For my very first post, I did a trip report about my Oct. 2004 visit. So, for my 100th, I decided to do a trip report about my Oct. 2005 visit. Ah, the significance!
Day 1 -- Monday, 10/3
BAD: Maybe I'm stupid, but I had no idea that the Magical Express, which I didn't want because I didn't entirely trust them with my luggage, completely replaced the Mears shuttle buses. At the airport, I went to the Mears desk to schedule transportation and they refused to take us, even though we were paying for it. Instead, they told us Magical Express, which was free, was the only way to get to WDW. Very odd. We ended up taking a cab to Wilderness Lodge ...
... only to find out our room wasn't ready. Normally, that wouldn't have been a big deal. But the flight from NJ was terrible, I was going on no sleep and we just wanted to rest for a little bit. By the time it got to be around 3:30 and our room still wasn't ready, my boyfriend Mike kindly explained that we just wanted a nap and that we'd take any room. The CM behind the desk quickly obliged. Which leads me to the ...
GOOD: I LOVE Wilderness Lodge. Everyone on here who told me how fantastic it was deserves a hug. It's excellently themed and very relaxing. Our room was on the small side, but very cozy and our balcony looked out over the courtyard. Transportation is a little bit of a problem, but I'm definitely staying there again.
After a rest, we went to the Magic Kingdom for a bit before heading back to the hotel for dinner at Artist Point. The food was great. The ambience was great. Just an all-around fine dining experience.
Day 2 -- Tuesday, 10/4
GOOD: Went to MGM, and immediately rode TOT. It was the first time I sat in the front row, which was cool. A huge difference from the back row, where I always usually get stuck. Very thrilling.
ON THE FENCE: Am I the only one not impressed with Lights! Motor! Action!? The skill of the drivers is undeniable, but I don't think the format of the show does them justice. Can't put my finger on it, but there was a lack of excitement. Maybe because it's from Disneyland Paris and the French are more refined?
BAD: One Man's Dream. Not the attraction itself, which is a wonderful tribute to Walt, but the stupid announcement saying that the movie is going to begin. We had just entered the building when it was announced the movie would begin "in one minute!" Everyone around us rushed to the theater, not even glancing at the great memorabilia on display. Why rush people through it? We stayed and looked at everything. There's some great stuff in there.
GOOD: Ate at the Brown Derby. Loved the Cobb Salad. Then went to Downtown Disney for Cirque de Soleil. It was an excellent show and I recommend it to everyone. Didn't understand any of it (Those crazy French again!) but I don't think that's the point. Just sit back and be amazed. I did snicker in the beginning, though, because it reminded me of that commercial from a few years back. I forget what it was for, but it was a husband and wife planning a vacation and the wife asks, "Do they have tickets for Magique?" And the husband imagines attending a very surreal stage show with odd looking clowns. Well, "La Nouba" definitely had a "Magique" feel.
Day 3 -- Wednesday, 10/5
GOOD: Animal Kingdom! Yay! It's a great park, and when Everest opens I think it will finally get the respect it deserves. Speaking of Everest, they were planting trees around the large drop, using a gigantic crane to carry them to the front of the mountain.
BAD: Had dinner at Narcoossee's at Grand Floridian. What a disappointment! The restaurant itself is cool -- a giant octagon right next to the water. But it was very crowded, very loud and extremely overpriced. I'll gladly pay lots of money for a great meal. Artist Point wasn't cheap, either, but the food was light years better than it was at Narcoossee's. Doubt I'd eat there again. Has anyone had a better experience there?
Day 4 -- Thursday, 10/6
GOOD: We went to Epcot and did the Segway around the World Tour. What a blast! The Segways are intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's so much fun. Then we zipped through World Showcase for an hour, even wheeling through some of the stores and restaurants. The really weird part was returning to Future World from World Showcase, because you're being watched by everyone! Literally hundreds of people stopped and stared at us as we passed. It felt like being in a parade, and the whole time I kept telling myself, "Don't fall off. Don't crash. Don't fall off. Don't crash." That would have made for a very humiliating Epcot experience.
Went on Soarin' for the first time and loved it. I'm curious about which row of gliders is the best place to be seated. We were in the third row and I'm wondering if the first row is more thrilling because you go higher.
Hit Test Track, which we barely got on because of the rain, and I did Mission:Space while Mike sat it out. I didn't love it when I went on it last year, but really enjoyed it this time. I think it was because I had been so afraid of getting sick that I was too nervous to have fun on it.
BAD: It started to rain and things got pretty miserable. We had reservations for dinner in France and two hours to waste until then. So we trudged through World Showcase a bit. In Mexico, we were the only two people on the boat ride. Not just in our boat, but on the entire ride! The ironic part was that a minute after we exited, I realized I had left my umbrella on the boat. I went back and asked the CM for my umbrella. She then grilled me about color, etc. I understand this is common lost and found policy to make sure someone's not taking something that doesn't belong to them, but WE HAD BEEN THE ONLY PEOPLE ON THE RIDE! Who else could it have belonged to?!
By the time we reached France, Mike and I were in bad moods and, frankly, just not getting along. We were tired, wet, cold and sniping at each other. The magic had turned to exhaustion and annoyance. (Come on, it happens to everyone at least once a trip. Or else I'm just a bad person.) So our dinner was consumed it angry silence and our poor waiter could sense it. He was unfailingly polite and tried to make the dinner as nice as possible, but it was just hopeless. We now refer to it as "The Dinner We Dare Not Speak Of."
Day 5 -- Friday, 10/7
GOOD: Magic Kingdom! My favorite place in the World and the world. No matter how many times I've been there, I learn something new. For instance, on the this trip, I learned that I'm a lousy shot on Buzz Lightyear. Really lousy. I suppose practice is in order.
Spent the day at the park, returned to the hotel about 4 and had a drink at the poolside bar. After a nap, we returned for MNSSHP. It seemed to be kicked up a little this year. I love seeing Main Street lit up in those spooky colors. The fireworks were fantastic -- and the perimeter fireworks absoluetly mindblowing. During the finale, it was so bright it felt like daytime. Watched the parade and finally saw the Headless Horseman! Unfortunately, I was too busy trying to take a picture of him that I didn't really pay much attention to him. (And, no, the picture didn't come out. :lookaroun )
Went on all of our favorite rides: Buzz, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, BTM, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Pirates. Even the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse was open and, once again, we were the only people on it.
BAD: No bad. Just a wonderful day at the Magic Kingdom and a great capper to our trip.
Day 1 -- Monday, 10/3
BAD: Maybe I'm stupid, but I had no idea that the Magical Express, which I didn't want because I didn't entirely trust them with my luggage, completely replaced the Mears shuttle buses. At the airport, I went to the Mears desk to schedule transportation and they refused to take us, even though we were paying for it. Instead, they told us Magical Express, which was free, was the only way to get to WDW. Very odd. We ended up taking a cab to Wilderness Lodge ...
... only to find out our room wasn't ready. Normally, that wouldn't have been a big deal. But the flight from NJ was terrible, I was going on no sleep and we just wanted to rest for a little bit. By the time it got to be around 3:30 and our room still wasn't ready, my boyfriend Mike kindly explained that we just wanted a nap and that we'd take any room. The CM behind the desk quickly obliged. Which leads me to the ...
GOOD: I LOVE Wilderness Lodge. Everyone on here who told me how fantastic it was deserves a hug. It's excellently themed and very relaxing. Our room was on the small side, but very cozy and our balcony looked out over the courtyard. Transportation is a little bit of a problem, but I'm definitely staying there again.
After a rest, we went to the Magic Kingdom for a bit before heading back to the hotel for dinner at Artist Point. The food was great. The ambience was great. Just an all-around fine dining experience.
Day 2 -- Tuesday, 10/4
GOOD: Went to MGM, and immediately rode TOT. It was the first time I sat in the front row, which was cool. A huge difference from the back row, where I always usually get stuck. Very thrilling.
ON THE FENCE: Am I the only one not impressed with Lights! Motor! Action!? The skill of the drivers is undeniable, but I don't think the format of the show does them justice. Can't put my finger on it, but there was a lack of excitement. Maybe because it's from Disneyland Paris and the French are more refined?
BAD: One Man's Dream. Not the attraction itself, which is a wonderful tribute to Walt, but the stupid announcement saying that the movie is going to begin. We had just entered the building when it was announced the movie would begin "in one minute!" Everyone around us rushed to the theater, not even glancing at the great memorabilia on display. Why rush people through it? We stayed and looked at everything. There's some great stuff in there.
GOOD: Ate at the Brown Derby. Loved the Cobb Salad. Then went to Downtown Disney for Cirque de Soleil. It was an excellent show and I recommend it to everyone. Didn't understand any of it (Those crazy French again!) but I don't think that's the point. Just sit back and be amazed. I did snicker in the beginning, though, because it reminded me of that commercial from a few years back. I forget what it was for, but it was a husband and wife planning a vacation and the wife asks, "Do they have tickets for Magique?" And the husband imagines attending a very surreal stage show with odd looking clowns. Well, "La Nouba" definitely had a "Magique" feel.
Day 3 -- Wednesday, 10/5
GOOD: Animal Kingdom! Yay! It's a great park, and when Everest opens I think it will finally get the respect it deserves. Speaking of Everest, they were planting trees around the large drop, using a gigantic crane to carry them to the front of the mountain.
BAD: Had dinner at Narcoossee's at Grand Floridian. What a disappointment! The restaurant itself is cool -- a giant octagon right next to the water. But it was very crowded, very loud and extremely overpriced. I'll gladly pay lots of money for a great meal. Artist Point wasn't cheap, either, but the food was light years better than it was at Narcoossee's. Doubt I'd eat there again. Has anyone had a better experience there?
Day 4 -- Thursday, 10/6
GOOD: We went to Epcot and did the Segway around the World Tour. What a blast! The Segways are intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's so much fun. Then we zipped through World Showcase for an hour, even wheeling through some of the stores and restaurants. The really weird part was returning to Future World from World Showcase, because you're being watched by everyone! Literally hundreds of people stopped and stared at us as we passed. It felt like being in a parade, and the whole time I kept telling myself, "Don't fall off. Don't crash. Don't fall off. Don't crash." That would have made for a very humiliating Epcot experience.
Went on Soarin' for the first time and loved it. I'm curious about which row of gliders is the best place to be seated. We were in the third row and I'm wondering if the first row is more thrilling because you go higher.
Hit Test Track, which we barely got on because of the rain, and I did Mission:Space while Mike sat it out. I didn't love it when I went on it last year, but really enjoyed it this time. I think it was because I had been so afraid of getting sick that I was too nervous to have fun on it.
BAD: It started to rain and things got pretty miserable. We had reservations for dinner in France and two hours to waste until then. So we trudged through World Showcase a bit. In Mexico, we were the only two people on the boat ride. Not just in our boat, but on the entire ride! The ironic part was that a minute after we exited, I realized I had left my umbrella on the boat. I went back and asked the CM for my umbrella. She then grilled me about color, etc. I understand this is common lost and found policy to make sure someone's not taking something that doesn't belong to them, but WE HAD BEEN THE ONLY PEOPLE ON THE RIDE! Who else could it have belonged to?!
By the time we reached France, Mike and I were in bad moods and, frankly, just not getting along. We were tired, wet, cold and sniping at each other. The magic had turned to exhaustion and annoyance. (Come on, it happens to everyone at least once a trip. Or else I'm just a bad person.) So our dinner was consumed it angry silence and our poor waiter could sense it. He was unfailingly polite and tried to make the dinner as nice as possible, but it was just hopeless. We now refer to it as "The Dinner We Dare Not Speak Of."
Day 5 -- Friday, 10/7
GOOD: Magic Kingdom! My favorite place in the World and the world. No matter how many times I've been there, I learn something new. For instance, on the this trip, I learned that I'm a lousy shot on Buzz Lightyear. Really lousy. I suppose practice is in order.
Spent the day at the park, returned to the hotel about 4 and had a drink at the poolside bar. After a nap, we returned for MNSSHP. It seemed to be kicked up a little this year. I love seeing Main Street lit up in those spooky colors. The fireworks were fantastic -- and the perimeter fireworks absoluetly mindblowing. During the finale, it was so bright it felt like daytime. Watched the parade and finally saw the Headless Horseman! Unfortunately, I was too busy trying to take a picture of him that I didn't really pay much attention to him. (And, no, the picture didn't come out. :lookaroun )
Went on all of our favorite rides: Buzz, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, BTM, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Pirates. Even the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse was open and, once again, we were the only people on it.
BAD: No bad. Just a wonderful day at the Magic Kingdom and a great capper to our trip.
