Travel day & Day 1 in parks

baloo · 10-20-2003

Cast- Kerry(me)-33, Lisa (DW)-32, Brittani(DD)-14, Matt(DS)-12 soon to be 13, Justin(DS)-10 but turned 11 on Mon 10/13.

We did not go to any of the parks on our first day there, we only had 4 day hoppers and we didn't want to waste a day by only being able to be in the parks for a few hours. Normally we check in to our hotel and head straight for the parks, it wasn't easy to not go to a park right away but we knew we were there for 5 more days so we survived.

Friday 10/10- We were out of bed and on the road by 6 am and with not one single slowdown or delay we were pulling up to the All-Star resorts guard house at 12:50 pm. From Lawrenceville, GA to WDW in less than 7 hours is quick even for me.:D I went and checked us in (room 4560 in the Rock Inn section) while the wife and kids went to the arcade and gift shop and to my surprise the room was actually ready, usually the rooms aren't ready until 3 or 4 pm. We unloaded the van and unpacked our luggage. We then went to the food court to eat lunch. Since we weren't going to the parks I took the kids swimming at the Piano pool (the quiet pool near our building) for a couple of hours. After that we went back to the room and I napped a little while Lisa, Brittani and Justin went to get us some dinner @ Subway. After we ate we watched a little TV and then went to sleep by 11 pm to get some rest for our early start the next morning.

Saturday 10/11-Day 1 (officially)- We were up early to get to EE @ Disney Studios/MGM whatever it is now called, anyway we had b'fast in the room, caught the bus and arrived @ the park @ 8:15. We had no bags with us so we could skip the security check and go straight to the turnstiles. We went straight to ToT for a FP and then to RnRC ro ride but it was down (already):nooo: so we went to ST to let the kids ride (neither I or DW like this ride) then to kill some more time until our FP was valid we went to Muppets 3D(we always enjoy this show alot) and saw the One Man's Dream show. Our FP for ToT was now valid so we went and rode it with a less than 10 min wait while the standby wait was listed at 45 min (Yea for FP:D ), we got a FP for RnRC and went to Millionaire Play It (I didn't do too well this time), or FP time had arrived so we went and rode RnRC with a less than 5 min wait.

We ate lunch at the ABC Commissary and then went back to Millionaire (this time I got as high as 5th on the leaderboard but never made to the hotseat), we then rode The Great Movie Ride-IMHO this ride is getting a little outdated, maybe they should update a little-, we then left the park to go back to the room for some swimming and rest. MK was open until 11 pm so we wanted to make sure we could make it. We decided to drive to MK and got there @ 6:15 pm, we saw Carousel of Progress (always love it), ate dinner @ Pinocchios, rode IASW- it was pouring down rain when we came off- so we splashed our way over to Philharmagic(it's a can't miss) and by the time we came out of there the rain had just about stopped. DW and DD went and saw AE and rode TTA while 2 DS and myself went to ride Space Mtn(30min wait)and get a FP for Buzz Lightyear, the kids rode SM while we rode TTA, then DW and DD rode SM while we used our FP for BL. By this time we were all pretty tired so we headed back to our room, got some snacks @ the food court, got showers and went to bed falling asleep pretty quickly.

Raves- ToT- with the new drop sequences you don't know when it's over and oh yeah we got one of the elevators with only the belts in it. COP- we don't always get to see this because we usually only go during value season. Philharmagic- it's a very well conceived and presented show, you'll see.

Rants-none really, except Why did they take the Hunchback show out of MGM? I asked a CM and they said they were creating something big (stunt show and a Chicago & SF skyline area is what I've read on different sites) but I wished they would've just moved the show to somewhere else in the park.:(

I hope this wasn't too long for anyone.

trilliumB · 10-20-2003

Thanks for the great trip report! I looooove the long & detailed ones, myself! It really helps as I try to imagine myself there! Glad to hear you saw COP -- apparently it will be open reliably for some time (as well as TimeKeeper) as a substitute for AE while it is rehabbed. I'm looking forward to seeing COP myself in Dec! My DH & I both agree with your assessment of the Great Movie Ride. It just seemed really lame to us; we've never gone back for more.

Thanks again for the trip report! I'm looking forward to future installments!:) :)

baloo · 10-20-2003

Thanks trilliumB!

**BDavis932** · 10-20-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by trilliumB
Thanks for the great trip report! I looooove the long & detailed ones, myself! It really helps as I try to imagine myself there! Thanks again for the trip report! I'm looking forward to future installments!:) :)

Ditto.....keep them coming! I enjoyed day one!!

**Dana** · 10-21-2003

Great report! I also enjoy the longer ones. It's fun to visit WDW through someone's eyes. Keep em coming please.

**llama** · 10-21-2003

Trip reports can NEVER be to long for us Disney-deprived individuals anxiously counting down our days. I agree with Great Movie Ride. I heard somewhere that it was slated to be re-vamped but like at lot of things 9/11 changed that. Actually, I didn't like the Hunchback movie but I did enjoy the show at MGM. Guess they're always changing to keep things fresh. May I humbly boast that my daughter got to 125,000 at Millionaire and she's determined to win next time!

roncss · 10-22-2003

Thanks for the great trip report. I'm glad that every thing went so smoothly for your first day.:D :D :D
Ron

mmouse67l · 10-22-2003

Great report, sounds like you are a real Fast Pass expert!!

kphil89 · 10-23-2003

We probably passed each other on the rode to FL. I forgot you were from GA. Glad to hear yourfirst day went well. Looking forward to reading more...are you planning to go back for Spring Break?

LRTJS · 10-23-2003

You really packed a lot into a day! I still love the GMR! We went in 3 times on our last trip. We had the ganster sequence twice and the cowboy once. I love the Wizard of Oz sequence as it makes me feel like I am part of it...my favorite childhood movie. It is very laxing to me. The enjoyment of the ride depends a lot on the CM.

baloo · 10-23-2003

I still like TGMR, I just wish they could update some of the scenes; you're right about the CM you get. We always get the gangster side, I've never gotten the cowboy side.

We are having trouble with our internet access at home so it will be a little while until I can post anymore details about our trip, I can read and post short posts while at work but I don't have enough time to post any long posts.:dazed

MickeyRon · 10-23-2003

Awesome report!! We were at Disney during this time, but not at the parks yet... we only had 4 day hoppers and had 8 days to fill! I like long trip reports...take a look at mine... I hope I am not boring everyone, but from the responce I am getting I think people like the detail...

baloo · 10-23-2003

Thanks rengland! I've read some of your trip report posts and I enjoy the detail (can't ya tell from mine?:D ). As soon as I get my internet service repaired I will post the rest of our trip including the 3 days on the Wonder.

10-20-2003	#1 (permalink)
baloo Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Anchorage, AK Posts: 121	Travel day & Day 1 in parks Cast- Kerry(me)-33, Lisa (DW)-32, Brittani(DD)-14, Matt(DS)-12 soon to be 13, Justin(DS)-10 but turned 11 on Mon 10/13. We did not go to any of the parks on our first day there, we only had 4 day hoppers and we didn't want to waste a day by only being able to be in the parks for a few hours. Normally we check in to our hotel and head straight for the parks, it wasn't easy to not go to a park right away but we knew we were there for 5 more days so we survived. Friday 10/10- We were out of bed and on the road by 6 am and with not one single slowdown or delay we were pulling up to the All-Star resorts guard house at 12:50 pm. From Lawrenceville, GA to WDW in less than 7 hours is quick even for me.:D I went and checked us in (room 4560 in the Rock Inn section) while the wife and kids went to the arcade and gift shop and to my surprise the room was actually ready, usually the rooms aren't ready until 3 or 4 pm. We unloaded the van and unpacked our luggage. We then went to the food court to eat lunch. Since we weren't going to the parks I took the kids swimming at the Piano pool (the quiet pool near our building) for a couple of hours. After that we went back to the room and I napped a little while Lisa, Brittani and Justin went to get us some dinner @ Subway. After we ate we watched a little TV and then went to sleep by 11 pm to get some rest for our early start the next morning. Saturday 10/11-Day 1 (officially)- We were up early to get to EE @ Disney Studios/MGM whatever it is now called, anyway we had b'fast in the room, caught the bus and arrived @ the park @ 8:15. We had no bags with us so we could skip the security check and go straight to the turnstiles. We went straight to ToT for a FP and then to RnRC ro ride but it was down (already):nooo: so we went to ST to let the kids ride (neither I or DW like this ride) then to kill some more time until our FP was valid we went to Muppets 3D(we always enjoy this show alot) and saw the One Man's Dream show. Our FP for ToT was now valid so we went and rode it with a less than 10 min wait while the standby wait was listed at 45 min (Yea for FP:D ), we got a FP for RnRC and went to Millionaire Play It (I didn't do too well this time), or FP time had arrived so we went and rode RnRC with a less than 5 min wait. We ate lunch at the ABC Commissary and then went back to Millionaire (this time I got as high as 5th on the leaderboard but never made to the hotseat), we then rode The Great Movie Ride-IMHO this ride is getting a little outdated, maybe they should update a little-, we then left the park to go back to the room for some swimming and rest. MK was open until 11 pm so we wanted to make sure we could make it. We decided to drive to MK and got there @ 6:15 pm, we saw Carousel of Progress (always love it), ate dinner @ Pinocchios, rode IASW- it was pouring down rain when we came off- so we splashed our way over to Philharmagic(it's a can't miss) and by the time we came out of there the rain had just about stopped. DW and DD went and saw AE and rode TTA while 2 DS and myself went to ride Space Mtn(30min wait)and get a FP for Buzz Lightyear, the kids rode SM while we rode TTA, then DW and DD rode SM while we used our FP for BL. By this time we were all pretty tired so we headed back to our room, got some snacks @ the food court, got showers and went to bed falling asleep pretty quickly. Raves- ToT- with the new drop sequences you don't know when it's over and oh yeah we got one of the elevators with only the belts in it. COP- we don't always get to see this because we usually only go during value season. Philharmagic- it's a very well conceived and presented show, you'll see. Rants-none really, except Why did they take the Hunchback show out of MGM? I asked a CM and they said they were creating something big (stunt show and a Chicago & SF skyline area is what I've read on different sites) but I wished they would've just moved the show to somewhere else in the park.:( I hope this wasn't too long for anyone. __________________ Offsite '92 Dixie Landings '98 Coronado Springs/All Star Movies '99 Holiday Inn Family Suites '00 All Star Sports '00 All Star Music '03 Disney Wonder 3-day '03 Pop Century/Port Orleans FQ '04 Port Orleans FQ/Animal Kingdom Lodge '04 All Star Music '04 Caribbean Beach Resort '04 Port Orleans FQ '04 Disneyland '06

10-20-2003	#2 (permalink)
trilliumB Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Rhode Island, USA Posts: 326	Thanks for the great trip report! I looooove the long & detailed ones, myself! It really helps as I try to imagine myself there! Glad to hear you saw COP -- apparently it will be open reliably for some time (as well as TimeKeeper) as a substitute for AE while it is rehabbed. I'm looking forward to seeing COP myself in Dec! My DH & I both agree with your assessment of the Great Movie Ride. It just seemed really lame to us; we've never gone back for more. Thanks again for the trip report! I'm looking forward to future installments!:) :) __________________ --CAT ...the Wild Sculptress...

10-20-2003	#3 (permalink)
baloo Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Anchorage, AK Posts: 121	Thanks trilliumB! __________________ Offsite '92 Dixie Landings '98 Coronado Springs/All Star Movies '99 Holiday Inn Family Suites '00 All Star Sports '00 All Star Music '03 Disney Wonder 3-day '03 Pop Century/Port Orleans FQ '04 Port Orleans FQ/Animal Kingdom Lodge '04 All Star Music '04 Caribbean Beach Resort '04 Port Orleans FQ '04 Disneyland '06

10-21-2003	#5 (permalink)
Dana Super Mod/Packen' Kracken Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Joisey Posts: 23,782	Great report! I also enjoy the longer ones. It's fun to visit WDW through someone's eyes. Keep em coming please. __________________ ~82 off-site~91 off-site~97 ASMusic~ ~00 ASMovies~02 Wilderness Lodge~04 Animal Kingdom Lodge~ ~05 Animal Kingdom Lodge & Polynesian~ ~05 Port Orleans French Quarter~06 Old Key West~ ~07 Port Orleans French Quarter~08 Old Key West~ ~09 Saratoga Springs~10 Port Orleans Fench Quarter~ My Disney Countdown Counting down to: 10 day do all or die trying trip. 269 days 7 hours 12 minutes

10-21-2003	#6 (permalink)
llama Practically Perfect Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Slurpee Capital of the World Posts: 7,379	Trip reports can NEVER be to long for us Disney-deprived individuals anxiously counting down our days. I agree with Great Movie Ride. I heard somewhere that it was slated to be re-vamped but like at lot of things 9/11 changed that. Actually, I didn't like the Hunchback movie but I did enjoy the show at MGM. Guess they're always changing to keep things fresh. May I humbly boast that my daughter got to 125,000 at Millionaire and she's determined to win next time! __________________ Your Moderately Moderate Moderator A PROUD MEMBER OF THE BAD KITTY CLUB "Meowany Are Called, Mew Are Chosen" eleven-twenty-ten My Disney Countdown Counting down to: Christmas in Florida 29 days 18 hours 12 minutes

		MouseBuzz.com > Mouscellaneous > Trip Reports
Travel day & Day 1 in parks

10-22-2003	#7 (permalink)
roncss Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Denver Colorado Posts: 329	Thanks for the great trip report. I'm glad that every thing went so smoothly for your first day.:D :D :D Ron __________________ Off-Site WDW-1981 -- Treehouse Villas-1987 -- Marriott WDW-1992 -- Wilderness Lodge- April 1995 -- Off-Site WDW & CSR-May 1998 -- Wilderness Lodge-Jan 2002 -- Polynesian-Dec 2002 -- Caribbean Beach-Dec 2003

10-22-2003	#8 (permalink)
mmouse67l Grand Magician Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Silverdale, WA Posts: 984	Great report, sounds like you are a real Fast Pass expert!! __________________ Official Defender of Swiss Family Treehouse

10-23-2003	#9 (permalink)
kphil89 Big Cheese Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Not close enough to the mouse house Posts: 760	We probably passed each other on the rode to FL. I forgot you were from GA. Glad to hear yourfirst day went well. Looking forward to reading more...are you planning to go back for Spring Break? __________________ DZNYDVA 4/03 Spring Break~Calypso Cay Resort;10/03 My Birthday~Sheraton Vistana Resort;11/04 Thanksgiving~Calyso Cay Resort; Pop Century & ASMovies;4/05 Spring Break~Allstar Vacation Homes;5/05 DD 8th BirthdayTrip~Pop Century;9/05 Fall Trip~All Star Movies & Free Dining;9/06 Fall Break~Calypso Cay;9/07 Fall Break~All Star Sports & Free Dining;9/08 Fall BreakNEW DVC OWNERStaying at Saratoga Springs

10-23-2003	#10 (permalink)
LRTJS Southern Disney Belle Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,403	You really packed a lot into a day! I still love the GMR! We went in 3 times on our last trip. We had the ganster sequence twice and the cowboy once. I love the Wizard of Oz sequence as it makes me feel like I am part of it...my favorite childhood movie. It is very laxing to me. The enjoyment of the ride depends a lot on the CM. __________________ Laughter is timeless,Imagination has no age, and dreams are forever! SUPER SOAP WEEKEND!!!!! DW Trip 30 ....CSR ROCKS!! French Quarter All Star Sports All Star Music Pop Century ^i^ * Postcard Pixie * ^i^ ~ Sharing the Disney magic ~ My Disney Countdown Counting down to: Thanksgiving Trip what a way to give thanks!!

10-23-2003	#11 (permalink)
baloo Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Anchorage, AK Posts: 121	I still like TGMR, I just wish they could update some of the scenes; you're right about the CM you get. We always get the gangster side, I've never gotten the cowboy side. We are having trouble with our internet access at home so it will be a little while until I can post anymore details about our trip, I can read and post short posts while at work but I don't have enough time to post any long posts.:dazed __________________ Offsite '92 Dixie Landings '98 Coronado Springs/All Star Movies '99 Holiday Inn Family Suites '00 All Star Sports '00 All Star Music '03 Disney Wonder 3-day '03 Pop Century/Port Orleans FQ '04 Port Orleans FQ/Animal Kingdom Lodge '04 All Star Music '04 Caribbean Beach Resort '04 Port Orleans FQ '04 Disneyland '06

10-23-2003	#12 (permalink)
MickeyRon Grand Sorcerer Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,353	Awesome report!! We were at Disney during this time, but not at the parks yet... we only had 4 day hoppers and had 8 days to fill! I like long trip reports...take a look at mine... I hope I am not boring everyone, but from the responce I am getting I think people like the detail... __________________ Mickey Fan! Planned Nov/Dec 2007... BWV, Shareton Safari, SSR... 2007... WLV (Rented Points!!) 2006... ASMOV and RENTING DVC POINTS @ SSR 2004... ASMOV -- ON SITE!!! FIRST TIME! 2003... Silver Lake Resort (off property) 1982... Epcot Only Trip (off property) I forgot about this trip! 1976... Camping somewhere in Orlando (off property)

10-23-2003	#13 (permalink)
baloo Senior Mouseketeer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Anchorage, AK Posts: 121	Thanks rengland! I've read some of your trip report posts and I enjoy the detail (can't ya tell from mine?:D ). As soon as I get my internet service repaired I will post the rest of our trip including the 3 days on the Wonder. __________________ Offsite '92 Dixie Landings '98 Coronado Springs/All Star Movies '99 Holiday Inn Family Suites '00 All Star Sports '00 All Star Music '03 Disney Wonder 3-day '03 Pop Century/Port Orleans FQ '04 Port Orleans FQ/Animal Kingdom Lodge '04 All Star Music '04 Caribbean Beach Resort '04 Port Orleans FQ '04 Disneyland '06

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