|
|
|
Walt
Disney World Vacation 2002
February 25th through March 7thWednesday, February 25thWe left home at 5:35pm today. It was 44º and sunny at that time. We made a quick stop at Freeman's for a few last minute grocery items, and then headed out. We stopped at KFC for the adults, and McDonalds for Tyler and Sam for dinner in Fenton. The remainder of our drive was uneventful, and we ended our day in Kentucky. Thursday,
February 26th
Click here for picturesWe had a few good hours today, and then it started raining in Tennessee. The temperature steadily dropped from the mid 40's to 33º, and then the rain turned into snow about 20 miles north of Georgia. It made for a long drive this morning. The roads were somewhat icy, with about an inch of snow on the ground. We finally got past the snow near Atlanta, after which we stopped for breakfast at a Cracker Barrel. For lunch we stopped in Tifton, Georgia to pick up some peanuts and to eat at Wendy's. This location seems to be turning into somewhat of a ritual for Tara and I, as we have stopped here on several of our recent vacations. We arrived at "Disney's All-Star Movies Resort" at about 5:00pm. After checking in we headed to our room, where we proceeded to get cleaned up after our day in the van. After showering we went to the "World Premiere Food Court" for dinner, and then followed that up with a walk around the resort. After our walk, we headed back to our room and went to bed for the night. Friday, February 27thClick here for picturesWe got up late today, about 10:30am and took our showers. We had requested a 1:00pm checkout time, and we wanted to really take advantage of that to get some sleep. Afterwards, we packed up and loaded the van back up. The kids wanted to walk around some more, so we decided to head back to the "World Premiere Food Court" for a quick snack (the kids couldn't believe we let them eat a brownie for breakfast, even though it was around 11:30am) and then do some more sightseeing. After walking around the resort for a while, we decided to head to "Disney's Boardwalk" to see some shops and the hotels in the area. The kids saw some neat six person bicycles, and Tara and I checked out the "Disney Vacation Club" (something we may consider in the future!). It was cold today, only 53º at this time of the afternoon, but it did warm up slightly as the day progressed further. We made a stop at the "ESPN Store & Grill" to look around before deciding to go off Disney property for a bite to eat. Tyler had discussed in the past that he would like to try lobster, so we decided to eat at the Red Lobster near our condo. To our dismay, he refused to try any (I think that the combination of not being allowed to pick a live lobster to eat and me opening my mouth about not caring for it had something to do with it). We enjoyed our meals of fish (me), shrimp (the kids), and seafood salad (Tara) anyway. We especially loved them biscuits! After our meal we headed to the condo at Orange Lake Country Club to check in. We located our assigned condo, but after entering we all agreed that it had a funny smell (very musty) and decided to see if we could relocate. We headed back to the check in area and were relocated to a much nicer accommodation for our week stay. We unpacked everything out of the van, and then decided it was time to go pick up some groceries from the local Publix store. After returning from the store, we ordered some pizza from Pizza Hut, enjoyed our meal, and then turned in for the night. Saturday,
February 28th
Click here for picturesWe got up early today because Grandma Terry called us at 8:30am. Her and Grandpa Gary were on their way to join us. We decided to get up shortly after that and start getting ready for our day. Terry and Gary arrived at 10:30-11:00am. We unpacked their truck and then decided to head to the Magic Kingdom. Our first 'ride' was the Monorail from the Ticket and Transportation Center (where you park for the Magic Kingdom) to the park itself. We entered the park and headed straight for the restroom. We next headed to the "Swiss Family Treehouse". After climbing through the tree, we went to "The Enchanted Tiki Room - Under New Management". Sam enjoyed the show but was definitely afraid of the Tiki God that appeared during the show. Tyler enjoyed the show as well. On our way to next stop we ran into Jafar from the movie "Aladdin". We took pictures and had the kids autograph books signed. After the pictures, we went on the "Jungle Cruise". Our next destination was "Pirates of the Caribbean". Tyler noticed similarities between the ride and the movie, and he thought that was pretty cool. He also wanted a sword from the gift shop after the ride. He has been asking for this same sword since our last vacation at Disney. We next went to see the "Country Bear Jamboree". By this time we needed something with a lighter flavor for Sam. Everyone enjoyed this show. Tyler wanted to go on the "Haunted Mansion" next. We left Grandpa Gary behind with Sam (who was too short) while Grandma Terry kept an eye on them. Tyler, Tara, and I enjoyed the ride, although Tyler got a little scared at times. By this point Sam was in need of a little more lighthearted fare, so we went to "it's a small world" next. On our way to that ride Sam was very excited to see Snow White and Dopey and to have a chance to dance with her. She explained to Snow White that she couldn't dance because she didn't have her dress on too (it was mild today, but she had on a sweatshirt at the time). Once on "it's a small world", Sam and Tyler both enjoyed the song and characters as well as the relaxing boat ride. By this time we were all hungry, so we decided to eat. We ate hamburgers (the adults) and PB&J (the kids) at "Pinocchio's Village Haus". After dinner we headed to "Ariel's Grotto" so the kids could meet Ariel and have their pictures taken. Tyler, although excited to see her while we waited, wasn't happy and almost refused to go (until I "coerced him") when our turn came. Our next stop was "Cinderella's Golden Carousel". Grandpa Gary and Grandma Terry took the kids on this ride while Tara and I took a break. While on his horse, Tyler decided not to hang on tight enough and almost took a fall. Grandpa Gary caught him before he hurt himself, though. After the carousel ride we headed towards "Cinderella's Castle" to see the "SpectroMagic Parade". This is the parade where everything is lit up. Everybody enjoyed the show, although we were just a little too far away for my pictures to turn out. We also saw the "Wishes" fireworks show that occurs when the park closes. It is a very nice show with lots of pretty fireworks. After these two events, we left the park for the condo to call it a day. Sunday, February 29thClick here for picturesAnother leisurely morning, as Sam slept in until 10:00am today. After showering and eating breakfast, we left to go to "Disney-MGM Studios". When we left the condo at about 11:30am, the temperature was a nice 77º, although it was a little breezy. Upon arrival at MGM, we headed straight for "Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage". Sam was completely awestruck by the action on stage, and Tyler also enjoyed the show. We attempted to go on "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" next, but found an hour long line waiting for us when we arrived. Tyler has been asking to go on this ride for quite some time, so he was pretty disappointed at this news. We decided to go to lunch at the "ABC Commissary" next, where most of us enjoyed either fish or chicken strips (although I don't remember the names of the foods Grandma Terry and Tara ate). After eating we went on "Star Tours" (although Sam was again too short, so she stayed off with Grandpa Gary). Tyler thought it was pretty cool that he got to go into "real space". Outside of "Star Tours", Grandpa Gary, Grandma Terry, Tyler, and Sam caught the parade, and Tara and I ran into our friends, Brian and Amy with their kids Ashlynn and Brianna, as well as Amy's parents. We talked with them for a while, and then went to see "Jim Henson's Muppet-Vision 3-D", and both kids liked trying to reach out for the objects coming out of the screen. After the Muppet show (get it, ha ha) we went to see Woody, Buzz, and Jessie from the "Toy Story" movies. After getting their autographs, the kids got Kermit and Miss Piggy to sign their books as well. Sam had been dying before the trip to see Ariel, so we went to watch "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" next. Again the kids loved it, although Sam didn't care too much for Ursula's appearance on Stage. When the mermaid show was finished, we dashed over to "Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage!". We even got complimented on well behaved our kids were while waiting for the show to begin! We are such proud parents. Both Tyler and Sam danced up a storm with Bear and all of the characters in the show. We went back to the Tower of Terror after the Playhouse Disney show, because once again Tyler had been asking to ride it. Tyler drug Grandma Terry on with Tara and I, and he did really well until the ride dropped the first time, and then he freaked out - although he didn't cry, you could tell he was scared. I held him as close to me as I could, and he lived to tell about his experience. He now says that he will NEVER ride this one again (I hope I didn't ruin him for life on these kind of rides). It also goes without saying that Grandpa Gary and Sam sat this ride out as well. We left MGM after riding the Tower of Terror, and the temperature was 69º at 7:15pm. We made a quick stop at Publix, and then headed to the condo for tacos. Sam fell asleep on our way home, and we couldn't get her to stay awake, even while taking off her shoes and coat. After the rest of us ate some dinner and watched some TV, we called it a night. Monday,
March 1st
Click here for picturesWe woke up around 8:30-9:00am this morning. We took our time eating breakfast and getting ready to go. We left around 11:00am (or so, I forgot to pay attention today!) for "EPCOT". Our first stop was "InnoVentions", where the we met a cast member (a Disney employee) who was from Grand Blanc, Michigan. The kids played various video games, and had fun in lots of exhibits. After leaving "InnoVentions", we went through the Coca-Cola ice hut to sample various Coke products from around the world (most of which taste disgusting, by the way). Next up was "The Living Seas", where we got to see manatees, all kinds of fish (including most of the kind found in the "Finding Nemo" movie), stingrays, and more. A scuba diver even teased Tyler and Samantha from inside the tank, which they thought was really cool. We went to "The Land" next, where we ate lunch and followed that up with the boat ride "Living with the Land". We then headed to "Imagination!", where we rode "Journey Into Imagination with Figment". Tyler and Sam both loved Figment, a purple dragon. When the ride ended, we exited to "Imageworks - The Kodak "What If" Labs", where we could make music by waving our arms inside a certain area, we could make sounds by stepping on various pictures, and we even got to take a picture of ourselves, modify it on a computer, and them email to others. We made a trip around the "World Showcase", but really didn't do much more than window shop. We did participate in a few of the "Kidcot Fun Stops", but Tara had to do most of the legwork for this, and we eventually gave up. We left the park between 8:00-8:30pm, headed to the condo for hot dogs and mac-n-cheese, and then off to bed we went. One last note - according to the weather it was a balmy 80º today. Tuesday, March 2ndClick here for picturesAnother late rising morning, so we decided to go to "Blizzard Beach" for the day. After eating and getting ready, we left for the water park. We got there around 11:00am, rented lockers at "Snowless Joe's", and then headed straight to "Tike's Peak" for Tyler and Sam to ride the kiddy slides. We watched the kids play for a while, then went for a ride on "Teamboat Springs", which is the worlds longest family raft ride. Although the water was cold on this ride (especially when compared to the kids pool), it was fun nonetheless. Everyone enjoyed, although Sam didn't seem too thrilled with it. We needed to relax a little afterward, so we went on "Cross Country Creek" next. It is a 'lazy river' that circles the park. Tyler wanted to get out at the wave pool, so we went to "Melt Away Bay" next. Tara, Tyler, Sam, and I played in the wave pool for a while before we quickly got tired of holding the kids while the waves beat on us. After that, Tyler, Tara and I went back to ride on "Teamboat Springs" while Grandpa Gary and Grandma Terry took Sam back to "Tike's Peak". Our next stop was "Ski Patrol", a preteen area where Tyler, Tara, and I rode a few more slides. This was our last stop before going for a bite to eat at the "Lottawatta Lodge". Everyone got changed, and then we did some browsing at the "Beach Haus". After leaving "Blizzard Beach", we drove to "Fort Wilderness", Disney's campground, hoping to be able to drive around. That isn't allowed, so we headed to the condo to take a nap. When we were all awake, we went to the "Polynesian Resort" to see "Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show". Everyone loved the luau show, and the dinner was much better than the last time Tara and I went for our honeymoon. Sam even got up on stage to dance! Not to mention all of the dancing she did in the aisles. Overall, it was a very enjoyable event. When that ended near 10:30pm, we headed back to the condo and quickly hit the hay. Wednesday, March 3rdClick here for picturesToday we woke up early and headed to "Animal Kingdom". When we left at 9:40am, the temperature had already reached 77º. We entered the the park and went straight to "Festival of the Lion King". The kids really enjoyed the show, and Tara and I think that we remember some of the cast members from our last visit here. After the show ended, we went to "Pocahontas and her Forest Friends". After watching this relatively short show, we headed to "Pizzafari" for lunch (pizza for the adults - except Tara's salad - and PB&J for the kids again). Our next stop was "Kilimanjaro Safaris". We saw giraffes, rhinos, gazelles, and many more African animals. The kids were amazed to see the animals right up close, as many of them aren't separated from us at all. We then walked the "Pangani Forest Exploration Trail". Here the kids saw more animals, and were amazed with how large the gorillas were. The next ride was on the "Wildlife Express Train" to the petting zoo area of the park where Tyler and Sam got to see goats, sheep, llamas, donkeys, and a 'soccer playing' cow. Tyler had no problem getting up close to all of the animals, but Sam refused to get within more than a couple of feet of them. We then rode the train back to the "Africa" section of the park. From there we decided that the "Tree of Life" would be our next stop. Inside the tree we saw "It's Tough To Be A Bug!" with Flick from "A Bug's Life" and many other bugs. Sam really freaked out at all of the bugs, but Tyler loved every minute of it. After the show we headed to "Dinosaur" where we took Tyler to see the aladar and carnitaur (Tyler corrected us, we thought it was a t-rex - of course when we got to the sign he was right) bones that were housed inside. Tyler went on this ride with Tara and I. Meanwhile Sam, Grandma Terry, and Grandpa Gary stayed back. Tyler was a little scared, but for the most part really enjoyed himself. When we were done with the ride, we found Sam asleep in Grandma Terry's arms. This was the first time either kid took a nap while on this vacation while in the park! Tyler wanted to go to "The Boneyard" next, where he was able to dig up the bones of a wooly mammoth, as well as go on some slides. Tyler remembered this area very well from almost two years ago when we came with Adam and Grandma Gail and Grandpa Jerry. He absolutely loves this area of "Animal Kingdom". Since "Animal Kingdom" was closing soon, we decided we should leave and go back to "EPCOT". We stopped for ice cream before heading back to the parking lot. We arrived at "EPCOT" around 5:30pm and headed for "Spaceship Earth". I sat with Sam, Grandpa Gary sat with Grandma Terry, and Tara sat with Tyler. Tyler really liked this ride, and he and Sam were glad that there were no scary parts. The next stop on our agenda was "Test Track". We attempted to use my GM ID to get into the employee lounge, but it was closed. We instead got to go through a special entrance and avoid most of the line. Tyler really liked this ride, and Grandma Terry was a little scared when the ride went fast or made a quick turn. Once again, Sam stayed behind with Grandpa Gary. After "Test Track" we headed to "Mission: Space". Tara and I wanted Tyler to go on this ride with us, but was almost exactly the height of the bar, so the cast members there didn't think he should go. He was not happy to have to stay behind but he ultimately understood. Tara and I went on the ride while Grandma Terry and Grandpa Gary stayed behind with the kids. Tara almost chickened out when they said the ride spins, but she decided to stay and ended up really enjoying herself. I loved the ride as well, and I am glad I got to experience it. Tara and I agreed that it was better that Tyler didn't go on this time, although we did feel bad that he had to get all excited for a ride and then have to miss it. After "Mission: Space" we headed out of the park for something to eat. We made BLT's at the condo after finding the wait at a couple of restaurants to be too long. We turned in early for the night after making plans to revisit the "Magic Kingdom" after our character breakfast at the "Contemporary Resort" in the morning. Thursday, March 4thClick here for picturesAnother early morning, as we awoke to get ready for our character breakfast. We left the condo at 9:50am and it was 73º. We reached the Ticket and Transportation Center and got a the monorail to the "Contemporary Resort". We had reservations for 10:30am, at "Chef Mickey's", but were slightly late due to the longer than expected ride on the monorail. We got to our table and were greeted by Dale of Chip and Dale fame. He saw Tyler and Sam, but the kids were a little unsure of him. Pluto came by while we were gone to get food, but Grandpa Gary was there with Sam at the time. We later found out that Sam was very afraid of Pluto. Once we returned we were greeted by more characters. Sam, Tyler, Tara, and I took family pictures with both Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Sam was much happier once she had greeted Minnie. Tyler loved being able to eat there again, and really got a kick out of Goofy and Mickey. After breakfast we headed to the "Magic Kingdom". Grandpa Gary and I went back to the parking lot for the stroller, while Grandma Terry, Tara, and the kids rode the monorail to the entrance of the "Magic Kingdom". Once we all met up together, we took a few pictures and then headed into the park. Our first ride inside was "Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin". Tyler rode with Tara, Sam rode with me, and the grandparents rode together again. I thought I was 'Mr. Big Stuff' because I scored 46,000 points and Tara only had 33,000. I got Tara to admit that she didn't hesitate to rub it in that she beat me bad the last time we were on this ride, though. Tyler really loved this ride, finding his competitive side. Sam was a little too short to play along, but she enjoyed everything that she saw. Our next stop was "Tomorrowland Indy Speedway". Here Tyler and I rode together and Sam and Tara shared a car. Grandma and Grandpa rode together, as well. Tara thought the ride stunk, but I enjoyed the bumping back and forth, both due to the lack of steering by the kids. We went to "Fantasyland" next, where got got a FastPass for Peter Pan, and then went to see "Mickey's PhilharMagic". Everyone enjoyed this 3-D show and agreed that it would be worth seeing again. Our next ride was "Dumbo the Flying Elephant". This was another ride that the kids really enjoyed, and Sam loved being up high! We decided to venture to "Snow White's Scary Adventures" after Dumbo. Sam kept her eyes closed for most of this ride, but she did enjoy seeing the happy ending. After that ride we decided to get a bite to eat and headed back to "Pinocchio's Village Haus". After dinner everyone decided to return to "it's a small world", while Tara stayed behind to finish eating (Sam had interrupted her meal with a trip to the bathroom , boy she is doing an awesome job). After everyone met back up we decided to use our FastPass to go on "Peter Pan's Flight". Sam enjoyed this ride, and kept her eyes open the entire time. Both her and Tyler really wanted to go again - but the adults didn't want to wait another 55 minutes - they absolutely loved it. Tyler wanted to go to Mickey and Minnie's houses next, so we headed to the "Mickey's Toontown Fair" section of the park. Our first visit here was to "Minnie's Country House", which we followed up with a trip to the "Toon Town Hall of Fame Tent". Here we were able to see Cinderella and one of her mouse friends. When we entered the room that Cinderella was in and Samantha saw her for the first time, Sam opened her arms and walked towards Cinderella like she was seeing her God for the first time. She wanted Cinderella to pick her up. She gave her a big hug and her eyes were as big as quarters. Cinderella signed the kids books, as did Susan the mouse friend. Everyone agrees that this was the most magical moment for Sam!! (Her mom had a moment, too!!) We left the tent and went to visit "Mickey's Country House". We typically end this with a visit with Mickey, but decided that since we had spent breakfast with him this morning that we didn't want to wait in the long line to see him again. Tyler decided we should ride "The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm" next. We even got Grandpa Gary to go on this ride, and Tyler liked it so much he laughed the whole time we were on it. He is really becoming my roller coaster buddy! From "Mickey's Toontown Fair" we got on the "Walt Disney World Railroad" and took that around to "Frontierland". Tyler and I wanted to ride "Splash Mountain" and we drug Grandma Terry and Tara along (OK, OK, Tara later admitted that she wanted to ride too). Grandpa Gary quickly volunteered to keep Sam, since once again she was too short to ride. Tyler really liked this ride, and he and I got to sit in the front row. We all got wet, but laughed the whole way through. Oh yeah, Grandma Terry used Tara as a shield to avoid getting too wet. It didn't work too well though, as her hair got it pretty good. Tara and I did end up taking the worst of it. Our next stop was at "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad". Tyler decided to sit with his mother for a change, and he was amazed with the ride. Actually, his mother was amazed. He laughed the whole way through... he never cried or got nervous. I would have to say this was what we thought was Tyler's most magical moment of the trip. The fun he had and the excitement he showed through the whole ride made the whole trip worthwhile. After that ride we decided that it was time to leave the "Magic Kingdom", ending our visits to the park for this vacation. We rode the boat back to the parking lot area. We got back to the condo and had chocolate shakes and popcorn for 'dinner'. We started to pack everything away in preparation for checking out of the condo in the morning. Tara has stated that this has been one of her best experiences with Disney since we took our honeymoon there in 1997. I must say I agree. The kids were as well behaved as we could have asked for... even better than I thought they would, or could, be. It has been a great feeling watching Sam experience everything 'Disney' for the first time, and to see just how much of our previous trips that Tyler has remembered. Although we both agree that our next major family vacation won't be at Disney World for a change, I must admit that I would go back in a heartbeat to re-experience the trip we are now concluding. Friday, March 5thClick here for picturesWe got up early today and started to load up the vehicles for our trip home. Once the condo was emptied, we checked out and then headed to "Downtown Disney". We shopped for a while and ate lunch at the McDonalds that is located near the Lego store. After lunch the kids played at the Lego playground, and then we did a little more shopping. Around 2:00pm, Grandpa Gary, Grandma Terry, and Sam loaded into the truck and headed to Sarasota. Tyler, Tara, and I stayed in the area to wait for a Christmas ornament that we had special ordered. Once the ornament was finished around 3:00pm, we left for Sarasota as well. On our way, we got stuck in some awful traffic, taking us over 3 1/2 hours to get to Great-Grandma's trailer. When we did arrive, we were greeted by Justin and Tim. They had came over with Dennis, Karen, Meghan, Sherry, Tim, Julie, Dana, Lois, Dick, Kathy, and others for a fish fry - fish that Dennis had caught. After dinner Tyler, Sam, Tara, and I headed to the swimming pool. Both Sam and Tyler enjoyed themselves so much that the really didn't want to get out. Tyler kept wanting to do tricks, calling each jump a new name, but they were all essentially the same thing. Sam even jumped in once without us knowing she was going to, but Tara was close enough to get to her and help her to the surface. She was completely fine, and even happy about what she had done. We were all a little scared, though. Around midnight we finally turned in, sleeping in Grandpa Gary and Grandma Terry's fifth wheel. Saturday, March 6thThis morning we got up, and after getting ready, Grandma Terry, Tara, Sam, and Sherry went to a craft show in the park. After they returned, we loaded up the van for good and headed out to lunch. Grandpa Gary, Grandma Terry, Tyler, Sam, Steve, Great-Grandma, Sherry, Tara, and I all went to the Heritage House for some Amish cooking. Everyone enjoyed their meal, and Tara even got a special treat of rolls to take home with her. Tara and I said our good-byes to everyone, and got in the van for the long, lonely drive home to Michigan. Tyler and Sam stayed behind with Grandma Terry and Grandpa Gary, because he was on a layoff from work. Lucky kids. We would have liked to stay too (forever, if we could!). We drove pretty steady, only stopping for the necessities, like Pizza Hut pizza in Georgia. We ate in the van so that we could keep rolling. The rest of today's drive was uneventful. Sunday, March 7thWe ended up stopping to nap in Kentucky, just south of the Ohio border, for about an hour early this morning. We finished up our trip after a stop at McDonalds for breakfast. We made it home by 12:30pm. We cleaned ourselves up and then took a nap, waking around 4:30pm. After that we unloaded the van, started putting things away, and got ourselves ready to go back to work the next day. Once again, this was an awesome vacation, as well as being one of the most memorable in a long time!! |
|
|
