad our trip was half over.

Overall, it was a good day, even though I won’t try to do both parks in one day again. We felt rushed, but got to do most everything we set out to do.

My son and his cousins

Some of our group

Most of our group, sans me and my dad, taking the pictures

My mon and the two daughters she never had (just us three boys)

My niece, happy to have met Dora

My brother, in an "action" shot

My son, a couple of hot chicks, and some wierd guy

 

[Jeff456]

Wow great so far am looking forward to the rest!

 

[Timmay]

DAY 5 – Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney – Thursday January 17, 2008

Woo hoo, our favorite park. I have been looking forward to this day for a long time, ever since I saw Everest as just a frame while under construction. It was open last time we were here for AP’s and DVC folks only, and I remember the line stretched all the way back past Petrifires.

I find the morning is just how I want it…overcast, warm and misting. Perfect for Animal Kingdom. We arrive at park opening and head right to Dinoland to get to Everest. My son is giddy. Then, it happens…blasted characters. There is Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore, my wife’s favorites. Curses, we have to stop and take photos. In my mind I see the line to Everest growing at a phenomenal rate. I rush my family and the others along and we finally make it to the big mountain.

Wait, this can’t be…it’s closed (just kidding). The wait is a mere 5 minutes. We rush in and find the five minute sign was a lie…we walked right up to the train cars without even stopping once. My brother and I get the seats in the very back…excellent. The ride is the best…I mean the very best, ever. Everything about it just blows the rest away. It was incredible to see the Yeti…at first he looks so small, and then all of a sudden he is right on top of you, 50 feet tall and taking a swipe at your head. The switchbacks rock, and the g forces on the backwards uphill section are fantastic. The ride is so incredible!! We go on it another 4 times in a row…with no wait. We rode that sucker 5 times in a matter of only minutes. The last time through, we had to stop and actually look at the queue, since we had been missing it before. My son and I both agreed, this was our new favorite ride anywhere. His had been the Mummy and mine was Tower of Terror, but this was so far out ahead of those. We all got a good look at the ride pictures, and one brother (the big tough guy) seems to have his mouth open and eyes closed in every picture we see. He said he was really tired and probably yawning. I ask him why I heard little girl-like screaming whenever he rode it, and he just puffed up and walked away. We finally had to leave (had to get a couple of shirts, first) and try to get to the Safari before it gets crowded.

It was a walk-on again for the Safari, and there were plenty of animals to be seen. After we exit, we decide to split up into several smaller groups and do our own thing for the day. I figure this will be best as we have a limited amount of time before the park closes at 5:00. My wife, son and I head over to the Jungle Trek and immediately run into my brother and his two sons. We all take the trek together, stopping to get a picture of my wife and son at the tiger mural, just like every trip. The tigers are out in force, so we spend a lot of time there. When we are done, we see it is about time to get something to eat. The 6 of us go over to Yak and Yeti counter service to eat, and run smack into my other brother, his wife, daughter and my parents. We all have a nice meal together. I had the honey chicken which I thought was good, although a little over priced. It is time to split up again, as the original 6 of us start for Dinoland, but first stop off and get a FastPass for Everest. My brother takes all the kids on Primeval Whirl, which at 15 minutes was the longest wait of the day. Then on to Dinosaur and a little shopping. We thought we might hit Nemo on the way back to Everest, but see the lines stretch all the way back to who knows where. No big deal, there is always next trip. My son and I ride Everest one last time, and then it’s time to say goodbye to the ride.

On to Discovery Island for creepy crawly Bugs, and then some relaxation and shopping in the area. I thought it would be fun to go to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, since we had never been. We call my parents and they meet us there, and my brother goes inside and falls asleep on a bench…only he didn’t count on Jiminy Cricket. Ole’ Jiminy pounded on the glass and woke him up…and then followed him around inside laughing, pointing and making fun of him. Funny stuff. Outside, the AK version of Push was hanging around some kids. I know I shouldn’t have, but I found the guy operating the trash can pretty quick, and spent most of my time watching him. He was pretty talented.

We got on the train and headed back for the parade. I got a frozen banana and my wife got a pretzel, and we got great spots right where the parade starts. Afterwards, we let the crowd clear and then take a nice leisurely walk out of the park. We meet up with the rest of our group, but some want to stay and see all the characters at the exit, so the rest of us get on the bus, making sure we all know to meet at 7:00 to go to Downtown Disney.

When we got back to Pop, I take a little nap for an hour before we head out yet again. I have to say, I have never taken the bus to DTD, but it is the poorest of all the bus locations. It was kind of confusing to figure out which way to go in the dark, people were milling around, running out in front of busses…it was a mad house…a MAD HOUSE!! Anyway, it was clear right off the bat…it was super crowded. We all split up again and tried to do some shopping, but it was just insane. We went in Once Upon A Toy to build my son a light saber, and the place was in utter chaos. It took us nearly a half an hour just to finish the thing. My wife really loves shopping here, but it just couldn’t be done that night. We ended up heading to McDonald’s for a burger, and even stood in line 30 minutes for that. I have to admit, I stuffed my face I was so hungry. Then, to my horror, I realize I wanted to go to Goofy’s Candy Shop to make a nice treat and there is no way I can eat the thing. We stop by any way, and I get the Rice Crispy treat with milk chocolate, crushed peanut butter cups and more milk chocolate…figured I would make up for not getting a No Way Jose. My wife got the pretzels and my son got the marshmallows. It took us a fair amount of time to get on the bus and get back to Pop, but surprisingly, I was ready for some of my treat when we got to our room.

Animal Kingdom is our favorite park, and this day did not disappoint. I loved the rainy/misty weather, and with no waits for attractions, we had plenty of time to just take it easy and soak it all in. The food and entertainment were good and splitting our group up was the right thing to do. It is always hard to put your finger on everything that makes a day great, and this was one of those days.

My parents

First time on Everest

Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

My brother and all the kids on the Whirl

Members of the "Everest 5 times in a row" club

Guess what this guy is doing

My son and his light saber

My Rice Krispy treat...mmmmmmmm