[Soundgod]

I've already posted about the not so great food at Nine Dragons and about my experiences trying to tape Holiday Wishes on New Year's Eve, but that isn't all that happened.
Here's the rest of it, as best as I can recall. We checked in at the Swan and valeted the car. We decided to use a bellman mostly because we had a 24x24 inch cube sized cooler and all the camera stuff. Our room wasn't ready, so we killed some time out on the Boardwalk. When we returned our room was ready. Off we went, and asked that the bags be brought up a soon as they could. In the room, we discovered that there was no minibar. I know, we had the cooler, but I'd rather keep cold cuts in the fridge, not on ice for 3 days. Yes, I brought sandwich makings because I didn't feel like running out to IHOP or Steak and Shake on a midnight mission. It's a hot food thing, don't concern yourselves. We had a balcony facing the resort lagoon, too bad there was a tree that grew up to the 4th floor and we were only on 3, it was better than nothing. So, I round up my gear and we head off to Epcot for dinner. We entered from the International Gateway and made a right turn at the bridge. I stopped to check my chosen spot for the early Illuminations. We then made our way through the crowd until we got to China. It's 4 PM and people are already lining up to claim their spots for Illuminations at 7:30! After dinner we returned to the bridge, continuing counter clockwise around the lagoon. On the way, I paused to show Gail exactly where I wanted to be for the countdown. I couldn't do this myself because I was heading for the Magic Kingdom for Holiday Wishes right after Illuminations. I grabbed my spot and started setting up (6:00 PM) for the show as Gail headed off to shop. It's so unfortunate that they start giving out noisemakers at 6 and even worse luck for me to have chosen to set up so close to a distribution center. The sky darkens, more people crowd onto the bridge. A member of the group to my right was going to tape, so I gave him my usual tips, and also got him rolling his camera in time so he could get the whole show. So sad that to their right, a group of doofuses and bozos had gathered and would not stop blowing their horns. As predicted, they were most obnoxious when We Go On started. I guess they were newbies and thought Illuminations was over. I'd already made a gentleman's wager with the taper next to me that this would happen. You can hear the bozos in your right speaker of the Illuminations New Year's Countdown I'll be posting.
Show's over and I instruct Gail to claim a spot on the bridge by Mexico or to the right of Lantern 1. I was on my way to grab a taxi to take me to the Contemporary's parking lot so I could get to Magic Kingdom on time, which I did. To bad they started the show 10 minutes early and I didn't get the whole thing anyway. Again, I won't go into this greatly here, but Gail was unable to get either spot I wanted. When I returned to Epcot from the Magic Kingdom I was forced to find a new location for the New Year's countdown. I eventually got a spot opposite the stairs in Canada, to the right of the faux boulder. Now it's time to wait. And wait. And wait. Too bad I didn't remember that I'd seen the smoke blowing right at Canada during the early show. We had a pretty bad cloud of gunsmoke blowing right at us. The globe got smoked out pretty bad, although the countdown allowed the smoke to disipate so we could see the countries' displays. But the finale was again blocked by smoke. We stood where we were and watched DTD and MGM's displays until they ended and then we headed back to the room. We didn't have the champagne, but we did eat ham sandwiches. Also, in our absence, the minibar was delivered.
New Year's morning. I had planned to make it to AK for the early open and get in my first ride on EE this year. Didn't happen. 7 AM was too early for me. I did follow through on the second part. I chose to walk rather than wait for the Friendship to MGM at open and a quick ride or two on RnRCoaster and ToT. I did ride the Friendship back. Gail and I then went to holiday brunch at the Yacht Club Galley. Food was good, service was mostly good, but I swear everyone looked like a zombie! Guests, CMs, everyone. I was going to catch Lights, Motors, Action, but the weather was pretty raw and rainy most of the afternoon. The weather was ugly from late morning till about 6 when it started to clear. I think we just stayed in the room until dinnertime. For dinner we had 6:30 reservations at Todd English's bluezoo. This is on par with Flying Fish and California Grill. I think Franco pretty well covered this restaurant in his report. I will add that I liked the decor, although it was a little dark and moody. We both had "simply fish" entrees, broiled block filets with a choice of three different sauces. I tried the cobia with crabmeat and Gail the salmon with baby shrimp. Both were good, but I felt the sauces were way to heavy on butter, which is funny coming from me. I think we skipped desert, opting to save room for something later. I also had the clam chowder, a variation on New England chowder, only the soup itself was thinner, more like the consistancy of a Manhattan than a New England. They also added plenty of smoky bacon flavor. It was a nice variation. Overall we enjoyed dinner, with the lone exception of the iced tea. Instead of simply brewing tea, they "offer" two different flavored bottled teas. These are the same choices that Shula's offers. I don't need Gucci iced tea! Not when half the stagehands in the state of Florida know me for my teas.
Off to Epcot for Illuminations. Gail asked why I wasn't taping, and I told her I was done. So we just strolled along past England and Canada. We stopped in WalMart (the store on the right as you enter World Showcase from Future World). I casually walked out the door on the lagoon side about 6 minutes to 9 and had what would have been a great place to tape from. We then took our time getting to the monorail and on to the Magic Kingdom for Wishes at 10. We arrived on Main Street and Gail stopped to look in the jewlery shop. We still had plenty of time to make it up to the end of the buildings on Main Street before Wishes started. I just couldn't believe how easy things were compared to the night before. But then again, last year I did Fantasmic, Illuminations, and Wishes on First Night with little problem. We stayed in the Magic Kingdom until around 1. I think we did Big Thunder, Philharmagic, Space Mountain twice, Buzz Lightyear, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates between 10:30 and 1.
The next morning we didn't really do anything besides breakfast at the Cape May Cafe before we headed for home.

[Dana]

Thanks for the report. I can't get enough of them. I am sorry that you were unable to get the countdown spots that you want. Shame those "people" didn't show the people who were taping just a tiny bit more consideration too. Thanks again for posting it. I always love reading your reports.

[lovemysons]

Wow, who could blame you for just doing breakfast the next day, sounds like you had quite an action packed evening!

[Soundgod]

My evening was well planned in advance. That's how I knew to take the taxi this year. Sure, I didn't need it last year, but they seem to have been having timing issues on the MK monorails all year and I wasn't leaving anything to chance.
Dana, as to the doofuses, I mixed them out of Peace on Earth and used them and the doofuses from 2005 in Canada who also couldn't get enough of tooting their own horns. to balance each other out for the New Year's countdown. I just find it so odd that both years there was more noise for Peace on Earth than there was during the countdown, until midnight. Could be the kid factor? In some ways, where I wound up for New Year's might have been better because I was able to get almost all of the countries celebrations with the one shot.

[royorb1]

Interesting report, I found a good spot at Canada also for Illuminations, it was on a stairway over to the side. My problem was on that night all my lenses were fogging up because of how it cooled down.