[CurlyJo224]

I meant to have this posted sooner but it took a while to get back into the swing of normal life. Our trip was from late October 28th to November 2nd.

***

We got married at 11am Saturday, and hopped a plane for Orlando (by way of Atlanta) at 5:15. After a bumpy first flight, we were on a nice peaceful second flight. I looked out our window at the beautiful clear sky, and saw a falling star. Can't you just hear Jiminy singing? One thing to note, though: Disney Magic does not take effect until you actually get to Disney. Landed in Orlando (at 10:45pm) only to find out that they don't know where my suitcase is. If it's in Atlanta, it would have to come in on the next flight in the morning. Not good news for someone travelling in a skirt and heels. We hopped on the Disney's Magical Express bus to All-Star movies, utterly exhausted and just ready to finally get to the hotel after too long travelling. We checked in, the CMs behind the counter were sympathic, and gave us our "Just Married" buttons, which cheered us up. I ended up going to the gift shop in the morning and buying a t-shirt to wear with the capris I had in my carry-on, and my husband's swim shoes. Did I mention I had black socks with my DH's blue and yellow swim shoes? Dorky!

Now onto the fun! We had decided to do Animal Kingdom our first day, Sunday. It was just about to open the last time I was at WDW and DH had never been to WDW at all. We followed advice I'd gotten here, and headed straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris and got a FastPass. I do love the FastPass system. while waiting for our time, we did a little shopping and walked through the Pangani Forest Trail. Then it was time for the safari. That was awesome. Got a lot of great pictures on that one. We rode the train out to Rafiki's Planet Watch and wandered around out there for a while, then off to Asia. We were getting a little tired at that point, and so we decided to save Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest for another day. Ah, the beauty of the Park Hopper. We walked through the Maharajah Jungle Trek, then continued on to Dinoland. We played a few games, and rode Primeval Whirl. Perfect ride for someone who likes wild mouse type coasters and teacup rides. We rode Dinosaur next. One of the scariest, loudest rides at WDW, in my opinion. We bought the picture at the end because it was a funny one. We went back to the hotel to take a nap, and then went to Epcot for dinner at the Food and Wine Festival.

After a short stop at Mouse Gear to buy our bride and groom ears, we passed right by Future World to get to World Showcase and the Food and Wine festival. We started with the Sauteed Shrimp with Ginger and Lime at Wild and Wonderful Florida Shrimp. then went to Argentina next door. We ordered a Spicy Beef Empanada, and they threw in the Marinated Strawberries because we were on honeymoon. We had the Chilaquiles from Mexico, and Sauteed Corvina and Custard con Leche from Chile. We got the custard free. (The bride and groom ears start to pay for themselves in food.) From Scandinavia we had the Kjottkaker and Lingonberry Mousse, and they gave us an extra mousse free. We ordered Chicken Sha Cha skewers and a Green Tea Plum Wine cooler from China. The wine cooler was quite a large sample, I'd call it a full size drink, and quite good. By this time we were getting full, so we stopped for the night with the Durban Chicken from South Africa. All of the food was quite good, but I think our favorites were the shrimp and the beef empanada. We continued to Japan to do a little shopping at Mitsukoshi department store, and then we found a good spot by the lagoon between Japan and America to watch Illuminations. We were both very impressed by the show. Nobody does fireworks like Disney. Then back to the hotel, where we discovered that the pool is open until midnight and my luggage had finally arrived, so we went for a late-night swim.

***

Monday was all Epcot. It never felt so good to wear my own shoes. We did Spaceship Earth first because that's always got to be the first stop. DH was amazed how much ride they can fit in there. That dumped us out at Innoventions, which killed about an hour and a half. But one very cool thing happened while we were in there. We were at the plastics area where you design a robot out of plastic and race it on the computer (which was quite fun), when a Dream Squad CM came in and annouced that we were all getting special Dream Ears. They're pretty; sky blue with silver ears. So that gave us a bit of bounce in our day. We did keep wearing our bride and groom ears, though. Next thing was Test Track. We got a Fastpass, and got a bonus pass for Mission Space. We did the green mission because DH wasn't sure if he could take the spinning. It was cool, though. We also liked Test Track. Not terribly exciting, but entertaining. It was time for lunch, so we walked up to the UK pavilion to get some fish and chips, with a quick stop at the Greece booth to get some spanakopita and baklava. Best I've ever had of both. The fish and chips was also was as good as I remembered from when I was a kid. Back to Future World! We did Journey into Imagination. Is it me, or was Figment not that much of a brat on the old version with Dreamfinder?Afterwards, we played with the jumping fountains a bit, then went to The Land. We got a Fastpass for Soarin', then did Living with the Land and Circle of Life while we were waiting. Then it was our turn for Soarin'. I was amazed. You fly out over the fields and you smell the fruit; you fly out over the ocean, and smell the salt water. It was awesome! It was at this point that DH decided to stop getting nervous about the rides. All the ones he was getting nervous about were fun. Next up was The Seas with Nemo and Friends. You see Nemo and all the others a little ways outside the ride, and the seagulls right outside. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. The ride was good, especially at the end when the characters appear inside the aquariums, but didn't there used to be more after the ride? Look at a few aquariums, go see the manatees, and that's all? Maybe my memory is failing me. We didn't do Turtle Talk because the line was long, and we one more thing to do before we went to World Showcase for dinner. Here's where our day went wrong. I'd forgotten how long and loud Universe of Energy is (and how annoying Ellen is). We just wanted to see the dinosaurs. Did you know that if you go into that ride with the beginnings of a headache, by the end you will have a raging, nauseating headache? I took some advil and we sat and watched the fountain for a while. Finally we decided to take the boat up to Dolphin, and go to Fantasia Golf. That is one great puttputt course, and the quiet time helped my headache go away. On the way out of the park, I'd gotten some cheddar soup and DH got the maple glazed salmon from the Canada booth, and when we got back I had the potato leek soup from Ireland. I didn't like the cheddar crisp that came with it, but both that and the cheddar soup were very good, as well as the salmon. Nothing free this time, though.

***

(Part two to follow)

[CurlyJo224]

And part two!

We had Magic Kingdom planned for Tuesday. We decided to use a little more strategy, since it was likely to be the most crowded day and park of our trip. But the longest wait of our whole trip came before we even got to the park. We got to the bus stop, and everyone was already there. No problem, one bus had just pulled away and the driver had called for another to come right away. So we wait. A bus goes by for Epcot. One for AK. Another Epcot. TWO for MGM. It's been almost twenty five minutes now. DH and I look at the nonexistant Epcot line and decide that if another Epcot bus comes, we're hopping that one and taking the monorail to MK. Lo and behold, about a minute after we said that, here comes the Epcot bus. Off we went, and half the MK line followed.It didn't take us too long, and DH hadn't been on the monorail yet. We made it to MK at about 10am, and after having a picture taken in front of the castle, we headed towards the mountains of Frontierland. I'd never been on Splash Mountain, and I hadn't been on Big Thunder since I was seven. Both very fun, and there was a lot more to Splash Mountain than I expected. Oh, one other thing, on the way there we stopped into a store along the stretch where Pecos Bill's is, and finally succumbed to the temptation of the pins. We each bought a lanyard and a few pins to start. I don't know if I'm going to trade or just collect (I still don't quite get the trading), but we couldn't resist them any longer. Another thing we couldn't resist any longer was Pirates. So it's off to Adventureland. Even with the growing lines at the park, we were able to get right on the ride. I think I know the right time of year to go now. We had to wait a little longer for Jungle Cruise, but it was well worth it. We were wearing the ears again, so I was wondering if they were going to pick on us, and they did. The guide (?) asked me, "When he said he'd take you on a cruise, I bet you weren't expecting this one, hmm?" So crazy and fun. We did the Enchanted Tiki Room, and then it was off to Tomorrowland. This is where things got really cool. We got in line for Space Mountain, and got to the point where the CMs ask how many and direct you to A or B, and they started teasing us. I came through first, and they were asking me, "C'mon, do you really want to go with him?" Finally they let him through and then one of them, Mark, asked us if we wanted to see the tower. I thought he was still playing around, but he was serious. He asked us our names, and then took us up into the control tower to show us how the ride works. This was really cool becuase I love to watch all the documentaries on Discovery and History about roller coasters and amusement parks. He then asked us if we were ready to ride, and led us through the handicapped entrance to the front of the line, and the front of the train. Then as we got to the lift hill they announced, "CJ and Jeff, are you ready to launch?" And off we went. It does not get any cooler than this, ladies and gents. When we got off the ride, he was waiting there for us, and gave us a Year of a Million Dreams certificate with our names on it, saying that we got the Space Mountain Tower Tour. Very, very cool! We finished up in Tomorrowland with Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Stitch's Great Escape. I was pleased with that. They kept a lot of the thrills of the Extra-Terrorestrial Encounter (if I got the name right), but made it a little friendlier. We ate a late lunch at Cosmic Ray's and then we headed off to Toontown to get pictures with Mickey before we changed into our costumes. On our way down Main Street on our way out, we marched alongside the parade. When you're going the same direction, and they're playing marching music, what else are you going to do?

We changed into our pirate costumes and it was back off to the park for MNSSHP. The crowds were much larger now, and we got there just as the folks who didn't have tickets were leaving. Now I know how salmon feel trying to swim upstream.We crossed over into Liberty Square to do the Haunted Mansion, then headed over to Big Thunder again. All roller coasters are more exciting in the dark. Then we got a good spot for the Boo To You parade. That's an amazing parade. After the parade we went on Pirates again, got some pictures taken, and then went to find a decent spot for HalloWishes. All I can say is the same thing I said about IllumiNations: Nobody does fireworks shows like Disney. Then we headed off to Space Mountain again. We rode Goofy's Barnstormer, then went to Fantasyland to ride the teacups, the Carousel, and to see Mickey's PhilharMagic. Oh, and I made DH go on Small World because everyone has to do at least once. [evil grin] About halfway through he pulled the plastic pirate pistol (say THAT five times fast!) out of his boot and put it to his head. I think we're good for a few more years on that ride. By this time it was 11:30 and we were exhausted. Time to call it a day. One funny thing, though. We realized when we got back to our room that we had been so busy, and having so much fun, that we forgot to eat dinner.

***

Wednesday was our day for a little bit of everything. We got up and it was raining a little bit, so we packed our ponchos and headed to AK to ride Expedition Everest and possibly Kali River Rapids. I went on E:E, because DH was nervous. I loved it, and DH says that we'll do it next time. We decided agains the rapids this time (we're already planning the next trip), and just did some shopping before taking the bus over to MGM. When we got to MGM, we headed straight for the Rock ' Roller Coaster. I am now fully convinced that every roller coaster needs a soundtrack. Next we went in a little early to get good seats for the Beauty and the Beast show. The CM when we first came in saw our ears, and sent us up front to the VIP seats. Then when Return to Zero came out to sing before the show, they called us up to the front and sang "When you Wish Upon a Star" to us, and gave us a free CD. The show was fantastic, and then we were off to the 50's Prime Time Cafe for lunch. But on the way there, a CM gave us a set of the Year of a Million Dreams pins. The ones where you keep one, and give one away. Prime Time Cafe is a riot. We got guilt tripped for not inviting the "moms" to the wedding. The food was really good, although "Uncle Tim" picked on DH for being picky when he asked for a different cheese on his sandwich. And when DH asked for ketchup, a passing wait-mom plunked a bottle down on the table and said, "Say please!" That place keeps you on your best behavior. We finished with lunch just in time to go see the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. We got VIP seats again. The show was great. It was fun seeing familiar scenes done right in front of you, and seeing the secrets behind it. The we couldn't hold ourselves back any longer, it was time for Star Tours. After numerous pictures outside, we went in, geeking out all the way. When we were seated in the starspeeder and ready to go, a Dream Patrol CM came in. Dream Ears for everybody! The ride was fun as always, and then we spent a good amount of time in the gift shop. (I got a plushie Wicket.) We headed off to Muppet Vision singing along with the music the whole way. Enjoyed the show, and then it was time to head off to Epcot for dinner and to finish up what we hadn't the day before. We boarded the boat from MGM to Epcot. We were really starting to get the hang of all the transportation. We hopped over for one more ride on Test Track, then started making our way around the World Showcase. It was mainly an eating and shopping night, although we did ride Maelstrom. The drop on that ride seemed bigger when I was a kid. As far as the Food and Wine Festival goes, we had another spicy beef empanada from Argentina; shrimp on the barbie, beef skewer, and a free macadamia nut tartlet from Australia; the Maine lobster roll and blackberry cobbler from the USA; butternut squash soup with naan bread from India; escargots provecal from France; then some iced mint tea from Morocco to soothe my stomach. Too much food from too many places. I did get one more thing to eat, though. We had to go to Boulangerie Patisserie for fruit tarts. Sadly, they were out of apple, but I had a very good strawberry tart , and DH had peach. We watched Illuminations again, and headed back to the hotel. Time to pack up. (sad)

Thursday Morning was sad. Last day at Disney. We had packed up, leaving plenty of room for souvenirs. We checked the luggage in our by the bus stop, then headed out to Downtown Disney. It just keeps getting bigger. We got a bunch of presents for family, and more pins and the little satchels to put them in for ourselves. So much fun shopping, but then it was time to go to the airport. I can't say I'm real happy with Disney's Magical Express getting us back to the airport. From the time the bus picked us up at All-Star Movies to the time we got to the airport it was an hour and a half. Is this normal? We were within five or ten minutes of missing our check-in time for our flight. Anyway, aside from that, the trip home was uneventful. I just had to write down all of our adventures for you all.

Now we're home and looking forward to our next trip. Next year, if all goes well.

[Voldemort]

Congratulations, and welcome back. Sounds like you had a fine time!

[Erin]

Great report, CurlyJo! You write really well - I enjoyed reading every word! You really got dreamed by the dream team, alot!! That's exciting!!

Congrats on your marriage - your honeymoon was almost perfect!

[jo-jo]

All I can say is "wow". You had so many special "treats" and so much done in just a few days. Really good report. When you said about ME, I thought you were going to say you got to the airport so early. Most people complain getting picked up too early and then sitting around the airport for 2 hours ( I know we thought it was waaay early). I think you are the first that just made it in time.

[Andrea]

Great report! Nice writing style.

[Dopey]

I really enjoyed your honeymoon But now it's time to post all those pictures you guys took, don'tja think?

[DayDreamer]

Great TR and congrats on your wedding. You two got the VIP treatment the whole trip! You must have taken great notes or you have a great memory because your TR is very detailed. I got hungry reading it. Please post some pics if you get a chance.

[jenbarnwell]

Sounds fun!! We want pictures!

[CurlyJo224]

I'm going this weekend to get the pics put on CD. Then I'll post them.

[CurlyJo224]

Originally Posted by DayDreamer

Great TR and congrats on your wedding. You two got the VIP treatment the whole trip! You must have taken great notes or you have a great memory because your TR is very detailed. I got hungry reading it. Please post some pics if you get a chance.

I kept all of the park maps and used them to help.

I've been telling everyone we know that Diney treated us like royalty.

[diisneygeek]

Congrats!!!


I loved your TR! I can't wait to see the pics!

[Dana]

Thanks for the report. Congrats to you both.

[twist1980]

Congratulations! I'm glad you guys had such a magical trip! Can't wait to see the pictures!

[gingita]

Great trip report! And congratulations on your marriage!