[tinkerbell]

I think it is so sad they you were both there and didnt get to met up :(

[jo-jo]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell

I think it is so sad they you were both there and didnt get to met up :(

I don't know why I didn't think to try to meet.....something like............let me see..........we could call it mousefest........

really with my family coming down and trying to get those people together, I didn't even think of mousefest.

[tinkerbell]

I remember when goofette and I were there at the same time and missed each other :( it happen ..so much going on ..so much to remember ..you just can not do it all.

[susieq76]

Thanks soooo much for the report- I'm sooo enjoying it!

[jo-jo]

I did some math concerning buying meals as we go using the DDE vs. the dining plan. This not exact, I'm sure I've missed a counter meal or two and it includes picking up the tab for two TS meals that our three kids (adult kids) joined us. But over the course of the trip (14 nights) we had 9 TS meals, about 20 CS meals for the two of us and maybe 1/2 doz snacks, we spent between 900 - 1,000 dollars. With the dining plan we would have spent 980. I'm sure if we had used the dining plan we would have had a few more desserts, but I'd say we ordered whatever we had wanted.

[Cavey]

Originally Posted by jo-jo

I wore my tiara the whole two weeks hoping to find you. Maybe I should have had my DH wear the tiara, that you would have noticed.

Yeah...to find someone...good excuse.

I don't need a reason to wear my tiara!

[jo-jo]

Originally Posted by Cavey

Yeah...to find someone...good excuse.

I don't need a reason to wear my tiara!

But we never see it with all your climbing gear. Maybe we should take a closer look at the "bike train" pictures, can you see it in that one?

[tinkerbell]

waiting on Epcot ..I really need a disney fix right now ..

[jo-jo]

Originally Posted by tinkerbell

waiting on Epcot ..I really need a disney fix right now ..

just a little longer wait......since we were away, we had nothing done for Christmas. We are putting up the tree and such today. Maybe tonight.

[jo-jo]

Epcot

Same as MK, just highlights....


Soaring, get fast passes.... We tried to get there pretty earlier and get a fast pass for a little later. Go on the ride, eat lunch at the land, then go on Soaring again. It sounds funny, but I think I enjoyed the ride more after the second or third time. I think since you know whats happening, you can take in more details.

Did all the usual non-thrill rides. Was really good with timing for most rides. The only show we waited for was Honey I shrunk the audience. I really don't like those waiting areas, it's like a cattle car, just keep pushing more people in. I was dressed for cold weather, after about 15 min, I thought I was going to pass out from being overheated. So I took off a few layers........don't worry, the show started before too many layers came off...(I knew somebody (Erin,) would think that).

Saw the candy lady.......She made me a panda........strange watching her, she works very fast, but she talks the whole time.....good candy, Carmel candy, free candy, make panda, make kangaroo, make horse, good candy........I don't know how she can keep talking for the whole 20 min show. I was waiting for her and just a few mins before she came out a group of people came up discussing what they were going to have her make, like it was a sure thing. They must be locals because it sounded like they had a whole collection of animals.

Watch the Christmas processional twice. Fred couldn't stay in a line (his knee was hurting) so once when it was almost time to go in, I went to see how long the line was and asked the CM if all the people would get in from this point. He said yes, so I called Fred (he was sitting at a good table outside liberty inn) and we joined the line. So we only stood for maybe 10 -15 mins. Another time I went on my own and stood in line for about an hour.
But both times it was wonderful as far as the music. The first time the narrator was the kid from the movie "sixth sense." It sounded like any highschool kid could have done it. He just doesn't have a strong voice for the reading. The second time it was Ertha (sp) Kitt. Sounded so much better.

Watching illuminations, the first time I waited sitting on the ground, the second and third time we stood back to mostly just see the fire works. The fourth thru tenth time (I really didn't keep count) we stay in the future side of the bridge, don't see the ground displays too well, but gets out of the park so much faster. After the "standard" stuff, they had an extra few min for Christmas. Once when the "standard" stuff was done, some people standing near Fred started to leave. Fred tells them "it's not over". After the Christmas fireworks are done, they turn to Fred and asked "is it done now?" At the finale, so many fireworks (or boomers as Fred calls them) went up at once, I thought a mistake was made. It was soooo loud. But everytime we saw it, the same thing happened. I love fireworks....

I also really like the dancing fountain, when they have the Christmas carols and the water is shooting in time to the music is so nice. One night I was by myself and I went over to the Electric umbrella(?) and got coffee and a slice of cheesecake. Brought my stuff over to the fountainview restaurant, which was closed, and sat on the empty Terrace at a table all by myself. Since I was elevated, people coming and going didn't block my view. And since the restaurant was closed, I wasn't taking a table from people who needed it for eating.


Again, just like MK, went on space ship earth, figment, listen to the land, etc. many times. With two weeks we had lots of time to look at all the shops (and not buy anything). This report sounds like who would go to Epcot after reading this, but it's such a nice park. I think it's more relaxing, you can just sit and take in the views. There is almost always some show to catch as you walk by. Mk is more for the kid in you, Epcot is more for the grownup in you.


more thoughts added on Dec.18.....Talking with Crush or whatever it's called is so neat. It's really amazing. I wonder how it's done. We enjoyed it and didn't even have any kids with us. The living seas seems to much better than two yrs ago. Last time there were hardly any fish, now there are lots of fish to look at. There is a pool with stingrays swimming around, lots of small tanks with different types of fish to see.

AK ........coming soon to a computer near you.

[Cavey]

Originally Posted by jo-jo

But we never see it with all your climbing gear. Maybe we should take a closer look at the "bike train" pictures, can you see it in that one?

I wear it under my helmet.

[jo-jo]

Animal Kingom

We only did two shows and two rides. We spent more time just wandering around looking at all the animals..

It's tough to be a bug....cute, but it seemed shorter to me. Does anyone know if time was cut from the show? We went on a late night and walked right in. That room with the low ceiling is almost claustrophobic to me. Lots of laughs and screams from other people when the bugs left the theater.

Lion King.....Loved it, loved it, loved it. Saw it three times. The last time with my DGD. She jumped to all the music and when she wasn't jumping, she was staring in awe. Leaning this way and that, like the people in front were blocking too much of her view. My DH said he hardly saw the show because he was watching the baby's reactions.

Did the safari ride twice. The first time we had a giraffe right next to the tram eating leaves from a tree. The second time we saw lots of warthogs, I think that's what they were, the first trip, not one in sight, second time at least 6 or so. We thought the ride was a bit rough with sharper turns and stops and starts than we remember. Again, does anyone know if it has changed?


My DH did dinosaur. He thought it was more of a roller coaster, not just a very bumpy, jerky ride, so he was a little disappointed.

That's about it for AK, it sounds like we almost skipped everything, but we did spend lots of time doing the animal trails.


Last park - MGM

[lovemysons]

Originally Posted by jo-jo

Animal Kingom

.

Did the safari ride twice. The first time we had a giraffe right next to the tram eating leaves from a tree. The second time we saw lots of warthogs, I think that's what they were, the first trip, not one in sight, second time at least 6 or so. We thought the ride was a bit rough with sharper turns and stops and starts than we remember. Again, does anyone know if it has changed?
Last park - MGM

You know Jo-jo thats funny, because we thought the same thing on our second day at the Animal Kingdom. The ride did seem different, we thought it was faster and more rough.

[jo-jo]

MGM

last but not forgotten


Osbourne lights....wonderful. The first time we saw them, it wasn't very busy. Took our time wandering. It seemed the closer to the weekend, the busier it got. The last time, Dec 9, it was packed. So packed you really couldn't enjoy it because you were more concerned of walking into people. But still, not to be missed.


Lights, action, whatever???.......very, very, very loud. Too loud for me to enjoy the show. I thought the show was a bit hard to follow. I know I was busy looking at a truck and the "big" stunt was going on someplace else. Didn't notice it until it was over. For me, this show was one time is enough.


Fantasmic......we saw it. We still weren't thrilled with it. I know most people think it's wonderful, but I'd take wishes anyday. I just think it's very dark, I only like happy stuff at Disney. The best part is when the boats with all the characters come by.


Beauty and the Beast ... loved it ... the colors are so bright, the music we all know, just happy, happy. Also "4 for a dollar" are great. Wish they had a show of their own.


Star tours......Haven't been on for years....was more fun than we remembered. Went on twice, last time sitting in back row. Remember my "thrill ride" quota, Star tours on the back row is about my limit. I wish more rides had the type of setup where just sitting in a different row changed the feel of the ride. Mostly for chickens like me.


We saw muppets, Indiana Jones, great movie ride. Once there was a 35 min wait for great movie ride. We didn't. Just came back later.


Little mermaid,.... cute, but didn't remember all the rain when you go "underwater." My DGD didn't like being rained on.


Backlot tour....don't sit on the left side....We were squeezed into the row and when the water came down, guess who got wet. It appeared to just wet my arm a bit, but you didn't see the water that ran onto the seat and then of course my extra absorbent jeans on my extra size butt found all the water. At least I kept everyone else in my row dry.


'One man's dream... may not be interesting for kids, but I loved it. I know I wouldn't have had the courage Walt did.


So that about wraps up the parks.........we didn't go anywhere else.......last part.....high points and low points of my trip.

[lovemysons]

JoJo, I can not believe this. WE were at MGM on Dec. 9th too. We liked the lights so much on the 2nd, that we went back on the 9th. Did you watch the parade too? I also keep forgetting to ask you if you rode on Peter Pan on Dec. 2nd or not. My Dh thought he saw a woman wearing a tiara, but I missed it.