Straight from the archives in *seven* parts! 1999 Trip Report

[diegorivera2]

Part One

DISNEY LOG 7.25.99

Sunday, July 25
Woke up too early, 3:30am to be exact. Managed to get out on time and arrived at BWI @ 5:30am. Were anxious and had time to spare. Next stop - WDW!

Great service from Tiffany Town Car: Mohamed was our driver and was a gracious host. We stopped at the Publix for a few items and arriued at 10:00, just like we'd planned. We couldn't check in right away and had some difficulty with getting our room details taken care of. A call to CRO resolved the matter and we were off to the monorail and the MK! First stop is always Adventureland. We quickly climbed up to the Main St. pavilion on our way in and then saw the Swiss Family treehouse, the Tiki Birds, and pirates of the carribbean. We had PS for the Crystal Palace for 12:30 and were seated promptly. The food at the CP was quite good - much better than the boards suggested. Fine salads, good breads and hot foods. All but the most discriminating palates would be pleased. (Vegetarians will be happy here!) Andrea was our server and was a gem. Menu items included numerous breads, lunchmeats and cheeses, vegetable salads, fruit salads, etc. Hot items included pastas, ragouts, vegetables, grain salads, and meat. A children's area and a dessert bar rounded out the fare. The zucchini and mushroom medley was our combined favorite and the carrot and cranberry salad was wonderful. I tried the flank steak at the carving station and it was better than most weekend BBQ's. In short, the Crystal Palace has improved greatly. Total bill was $32.86. Next stop was Tommorowland. A quick look around and then the Timekeeper. Boy, it sures seems that voice-overs by Robin Williams are just too much now. Timekeeper was fun but a bit of a let down. TTA was next, always a good time. Fantasyland was our next stop. Winnie the Pooh was a grand replacement for Toad. Great ride concept and short and sweet. Especially enjoyed Pooh's dream sequence and those Heffalumps and Woozles. We'd never seen Toad, but it seemed to be a nice way to pass the torch. Back to Poly to check in and take a dip in the quiet pool. Dinner was at the Contemporary Grille. Phenomonal! Amy started with the Sushi sampler, I with the goat cheese and sundried tomato ravioli. For our entrees we had the vegetarian unplugged special and the grilled pork tenderloin with crimini mushrooms, sage, and polenta. All wines are Californian: DeLoach Chardonnay and Kenwood Pinot Noir. Too full for dessert so a latte and a cappucino rounded things off. Total bill was $82.67, a very nice meal. Next, we headed back to Poly to see the water paegant then back to MK for Fantasy in the Sky and MSEP! FitS is always a favorite and this night was no exception; it always makes you glad to be there (even when it's 95* out at 10:00pm). Headed over to frontierland - through the exiting crowds - and staked out a spot for the MSEP. My wife remembers this one from childhood and, although I'd never seen it, Baroque Hoedown is one of my favorite Disney tunes. The parade isn't nearly as extravagent as SpectroMagic but it was great to see Amy wake up and laugh after a 22hr. day. Finally, back to the Poly and blissful sleep. Next day is Animal Kingdom.

 

[diegorivera2]

1999 Trip Report

Part Two

DISNEY LOG 7.26.99

Animal Kingdom is HOT!! As realized on our trip last fall, the AK lacks for two things: shade and qood signage. It's always hot and hard to find your way. We headed towards CTX and gladly waited in the shade instead of taking advantage of Fast Pass. Some of the Dino Land exhibits, the Artimals, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Festival of the Lion King, and some soft serve yogurt completed our trip.
By this time we were so exhausted we had to go back to the Poly. Unfortunately the pools (and the pool bar) were closed due to T-storms so back to the room to take a nap and call work. We woke up at 4:30 and showered and dressed for dinner and got to the TTC by 5:15pm. We only waited 5 min. for the Boone bus and arrived at the Wilderness Lodge right on time for our 5:30 PS at Artist's Point. I hadn't expected to be overwhelmed at the lobby but I was. What a great hotel! I think we decided to make this our next hotel but the construction really takes away from the ambience; I hope they finish on schedule. We arrived just prior to seating and had a drink in the lounge. Jack was our waiter and a wonderful guide to our Pacfic Northwest culinary adventure. Amy started with the asparagus soup and I with the grilled venison appetizer. Both were nice but, once again, reproducable at home. On the other hand, our entrees were fabulous. Amy had the shellfish "hot pot" with a Hogue Fume Blanc ('97) and I the cedar plank salmon and the Montinore Chardonnay ('96). We quickly decided to cancel our Friday night PSs and come here again. Total bill was $83.00 and the view is grand. We putzed around the Lodge for a while and headed off to Downtown Disney for a night on the town. DD was fun, the highlight of our night was The Adventurer's Club. What a blast. Kungaloosh! Anyway, be sure to stop in at Hoy Poloi in West Side - it's a feast for the eyes and imagination. Lastly, the Cirque du Soliel building is a fine monument for this wonderful band of performers although their merchandise is a little weak. Well, a fine day was had by all. Tomorrow is Epcot, Hoop-de-Doo, and E-Ride. Should be great!

 

[diegorivera2]

1999 Trip Report

Part Three

DISNEY LOG 7.27.99

Early morning! Up at 6:30 (those curtains at the Poly sure do keep out the light) and arrived at the TTC at a little after 7:15. After a lengthy wait, and watching our private car turn into a commuter train, we were off. Upon arrival at Epcot, one cannot help but see all of the on-going construction. Let's all hope it'll be worth it because it is certainly an eyesore now. Another hot, hot day so off to Honey I Shrunk the Audience (what fun!), The Land, Cranium Command and the Wonders of Life Pavilion. Test Track had a 2hr and 30min wait so we did some shopping at Centorium and checked in on Innoventions where more construction hampered our efforts. (Just a note about the WDW forever CDs - they do not offer a complete selection of songs. Missing were our faves from World Showcase,
i.e. Canada, and no songs from the resorts. Let's hope they work on this a bit more.) In sequence; Mexico, Norway, and China. All wonderful places to browse and the circle vision film in China is breathtaking. We backtracked to Norge for lunch (a personal favorite of ours) and worked our way around the rest of the world showcase. We went back to the room and got ready for the Hoop-Dee-Doo and passed some time walking around Fort Wilderness and feeding the animals at the petting zoo. We visited River Country and checked in at the Hoop-Dee-Doo only to discover we had the wrong day! We quickly found out when we went to pick up our tickets. Oh well, we're on vacation so let's go with the flow. CM Lucille was kind enough to advise us that our tickets were for 7.28 and not tonight. She said she could fit us in but we'd be in the balcony and our seats for tomorrow would be 2nd row from the stage. Needless to say, we deferred and said we'd see her tomorrow. (The seats are always important!) We took the launch to the Contemporary and then caught the monorail back home to the Poly and had dinner at the Kona Cafe. Nice decor, excellent service, and a menu that has a nice Asian influence. Vegetarians will find an abundance of offerings and will want to come back. We started with the pot-stickers and a classic Mai Tai for Amy and a Kona Kollins for Richard. Fans of the old Poly Luaus will be pleased to note the old tiki god glasses are still in use! Our waiter, Thuy, was exceptionally attentive and helpful. He recommended the Chilean Sea Bass steamed "Hong Kong" style and the sushi grade Ahi tuna. A wonderful meal. A kona presspot ended our meal and we were off to the MK for fireworks and the MSEP. We fought our way through the crowds to Fantasyland and rode Cinderella's Carousel and Small World and then watched Fantasy in the Sky straight up in the air. We took a ride on the steamboat and then stopped by the Haunted Mansion where the ghosts and happy haunts still numbered only 999. We staked our spot for the MSEP and watched it again. Of special magic included spotting a CM we had chatted with on Monday on our bus ride back from the AK. A special hello to our MSEP parade float clown from Montreal Canada. Great job! After the show we stopped by to see our friends at the Country Bear Jamboree. Biq Al's still singing and we still love the show. My guess was that E-Ride was close to capacity (my wristband was 6960) and it was busy. We stayed clear of the west mountains and spent our time in Tomorrowland. Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and some casual shopping occupied our night and we left, exhausted, at 1:00am. Tired and sleepy, we boarded the resort monorail and disembarked at the TTC for our bed at the Poly. Wow!

 

[diegorivera2]

1999 Trip Report

Part Four

DISNEY LOG 7.28.99

We had scheduled an early morning at DS but Tuesday's E-Ride night had completely worn us out. We arranged for Mickey to wake us at the liesurely hour of 9:00am and, after some breakfast, headed to the pool for some sun and rest. Around 1:00pm we returned to Epcot and tried Le Cellier for lunch. Amy had the chickpea burger with a caesar salad and I had the duck confit salad. Both of us enjoyed our lunches (and the Labbatt's Blue hit the spot) and walked through the falls and purchased our WDW compact disc that we can never seem to find anywhere else. We went counter-clockwise through the UK and on to France. Le Impressions de France is a nice film and make sure to visit all of the shops in France, especially the 2nd floor art gallery in the Plume et Palette. Took the Friendship V boat to Mexico so Amy could buy a Maya god to use for her unit on Maya culture in school. The heat was increasing so back to the Poly and another dip in the pool. We noticed several families hadn't left from earlier in the morning! After an hour and a half we went back to the room and showered and dressed for the hallmark of Fort Wilderness cuisine: the Hoop-de-Doo Musical Revue. A quick walk to the TTC and hopped on the Boone bus to Settlement Depot. We were a little early so we sat and rocked on the Crockett Tavern porch and did a little bit of people watching. Knowing we had great seats, we waited for that long line leading into the hall to disappear before entering. Our patience was rewarded with 2 seats in the front row, right by the bango picker and piano player. We had requested a vegetarian meal for Amy the night before and a decent fish dinner with potato, broccoli, and carrots was presented. We were served a salad (the best item all night) and a loaf of bread and they offered Sangria and Bud Lite in mason jars. My meal consisted of fried chicken, pork spareribs, corn, baked beans, and Amy's broccoli. Desert was strawberry shortcake and coffee. I mention these items in detail because although it is all you can eat, none of it is quite good and it's important to know that going into the show. The entertainment (stage show) makes this event worthwhile and it helps to have a great server. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves but our memories will be sufficient for quite some time. Following the show we took the launch to the Contemporary and watched the fireworks from the 15th floor observation deck. Knowing we had an early morning breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table the next morning, we boarded the monorail and headed back to Moorea and bed.

 

[diegorivera2]

1999 Trip Report

Part Five

DISNEY LOG 7.29.99

Early entry for MK and breakfast at Cinderella's Castle. A good night's sleep made our Mickey phone call at 6:30am much easier. Just a note about early entry and the TTC: the express monorail does not operate, only the resort monorail. So, our regular routine of Moorea to the TTC didn't apply - lesson learned. On to Cinderella's castle and our fairy tale breakfast. A tip on character breakfasts: make your PS arrangements as far in advance as possible and arrive on time. We did and were rewarded with wonderful seats and plenty of characters. Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Wendy, and Alice came to our table and were wonderful hosts. The food was ok and the coffee (the first of the day) was great. We left and played in Fantasyland for a full hour before the park opened to everybody (EE morning for MK). Dumbo, Snow White's Scary Adventure, Peter Pan's Flight, A Small World and then over to Frontierland for another performance of the Country Bear Jamboree. A quick tour of Main St. and then out of the MK and on to the Richard F. Irvine ferry to the TTC and a bus to DS. Aerosmith was visiting to officially open the RnRC so no riding that one. We fought through the Aerosmith gawkers and saw Muppet Vision 3D with no wait. Next to the GRM and then Amy did some shopping while I went to the TOT. I'd never ridden before and loved the entire concept and ride. I only wish the height matched the hype; however, I did find myself laughing during the drop sequences. Only a 25min. wait at 1:00pm. Good fortune abounds. It seemed to be getting hotter and hotter so we left at 1:40 and headed back to the Poly. Amy called the Ivy Trellis salon at the GF and reserved a 3:30 hair appointment in preparation for dinner that evening. We hooked up the Handycam to the in-room TV and watched, briefly, our vacation, so far, as captured on tape. (The WTP ride will be a classic.) After a brief rest we boarded the monorail for the GF and arrived half an hour early for her appointment. Never a problem at Disney as an earlier cancellation afforded us an opening just as we arrived. Just a quick note: while the GF salon offers a full range of services, the prices charge demand greater pampering and style than what are currently provided. It has no Disney magic whatsoever. While Amy was attended to I caught up on my trip notes and we were soon on our way. We took a quick tour of the GF and acquainted ourselves with the location of dinner that evening, Victoria and Alberts. Flower arrangements had just arrived and the CMs at Citricos were gracious enough to allow us a quick tour of V&As. A beautiful setting and a nice touch by the GFs restaurant staff to give us a quick look. Back to the Poly on the monorail and a shower and bath before dinner. It sure felt strange to put on that suit and those wingtips while at WDW! Nevertheless, we enjoyed all of the stares (Amy looked more beautiful than ever) as we walked through the Poly area, into the Great Ceremonial House, and onto the monorail to the GF. For lovers of big band music and Frank Sinatra standards (that's us) be sure to take some time and catch the performances held in the evenings beside Citricos and the north shops. It was a treat to wait outside V&As and listen. At 6:30 the doors opened and we began our anniversary (4th) dinner at Victoria and Albert's. Linda and Sal, Victoria and Albert, were our servers and we had a marvellous evening thanks to chef Scot Hulman, Linda, Sal, and the maitre'de staff, Jim and Tim. Kudos to all around. (For more information on our dinner, please see Deb Wills menus page on her website.) Feeling wonderful and completely in awe of the personalized attention we were given, we headed home back to the blissful arms of the Polynesian.

 

[diegorivera2]

1999 Trip Report

Part Six

DISNEY LOG 7.31.99

Still feeling sleepy from a hard week's work, we slept in and woke at the liesurly hour of 8:00 and started to get ready for our checkout later in the afternoon (we had requested late check-out earlier in the week and were given a time of 1:00pm).

pack-up, pastries at Kona, monorail to MK, watched people, shopping, buzz lightyear, always walk through tomorrowland cafe for a cool spot, tta, carousel of progress, photographs, dole whip, hall of presidents, photographs, mgm for bag, kon for lunch, barefoot bar, drive to airport. zzzzzz. . .

 

[diegorivera2]

1999 Trip Report

Part Seven

DISNEY LOG 7.30.99

It was a late morning wakeup at 10:00am. Boy we're tired!! We had breakfast in the Kona Cafe and the *wonderful* Tonga Toast breakfast. Bill came to $26.

We proceeded to take a monorail tour, and with sad hearts headed over to Cap'n Jacks for our last lunch of the trip. (This is a family tradition -- last day at Cap'n Jacks.) This was followed by more shopping (!), a trip to the pool (we'd already checked out of the Poly but kept a bag with us), weathered a rain storm, viewed Cirque du Soliel (our third Cirque visit -- first at WDW) and then had dinner at Spoodles. Our meal included polenta with mushrooms, oak fired quail with stonefruit and arugula, rock shrimp flatbread with chipolte creme fraiche and corn with peppers, eggplant penne and yellow fin tuna.

Following this we caught our Tiffany towncar back to MCO and then back to BWI.

Wow!! Can't wait to come back. (And we did in Thanksgiving of this same year.)