Water Screen test at DCA's World of Color

DCA’s World of Color water screens came alive while I was visiting DCA with a friend and listener of Imagineering My Way and MiceCast. All I can say is WOW! They were impressive. It appears there is still work to be completed and things need to be tuned up, but World of Color looks ready to deliver a fantastic show.

For more DCA Construction Update photos, visit my Flickr Photostream.

DCA's 2009 Christmas Tree

Disneyland's 2009 Christmas Tree

When I visited the Disneyland Resort on Thursday, November 12, 2009 I wasn’t to surprised to see Christmas decorations up around the resort. My daughter had visited the Resort on November 2 for her birthday and told me many decorations were up. She also told me the Christmas Tree could be seen backstage and would soon be moved on stage soon.

Why not start the Christmas season so soon, Home Depot has had Christmas decorations for sale in my neighborhood since mid October.

When I worked at Disneyland those many years ago the Park went under a transformation the night of Thanksgiving and the Christmas season started the next day. To me, thats traditional. It seems in the 21st Century we cannot wait to get to the seasons that keeps giving as soon as possible. Don’t get me wrong I love the Christmas season and I have always enjoyed the Disney parks at Christmas.

I am pleased I have also experienced Walt Disney World during the Holiday Season. It only took me about 31 years from my first visited to Walt Disney World to visit during Christmas 2006.

Disneyland has a wonderful tradition for the Holidays as does Walt Disney World and I encourage anyone who has not visited a Disney park during the Christmas Season to do so if they can. Please visit my Flickr for more Disneyland 2009 Christmas Season photos. I will be updating the site with more Holiday photos as the Season continues to capture my imagination.

I visited Disney’s California Adventure on Thursday, November 12, 2009 and captured a few photos on the continued construction for Carsland and The Little Mermaid attraction. This is the time that it appears not much is being done. Its a time that underground work is completed and foundations are being laid. If you have been following my updates on Flickr you start to see some changes.

I have attached a few photos below. For more DCA Construction updates and more, please visit my Flickr site.

Carsland Construction Update

Little Mermaid Construction

I visited Disney’s California Adventure on Thursday, November 12, 2009 and was ecstatic to see the Paradise Bay was filling up with water. The work on World of Color seems to be coming along just fine and I think we may start to see tests very soon. I imagine guests staying the DVC wing of The Grand Califorian Resort may soon be in for a treat if they have a park view room.

I have posted a few photos from my visit below. For more photos of the construction update and more, please visit my Flickr site.

World of Color Construction

World of Color Construction

Mystic Manor Concept Model

D23 was pretty good and the most amazing part for me was the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Exhibit.

Not only did they pull out all the stops for the presentations, they had front line Imagineers manning the exhibits. Many of them the actual artists or project mangers for the exhibits they were assigned too. In the photograph to your right Imagineer Dustin explains the story and show effects for Hong Kong Disneyland’s upcoming “E” Ticket – Mystic Manor. If there was an “F” Ticket, this one attraction might lead the way to a whole new level in Disney story telling and presentation.

Disney Hawaii DVC Concept Model

I’ve wanted to become a DVC member for some time. So far it has not been in the cards for me and Disney Vacation Club has not offered much that I found exciting beyond the Walt Disney World Resort. Well this resort has changed my mind and it’s fantastic.

I was lucky enough to see the concept art at the Architects office that design the resort for Disney almost a year ago and I was impressed then. To see the model and talk to the Imagineers about this new resort was great. We talked “shop” as we were both long time architectural project managers, and the funny thing was, we both know some of the same people in the industry. It’s a small world after all. Sorry I could not resist!

Wall*E @ D23

Wall*E and Lucky the Dinosaur both made appearances at D23 in the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Exhibit. Lucky was popular in his own right, but Wall*E stole the show at this part of the exhibit. Long lines of guest waited to get their photos taken with Wall*E and Disney’s Photo Pass Castmembers were on hand to help you out (and make a buck or too! LOL).

Wall*E was what you would expect from a robot left on a planet to fend for himself, noisy when he rolls around, beat up, and as cute as can be. He will be a great addition to the parks and I hope to see him there soon.

For more photos of concept art, seminars and Disney Celebs from D23, please visit my flickr D23 set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/imagineeringmyway/sets/72157622336183372/

Radiator Springs Large Scale Model @ D23

Disney’s California Adventure – Pacific Warf

Over the weekend of September 4th, the Lucky Fortune Cookery (LFC) finally opened its doors in DCA. As many of you are aware the LFC had a sign and a walk up location in the Pacific Warf dining area for a long time. However, the only time they served food out of the location was during the Food and Wine Festival at DCA. Over the past few months Disney began to rework the kitchen in the LFC area in preparation for the move of Cocina Cucamonga into the old LFC location. Once the kitchen was completed the two restaurants switched locations.

The concept with the LFC is that you can build your own Asian rice bowl. ($9.49)

Step 1: You choose your “Favorite” Chicken, Beef or Tofu

Step 2: You choose your sauce. Choices are Mandarin Orange, Spicy Korean, Thai Coconut Curry or Teriyaki.

All bowls come with steamed rice and seared Asian vegetables (Carrots, Snow Peas, Bok Choy and Onions)

They also serve a “Munch Inc” kid’s portion of Teriyaki chicken ($6.49) this includes a small Teriyaki Chicken bowl, fruit and a drink.

Let’s first talk about the overall quality of the food.

The rice was a bit overcooked and slightly mushy. The chicken was fairly standard for this type of bowl. (Thigh meat) The chicken that we got was fairly tender and not overcooked. The vegetables where mediocre at best, more than likely some where just left in the cooker too long. The bok choy and onions where overcooked. The carrots and celery undercooked. So, you had some mush and you had some snap…go figure.

For the chicken rice and vegetables on a 1-5 scale, I’ll give it a 3.

On the sauce choices, my wife ordered the Mandarin Orange and I ordered the Spicy Korean. The kids both got Teriyaki.

The Mandarin Orange was fairly ordinary and not much different than you would get at your local Asian rice bowl type restaurant/fast food place. It had a slight spiciness to it but by no means was it too spicy.

The Spicy Korean sauce was a bit strong and salty for my taste. It was not spicy to my taste and was a bit on the heavy side. I would actually say it was somewhat overpowering. (All you tasted was sauce)

The Teriyaki sauce was your run of the mill everyday Teriyaki sauce. A safe bet for people not sure what they want.

Overall, the sauces where a bit salty and could be overpowering to some individuals. I would highly recommend asking for the sauces on the side.

At the condiments bar they did offer some Sriracha hot sauce. I opted to add some to my Spicy Korean sauce to give it the kick I was looking for.

So, for the sauces that we tried on a scale of 1 -5, it would be a 3.

The one area that I have the biggest complaint about is the portion size. More specifically, the portion size to cost ratio is what my complaint is about.

I’m very familiar with Disney and their cost of food being, at what I would call “Event” pricing.

So, it’s not a surprise for me to see a meal at $9.49. However, knowing that the rice in the bowl probably cost them about .02 cents, and that they are using some of the cheapest chicken meat you can purchase. I’m not sure why they don’t fill up the bowl all the way.

If you look at the two pictures. They fill the “Bowl” about half way up. Considering that they could fill the rest up with rice and maybe spend about .01 more, it really makes no sense to me. Trust me, I’m not a glutton and looking for the biggest meal I can find, but I am looking for some reasonable value that is somewhat proportional to the money I spend. Unfortunately, the LFC just does not deliver in this area. The same goes for the child’s portion. I think the words out of my wife where…. “That little box for 7 bucks….we should have just got the kids a Taco at Cocina”

Isabella with her mini rice bowl

That being said on a Scale of 1-5 for portion value, I give it a 2.

That would give LFC an over rating of a 2.6 on a 1-5 scale.

Walking away from the meal the best question you can ask yourself is would you go back? Both my wife and my self said “No” or not until they change a few things on the way they serve the food.

I may have had a fluke of a visit. However, judging from the other meals I saw going out, they all looked the same. (On the positive, at least they where consistent…)

I’m sure others may disagree with me on this one, but I really feel like they missed the mark on this one and we won’t return until there is a noticeable change.

Unfortunately, I don’t know how quickly it will be before they change anything.

Day 1 is our arrival day.  Due to some traffic issues that we experienced yesterday, we arrived at Old Key West at around 2 PM…later than we had hoped.  The good news was though…we could get into our Villa.  This trip, since we have the flexibility of a car…we were not going to prefer our usual Peninsular Road location…we ended up with a villa at the end of Miller’s Road.  It’s a quiet location…past the bus turn-around…so no bus traffic.  Our villa also has the desirable aspect of being near a quiet pool but not next to it.

As is usually our tradition…our arrival date is used to visit Epcot.  The plan had been to not to bother seeing any attractions that were ride-based and just watch some of the World Showcase movies/shows.  After a long day and a half of travel…getting our Annual Passes and our Tables in Wonderland Card…the kids wanted to go on rides…no shows.  We like to travel to WDW with a Touring Plan…but as with the Pirate Code….it’s often more like guidelines than actual rules.  We didn’t have lot of time before our dinner ADR, but we did manage to ride Mission: Space, Ellen’s Energy Adventure and Grand Fiesta Tour.

Our dinner ADR was at the Coral Reef.  I know this restaurant gets panned quite often, but I’ll be honest..we’ve never had a bad meal there and this restaurant is our usual arrival date dinner restaurant.  Tonight I had the grilled Mahi Mahi and butterscotch creme brule for desert.

After dinner, we returned to Old Key West…finished unpacking and got to bed for our first full day at Walt Disney World.

Day 2

Today is our first full day at WDW and we’ll be going to the Magic Kingdom and starting the day with breakfast with Cinderella. Since our daughter Caitlin is a full-blown Disney Princess Fan…visiting with Cinderella is a high priority for us.  As we usually experience…the character interaction was top notch and the food was the typical fare and relatively good, but honestly…who goes to this breakfast for the food?  It’s all about Cinderella and her friends…this time being Snow White, Princess Aurora and Jasmine.

Since our breakfast was prior to park opening, we had the advantage of being at the entrance to Fantasyland prior to rope drop.  After a number of failed attempts in prior visits, Caitlin was able to wake up Tinker Bell.  While this was cute and nice, with all the hype I’ve heard about this special moment, it was in reality quite under-whelming.  It wasn’t bad…just not what I was expecting.

Surprisingly..the crowds at Magic Kingdom were not bad.  Wait times were shorter than we were expecting.  Because of this and the good weather today and the promise of rain later in the week, we stayed in the park all day rather than return to Old Key West for the afternoon.  Because we stayed, we were able to take care of most of Fantasyland, see the Monsters Inc. Comedy Club and ride Buzz Lightyear, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, watch the Country Bears and most importantly….visit the Disney Fairies.

As expected…the wait was long…it was listed as having a wait of 60 minutes, but in reality it took us about 80 minutes to get through it.  While the experience was enjoyable I’m not sure why the wait was so long, since we didn’t end up spending a lot of time with the fairies.

We finished the day with dinner at Tony’s, then watched Spectromagic and Wishes.

Day 3

We started today off with an early breakfast at Olivia’s (Old Key West), then drove to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for some movie related fun.  After the security check and entering the park, we walked (swiftly) to Toy Story Mania.  This was my wife Cindy’s and my daughter Caitlin’s first visit to Toy Story Mania (me and the boys experienced the AP Preview last year).  It was great to see the details in the queue again. Upon completion of the ride, we immediately got Fast Passes for it for later in the moring.

We then rode Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, The Great Movie Ride, Muppet Vision 3-D and then rerode Toy Story Mania.

After lunch at the Backlot Express…we decided to head back to Old Key West for a well deserved rest and naps.

After freshening ourselves up, we drove back to the Studios for dinner at 50′s Prime Time Cafe.

We had a lot of fun with our “cousin” Courtney, including her asking our soon to be 23 year old son, Joe for his ID (including quizzing) and using ketchup to keep David’s elbows off of the table.

After dinner we squeezed in a ride on the Tower of Terror prior to experiencing Fantasmic.  Waiting for the show had the typical crowd entertainment, including The Wave.  The most interesting form of entertainment was the use of my Blackberry Storm and many of the people around us with their smartphones to follow the various weather radar applications because as we waited the sky was looking more ominous.  We all were wondering whether we’d get rain before the show or not.  As it turned out, we escaped the rain storms and we were able to experience another great Fantasmic show.

Day 4

Today was our day to experience the Animal Kingdom…and today also being an Extra Magic Hour morning.  We took advantage of this to experience Expedition Everest and the Kilamanjaro Safaris.  This morning was our daughter, Caitlin’s first time riding Expedition Everest.  Not surprisingly, Catilin thoroughly enjoyed the attraction…once again, the Imagineers and their magic was successful.

After Kilamanjaro Safaris, we stopped at the Tusker House Bakery for some pastry and juice.

We then wandered over to Dinoland, where we ran into our DPN friends Barb and Steven (aka Meerkat) where we rode Primeval Whirl together.  We almost ran into Lou (BMSLOU) and his family but when the showed up we were in line for Primeval Whirl and missed them other than a wave and a cell phone chat.  While I chatted with Barb and David chatted with Steven, Cindy and Caitlin rode Triceratop Spin.

We then went off to Yak & Yeti for lunch which was good as usual for us.  We have always found the food here to be pretty good and even reasonably priced though the service here has varied in quality…today the service was pretty good.

After lunch, we went back to Old Key West for a rest and a dip in our quiet pool near our villa.  The use of the pool is always something the kids look forward to. Normally, we’ve used the main pool at Old Key West and we were pleased with our first experience using one of the quiet pools.  It was nice to have the pool to ourselves and 1 0r 2 other families.

After the pool we got cleaned up and drove over to Epcot for dinner at the Garden Grill with Mickey, Pluto and Chip & Dale along with watching Illuminations.  Illuminations…which we never miss during our trips to WDW…was impressive as usual, though it did get interesting when it started to rain during the last few minutes of the show.

Day 5

Today was an Extra Magic Hour morning at Magic Kingdom, but we got a late start to it arriving at close to 8:30 AM…yeah..we missed a rope drop.  We were able to get on Peter Pan and It’s a Small World prior to our ADR at Crystal Palace.

After breakfast we returned to Fantasyland and experienced Mickey’s Philharmagic, rode Pirates of the Caribbean, got our FastPass for the Jungle Cruise, and watched the Tiki Room.

While at lunch at Cosmic Ray’s, we met up with Barb and Steven again.  After lunch we used our FastPass to the Jungle Cruise, watched the Country Bears

then rode the Haunted Mansion.  When we got out of the Haunted Mansion it wasn’t raining…it was pouring.  Because it was raining they were allowing people to go through the “servants entrance” and ride it again…which David and Steven did.  Since we had a dinner ADR at Ohana in a few hours and we were going to need to dry off and possibly change out of some wet clothes, we said good bye to Barb and Steven for the day and headed back to Old Key West.

After drying off and changing some clothes, we headed over to the Polynesian Resort for dinner at Ohana.

We first experienced Ohana for dinner a few years ago and loved it but hadn’t had the chance to eat there again until now.  The food there is wonderful and it’s in such a great atmosphere.  Since they give you all of the food in waves you can get stuffed full there very easily without realizing it since you never really have a lot of food in front of you at any one time.

After dinner, during a break in the rain..we returned to Old Key West for the night.

Day 6

We woke up today to have breakfast with the princesses at the Princess Storybook Breakfast.  For the first time among all of the times we’ve attended this breakfast, we had Ariel in attendance..along with Snow White, Princess Aurora and of course Belle hosting the breakfast.  This breakfast is one of Disney’s better character breakfasts in my opinion when you consider the general food options/quality and the characters.

After breakfast we rode Soarin and Test Track prior to heading over to World Showcase and the United Kingdom Pavilion for the World Showcae Players and “King Arthur and the Holy Grail”.  This little show has become a family favorite.  We all find it to be funny and well done.

After the show we wandered around World Showcase stopping in Japan for a little shopping trip for the kids.  David loves shopping here for Pokeman items…may of which we don’t seem to find locally in our local stores and Caitlin enjoys shopping for Hello Kitty items

Next we went over to The American Adventure where the kids had lunch and Cindy and I shared a funnel cake.  We then watched the show of The American Adventure show.  We have always found this show to be impressive.

After the show we continued to wander around World Showcase checking out the various countries until we got close to our dinner ADR at Le Cellier.  As always has been the case for us…we had a wonderful meal here.  Our server Jason had a wonderful sarcastic sense of humor that made our experience even more enjoyable.  I had the steak and it was prepared wonderfully.  All of the adults finished with the Maple Creme Brule which has to be one of the most scrumptious deserts on property.

After dinner we watched O’ Canada, then I listened to Off Kilter for a bit while the rest of the family returned to Future World for Spaceship Earth and some shopping.

In the mean time I had heard that it was Lou from Beyond Main Street was finishing up his WDW trip tonight and I wandered over to the Rose and Crown to finally meet up with him.  When I got there I found out that Barb, Steve and Steven along with Earl, Mel, Matt (Matt Frompa), Matt (theEsquire) and Jenn were also there.  I stuck around for a bit to visit then returned back to OKW for the evening with the family.

Ahh….but this was not the end of our day.  When we started getting everyone ready for bed we noticed that David had developed a bad ingrown toenail.  He’s had these in the past and unless treated quickly, they can get very bad, so we decided to visit the urgent care center at Centra Care, near the Crossroads Shopping Center.  When we got there, it was very busy.  Luckily were were out of there with some antibiotics in a couple of hours.  At this point we headed back to OKW for good for the night.

Day 7

We started today bright and early by getting up and heading over to Downtown Disney and the World of Disney at 6:15 AM for the Passholder Sale that would begin at 6:30 AM.  When we arrived the line was already around the store and along the parking lot access road.  We had heard that people started lining up at midnight and had to get removed by security and then again at 2 AM.  When we finally got in we saw people that just went for the free or doorbuster items, some went only for the items on sale and then there were people like us who bought what we were normally going to buy later in the trip and if it was on sale, all the better…and still pick up any free items.  It was interesting experience…not as chaotic as I expected it to be and not as much on sale as I had expected either.  My only criticism of the event was other than the crude map they gave us…it really wasn’t clear what was on sale and what wasn’t.

After the sale we returned to Old Key West, woke up the kids and headed to Animal Kingdom for Extra Magic Hour, but because of the sale we got a bit of a late start so we only got to do Expedition Everest and get FastPasses for it to ride later.

After Expedition Everest, we went for breakfast at Donald’s Safari Breakfast with Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Mickey.

After the character breakfast, we went on Kilamanjaro Safaris and then went to watch Finding Nemo the Musical.  This show is now one of our favorites.

Since we got out of the character breakfast late and we had an early dinner scheduled, we decided to munch for lunch.

After munching we went over to Camp Minnie-Mickey for the Legend of the Lion King show.  We have not not seen this show in a few trips for one reason or another.  This show is still very good.

We then got pictures and autographs from a few of the characters located in the Character Trails, then did some people watching before heading over to theAnimal Kingdom Lodge for dinner at Boma.

This was our first time eating at Boma.  We found the food selection and the atmosphere to be very good and really liked it…though I have to admit I don’t see what all the fuss is about on the Zebra Domes…they were okay, but nothing great…just okay.

After dinner we explored the resort a bit and found the great savanna overlook.  The area is very nice though we didn’t see a lot of animals out there.

Day 8

We started today off with breakfast at Ohana and their character breakfast with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto.  As character meals go…the food is pretty good and the character interaction is great.  I would recommend this breakfast to anyone looking for a good character breakfast.

We then hopped the monorail on to the Magic Kingdom, and since this was Joe’s Birthday, we let him decide the plan of the day.

Some of the highlights were going on Splash Mountain where Caitlin got wet, going on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin where Cindy got wet from a spitting camel and going on the Jungle Cruise where we saw a duck attack one of the fierce crocodiles of the attraction.

We had dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern where we celebrated Joe’s Birthday complete with a birthday cupcake and singing Happy Birthday to Joe with the help of the CM’s.

After dinner we rode It’s a Small World, Winnie the Pooh and the Mad Tea Cups where we found out that we can’t squeeze two adults and a teenager into one cup anymore.

Maybe our best present to Joe was to leave and return to Old Key West and let him wander around the Magic Kingdom alone by himself for a few hours.

Day 9

Today was an Extra Magic Hour morning at the Studios, so we took advantage of it to ride Toy Story Mania and get a FastPass to re-ride it again later.  After Toy Story, Caitlin and I planned on riding Rock ‘n Roller Coaster but when we got there the wait for Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was only 10 min., so we rode that instead.  When we got off we met with everyone else for some breakfast at Starring Rolls Bakery.

After breakfast, we took a trip to Endor with Captain Rex on Star Tours, and rerode Toy Story Mania.  As you can probably guess, this ride has become a family favorite for us.

We had a early ADR for lunch at Sci-Fi Dine In.  As is usually the case, the wait to get seated took a while.  Once we got seated we found the food we ordered fairly well prepared, though the service was a bit slow.

After lunch we got a call from my Sister-in-law.  They were going to join us for part of our trip and they had just arrived at the Studios.  While they were moving through the Studios to meet us…we went to see Muppet Vision 3-D again.  When they finally met with us, we rode the Great Movie Ride and finally got the Bank Robber skit instead of the Gangster.  I think  this has to be the first time for the bank robbery for us in maybe 3 years.

Even though they had only been in the park less than an hour, they needed to take a smoke break.  After their break ended we were able to coax my Sister-in-law to ride Rock ‘ n Roller Coaster with Caitlin, Joe and myself.

After we regrouped, they wanted to to see Playhouse Disney, while we took our kids to the Animation Building to see the characters from UP.  When we got there we only saw Russell and Carl out and we were a bit disappointed because Dug wasn’t there.  By the time we worked our way up the queue, they had gone on break.  When the characters came back..Russell and Carl came out with Dug.  The kids were pretty happy about this.

After the character meet, we regrouped and sat and talked and people watched.  Soon it was time to head to Mama Melrose’s for dinner.  Each of our meals was prepared well and was very good.  The service we got there was very good.

After dinner, we returned to Old Key West and spent some time at the pool prior to calling it a night.

Day 10

Today was our morning to head over to Downtown Disney for the kids after eating breakfast at Olivia’s.

Even though we had gone to the Passholder Sale, today for was for the kids to get somethings at Once Upon a Toy and the Lego Store and a quick stop at the World of Disney.  As we left the World of Disney, Caitlin got dusted with Pixie Dust.

After we finished shopping, we went for lunch at the new T-Rex restaurant.  Going into this meal, we were expecting it to be a lot like eating at the Rainforest Cafe…and frankly that wouldn’t be good in our opinion.  Honestly, our experience at T-Rex was a lot better than what we were expecting.  While there was some noise…the noise made by the dinosaurs and mammoths was vastly less annoying than the noise generated by the jungle animals at Rainforest.  The service and food was also significantly better than what we’re used to experiencing at Rainforest.

After lunch, we went back to Old Key West and rested.

After resting up, we drove off to Fort Wilderness and dinner at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue.

Hoop Dee Doo has become another family WDW tradition for us.  Hoop Dee Doo is something we need to do on every trip.  Even though the show has not changed and we know the show…we still enjoy it…it’s still a lot of fun for us.

After dinner, we drove back to Old Key West and spent some more time at the pool prior to going to bed.

Day 11

Today was going to be our last day at Epcot and as it turns out our last park day before heading home.

We spent the morning hitting all of our Future World favorites, which included  Soarin’, Spaceship Earth, Mission: Space and Test Track.

We ate lunch at Sunshine Seasons and even though it was very crowded and difficult to find a table to eat at…but we were impressed with the food selection.  I mean…really…where can you find a good, think pork chop for lunch at a quick service eatery?

We spent the afternoon at Character Spot to meet Donald Duck, Pluto, Mickey:

and Minnie:

David also wanted to see the World Showcase Players do King Arthur again.  When everyone else went to Mexico for the Gran Fiesta, I went to watch Off Kilter for the last time on this trip.

We finished the night off with dinner at Restaurant Marrakesh, where I had the Lemon Chicken and everyone else had the Beef Shish Kabab.  Yummy!!!  Is there anything more to say?

Day 12

The plan today was to head to the Magic Kingdom, but the weather forecast was for very hot weather (Heat Index of 103 degrees), so we change our minds and stayed at Old Key West to pack and visit the pool, which we really enjoyed.

Later in the afternoon we cleaned ourselves up and headed over to the Wilderness Lodge for dinner at Whispering Canyon with my Sister-in-Law and her family, where they surprised me and my wife by announcing that we were celebrating my birthday and our 25th Wedding Anniversary on this trip.  This was very much a surprise and done very well by the cast members…it was a lot of fun.

Day 13

We finished packing this morning, loaded the car up in what seemed like 80% humidity…then headed up to the Polynesian Resort for a late breakfast at the Kona Cafe.  I just had to have some Tonga Toast before we left for home.

The only annoying thing today was the housekeeping staff bugging us off an on as to when we were going to be leaving and finally when we shut the door asking us whether we were finished.  As annoying as this was it was even more irritating was that this started at 9 AM….HELLO….we have until 11 AM to check out.  Needless to say, we made stop at the front desk and spoke with the manager of the resort about this.

Overall we had a very enjoyable vacation…even though it was very hot, we were able to deal with it and made accommodations for it.  The kids were great even with the heat.  Believe it or not…even as long as we were at WDW there were things we wanted to do but never got to do.  Caitlin wanted to try to do the Kim Possible thing at Epcot but never got around to doing it.  We’ll have to make sure we put this on the top of the list for the next trip.

The lobby is shockingly small compared to most or the other resorts and from the perceived amount of the accommodations. But the cozy size of the lobby really creates the sense of the “Welcome Home” mentality. Great decor and a focus on savannah opposite the main entrance to the lobby. just a note there isn’t a quick/counter service dinning on premises the store just off the lobby is where you can use your refillable mug.

Before we go out the the Savannah we will go downstairs to the lower level where Sanaa is located.

Sanaa’s cuisine is a melting pot of tastes from the islands of the Indian Ocean that all are part of Africa – Zanzibar, the Seychelles, Comoro Islands, Mauritius and Madagascar. “These islands were on important trade routes with influences from French, Portuguese, Dutch, British, Arab and Chinese traders,” said Chef Bob Getchell. “The diverse spices and flavors give us an endless array of options for Sanaa.”

Overview of the Sanaa Restaurant

Sanaa Opening Menu

the warm and inviting atmosphere of the restaurant along with it’s off the beaten track feel will probably be one of those hidden gems at Walt Disney World for the next few years.

With great daytime views of the Savannah daylight dining will provide some great possibilities for viewing the animals out there.

Personally this is where this resort shines! the enclosed Savannah is already providing lots of opportunity to have great viewing of the animals. Along with the large windows and a few balconies to get a good view of the the Savannah ( even if you don’t have a Savannah view room there is as a viewing area that is protruding a good 60 yards from the Lobby area with a fire pit and some seating. This is a great spot to view the animals and also get to interact with the keepers of the animals. while we were there they were training the Giraffes and Ostrich to search for food in specific locations. ( near the guests of course ) .

[View with PicLens]

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The Water park area looks like it might be a economic option for the Full Water Theme Parks at WDW. All the Kids were enjoying all the amenities of the park.

All in all I look forward to getting back to the Kidani Village and giving Sanaa a try next time I am at WDW.

 

The first day of the Westfest ’09 kicked into high gear on Thursday as we all started to arrive in Anaheim. After spending the morning enjoying the attractions in Disneyland, Will, Shannon and Aj headed  over to DCA to see High School Musical 3. Unfortunately all of Will’s dancing and singing brought unwanted attention to poor Aj when he was picked out from the crowd to perform with the cast in the next song. All we can say is to make sure that you keep an eye out for the photos and video that will be posted over the coming days as you will see a side of HSM3 that you have never seen before.

 

Thursday evening was at Podfest West, where 60+ people joined their favorite podcasters to share a few drinks and party until the early hours of the morning at The Lost Bar the Disneyland Hotel. This was an outstanding meet and a great way for everybody to get to know each other and have a great time within the resort.

 

Day 2

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we all headed to Disneyland to get a few attractions under our belts before heading to a special lunch as guests at Club 33. Although a full review will be posted on our return home, the experience was fantastic and the food superb. 

 

Disneyland appears to be following Walt Disney World’s lead and bucking the falling attendance trends. The parks were busy today and crowds are expected to be high again over the coming days. Wait time were creeping up to over an hour on many of the major attractions and fastpass strategies were used during the day to reduce wait times.

 

At 6.00pm a large crowd gathered over at DCA for the annual Westfest Rabble Rousers meet. After enjoying samplings from the Food and Wine Festival, the crowd headed over to Soarin to ride the attraction as a group.

 

The night was finished off back in Disneyland to watch the Remember fireworks and one last ride on Space Mountain before heading off to bed.

 

Stay tuned for daily updates from the 7 Parks in 7 Days “Two Kingdoms” Tour and our coverage from Westfest ’09.

 

Chris, Aj, Will and Shannon

A few weeks ago, the travelears alerted its subscribers to a new dining initiative called Picnic in the Park.  

(Original Story Link)

 

Since then, there has been an enormous amount of chatter within the Disney online community regarding Animal Kingdom’s new initiative and I thought that this would be an opportune time to share a Disney blog site link that I regularly read that recently provided a first hand review of this new dining opportunity. The writers of this blog are Orlando based, work within the Disney travel industry and can be relied upon for accurate, non biased reviews of what is happening within the parks.

The author of this blog post Kathy Werling who is a excellent Disney blogger and part of the crew of the Dis Unplugged Podcast. Her indepth review of Picnic in the Park can be found here and will clear up many of the confusing reports currently out there regarding this unique dining option:  Picnic in the Park at Animal Kingdom Blog

Enjoy the review and if you enjoy Kathy’s review please leave a comment on her post.

Aj

 

Typoon Lagoon (Image Courtesy of the Walt Disney Company)

 

 

Hi guys, just read this great article by Kelly Shannon at the Examiner.com. This is an extract of part 1 of 3 of a full review of Disney’s pools.

Enjoy, AJ

 

Disney is synonymous with family fun, but did you know Florida’s Disney resorts and parks have some of the most innovative pools on Earth? One of my favorite places to go when I’m really stressed out (such as after April 15th!) is Typhoon Lagoon. While the rest of the family frolics all over the park, I’m content to spend the entire day reclining on an inner tube going ‘round and ‘round in Castaway Creek, a 2,100-foot river circling the park through gorgeous colorful flowers, misty rain forest and a hidden grotto. At least my family knows exactly where to find me…

 

Upon entering Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, a 53-acre themed water park, visitors find themselves in a tin-roofed village cluttered with marine wreckage and cargo left by a big storm. In Shark Reef, swimmers come face-to-face with colorful creatures when they snorkel through a 362,000-gallon saltwater pool filled with brightly-colored tropical fish. Other guests can watch the snorkelers through the underwater portholes of a wrecked ship in the center of the reef. Three water slides drop guests down a mountain at speeds up to 30 mph and three different rafting adventures provide even more water fun. A lagoon boasts one of the world’s largest artificially created waves for body surfing.  

 

Kelly’s full article can be found here: Disney’s cool pools – part 1 of a 3-part series

 

 

Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa

If you are a regular listener to the podcast, you will know that I like to occasionally venture out of the “Disney Bubble” to experience the other fine attractions that Florida has to offer. During a WDW trip in 2008, I had the opportunity to visit Busch Gardens at Tampa with my family and had a fantastic day.

 

The following guide has been prepared by the PR people at Busch, and it will give you a great insight into this amazing park. Give Busch Gardens a try during your next visit, you may be pleasantly surprised. 

 

Enjoy Aj

 

PS/ When you drive to Tampa make sure that you call into Mels Hot Dogs.

Dont be fooled by it less than auspicious exterior, this small hot dog joint offers some of the best fast food that you will experience in Florida. So call into Mels on the way back to WDW, order a famous Chicago Style Mighty Mel and tell them that Aj sent ya…..

 

 

BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY GUIDE 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Overview: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is the ultimate family adventure park offering an array

of fascinating attractions based on exotic encounters with the African continent.

A unique blend of thrilling rides, one of the country’s premier zoos featuring more

than 2,000 animals, live shows, restaurants, shops and games, Busch Gardens

Tampa Bay provides unrivaled excitement for guests of every age.

 

WHAT’S NEW

Jungala: Discover a colorful village, nestled among towering trees, flowing

waterways and elaborate stone structures. Explore a 3-story play land of climbing

nets, mazes and exploration tunnels, soar above the treetops on a zip line

adventure or launch into the sky from inside a 35-foot waterfall. Then, connect

up close with exotic jungle animals. Come face-to-face with orangutans and test

your strength in a tug of war with a Bengal tiger. It’s an unforgettable adventure

and an extraordinary mix of discovery and fun in the only jungle in the world that

plays with you.

 

Serengeti Night Safari: Start your nighttime safari in the Edge of Africa

witnessing feedings and the active nocturnal behaviors of hippos, lions and hyenas

lit only by moonlight and lanterns. Then, on the Serengeti Plain, use night-vision

monoculars and special filtered lighting to view free-roaming herds of giraffes,

zebra, rhinos and other intriguing African animals. The tour begins and ends in

the exclusive Safari Club, with savory appetizers and beverages and a night cap

complete with coffee and desserts. The Serengeti Night Safari begins after sunset

on select Friday and Saturday nights and costs $59.99 per person, plus tax. Guests

must be 21 years of age or older to participate.

 

LOGISTICS

Location: - Corner of Busch Boulevard and 40th Street

- Two miles east of Interstate 275 at the Busch Boulevard exit

- Two miles west of Interstate 75 at exit 54

- One hour from Orlando via Interstate 4 West

- Thirty minutes east of area beaches and Tampa International Airport

 

Park Hours: Normal park hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. within a 365-day operating schedule.

Hours are extended during select weekend, summer and holiday periods.

 

Admission: Adult admission is $69.95 plus tax. Children ages 3 to 9 are $59.95 plus tax.

Children 2 and younger are admitted for free. A variety of combination tickets

and Passport Memberships are available. Prices are subject to change without

notice. Discounts available for guests with disabilities, senior citizens, military

personnel and AAA members.

 

Parking: Spaces are available to cars for $11, motorcycles for $11 and trucks and campers

for $13. Tour buses are free. Preferred parking convenient to the front gate is

also available to day guests for $16 and annual passport members for $8. Valet

parking at the front gate is $20, or $18 for passport members. Annual passport

members park free in standard lots.

 

Information: For general park information, call 1-888-800-5447, or visit the interactive Web site

at www.buschgardens.com

For our Animal Information Database, visit www.buschgardens.org

 

Services: Strollers, wheelchairs, lockers and pet kennels are available for rental. Wheelchair

seating is available at all facilities, and assisted listening devices are offered at

several attractions. Diaper-changing and baby-nursing areas, first aid, automated

teller machine, and taxi and bus parking may be found on-site.

 

Tickets:

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay offers print-at-home tickets that allow guests to

directly enter the park without waiting in line. Go to www.buschgardens.com to

purchase tickets.

 

Terrific Tuesdays: On Tuesdays, AARP members receive an $8 discount off admission to Busch

Gardens Tampa Bay. Every other day of the week, AARP members receive $3 off

park admission with membership card.

 

Private Events: As one of the world’s largest and most popular adventure parks, Busch Gardens

offers the best in hospitality, as well as a unique environment for any event. We

have a wide variety of venues, entertainment options and appetizing catering

selections. Our professional staff will accommodate all your needs, whether it’s a

breakfast for 100 or a private night function for 10,000. We can also create

memorable wedding receptions, corporate retreats and upscale banquets.

 

DINING HIGHLIGHTS

Crown Colony House Restaurant: Relax in air-conditioned comfort and take in a panoramic view of the

Serengeti Plain while you enjoy courteous full table service, authentic African roadhouse ambiance and a

diverse menu that includes delicious upscale entrees, refreshing salads and hearty sandwiches all house-made

with the freshest ingredients by our culinary team.

 

Bengal Bistro: Sit back, relax and enjoy a delicious lunch as your young adventurers explore Jungala. Bengal

Bistro—the newly remodeled Vivi Restaurant—is the perfect place to view Jungala’s village. At this cafeteriastyle

bistro, the Busch Gardens’ culinary staff prepares your lunch fresh, offering Catch of the Jungle fish, wraps

and sandwiches, salads and vegetarian options.

 

Orang Café: Watch endangered Bornean orangutans swing across their habitat from the patio of Orang Café.

Whether it is snack items or entrees, Orang Café’s menu is designed to be “kid-siderate.” Children will

appreciate the family-friendly menu items like “dirt sundaes,” chicken “stripes” and bug candy. The menu also

includes assorted fresh fruit, wraps and other entrees.

 

Zambia Smokehouse: Witness the power of SheiKra —America’s first dive coaster—as you dine on delicious

barbeque. The new 500-seat indoor/outdoor Zambia Smokehouse makes guests part of the action, as diners sit

directly beneath the wings of the new roller coaster. Entrees include chicken, beef brisket and the park’s

famous ribs, all slow-smoked for hours over real hickory and oak.

 

Desert Grill: Palatial architecture, exotic entertainment and air-conditioned comfort come together to make

your meal at the Desert Grill truly unforgettable. Watch a live performance while you dine on outstanding

entrees like Baby Back Ribs or Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo — all served fast and fresh. You’ll also find specialty

salads, hot and hearty sandwiches, delectable desserts and a complete kid’s menu.

 

Sultan’s Sweets: Start your day at Busch Gardens with a steaming cup of gourmet coffee and muffins,

cinnamon buns and pastries made fresh daily in the park. Stroll through the shop and feast your eyes on an

incredible array of sweet treats including hand-made candies, cakes and the deliciously decadent Wild

Indulgence Fudge.

 

RIDES

SheiKra: North America’s first dive coaster sends riders through a breathtaking three-minute journey 200

feet up, then 90 degrees straight down — and that’s just the beginning. “Floorless” cars give riders an

unobstructed view of the 70 mph rush, and SheiKra was the first dive coaster to incorporate an Immelmann

loop (a simultaneous loop and roll), a second, 138-foot vertical drop into an underground tunnel and a water

feature finale, all packed into a half-mile of steel track.

 

Kumba: After the blood-curdling thrill of an initial 135 foot drop, you will plunge from 110 feet into a diving

loop, feel a full 3 seconds of absolute weightlessness while spiraling 360 degrees, and tear through one of the

world’s largest vertical loops.

 

Montu: Feel the ultimate rush on one of the tallest and longest inverted roller coasters in the world! Experience

the thrill of an inverse diving loop and a 60-foot vertical loop while you endure speeds of more than 60 miles per

hour and a G-force of 3.85.

 

Gwazi: Challenge the dueling forces of Gwazi: two wooden tracks intertwined into the Southeast’s largest and

fastest double wooden roller coaster. Boasting more than 1.25 million board feet of lumber, Gwazi’s Lion and

Tiger tracks offer two distinct ride experiences.

 

Cheetah Chase: Families will love the curves, drops and corkscrews of Cheetah Chase, a five-story “wild mouse”

style coaster in Timbuktu. With its top speed of 22 mph and 46” height requirement, Cheetah Chase is the

perfect ride for a child’s first coaster experience.

 

Scorpion: Feel the “sting” of Scorpion’s terrifying 60-foot drop and 360-degree loop at incredible speeds.

The Wild Surge: Launch out of a 35-foot mountain crater up above a towering waterfall for a thrilling view of

Jungala’s village below.

 

Jungle Flyers: Young adventurers choose from three different flight patterns to soar 50 feet above Jungala’s

village.

 

Rhino Rally: This wild jeep tour transports guests aboard an off-road adventure through the wilds of Africa,

blending up-close animal encounters with an unpredictable safari competition.

 

Congo River Rapids: Encounter the swift-flowing white water of the Congo River Rapids. Spin through a geyser

and face an ominous waterfall and other thrilling obstacles in a 12-person raft.

 

Stanley Falls: Our Log Flume whisks your whole family through a splashing trip ending in a 40-foot drop that’s

sure to get you soaked!

 

Tanganyika Tidal Wave: Watch out when your seemingly tranquil jungle journey aboard a 20-passenger boat ends

with a sudden plunge down a 55-foot drop, creating a tidal wave that gets everyone sopping wet.

 

SHOWS

“KaTonga: Musical Tales From the Jungle” takes you on a journey to the heart of Africa in a 35-minute

musical celebration of animal folklore. The show follows a day in the lives of aspiring storytellers, called

Griots, as they strive to become masters of their craft. To accomplish this rite of passage, the performers

evoke traditional African stories that mesmerize and entertain! Masterful puppet design, magical folklore,

energetic original music and spectacular African-inspired dance combine to create the first theme park show

of Broadway-production caliber.

 

Rock A Doo Wop: This all-new show at the Marrakesh Theater features the greatest hits of the ’50s and ’60s,

performed by eight talented singers and dancers. Guests will enjoy favorite songs like “This Magic Moment”

and “Sherry” as they travel back in time to the doo-wop era.

 

Pirates 4-D: A swashbuckling 4-D comedy for the entire family, the Caribbean caper combines the latest 4-D

special-effects technology with multi-sensory theater effects to thrill guests of all ages. The 750-seat Timbuktu

Theater features four digital projectors that run simultaneously, and guests wear 3-D glasses to view the visual

effects that allow the film action to vault off the screen. Surround-sound speakers built into the seats and special

effects, including wind and sprays of water, further immerse the audience in this treasure-hunt adventure.

 

Mystic Sheiks of Morocco: Snap your fingers and move your feet to the music of this high-energy brass and

percussion marching band.

 

ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS

Serengeti Plain: This habitat features hundreds of exotic African animals that can be seen from the Serengeti

Express Railway, Skyride, Serengeti Safari and various walkways. The 65-acre environment includes expansive

berms, the largest of which is four acres; tiered and open landscapes covered with native and African

grasses, scrub trees and shrubs; rock outcroppings and bluffs replicating natural formations; and naturalistic

creek beds and mud banks.

 

Myombe Reserve: Enter the lush forest where gorillas and chimpanzees can be viewed in this naturalistic

rainforest habitat. Tour the Great Ape Domain amid waterfalls and through shrouds of mist and fog to get an

up-close look at these majestic primates.

 

Edge of Africa: This habitat offers an intense walking safari where guests can experience hippopotamus,

lions, lemurs, meerkats, crocodiles and lappet-faced vultures in natural habitats themed around an

abandoned African fishing village.

 

Jambo Junction: The former Busch Gardens’ Nairobi Field Station now allows greater interaction between

guests and the park’s animal ambassadors. The new area is called Jambo Junction, a name inspired by a

Swahili greeting. At Jambo Junction, you can participate in animal feedings, lessons in husbandry and

behavior training. Featured animals include Caribbean flamingos, lemurs, cuscuses, sloths and opossums.

 

Bird Gardens: Soar over to our Bird Gardens area to check out almost 500 tropical birds from around the

globe. You can enjoy the Wild Wings of Africa show, see our feather-filled aviary, and experience the

powerful presence of bald and golden eagles in Eagle Canyon. After the show you can talk to conservation

educators about how to attract birds to your own backyard.

 

Lory Landing: The domed habitat showcases a variety of brilliantly colored birds including several species of

parrots, including lorikeets, as well as hornbills and pheasants in both free flight and observational

environments.

 

Clydesdale Hamlet: Guests can pose for a picture with one of the World Famous Budweiser Clydesdales during

daily photo and petting sessions.

 

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

Tree Top Trails: With climbing nets, bridges, crawl tubes and a multi-level maze for bigger kids, plus a waterplay

area for younger children, this 3-story family play area allows visitors to explore the different levels of

jungle life.

 

Land of the Dragons: Includes our three-story-tall tree house, an enchanted forest, one-of-a-kind slides, a

gentle waterfall, wonderful rides and, of course, friendly dragons! The Land of the Dragons’ stage features a

family-friendly show staring Dumphrey the dragon and friends.

 

Serengeti Express Train: See the beauty of the Serengeti Plains as you make a round-trip journey from our

Nairobi train station on the Serengeti Express Train.

 

King Tut’s Tomb: Travel back in time to the mysteries of King Tut’s Tomb. You’ll get to visit a realistic

replication of King Tut’s burial site as it was being excavated in the 1920s. The park’s Egypt area also includes

an area for kids to do their own digging.

 

Skyride: View the spectacular scenery as you fly through the air in a cable car that runs between the Crown

Colony area and the Congo on the opposite side of the park.

 

EDUCATIONAL TOURS AND PROGRAMS

Serengeti Safari: For animal enthusiasts, we offer half hour Serengeti Safari tours daily. This open truck tour

offers guests a unique look at our Serengeti Plain habitat and the opportunity to feed giraffes, antelopes and

birds by hand! Encounter African wildlife up close with a Busch Gardens education specialist as your guide.

Cost of the tour is $33.99 per person plus tax in addition to park admission.

 

Heart of Jungala Tour: Go deep into the heart of Jungala with this 30-minute behind-the-scenes tour. With a

knowledgeable zoo educator as your tour guide, you will quickly become an animal expert as you go face-to

face with endangered Bengal tigers and Bornean orangutans. On this walking tour, you will also witness

behavior training and interactions led by the keepers. Cost of the tour is $33.99 per person, and a portion of

the proceeds will benefit the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.

 

Family-Friendly Safari: This half hour open truck tour is geared for families with small children. It offers

guests an opportunity to meet an animal ambassador, as well as a unique look at our Serengeti Plain habitat

hosted by a Busch Gardens’ tour guide. Encounter African wildlife up close and hand-feed giraffes! Cost of

the tour is $33.99 per person plus tax in addition to park admission.

 

Sundowner Safari: As the sun sets over the Serengeti Plain and the day’s adventure draws to a close, experience an

animal encounter unlike any Busch Gardens has ever offered. It begins in the Crown Colony’s Brew Master’s Club,

where guests can sample premium lagers. Then, the journey continues on the park’s 65-acre Serengeti Plain, where

participants will hand-feed giraffes and encounter other African wildlife while indulging in Anheuser-Busch’s worldclass

beers. This 45-minute tour is offered daily for $39.99 per person, plus tax, for ages 21 and older with proper

identification.

 

Animal Adventure Tours: Experience the ultimate adventure during our two-hour behind-the-scenes Animal

Adventure Tour, featuring some of the park’s most famous animals. The tour combines a walking safari with

an off-road truck tour, hosted by a Busch Gardens education specialist and animal care staff. Cost of the tour

is $119.99 per person plus tax in addition to park admission.

 

Saving a Species: During this 45-minute safari, guests can meet giraffes up close, observe some truly wild

behavior from our white rhinos, and then meet our famous black rhinos. Talk to zookeepers who are working

to save these endangered species, and learn about the different conservation efforts that Busch Gardens and

the World Wildlife Fund are making to protect wild places. Cost of the tour is $44.99 per person plus tax in

addition to park admission, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit World Wildlife Fund conservation

projects.

 

Keeper For A Day: Go behind-the-scenes and get a crash course in Zoo Keeping 101! This program gives you

the opportunity to experience one of the coolest careers in the world — be a zookeeper at Busch Gardens

Tampa Bay. Your adventure begins early in the morning by assisting zookeepers feed, train and care for the

animals that inhabit the Serengeti Plain; including birds, antelope and giraffes. Cost of the tour is $350.00

each, tax included in addition to park admission.

 

Busch Gardens Adventure Camps: Busch Gardens’ education department also offers many summer classes,

sleepover opportunities, residential programs and adventure camps for kids of all ages, as well as the whole

family. For information, call (877)-BGT-CAMP or e-mail education@buschgardens.org.

 

GUIDED TOURS

Animal Adventure: Are you up to the next challenge? Can you handle the extreme? This tour combines a walking

safari with an off-road truck tour right to the heart of Busch Gardens. Cost for both adults and children are

$119.99 each plus tax.

 

Guided Adventure: Love animals? Can’t get enough coasters? Trek through Busch Gardens with an expert guide.

The cost for adults is $149.95 each plus tax, and for children the cost is $119.95 plus tax.

 

Thrill-Seekers: Thrill-Seekers Tours are semi-private 3-hour guided tours that include front of the line access to

all major rides and attractions, including Gwazi, Montu, Kumba, SheiKra, Congo River Rapids and Tanganyika

Tidal Wave. The cost for adults is $99.95 plus tax, and for children the cost is $79.95 each plus tax.

 

Elite Adventure Tour: This unique, 8-hour private tour begins with you and your private tour guide creating your

day’s adventure. Then, you are off to experience it VIP style with front-of-the-line access to most major rides,

reserved seating to the world-class Katonga show, lunch at the upper-level Crown Colony Restaurant and a oneof-

a-kind experience hand-feeding a giraffe on our Serengeti Safari tour.

 

Tour components and prices are subject to change without notice. Tours must be canceled a minimum of 48

hours in advance or total payment is forfeited and a tour voucher will be issued. Park admission is required, but

not included. For reservations, call (813) 984-4043 or (813) 984-4073, or e-mail Bgt.viptours@buschgardens.com

 

Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC) operates 10 Worlds of Discovery, including SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island in Tampa Bay and Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Va.; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; and Sesame Place near Philadelphia. BEC, the  family entertainment division of Anheuser-Busch InBev, plays host to 25 million guests each year and employs 26,000 people nationwide. To learn more about the Worlds of Discovery, visit www.4adventure.com or call toll-free (800)4ADVENTURE. Additionally, the BEC created the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, a non-profit, private charitable foundation committed to supporting wildlife and habitat conservation, research, education and animal rescue programs worldwide.

Hi guys, Stephen here from Sydney, Australia.

 

Here is my review of Cruzin DCA on Segways. It is a early start for this tour and you need to meet a cast member at 7:30 am at guest relations. They told us to stand near the letter “C” and they would find us. You are then taken to a room at the back of guest relations to watch a video about the segways and how to ride. They also offer a light breakfast of coffee, tea and pastries.

 

Once the tour begins, youare taken by the cast member to in front of Monsters Inc where you get to have a go at driving the segways. These segways are so much fun to ride and easy to learn. Then you head off to tour the park and stop at many points where the cast member tells you about things in that area that you would not normally know. The tour allows you to see the park from a very different perspective including the large drop at Grizzly River with no water in it and it even allows you to go through redwood creek challenge on the segways. The tour takes in the whole park and some of the back stage areas.

 

At the end of the tour you get you picture taken near the Hyperion theater.You are given a nice souvenir photo and Pin. I think this tour is realy cool and would definitley recommendit to others.

 

This tour takes about 3 hours and costs $99 and is worth every cent. I have attached a photo of my wife and I enjoying the segway tour.

 

Stephen  

March 20, 2009

I just returned from a nice day at the Disneyland Resort with my friend Pete from the DPN Forums. After waiting for a approximately 1/2 hour for a monorail at the Down Town Disney Monorail Station we started off a nice day at Disneyland. Later I found out from an inside source only one monorail will be operating for a while. That is another story for another day.

After a nice morning Pete and I thought we might try out Disney’s California Adventure for a while. Neither one of use had visited DCA for a while so off we were on that “long” trek across the Plaza.

After standing in line for what seem an ungodly amount of time we finely pass through the soon to be replace main entrance to DCA. Pete had not seen the Blue Sky Room so in that direction we headed. Pete mentioned how excited he was to see the Blue Sky Room which is perceived as a returned to the extinct Preview Center from Disneyland back in the good old days.

We spent time in the Blue Sky Room, watched the movie and decided walk around the construction zone at Paradise Pier. The following photographs will give you a first hand account of the progress being made at Disney’s California Adventure’s Paradise Pier area.

A few items of note is the Mickey Ears that have been removed from California Screamin’ and the addition of the Paradise Pier logo in their place.

The first of the new Midway games look close to being complete.

King Triton’s Carousel has work proceeding on its rehab.

The new Hot Dog Hut is open for business.

The construction fences have some nice playful adornments.

For more photographs of Disney’s California Adventure construction visit Greg McNaughten’s Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/imagineeringmyway

Day 1: The Journey
This was it. This was going to be a trip definitely worth remembering. I was on my way to Orlando, Florida for Bleepin’ Fest, or as some called it Mousefest. The last time I was at Walt Disney World was in 1982 and I don’t really remember much except for a brother in tears and the big “golf ball” that is Epcot. And believe me, a lot has definitely changed since then. The plane ride from Portland, Oregon to Orlando, Florida has one stop in Seattle, Washington and then it seems like a full day is passing you by as you cross the country. Thankfully I was passing over all the bad weather the other’s had experienced getting there. After arriving at the local airport I was picked up by Mel, aka Bleepin Wife and we were on our way to the DPN’s Bob Jackson meet at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort. I met up with more of my fellow DPN friends that I hadn’t seen for a bit and new ones that I was eager to meet. Bob Jackson did a fantastic job as usual. He has a great way of getting grown men and woman to forget their cares and worries and skip around the room singing along to silly songs and rhymes. This was a perfect end to a very long day of traveling. For this trip I was staying off property at the home of Mel and Earl (Trapped on Vacation) so we made the trek back to their house and called it a night.

Day 2: Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot
The following day, Friday the 12th, I was heading to Animal Kingdom, one of the four big parks of WDW. We got to the gate and found our group waiting for us. As I walked through the entrance I tried to take it all in, but was honestly starting to feel overwhelmed. Thankfully I had friends with me who had been there before and took me under their wing to make sure I experienced the magic. The Tree of Life is amazing with all the different animals carved into its trunk. First stop was Expedition Everest to get some Fastpasses and then we made our way to the Kilimanjaro Safari to see the animals of Africa. The beginning of this journey seemed to be just a view of landscape, but slowly the animals made their appearance. Alligators, hippos, and giraffes oh my! They all seemed to be relaxing and didn’t care that our vehicle disturbed their peace. One elephant in particular didn’t seem to mind that we had invading his private bathroom time. After this adventure it was time to escape the clutches of a very angry yeti. Expedition Everest is definitely a ride not to be missed. I had the joy of experiencing this ride for the first time with a some of the guys and provided them with a few laughs at my expense with my “over enthusiasm of the ride”, or as they probably like to refer to it as “Holly’s freak out on a ride” moment, which would not be the last. I wish I could have gone on it again before my trip was over, but was grateful I could ride it at least once. We grabbed some lunch at the Flame Tree BBQ (good eating spot) before heading over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS).

At this point I was taken under the wing of some experienced WDW goers, Chris from the Travelears Podcast and Greg from Imagineering My Way Podcast. Jimmy, a cast member of DLR, was also with us and this was his first trip ever to WDW. This would turn out to be my wonderful tour guides and to them I am very thankful. When we arrived at DHS we made our way to The Great Movie Ride for the first DPN meet of the day, Live the Movies. Outside of this ride they have different movie character and actor’s hand and foot prints in cement. These blocks varied from Mickey and Minnie Mouse and their friends, Judy Garland, Pee Wee Herman and Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker. Afterwards we explored the park and with the help of the Fastpass feature we made our way onto Rock n Roller Coaster which is AMAZING! This has to be one of my favorite rides at WDW … never a dull moment. And then it was on to another “freak out” moment on a ride and this time it was with the Hollywood Tower of Terror. Thankfully I was seated between Chris and Jimmy and felt very secure between these two guys. After screaming (with the guys laughing at me again) and having a blast going up and down in a very fast way, I realized after seeing the picture that was snapped that I had the exact same pose as I had on my first time on TOT at DLR! From there it was onto Epcot for dinner.  Finally I was going to a park that had been there the last time I visited WDW in ’82, though the only part I could remember from back then was Spaceship Earth.  It was amazing to see it again. That night we ate in Germany at the Biergarten Restaurant to celebrate Bleepin Wife’s graduation. I enjoyed this place with its wonderful beer and pretzel bread rolls, yum! Unfortunately we were there late in the evening and they did not have anyone performing on stage, but I loved spending time with friends. A good end to day number two.

Day 3: Epcot and Downtown Disney
For Saturday the 13th we spent the entire day at Epcot seeing the sights and experiencing everything we could. I was able to go on all the rides except for Soarin’ which I hear is the same ride with the same scenes as the one at Disney’s California Adventure, so it was okay with me that I missed this one. I of course was made to try the beverage of Beverly inside the world of Coca-Cola. This is a right of passage into Disney World and everyone should try it at least once. At one point I tagged along with Mr. Mark and Jane and we rode The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Journey into Imagination with Figment and met up with Heather and Auntie Lo for Living with the Land. It was good to go on all the rides, even the one that left me feeling sick and green, Mission Space. If you are prone to motion sickness you may want to go on the softer side of this ride. The DPN had a meet at Epcot with Ellen’s Energy Adventure or as we like to call it Stupid Judy meet. There is so much to see at this park with the different countries in the World Showcase, some with rides and some with movies. At this point I was “reclaimed” by the guys as we walked around the different countries. Be sure to go on Maelstrom in Norway, it’s an awesome boat ride with trolls sending you back, back over de falls! I was also able to purchase a monchichi from Japan as this was a toy from my childhood and excited to finally get one. We had grabbed some Fastpasses for Test Track earlier that day and this ride is so much fun. A must ride for when you are the park. For dinner that night we stopped at the quick counter of the Rose & Crown for fish and chips and they were very, very good. We ended the night at Epcot with the Illuminations show and just to let you know, even though you feel like you are far away from the barge in the water, the flames are so hot your whole body warms up from the heat.

With the park closing, the guys and I made our way to Downtown Disney to have a look around. We were able to see the entrance and a little bit of the Adventurer’s Club and the vastness of the World of Disney store. We decided to grab some dessert at the T-Rex where we watched meteor showers and heard dinosaurs and woolly mammoths talk to one another. We had some sort of brownie and ice cream goodness and then I was able to provide the boys with another good laugh. I began eating my share of the dessert and took a bite of what I thought was ice cream, but it had a very odd taste. You know that feeling, where you think its one thing and have that taste in your mind, but when you bite into it and its not what you thought it was you just can’t put your finger on what you are eating. Anyways, I then said “this ice cream tastes funny.” Turns out I had taken a bit of the whip cream only, hence the reason why it didn’t taste like ice cream. In my defense, the whip cream was the same size and in the lighting of the restaurant, was the same color of the ice cream that it was an easy mistake. And it was late in the evening and I had just spent a very long day at a park. But I am glad I was able to provide them with a final chuckle of the day. A good ending to a very long, but fun filled day.

Day 4: Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios
Up until this point of the trip it hadn’t really felt like I was at Disney World. I knew I was there, but I hadn’t seen Cinderella’s Castle yet and was super excited to see it on Sunday the 14th. I drove to the park with Mel and Earl and we decided to take the Ferryboat to the entrance which is a nice relaxing way to travel. After passing through the gates and I saw the castle for the first time in many, many years at which time I got a little teary eyed and finally had the feeling that I had arrived. The other parks were great fun, but the Magic Kingdom has a special place in my heart. I felt like a little kid let loose with no boundaries in a candy store! The first ride of the day was for the DPN’s final Mousefest get together of the Goat! Goat! Goat! Meet at the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This was a great way to begin the day. Afterwards the boys took me under their wing again and we made our way around the park. My first experience on Splash Mountain at California’s Disneyland had me in the front seat where I got soaking wet. And my first experience on Splash Mountain at Florida’s Disney World had me in the front seat with Jimmy, but this time I was almost completely dry when the ride was over. It’s amazing to see the differences between the two parks and each one has its perks. It has been ages since I had seen the County Bear Jamboree and it did not fail to entertain me and we had a great tour guide on the Jungle Cruise. As we hit the rest of Adventureland with Pirates of the Caribbean the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square we made our way to Fantasyland and saw Mickey’s PhilharMagic. If you ever have a change to go to Magic Kingdom, this is one show you must see. It is amazing with its 3D sights and sounds. As we ventured through Tomorrowland seeing Monsters Inc Laugh Floor which definitely had us laughing and Stitch’s Great Escape which for me was not very enjoyable as the dark and things that go bump make me want to keep my eyes shut wishing for it to be over. The Carousel of Progress was good to see again, though the only thing I remember from seeing it back in 1982 was the dad and dog. And then there was Space Mountain. A favorite of mine in California but this Space at MK had me screaming since I didn’t know the twists and turns, but had me laughing in between as I felt like the ride jerked me around like I was a lifeless body.

That night I had been invited by Chris, Greg and Jimmy to dine with them at Ohana’s. Oh. My. Gosh. This place was amazing. The food was terrific. The service was excellent and the company was way above par. I will definitely want to eat at this place again. After dinner Chris and Greg had to go to a meeting for the Travelears, so Jimmy and I trekked back to Hollywood Studios with Mel and Earl who had also joined us for dinner. We were going to see the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. It was amazing how they got all the light and music to sync together, but when the “snow” started falling, I realized it was soap when it hit my eye and it started to irritate it. Whatever you do kids, don’t look up and don’t try to catch the flakes in your mouth. Before leaving the park that day I was able to ride Rock n Roller Coaster one last time which is a great way to end my adventures.

Finally it was time to say goodbye to everyone as I was leaving early the next morning for home. I will never forget this vacation and really happy that I was able to attend. I definitely could have spent a few more days, and hope to return soon. And this time not wait 26 years till I get to go again.

Visit Dates:  December 11 – 14, 2008

Hotel: Anaheim Plaza Hotel

By: Danny Garcia (DAG)

 

As we began to plan our annual December trip to the DLR area I started looking into hotel options. My first call, as it always is, was to the Desert Inn and Suites (DI). Unfortunately, I waited too long to contact them and the room rates where about 60 bucks more per night than I usually pay. I quickly did the math and decided that the extra $240.00 I would have to spend to stay at the DI could be put to better use.

It was at this time I remembered a friend of mine commented on how the Anaheim Plaza Hotel was not a bad spot and was very cost effective.

 

I contacted the hotel and sure enough we could get rooms at $79.00 per night. I booked a room.

 

The APH is located at 1700 S. Harbor Blvd. on the corner of Disney Way and Harbor. This is right across the street from the entrance to the Timon and Pumba parking lot.

 

First impression on drive up was that it was going to be a standard stay. It was not going to be anything to write home about but also nothing to be overly concerned with. We checked in very smoothly and received our keys and a map to our hotel room. We had to drive around to the rear of the hotel to get to our room.

 

The parking was somewhat troublesome. It is laid out to surround the hotel with spots for a single layer of cars. So, if you arrive late, don’t plan on parking anywhere close to your room. (If the hotel is full)

 

We parked our car, unloaded the luggage and made our way to the room. I should point out, that we are a family of four. Myself, my wife and our two kids (8 month old boy, and 5 year old girl) Needless to say we had a bunch of stuff.

 

After laboring like a pack mule, I made it to the room. I opened the door and immediately noticed it was going to be a tight fit with all of our stuff. (Pack’n Play, stroller, food items etc..) I also noticed the requested microwave was not in the room. The person at check in did mention the microwave might not be there. So, I called the front desk and let them know we will need a microwave. Their response was “Sure thing, first thing in the morning we will bring it down”. Not a big deal, but it would have been nice to have it for my son’s last meal of the evening. Thus, the point of requesting it in advance….

 

We had two queen beds in the room, which had the comfort of a mattress stuffed with rocks. My daughter even complained in the morning that her bed was very uncomfortable. (For a 45lb kid to complain you know it was bad.)

 

Overall, the room was clean and in good shape. It just showed its age in some areas and was about 15sqft too small for us.

 

We typically walk to the resort and the location of the APH seemed close enough to walk, so we did.

 

The walk took about 15 minutes in the morning and about 20 at night. Hey, we where tired and I had to carry a kid on my shoulders! You will have to cross Harbor and Disney Way before you are “On Property”. It’s not a bad walk if you are used to walking. Be warned, if you are the type of person that goes until your kids drop. The walk back can be long. Also, if you are the type that rents a stroller in the park, these last 20 minutes of the day can be very long..

 

Anyway, would I recommend the APH to others?

 

If you have a family that is around the age of mine, I would probably look elsewhere. Even if you have to drive or take the shuttle to the parks, it’s worth the extra space you could gain in the room.

 

If I was alone and looking for a cheap room, I would probably stay here again. It would not be my first choice, but at least I would know what to expect on my return trip.

 

Bottom line is the hotel is due for a renovation. It’s older and it shows it. Keeping that in mind, it’s probably the reason you can get a room at the lower rate. I have checked back on a couple of other dates and it seems as if you can regularly get a room for around $59.00 a night.

 

Considering the proximity to the park it’s not a bad price.

I tend to do impulsive things, let’s get that out of the way right now.
So, when the only days available to schedule my final vacation days fell on Dec. 12 and 15, I took it as a sign from the cosmos that I had to attend Mousefest 2008.
It began with a little bit of ‘no, that would be crazy’, to some ‘well, let’s look at the cost’, to some ‘maybe it’s a possibility’, to ‘what the heck’.  This all happened in about 4 hours.  As I said, impulsive.
This was going to be a trip of firsts for me.  First time at Mousefest, first time to travel to WDW alone, first time to visit WDW during the holiday season, first time to stay off site (the horror!), first time to use a car for all of my transportation while there.  I wasn’t that concerned about what I’d be seeing or doing, it was more about getting to see my friends.  It was going to be an adventure.

Even though the trip was one week away I found a really good price on airfare on American.  For those who don’t know, when you fly out of DFW airport, American is just about a monopoly. Your options for other airlines are very limited.  The only downside was that the only seats available were all middle seats.  Not good when you suffer from motion sickness.  Seriously, I get motion sick on Pirates of the Caribbean if I don’t take Dramamine.

I found a great price on a room at the Radisson Lake Buena Vista hotel, about 1/4 mile from the Downtown Disney entrance to WDW.  This room came highly recommended from several people, and at about $80 a night for a mini-suite (what did that mean, would everything be miniature?) I grabbed it.

I got a great deal on a 5 day rental of a subcompact car using my Costco card.  Seriously people, the Costco membership is good for so much more than 5 pound blocks of cheese, I always pay for the cost of membership with just one car rental.  The subcompact was fine with me, since it would only be me and my suitcase which my wife has lovingly named “Bertha”.  To quote Elvis, “It’s huge, man”.

I got a fair deal on a 6 day park hopper through Undercover Tourist.  It was 2 days more than I needed, but it still came out cheaper than buying tickets onsite.  Sadly, by the time I had to add in next day shipping, the savings went away, but at least I knew I’d have tickets in hand when I arrived.

I was really moving fast now, this was true “by the seat of your pants and don’t think twice” travel.  I usually plan and over plan.  These were uncharted waters for me.

This was going to be a low budget trip. I planned on paying for the whole thing with my debit card, carrying only one credit card to use for convenience, such as the car rental and for the hotel to keep on file in case I woke up one night and decided I simply had to have that club sandwich delivered to my room.

The night before I was scheduled to leave I packed clothes for every scenario into “Bertha”, printed out everything I thought I’d need, and loaded the in flight necessities into my carry on.

I had to work a partial day the next day, so I left before dawn the next morning.  About mid day I left for the airport.  The friendly and helpful person at the American baggage check was able to reassign me to an exit row window seat.  Score!  If you have no issues with the operation of the exit door I highly recommend that seat due to the extra leg room.  And trust me, if that door needs to be opened, I have no doubt whatsoever that I’ll get that sucker open.

After a very full but uneventful flight, we landed in Orlando.  I ran as fast as I could from the plane to the one thing I always visit first in Orlando, the men’s room at the airport.  I really wish they wouldn’t give me the whole can of Coke.

It took almost 45 minutes for the bags to finally start arriving.  Then when they did, there seemed to be an issue.  It seems there was one bag that kept getting stuck on the carousel and the other bags would jam up behind it.  Yeah, it was “Bertha”.  I sheepishly grabbed her from the carousel and ran to the car rental counter.  I was on a quest to make it to Port Orleans Riverside to see Bob Jackson with the DPN crew and other friends.

I always use the self service kiosk at Alamo, even when there’s no one else in line.  It’s so much faster, and it’s easier to press NO to the repeated questions about “would you like insurance, a GPS, a baby seat, a full tank of gas, a jumbo drink and fries, a hot towel and body massage, etc…“.  I scanned my driver’s license and all my info came up…I was about to be on my way, all I had to do was scan the credit card and……..Card Declined, Card has Expired.  Remember that one credit card I took for convenience?  Yeah, I didn’t bother to check to see that it had expired the previous month and the new one was sitting in a pile of unopened mail back home.  And of course, I took all my other cards out of my wallet for safety.  The only alternative was the debit card, which means you have to provide proof of a return ticket home.  So now I’m back to having to deal with (gasp!) a human being to complete the transaction.  Folks, check the expiration date before you try and use a card you rarely carry.  Also, call your issuer and make sure they haven’t reduced your credit limit or canceled the card.  In today’s credit market, many issuers are doing just that and if you miss the notice on a statement or mailer, you’ll never know.  This concludes the credit tips portion of the trip report.

I chose a Toyota Yaris from the subcompact row, since I own 2 “Toys” and I’m familiar with the controls and layout and I was off.

Finally I was on my way to the WDW area.  Believe it or not, I was still ahead of schedule, so I decided to check in to the hotel first.  The friendly and helpful person at the front desk had my keys in my hands in minutes and I was whisked away to the 3rd floor of the elegantly understated Radisson hotel.  In all seriousness, this was a really nice room for the price with a flat screen LCD TV, microwave and fridge, a small sitting area with loveseat and desk, and Sleep Number beds.  More on that later.
I hoisted “Bertha the Suitcase” into the closet, and headed out to POR.  The friendly and helpful guard at the resort told me that Bob was ‘really in a mood’ this night and we were in for a good show.  He was so right.  The place was packed, but luckily for me my friends Trace and Lisa found a spot for me at their table up front.  Trace is the president of our local NFFC chapter and one of the most genuinely nice people you could ever hope to have as a friend.  Lisa is one of the charming and witty hosts of the Those Darn Cats podcast, and one of the most fun people you’ll ever meet.  Bob was incredible as always, mixing Christmas classics in with his usual set list.  He’s become a good friend of the DPN and we love him.  I was able to get in a few quick hellos and hugs from some of my buddies, but soon the hectic pace of the day caught up with me and I headed back to the hotel to rest.  First I stopped at the world’s most expensive Winn Dixie and got a few necessary items for the room.  Bottled water, granola bars, Coca Cola.  If you know me, you know that the Coke is the most important item.

Back to the room.  Ah, the Sleep Number bed.  For the uninitiated, it’s basically an adjustable air mattress.  You know that person who can never get an electric car seat adjusted so he constantly fiddles with it?  That’s me.  So, giving me an adjustable mattress is an exercise in futility.  It was cranked up to 100 when I sat on it, like a coroner’s slab.  The instructions said to try 35, the most popular setting.  I set it to 35 and felt like Boba Fett falling into the mouth of the Saarlac (there’s a geek reference for you!).

I finally ended up at around 55, but the entire 4 nights I messed with that thing looking for the right setting.  I must admit that it relieved some usual pressure points for me, so I guess it works.

Up early the next a.m., a quick granola and Coke breakfast, and out the door for Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  I have to admit that it’s not always been my favorite park, but everyone tells me I wasn’t giving it a proper chance.  I grew to like it better this time, but it’s still not my favorite.  I was fortunate to run into Greg and Chris from The Travelears and some more of the DPN gang at the front gate, and we headed to Expedition Everest.  I had ridden this coaster in Sept. 2007 during a heat wave and it made me very ill.  I was hoping with cooler weather and lots of Dramamine I’d be ok.  I got my answer.  I think it’s an awesome ride, but from this point forward I’m afraid it will be nothing more than a photo opportunity for me.

I said bye to the DPN crew and headed to Finding Nemo: The Underwater Musical Spectacular Fantasy whatever it’s called to join Those Darn Cats for their ‘Fish are Friends not Food’ meet.  The show was cute and the performers were talented, but it’s not a must do for me.  I didn’t get the whole emotional tug at the heart others get, but then my own daughter tells people that “I’m the type of person who thinks Old Yeller had it coming”.

I high tailed it to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the DPN’s Great Movie Ride Meet.  Another great meetup and fun time was had.  After a few more rides and a Podcaster’s meet, I headed back to the hotel to rest until that night, where many of us would be meeting for dinner at Epcot’s Biergarten to celebrate Trapped On Vacation’s Bleepin’ Wife’s graduation.  Although there were some logistical errors with the reservations that night (Disney’s fault) and the food was just ok, I was lucky to be seated with some of my favorite people in the world and we had a lovely time.  If you were there, you know who you are.

Saturday was Epcot and Mega Mouse Meet day.  I attended about 15 minutes of the Mega Mouse Meet.  Let me say it’s obvious that I love Disney.  But you can take any obsession too far.  That’s all I can say.

Other than that, I enjoyed another day with some of my friends, went back to the room to rest again, then went to the Magic Kingdom that night to see the Christmas lighting on the castle and have a Dole Whip.  I also bought a pair of Crocs.  I always swore I would never own a pair, but I made poor footwear choices and only had a pair of Converse hi-tops and a pair of Doc Marten boots and my feet were in serious pain.  So, I bought the clown shoes.  Sometimes my needs are simple and not dictated by fashion.

Sunday was Magic Kingdom day, which of course means GOAT, GOAT, GOAT!!! with the DPN at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  This was the best day of my trip, I had a full day of fun with great people and we went on tons of rides. If you were there, you all know who you are.

Monday was all about packing, getting a few last photos and having lunch and saying goodbye.  I had lunch at Big River Grille on the Boardwalk with a small but fun DPN group and it was a really pleasant way to wind things up.  Again, you know who you are, people.

My final thoughts (you never thought I’d get there, did you?): Last minute travel can be fun, but stressful.  I’d rather have a little more time to plan.  Off site vs. on site? Even though the hotel was really nice and priced right, I’d rather be onsite.  There was something really sad about having to leave each night.  Car vs. WDW transportation?  I know this is a controversial subject, but I really prefer the WDW transportation.  I know you have more freedom with the car, but the hassle of paying to park, parking, catching a tram or walking to the gate, etc…really wears me out, especially when going to the Magic Kingdom.  Did I have fun?  You betcha, but it was a different type of trip.  It was more about seeing and making friends than it was about the park experience.  I’m glad I went.  Many thanks to The Travelears guys and all the rest of you for letting me spend some time with you.

As per a typical day of departure I woke up and once I regained consciousness it hits me I am going to Disney World!  Up to the weekend before departure the weather had been spectacular, but of course weather had to be an issue on this escape from the grips of winter. I had a 1.5 hour delay right off the bat luckily I had scored a great deal on a Westjet direct flight so there were no missed transfers and the delay only eliminated any chance of getting to Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I cannot praise Westjet enough the delay was out of their hands due to a weather delay and not something preventable, they did everything to get us on the move. Great planes great on flight service and the Staff are top notch.

Upon arrival at Orlando MCO I proceeded to the to the B-side of the airport and descended to the bottom floor  and to the Disney’s Magical Express (DME) desk and with in a minute of being served I was on my way to the appropriate motor coach. once the rest of the people from my plane made their way to the bus we were on our way.

Arrived at Pop and that was when I was greeted by the familiar smells and humidity I have come to expect and love. Immediately I was  delighted to hear all the classic Christmas music and not the traditional per say but the fun spin on all the christmas music like Charlie brown Christmas music, songs from How the grinch stole christmas and other pop versions of the classics.

Once I was checked in I proceeded to my room and was delighted to find myself on the ground floor in building 3 room 3165  a great location really close to the main Classic Hall, I am almost disappointed That I will be giving the room up after tonight to move to Port Orleans French Quarter …. well not really but this is a great room location.

Well since My Boma Plans had been squashed I proceeded to head to All things Pop food court and had one of my favorite dishes at this resort the Chicken Pene Alfredo. A nice big half breast of breaded chicken (Italian style) with pene noodle covered in an alfredo sauce with a bread stick.  The only thing I could have changed about the meal was a few of the noodles were dried out a bit but i was eating at 10 pm and the traffic of food court wasn’t even remotely close the othe mid day traffic and this would not have even been an issue. the chicken was moist and fully cooked the crust was crispy and not greasy or oily. a good solid meal I would have anytime.

After dining i browsed the resort store and didn’t find anything to enticing so back to the room I went. Had a quick chat with Earl from Trapped on Vacation over the phone to see what some tentative plans for the week were. I decided to take advantage of the fact that I am flying solo until the morning I went out and took some video for the podcast of the resort and currently as I write this I am recording the different resort TV loops, top 7 english and spanish ( cause she is way hawt! ) and now the DVC propaganda.

Uh Oh it’s 2am! I need to crash Greg and Jimmy will be on the ground in under 5 hours and will be picking me up. So I guess that is it for Day One.

LAX Retro Hallway

Disneyland Resort
Saturday Arrived via the tried and true Westjet into LAX on time as usual 1:30pm, noticed we are in a different terminal now terminal 3 rather than 2 ( much nicer but I kind of miss the old 60’s/70’s retro welcome to Los Angeles sign). Made my way down to baggage claim snagged my bags and off to the super shuttle pick up zone.

Jumped in the Van and then we proceeded to do two more laps around the airport to find more passengers. I was a little ticked because I was supposed to meet Greg ( Micecast and Imaganering My Way ) for a quick dinner before he had to go play poker. once we loaded up the van we took off! This was probably the fastest I have ever made it to the Resort from LAX it only took 25 min! typically it’s a solid 35 to 40 min drive. Who needs Space Mountain after that!

Met up with Greg and we headed over to the Block at Orange and dinned outside at Johnny Rocket’s had a great time with my friend that I just don’t get to spend enough time with since we live so far apart. We wandered the Shopping district and then he dropped me back off at the Desert Inn and Suites ( DI ).

What I love about the DI is one the price ( around $60 – $70 per night ) and the great location across the cross walk on Harbor blvd. The rooms have always been clean and for the price the accommodations have always be above par! I would have to say the only downfalls of staying there is there is only wifi in the lobby ( I was told they are looking at fixing that ) and their free breakfast is toast and danish. to me that is almost like having nothing at all, I find I am looking for a snack before lunch.

The parks were not very busy, but it was January met up with JohnDUB and went to see if our Buddy Toast was working at Big Thunder. Bumped in to him and said Hi. later on we watched the Fireworks from Plaza Inn ( great spot just off the hub and not crowded ) and then recorded Fantasmic! for the Big D Podcast.

Catching some ZZZ's at GCH

Sunday I met up with even more people, Heather, JohnDUB, MIke from Micecast, Toast and Ryan (Co-host) another great time caught some ZZZ’s at the Grand Californian in the late afternoon ( by accident ). The parks were still lower capacity and it was also the last day before It’s A Small World closed down for is “Big” rehab so I caught the last of the Christmas overlays. Unfortunately Holiday Mansion was closed the week before ….oh how I love the Mansion with the overlay.

Monday I did some more recording for the podcast and this might have been the morning I recorded the first Single Rider episode “into the bubble”. I met up with DPN buddy DAG and his Daughter for lunch over at the newly refurbed and new menued River Belle Terrace. The Food was as good as the company, we had a great time just enjoying the parks and the food.

Tuesday was the day I got myself over to the Blue Bayou for lunch …. the gumbo and prime rib are killer! JohnDUB joined me and again good food and great company. I believe Greg made it out agian in the evening and we wander around Downtown Disney after park closed and soaked in the atmosphere.

Wednesday was my last Day in the parks crowds were again nice and low so I was able to get in all the attractions I could have wanted I said good by to the parks and then headed over to meet up with Greg Ryan and Toast to head out to Mike’s house to record the Micecast year in review show in Mikes back yard. It was too much fun check out the show it was a 3 hour marathon but worth every moment!

Thursday I woke up and packed for the trip home. The super shuttle arrived and I was the only passenger and got a chance to talk the the driver about how the pay structure works with super shuttle. Every van is owned by the driver they pay a monthly fee ( just short of $1000 ) for advertising and general over head overhead back to the company, out of the 16.50 for the LAX – DLR trip they keep just over half to cover gas and time the rest goes back to Super Shuttle. So if the driver is good give them a decent tip they are doing a good job.