Universal/IOA: My one complaint is that people here are more likely to ignore the "designated smoking area". Saw one young woman walking up the main street of the park, cigarette in hand. She was wearing short shorts -- so short that I could see the tattoo on her butt cheek. If I'd been her mother, she'd be dead.
As hotel guests, we were able to go into IOA an hour before the park opened just for the Harry Potter area -- you don't get front of the line access for Forbidden Journey. On Saturday we did Harry Potter first, then worked our way around IOA and then went to Universal. On Sunday we did Harry Potter, then went over to Universal so the pirate king could ride the Hollywood rip rocket (no front of the line access for that one, either), and ended our day in IOA.
The rides here tend to be darker and edgier, and we loved them. Forbidden Journey is clearly the best ride in Central Florida. Loved Spiderman and Revenge of the Mummy. Jaws is pure camp and the Simpsons ride is the funniest flight simulator -- love the smell of baby powder....
I won't ride the Dragon Challenge, the Hulk, Doctor Doom's Freefall or Hollywood Rip Rocket. The king loved the coasters, but felt Tower of Terror was a better ride than Dr. Doom. On the other hand, Disaster is much better than Disney's Backlot tour, especially now that there's no audience participation at Disney.
I was not particularly impressed with the fast food in the parks -- ate at Blondie's sandwich shop one day and at the International Festival the next. Adequate but not spectacular. We ate one dinner at the Islands restaurant at the hotel -- nice stir fry experience. Loved my shrimp in Margaritaville, but we were sitting upstairs and didn't really get to experience the "party" -- though this parrothead was happy to hear Jimmy's music! We had dinner at the Latin Club one night, and I thought the food was better than at Bongos; I had arroz con pollo is both restaurants. The king thought Citywalk was nicer than downtown Disney.
And did I mention the local fauna? As we arrived at the Royal Pacific, I told the king "I didn't see any lizards at coronado springs." I remembered seeing lizards at ohter hotels. No sooner did I say it than I saw lizards at Royal Pacific. but what really got to us was the little black snake that crossed our path!
People DO notice your t-shirt, by the way. the king wore a t-shirt from the old TV show "dark shadows" and spent the day telling people about the new movie version starring Johnny depp. I wore an old t-shirt to Hollywood Studios, one that I bought after riding Rock N roller Coaster 10 years ago, and it was quite a conversation starter. And the day we went to IOA I wore a shirt I'd bought in the Warner Brothers Studio Store, one that bears the Dark Lord's name -- you should have seen reactions to that.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
summary trip report I posted on a Disney site part 1
As you may know, after many years of being divorced, my ex husband and I have reconciled 
and have done some traveling together recently. We honeymooned in Disneyworld in 1987, and though I've been to Disney and Universal many times since, my ex (who I'll call "the pirate king" for this trip report) had never been back.
So when we decided to go, he let me do most of the planning. I think I did OK.
Rather than give you a day by day itinerary, I think that what I'll do is give comments on various topics.
The weather: Just as we were leaving for the airport, the pirate king's buddy asked us "do you guys have insurance? Hurricane Irene is in the Caribbean and it's aiming towards Florida." Ironically, while Irene dominated the news the entire time we were in Central Florida, the storm posed more of a danger to our friends and family back home on Long island than it did to us. In fact, although we were not directly affected by the storm, we had to book car service to take us home from the airport at the end of the trip because the friend who was supposed to pick us up got stranded in Las Vegas.
We also missed the excitement of an earthquake. Instead, we got typical "Florida in the summertime" weather -- very hot, very humid, with short periods of rain almost every day.
Accommodations: We spent one night in a budget motel inKissimmee , 4 nights at Disney's Coronado Springs and 3 nights at Loew's Royal Pacific. first, the budget motel -- Studio 6 Orlando - Kissimmee . Not bad for the money. We had a lovely room, could have comfortably stayed here the whole trip if need be. There was a living room, a kitchenette with table and chairs, a decent bathroom with the sink in a separate area, and a bedroom with king sized bed.
Coronado Springs. I've stayed in deluxe resorts, value resorts and moderates, so I knew what to expect. I loved the Mexican theming. We checked in at 7 AM and our room was ready. Even better, the upgrade fairy struck, and we got a water view when we'd booked a garden view! We were in Cabanas, and our view was of a smaller lake behind the buildings. Since we did the parks commando style, we never saw much of the resort, but what we did see what gorgeous.
Royal Pacific: I'd stayed at Portofino Bay several years ago, so I knew that this hotel would be beautiful, too. The theme here is a combination of Polynesia and Indonesia. the staff wear leis and greet you with "aloha". but the decor...well, I expected Dorothy Lamour in her sarong and Hope and Crosby in their "Road to Bali" costumes to show up at any minute. by the time we got here we were exhausted, and so we spent some time relaxing at the resort instead of dashing around the parks. The pool area is well themed, you'd think you really were in Bali if you didn't see the top of Dr. Doom over the tops of the palm trees. Great activities for the kids -- games all day and a movie at night -- but I would have liked the option of a quiet pool a la Disney.
we had a garden view room, and all we could see was foiliage!
The parks: both parks managed to entertain us and hold our interest. Disney is clearly more "magical", Universal clearly edgier. We loved them both.
Disney: We visited all 4 theme parks from Monday-Friday. Crowds were moderate, we toured "commando style", made good use of extra magic hours, fastpass and single rider lines. We focused on rides and generally skipped shows, and consequently managed to see everything a lot faster than I'd planned. the only time we had to wait more than 20 minutes for a ride was during extra magic hours at EPCOT, when our wait for Soarin' was over an hour.
that was also the night I encountered the incredibly rude parents. the young boy was a bit rambunctious and accidentally kicked me, hard enough to leave a bruise. Mom told him to behave, but never told him to apologize to me.
Monday morning was Animal Kingdom, Monday afternoon and evening EPCOT. Tuesday morning was EPCOT, then Magic Kingdom in the afternoon and EPCOT again in the evening (extra magic hours). Wednesday was Magic Kingdom, Thursday was Hollywood Studios and we finished on Friday with Animal Kingdom.
Favorite rides: Expedition Everest, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Space Mountain. Most disappointing ride: Kali River Rapids. Not only was the Popeye ride in Islands of Adventure better, the version at our local Six Flags was superior. The theming was good, but the ride was too short and not exciting enough. Hated the Enchanted Tiki Room -- very retro, very sweet, very dull. Nice place for a nap. Loved the updates to Star Tours (same simulator, new video and special effects) and the Haunted Mansion. Mission space -- I chickened out of the Orange team and rode Green, and the king rode Orange -- told me I made a wise decision. Loved toy Story Mania. Loved watching the pirate king's reaction on the Great Movie Ride, as he realized why we saw certain movie trailers during the pre-show.
I think I prefer Spectromagic to the Main Street Electrical Parade, but I love the current version of Wishes. I'm not crazy about Illuminations, but Fantasmic is always fantastic -- and I like how you can see some of the Illuminatins fireworks from the Fantasmic amphitheater.
A funny thing happened while we were on the Small World ride. (We HAVE to ride IASW, we both saw this ride at the 1964 World's fair). We were sitting in the boat, waiting to dock at the end of the ride, when we saw a squirrel running around on the floor near the water's edge. Poor thing looked terrified! He wound up in the water. yes, squirrels do know how to swim.
The 15 year old girl we saw on line at Peter Pan. She was wearing a skimpy blue and white striped camisole top.She was wearing a very wide white patent leather belt around her waist. the effect was to pulll the neckline down so low that her ample cleavage was very much on display. Unfortunately, in the ack -- her entire bra was visible. and it wasn't a cute little number from Victoria's Secret, it was a heavy-duty Platex 18 hour bra.
We rode Pirates of the Caribbean during a thunderstorm, and the ride went down. Got stuck on the ride for 25 minutes! they actually killed the soundtrack for awhile. Never did see the Jack Sparrow street performer outside the ride -- he was so good when I was there in 2008.
For the most part we traveled around the World in our rental car. (The king was our pilot, and I navigated with the GPS in my Droid.) That's how I managed for find $60 (three $20 bills) in a half-empty parking lot after the Magic Kingdom fireworks. Took the monorail from EPCOT to Magic Kingdom, but wound up on a bus back to EPCOT later that evening because of mechanical troubles on the monorail. We were 30 minutes late for our ADR at San Angel, but we were seated anyhow. In fact, the only time we had to wait for a table in a sit down restaurant was in Sci-Fi Dine In, when we arrived 10 minutes early and were not seated until 20 minutes after our ADR time.
And as for the food: We did the dining plan, but wouldn't do it again . Sometimes I'd rather have an appetizer than dessert, but the plan has no flexibility. Loved San Angel and Restaurant Marrakesh -- though I was so disappointed in Marrakesh when the musicians started their break right after we ordered dinner and didn't start playing again until we finished dessert. Sci-Fi was fun, and Tony's -- well, I've got a soft spot for "Lady and the Tramp". Counter service meals -- Flame Tree was good, but it was better when I ate there in 2008. The burgers at Electric Umbrella were disappointing. Cosmic Ray's is always fun, and we liked the pizza at Pizza Planet. But only in Disney can a bottle of Dasani water be considered a "snack".
Loved our breakfast at Chef Mickey's -- only place in Disney where we actually posed with characters.
We did spend some time at Downtown Disney, the night we arrived in Florida and the day we left. Bongos was OK for dinner, but our lunch at Rainforest Cafe was much better. With the live fish in the tank and the animatronic elephants and gorillas, you can see why they are part of Disney.
and have done some traveling together recently. We honeymooned in Disneyworld in 1987, and though I've been to Disney and Universal many times since, my ex (who I'll call "the pirate king" for this trip report) had never been back.So when we decided to go, he let me do most of the planning. I think I did OK.
Rather than give you a day by day itinerary, I think that what I'll do is give comments on various topics.
The weather: Just as we were leaving for the airport, the pirate king's buddy asked us "do you guys have insurance? Hurricane Irene is in the Caribbean and it's aiming towards Florida." Ironically, while Irene dominated the news the entire time we were in Central Florida, the storm posed more of a danger to our friends and family back home on Long island than it did to us. In fact, although we were not directly affected by the storm, we had to book car service to take us home from the airport at the end of the trip because the friend who was supposed to pick us up got stranded in Las Vegas.
We also missed the excitement of an earthquake. Instead, we got typical "Florida in the summertime" weather -- very hot, very humid, with short periods of rain almost every day.
Accommodations: We spent one night in a budget motel inKissimmee , 4 nights at Disney's Coronado Springs and 3 nights at Loew's Royal Pacific. first, the budget motel -- Studio 6 Orlando - Kissimmee . Not bad for the money. We had a lovely room, could have comfortably stayed here the whole trip if need be. There was a living room, a kitchenette with table and chairs, a decent bathroom with the sink in a separate area, and a bedroom with king sized bed.
Coronado Springs. I've stayed in deluxe resorts, value resorts and moderates, so I knew what to expect. I loved the Mexican theming. We checked in at 7 AM and our room was ready. Even better, the upgrade fairy struck, and we got a water view when we'd booked a garden view! We were in Cabanas, and our view was of a smaller lake behind the buildings. Since we did the parks commando style, we never saw much of the resort, but what we did see what gorgeous.
Royal Pacific: I'd stayed at Portofino Bay several years ago, so I knew that this hotel would be beautiful, too. The theme here is a combination of Polynesia and Indonesia. the staff wear leis and greet you with "aloha". but the decor...well, I expected Dorothy Lamour in her sarong and Hope and Crosby in their "Road to Bali" costumes to show up at any minute. by the time we got here we were exhausted, and so we spent some time relaxing at the resort instead of dashing around the parks. The pool area is well themed, you'd think you really were in Bali if you didn't see the top of Dr. Doom over the tops of the palm trees. Great activities for the kids -- games all day and a movie at night -- but I would have liked the option of a quiet pool a la Disney.
we had a garden view room, and all we could see was foiliage!
The parks: both parks managed to entertain us and hold our interest. Disney is clearly more "magical", Universal clearly edgier. We loved them both.
Disney: We visited all 4 theme parks from Monday-Friday. Crowds were moderate, we toured "commando style", made good use of extra magic hours, fastpass and single rider lines. We focused on rides and generally skipped shows, and consequently managed to see everything a lot faster than I'd planned. the only time we had to wait more than 20 minutes for a ride was during extra magic hours at EPCOT, when our wait for Soarin' was over an hour.
that was also the night I encountered the incredibly rude parents. the young boy was a bit rambunctious and accidentally kicked me, hard enough to leave a bruise. Mom told him to behave, but never told him to apologize to me.
Monday morning was Animal Kingdom, Monday afternoon and evening EPCOT. Tuesday morning was EPCOT, then Magic Kingdom in the afternoon and EPCOT again in the evening (extra magic hours). Wednesday was Magic Kingdom, Thursday was Hollywood Studios and we finished on Friday with Animal Kingdom.
Favorite rides: Expedition Everest, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Space Mountain. Most disappointing ride: Kali River Rapids. Not only was the Popeye ride in Islands of Adventure better, the version at our local Six Flags was superior. The theming was good, but the ride was too short and not exciting enough. Hated the Enchanted Tiki Room -- very retro, very sweet, very dull. Nice place for a nap. Loved the updates to Star Tours (same simulator, new video and special effects) and the Haunted Mansion. Mission space -- I chickened out of the Orange team and rode Green, and the king rode Orange -- told me I made a wise decision. Loved toy Story Mania. Loved watching the pirate king's reaction on the Great Movie Ride, as he realized why we saw certain movie trailers during the pre-show.
I think I prefer Spectromagic to the Main Street Electrical Parade, but I love the current version of Wishes. I'm not crazy about Illuminations, but Fantasmic is always fantastic -- and I like how you can see some of the Illuminatins fireworks from the Fantasmic amphitheater.
A funny thing happened while we were on the Small World ride. (We HAVE to ride IASW, we both saw this ride at the 1964 World's fair). We were sitting in the boat, waiting to dock at the end of the ride, when we saw a squirrel running around on the floor near the water's edge. Poor thing looked terrified! He wound up in the water. yes, squirrels do know how to swim.
The 15 year old girl we saw on line at Peter Pan. She was wearing a skimpy blue and white striped camisole top.She was wearing a very wide white patent leather belt around her waist. the effect was to pulll the neckline down so low that her ample cleavage was very much on display. Unfortunately, in the ack -- her entire bra was visible. and it wasn't a cute little number from Victoria's Secret, it was a heavy-duty Platex 18 hour bra.
We rode Pirates of the Caribbean during a thunderstorm, and the ride went down. Got stuck on the ride for 25 minutes! they actually killed the soundtrack for awhile. Never did see the Jack Sparrow street performer outside the ride -- he was so good when I was there in 2008.
For the most part we traveled around the World in our rental car. (The king was our pilot, and I navigated with the GPS in my Droid.) That's how I managed for find $60 (three $20 bills) in a half-empty parking lot after the Magic Kingdom fireworks. Took the monorail from EPCOT to Magic Kingdom, but wound up on a bus back to EPCOT later that evening because of mechanical troubles on the monorail. We were 30 minutes late for our ADR at San Angel, but we were seated anyhow. In fact, the only time we had to wait for a table in a sit down restaurant was in Sci-Fi Dine In, when we arrived 10 minutes early and were not seated until 20 minutes after our ADR time.
And as for the food: We did the dining plan, but wouldn't do it again . Sometimes I'd rather have an appetizer than dessert, but the plan has no flexibility. Loved San Angel and Restaurant Marrakesh -- though I was so disappointed in Marrakesh when the musicians started their break right after we ordered dinner and didn't start playing again until we finished dessert. Sci-Fi was fun, and Tony's -- well, I've got a soft spot for "Lady and the Tramp". Counter service meals -- Flame Tree was good, but it was better when I ate there in 2008. The burgers at Electric Umbrella were disappointing. Cosmic Ray's is always fun, and we liked the pizza at Pizza Planet. But only in Disney can a bottle of Dasani water be considered a "snack".
Loved our breakfast at Chef Mickey's -- only place in Disney where we actually posed with characters.
We did spend some time at Downtown Disney, the night we arrived in Florida and the day we left. Bongos was OK for dinner, but our lunch at Rainforest Cafe was much better. With the live fish in the tank and the animatronic elephants and gorillas, you can see why they are part of Disney.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
our last day
checked out of the hotel and drove over to Downtown Disney, we had to eat at the Rainforest Cafe! sat right under the fish tank, right near the animatronic elephants and gorillas.
then off to the airport. wanted to make sure we were good to go, so many flights were cancelled that we were nervous. also, had to arrange for car service because the firend who was supposed to pick us up at the airport got stranded in Vegas.
loved the trip, wish we were still there.
then off to the airport. wanted to make sure we were good to go, so many flights were cancelled that we were nervous. also, had to arrange for car service because the firend who was supposed to pick us up at the airport got stranded in Vegas.
loved the trip, wish we were still there.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
IOA again -- and Universal
more Harry Potter, more Revenge of the Mummy. afternoon swim and dinner at the Latin Quarter. a soak in the hot tub before bed.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
part 7 -- IOA
Harry Potter is the best ride ever!
flight of the hippogryph is lame.
Drewrode both dragons, I did not.
Ollivander's was cute.
loved IOA, liked Universal.
dinner at Margaritaville, of course. Citywalk is livelier than Downtown disney.
flight of the hippogryph is lame.
Drewrode both dragons, I did not.
Ollivander's was cute.
loved IOA, liked Universal.
dinner at Margaritaville, of course. Citywalk is livelier than Downtown disney.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
trip report part 6
Chef Mickey's for breakfast, then back to AK in the morning, rode Everest again. drove over to Royal Pacific and checked in. I swam,he napped. ate dinner at the Islands restaurant. loved the Indonesian theme. really needed the down time.
and did I mention the lizards and the snake?
in previous trips I'd seen lizards at all the Disney hotels, but didn't see any at Coronado springs. right after we got to Royal Pacific, I said something to Drew. and then I began to see lizards all over the grounds (including one poor baby lizard down by the boat dock that got smushed).
but the black snake corssing our path was just too much.
and did I mention the lizards and the snake?
in previous trips I'd seen lizards at all the Disney hotels, but didn't see any at Coronado springs. right after we got to Royal Pacific, I said something to Drew. and then I began to see lizards all over the grounds (including one poor baby lizard down by the boat dock that got smushed).
but the black snake corssing our path was just too much.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
trip report part 5
hollywood studios. Drew's favorite ride is here -- Tower of Terror. Loved dinner at sci fi drive in. fantasmic was...I loved it but the fireworks at MK were better. forgot that you can see Illuminations from the ampitheater after fantasmic ends.
Friday, September 2, 2011
trip report part 4
wednesday. a full day at MK. rides, parades, fireworks. dinner at Tony's. and he bought me a gift, etched glass of Mickey and Minnie.
this was the day that I came face to face with a squirrel. the poor thing somehow found its way into the "small world" ride and was terrified. it wound up in the water. yes, squirrels do know how to swim.
and a little extra magic in the parking lot that night ....I found $60 in cash. must have fallen out of someone's pocket.
this was the day that I came face to face with a squirrel. the poor thing somehow found its way into the "small world" ride and was terrified. it wound up in the water. yes, squirrels do know how to swim.
and a little extra magic in the parking lot that night ....I found $60 in cash. must have fallen out of someone's pocket.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
trip report, part 3 -- tuesday
EPCOT in the morning, Magic Kingdom in the afternoon, then back to EPCOT in the evening for dinner at San Angel and extra magic hours. sitting in MK during a rainstorm, that's when we found out about the earthquake back home.
this was the day we got stuck on POTC for 25 minutes -- they actually killed the soundtrack at one point. also ran into problems on the monorail -- we had to take a bus back to EPCOT from the MK because of technical difficulties. we were half an hour late for our ADR, but were seated anyhow. wanted to be done eating by 9 PM to start extra magic hours while everyone else was watching Illuminations, but didn't finish until 9:30. wound up waiting an hour for Soarin'.
that was also the night of the famous "kick". family in front of us on line for Soarin'. the boy was a little rambunctious, accidentally kicked me hard enough to leave a bruise. the mom told him to behave but never told him to apologize to me.
this was the day we got stuck on POTC for 25 minutes -- they actually killed the soundtrack at one point. also ran into problems on the monorail -- we had to take a bus back to EPCOT from the MK because of technical difficulties. we were half an hour late for our ADR, but were seated anyhow. wanted to be done eating by 9 PM to start extra magic hours while everyone else was watching Illuminations, but didn't finish until 9:30. wound up waiting an hour for Soarin'.
that was also the night of the famous "kick". family in front of us on line for Soarin'. the boy was a little rambunctious, accidentally kicked me hard enough to leave a bruise. the mom told him to behave but never told him to apologize to me.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
trip report part 2 -- monday
up early and drove over to Coronado springs. checked in, the room was ready! and the upgrade fairy sprinkled pixie dust -- we got a water view in the Cabanas area.
then off to Animal Kingdom. I like this park, but it's not my favorite. got there for AM extra magic hour, wanted to ride Expedition Everest. ride was down, we got a fastpass instead and headed over to Kilimanjaro Safari. By early afternoon we'd ridden all the major rides and seen the Lion King show, and we'd eaten lunch at flame Tree (dining plan!). drove over to EPCOT for the afternoon.I hadn't planned to go until evening, but we saw a lot of EPCOT that first day. I chickened out of Mission space Orange -- Drew road, and told me I should be happy I stuck with green. had dinner at Restaurant Marrakesh and saw Illuminations.
then off to Animal Kingdom. I like this park, but it's not my favorite. got there for AM extra magic hour, wanted to ride Expedition Everest. ride was down, we got a fastpass instead and headed over to Kilimanjaro Safari. By early afternoon we'd ridden all the major rides and seen the Lion King show, and we'd eaten lunch at flame Tree (dining plan!). drove over to EPCOT for the afternoon.I hadn't planned to go until evening, but we saw a lot of EPCOT that first day. I chickened out of Mission space Orange -- Drew road, and told me I should be happy I stuck with green. had dinner at Restaurant Marrakesh and saw Illuminations.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
trip report part 1
So as we were preparing to leave for the airport on Sunday, Drew's buddy says "there's a hurricane in the Carri bean, it's called Irene. It's supposed to hit Florida."
So guess what? It missed Florida altogether and hit the northeast, wreaked havoc on Long Island. the storm dominated the news the whole time we were on vacation.Instead, we got typical Florida weather -- very hot, very humid, and with short rain showers every day.
and we also missed the earthquake. the epicenter was in Washington, DC. but it was felt in NYC and Long Island.
Day one, Sunday. Afternoon flight from JFK to Orlando. Picked up our rental car, drove to Kissimmee. spent one night in a budget motel, Studio 6. Actually not too bad, clean, quiet, comfortable. spent the evening at Downtown Disney, ate at bongos. ran into one of Drew's friends coming out of Fulton's Crab house.
a good start to the trip.
So guess what? It missed Florida altogether and hit the northeast, wreaked havoc on Long Island. the storm dominated the news the whole time we were on vacation.Instead, we got typical Florida weather -- very hot, very humid, and with short rain showers every day.
and we also missed the earthquake. the epicenter was in Washington, DC. but it was felt in NYC and Long Island.
Day one, Sunday. Afternoon flight from JFK to Orlando. Picked up our rental car, drove to Kissimmee. spent one night in a budget motel, Studio 6. Actually not too bad, clean, quiet, comfortable. spent the evening at Downtown Disney, ate at bongos. ran into one of Drew's friends coming out of Fulton's Crab house.
a good start to the trip.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
rehab/refurb
checked to see what will be closed for rehab or refurbishment while we're there.
the list is short. The tiki room, as I said, just reopened after a rehab. the current list includes Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom and Voyage of the Little Mermad at Hollywood Studios. It's Tough To Be a Bug was supposed to be on the list, but that got cancelled. A number of attractions closed last year when they began the Fantasyland expansion.
over at Universal, the Jimmy Neutron ride just closed to make room for a Despicable Me attraction.
other than that, everyting should be up and running.
the list is short. The tiki room, as I said, just reopened after a rehab. the current list includes Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom and Voyage of the Little Mermad at Hollywood Studios. It's Tough To Be a Bug was supposed to be on the list, but that got cancelled. A number of attractions closed last year when they began the Fantasyland expansion.
over at Universal, the Jimmy Neutron ride just closed to make room for a Despicable Me attraction.
other than that, everyting should be up and running.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Enchanted Tiki Room
When I was planning this trip, I learned that the Enchanted Tiki Room - Under New Management was scheduled to be closed during our trip.
It was a bit disappointing. I liked the attraction, especially with Iago and Zazu cracking jokes.
There was also a bit of history with the attraction.
During our honeymoon in 1987, Drew and I did WDW commando style, arriving before the park opened and styaing until the park closed. It was July 4th weekend, and the parks stayed open way past midnight.
On Sunday we decided to see the Enchanted Tiki Room (before the addition of the "new managers"), It was dark, it was cool and the birds sang sweetly.
And we both fell asleep during the show, waking up when the lights came back on....
So yesterday, when I saw my WDW feed on Facebook, I was so happy....the Enchanted Tiki Room has reopened.
It was a bit disappointing. I liked the attraction, especially with Iago and Zazu cracking jokes.
There was also a bit of history with the attraction.
During our honeymoon in 1987, Drew and I did WDW commando style, arriving before the park opened and styaing until the park closed. It was July 4th weekend, and the parks stayed open way past midnight.
On Sunday we decided to see the Enchanted Tiki Room (before the addition of the "new managers"), It was dark, it was cool and the birds sang sweetly.
And we both fell asleep during the show, waking up when the lights came back on....
So yesterday, when I saw my WDW feed on Facebook, I was so happy....the Enchanted Tiki Room has reopened.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
APPS!
the big difference between this trip and all my prior trips?
cell phone apps.
who needs to carry a heavy guide book when you have an app for your phone?
who needs to carry a park map?
and checking out park wait times is now a breeze.
excited? me? why would you think so?
cell phone apps.
who needs to carry a heavy guide book when you have an app for your phone?
who needs to carry a park map?
and checking out park wait times is now a breeze.
excited? me? why would you think so?
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
our itinerary
I haven't planned every minute of every day, I don't like to overplan. We've got the Disney Dining Plan, so I made ADR's for dinner every night. The only counter service restaurant I've planned is Flame Tree, I love that one, so the rest of the time we'll choose counter service based on where we are when we get hungry. Didn't make any dining plans at Universal, we'll play it by ear.
Sunday Fly JFK to Orlando, scheduled arrival 4:30 PM. Pick up rental car, drive to Kissimmee, stay one night in low budget motel. Visit Downtown Disney. Dinner at Downtown Disney (no ADR's).
Monday Check in at Coronado Springs. Animal Kingdom (extra magic hour at 8 AM). Lunch at Flame Tree. Dinner ADR in EPCOT -- Restaurant Marrakesh at 6:20. Illuminations 9 PM.
Tuesday EPCOT 9 AM midnight (extra magic hours),San Angel 7:15
Wednesday Magic Kingdom 9 AM – 10 PM, parade 9 PM, Wishes 10 PM, Tony's 6:20
Thursday Hollywood Studios 9 AM – 10 PM, Sci-Fi Drive In 5:40, Fantasmic 10 PM
Friday Chef Mickey’s breakfast 9:15, visit one or more parks, check in at Royal Pacific
Saturday IOA 9 AM – 8 PM
Sunday Universal 9 AM – 7 PM
Monday Downtown Disney, Rainforest Café 1:30, flight home 7:22 PM
Sunday Fly JFK to Orlando, scheduled arrival 4:30 PM. Pick up rental car, drive to Kissimmee, stay one night in low budget motel. Visit Downtown Disney. Dinner at Downtown Disney (no ADR's).
Monday Check in at Coronado Springs. Animal Kingdom (extra magic hour at 8 AM). Lunch at Flame Tree. Dinner ADR in EPCOT -- Restaurant Marrakesh at 6:20. Illuminations 9 PM.
Tuesday EPCOT 9 AM midnight (extra magic hours),San Angel 7:15
Wednesday Magic Kingdom 9 AM – 10 PM, parade 9 PM, Wishes 10 PM, Tony's 6:20
Thursday Hollywood Studios 9 AM – 10 PM, Sci-Fi Drive In 5:40, Fantasmic 10 PM
Friday Chef Mickey’s breakfast 9:15, visit one or more parks, check in at Royal Pacific
Saturday IOA 9 AM – 8 PM
Sunday Universal 9 AM – 7 PM
Monday Downtown Disney, Rainforest Café 1:30, flight home 7:22 PM
Friday, July 29, 2011
got a text message today
From my good friend Kim. She’s in WDW right now. She texted me about Disney Crocs flip-flops. I am ecstatic.
Let me explain.
Kim and I met on the DIS, that wonderful/awful Disney message Board. She lives on Long Island – just a few miles down the road from my boyfriend, actually. She owns DVC and makes trips to Disney frequently.
A few years ago, she and I took a trip together on her DVC points – her husband and kids didn’t want to go that year. We stayed at Beach Club Villas. She flew down Wednesday morning and flew home Sunday night. I worked Wednesday, and flew down after work – and after a 4-hour rain delay at the airport. Since both of us were WDW veterans, there was no pressure, and we had a relaxing trip, which included a swim every afternoon at the hotel’s main pool (Stormalong Bay Morocco
So when Kim texted me just now, it brought back a whole host of good memories.
But….about the Crocs….
By the end of the trip my feet were very sore from all the walking we did. We were at the Contemporary and saw Disney Crocs. I tried on a pair of flip flops – green shoes with an orange insole. They’re “Disney” Crocs because they have a small cut out of Mickey’s head just above the thong that goes between the toes. Kim convinced me to buy them, telling me that they were very comfortable and would help with the sore feet. I bought the shoes, but my feet were so sore by then that nothing felt comfortable.
But Kim was right, those crocs are truly the most comfortable shoes I own. I’ve since bought another pair of flip flops, two pairs of clogs and two pairs of ballet flats from Crocs.
Kim just bought another pair of Disney Crocs. She tells me that the Crocs now come in colors other than green and orange. I simply must check it out.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Fantasmic!
so when we planned the trip months ago, I chose to go to Hollywood Studios on a Tuesday because that was the only night they were doing Fantasmic.
Found out this week that they plan to present Fantasmic every night from now through the end of September.
Can't change our plans without changing ADR's, but at least it won't be as crowded as I thought.
Found out this week that they plan to present Fantasmic every night from now through the end of September.
Can't change our plans without changing ADR's, but at least it won't be as crowded as I thought.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
so today
we got an email from WDW advising us to start making our final plans for dining, etc.
all that stuff I did several months ago.
all that stuff I did several months ago.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
OMG my aching back! Not to mention, feet...
We went to the Bronx Zoo yesterday. Spent the whole day walking around.
One day walking around in the sun and I was wiped out.
guess I have to start training for WDW as if I were training for a marathon!
One day walking around in the sun and I was wiped out.
guess I have to start training for WDW as if I were training for a marathon!
Monday, May 16, 2011
shopping for the trip -- already
just bought athletic sandals -- you know, sandals with a sneaker-type sole. going to break them in gradually over the enxt 3 months so they'll be great for WDW.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
the waiting is the hardest part
we won't be going to florida until the end of August...whatever anm I to do for the enxt four months?
Monday, April 18, 2011
Harry Potter at Discovery Center in Times Square
So over the weekend we went to the Discovery Center in Times Square to see the exhibit on Pompeii. And I had a chance to shop in the Harry Potter gift shop, so I had a brief peek at the Harry Potter exhibit.
I want to go!
It's not like the Harry Potter rides and displays at Universal, of course, it's more a display of the props and costumes....but it will hold me until we get to Florida in August.
I want to go!
It's not like the Harry Potter rides and displays at Universal, of course, it's more a display of the props and costumes....but it will hold me until we get to Florida in August.
Friday, April 1, 2011
so....
So all the major plans have been made, trip has been paid for and we've got nothing to do now except wait....and wait....and wait....
Thursday, February 24, 2011
the spreadsheet
Years ago, when I let Dreams Unlimited do my planning for me, the travel agent would prepare a spreadsheet showing park times, parades, etc., as well as all of our flight/hotel/dining reservations. She'd also throw "dinsey travel tips" onto the spreadsheet.
(Loved my DU agent Linda, she was great ....too bad she had a falling out with the boss man....)
So now that I'm doing my own planning, I made a spreadsheet of my own.
So D. showed it to his housemate Marc....D. hasn't been to WDW since 1987, when it was only 2 parks and we didn't do any sit-down dinners, and Marc has NEVER been to the World....
and Marc said "she must have OCD...."
and D said "aren't you supposed to just go with the flow on vacations?"
and I laughed....
(Loved my DU agent Linda, she was great ....too bad she had a falling out with the boss man....)
So now that I'm doing my own planning, I made a spreadsheet of my own.
So D. showed it to his housemate Marc....D. hasn't been to WDW since 1987, when it was only 2 parks and we didn't do any sit-down dinners, and Marc has NEVER been to the World....
and Marc said "she must have OCD...."
and D said "aren't you supposed to just go with the flow on vacations?"
and I laughed....
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
so much news
so over the weekend we booked the trip -- fly down on on a Sunday, fly home the following Monday. Stay the first night in an inexpensive place in Kissemee or on International Drive (not booked yet), then check into Coronado Springs Monday-Frida, then Friday-Monday at the Royal Pacific. We're renting a car. ADR's for Marrakesh, Sci Fi Drive In, Le Cellier, Tony's Town Square and Chef Mickey have been booked -- subject to change, of course.
Made a spread sheet with all our reservation information, park hours, etc.
Now the long wait....
Made a spread sheet with all our reservation information, park hours, etc.
Now the long wait....
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Coronado Springs
That's the resort he's looking into right now....It's one I've never been to, but it looks lovely.
Need to find the Birnbaum book to get some good information....then follow up with a few website visitis.
Need to find the Birnbaum book to get some good information....then follow up with a few website visitis.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
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