Note: Click on the small picture in the blue bar on the left for a larger version of the picture.

 Prelude

Who's Who: Me (Lin) - Mom, Jake - 14, Josh - 6

My DH and 11 year old DS aren't into Disney, so we left them at home and planned our escape!

We had this trip cancelled two times in September due to weather and other factors, so we were really excited to finally be on our way!

 October 1, 2004 - Friday

The boys got out of school at noon, and I was hoping to be in the parks by 3pm, but figured 4pm would be more realistic. We got out of school carpool lane at 12:32 and were on our way! We stopped for gas and lunch (drive-through) and were happy to have a smooth drive to WDW, with only one traffic tie-up in Orlando.

While driving, we saw a lot of tree damage from the hurricane. We saw lots of trees down at WDW, and Josh asked "should we pray about those trees tonight at bedtime?" Being reminded of the hurricane devastation in the Orlando area, I was determined to make a point of being extra appreciative of each Cast Member we encountered during our visit.

Arriving at the Epcot parking lot and waiving our AP for free parking, I was amazed that we were able to drive right into the lot without following another car. In fact, I wondered if we would find our way into the lot without a stream of cars to follow! We were able to park without a problem and actually found a spot in the second row!

Walking into Epcot was such a special feeling - hearing the Disney music, seeing Spaceship Earth, being filled and surrounded by the magic of Disney - we were all really excited to be there! We walked through the turnstile and stopped to take a photo of ourselves at a neat sign for the Food & Wine Festival - a CM came up and asked if we'd like her to take the picture - so thoughtful of her and a wonderful keepsake for us.

We walked onto Spaceship Earth at 3:38 with no waiting - it's always one of our favorite rides. The exit area is still empty; it will be nice when something is added here to replace AT&T. Next was Mission: Space - 10-minute wait - cool! It was our first time riding. As soon as it was over, Jake said "I can't wait to go again" - I said "I feel sick..." I am prone to motion sickness, and next time, I'll go directly to the Mission Control area. We all loved that part - we spent a lot of time playing the games and sending funny email videos. Josh wanted me to climb in the tunnels with him, so being a good mom, I did. I told him that was a sign of true love, but I don't think he got that part.

Next was Test Track. There was a 25-minute wait, so we got a FP and then took a milk and cookie break. Feeling refreshed, we headed to Innoventions East. We all had a good time playing the games and interactive displays. There is a new Robot Race that just opened that day. Players "build" a robot on a computer, then they run and jump on a touch pad to make their robot race. Jake won 2nd place in the race, and Josh won 1st for Design. The game is sponsored by the plastics industry, and after the race, each player gets to build their own plastic robot to take home. I thought it was mildly entertaining, but the boys loved it and can't wait to do it again.

Time for Test Track. We enjoyed the ride on our last trip in August, and the boys were excited to ride again. In August, the FP line entered on the right, and we had to wait 25-30 minutes. This time, FP entered on the left, and with the lack of crowds, it only took a few minutes.

Enter World Showcase. This area was definitely more crowded, with the F&W Fest and being Friday night. The crowd mostly made for a festive atmosphere, but it was hard to navigate at times. We bumped into another family we know, so that was cool. Walked onto the Maelstrom - one of our favorites - and walked through the movie theatre at the end, since we'd seen that before, and once is enough. Josh wanted to get a mask he'd seen other kids carry, so we stopped at Norway's Kidcot Fun Stop. We had never done that before; I didn't think it was a big deal to him, but "getting another stamp" quickly became the focus of our evening.

China: saw some incredible little acrobats and got another stamp. Italy: got pizza at the F&W booth and another stamp. America: got another stamp. It was 8:00, so we started thinking about getting a spot for Illuminations. We passed four empty benches, and as we passed them, I thought maybe it was too early - almost immediately, we decided to go back, and when we did, we saw they were already taken. At this point, I feel feeling really annoyed with myself and a bit anxious about "finding a good spot" for Illuminations. At 8:15, Kool and the Gang were going to perform at the America Gardens Theatre. So we decided to see them and thought maybe we could stay in the same area for Illuminations.

I'm so glad we decided to go to the concert! Kool was popular when I was in college, so it was neat to see them live. We sat by the aisle, and Josh and I were dancing and having a great time! Toward the end of the show, a nicely dressed CM with a headphone approached us - I was thinking she was going to tell us to sit down, because we were blocking the view or something. Instead she us if we wanted to dance. At first, I didn't get what she meant, since we were already dancing, but in the next moment, I realized we were going to get to dance onstage!! I couldn't believe it! Josh didn't want to do it, but I didn't want to pass up on the opportunity. Even though I'm a frumpy 40 y.o. - why not?! We were ushered backstage, along with our "dance team" of 10-15 other Disney guests. Kool started playing "Celebrate" and on cue, we danced out onto the stage and joined them. It was pure Disney magic and a moment I'll never forget!

After the show, we determined that the edge of the Theatre would not be a good spot for Illuminations, so we headed back to the walkway and grabbed a spot by the fence. We saw the same gentleman who had been standing there earlier, so we started talking to him and that was fun. He's an AP and a local, so he gave us some insights. We were so looking forward to Illuminations - that was supposed to be the highlight of our day. But right after it started, Josh announced he had to go to the bathroom! Talk about bummed! We dashed into Japan and dashed out again, so we saw most of it, but I'm looking forward to seeing it without interruption next time.

Afterward, we decided to linger, rather than join the mad dash to the front. We played in the hedge maze at England, and we loved the illuminated sidewalk outside Innoventions. That was fantastic!

Hotel: we had gift certificates for Marriott, so we stayed at the Courtyard in the Marriott Village (near I4 and 535). This was our first time to stay off property in several years, so I wasn't looking forward to it, but it actually turned out great. Our package included breakfast, and it was wonderful: eggs and Mickey waffles cooked to order, meats, hot and cold cereals, fruits, donuts, pastries, etc. We all loved the breakfast. The pool was great too: as good as any Disney moderate. It was indoor/outdoor, zero depth (beach entrance), fountains, waterfall, and hot tub. The staff at the hotel was outstanding also. I would definitely stay there again.

 October 2, 2004 - Saturday

I woke up early at the Courtyard in the Marriott Village (near I4 and 535), so I enjoyed coffee and the newspaper on the balcony while the boys slept in. It was great to have a separate area to hang out, besides the bathroom! LOL

Today we were going to MK, and I had contemplated how nice it would be to get there early and experience the gate opening. OTH, hanging at the hotel, enjoying a leisurely breakfast, and a dip in the resort pool sounded nice too! So that's what we did, and we didn't regret our decision one bit - the breakfast and pool were both awesome!

By 10am, we were packed up and ready to go to MK. Drove over in 5-10 minutes, waived our AP to park for free, and joined the crowd entering MK. The lines for the boat and the monorail were both a bit long, and we chose the monorail. I remembered to ask to sit up front and the CM led us to a special waiting area. Even though we ultimately waited longer than we would have for a regular seat, we felt "honored" to be receiving "special treatment". The driver, Sol from Daytona, made our ride fun & memorable.

Entering MK, we walked up a not-too-crowded Main Street to arrive at our traditional first ride - Buzz. The stand-by posted wait time was 10 minutes, so the boys jumped in line, while I "buzzed" over to Space Mountain to pick up FPs. The last time we were at MK was in the summer, and it was really hot and really crowded - we even had to wait in line to get FPs - so it was nice to see that things were going to be more laid back today, even though Saturday is always busy.

We rode Buzz and walked back to Space M. to find it was temporarily closed. Jake remembered to rush us back to TTA so we could see Space M. with the lights on. Definitely a cool experience, and a great way to turn "lemons into lemonade". TTA was a walk-on, so as we came back around, we put our hands into a prayer position and asked the CM to let us go around again - of course, he said Yes. Next we headed to Adventureland - another thing we learned from previous trips is that by holding a FP when a ride is down, it basically becomes a "ride anytime" pass.

At Adventureland, we tried the Dole floats - I thought the pineapple ice cream & pineapple juice was a bit much, but Jake loved it and announced that he would have to get one every time we come to MK. Next we walked through Swiss Family Tree house - I love the ingenuity of it. Next - Jungle Cruise. It was a 10-15 minute wait. Our driver/tour guide did a great job, and we all thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Next - Enchanted Tiki Room. As we approached, the CM waved us in and said the next show started in only 10 minutes! It wasn't until much later that I realized that actually, we had just missed the current show. But the way the CM said it, with a big smile on her face; we thought the 10-minute wait was good thing! Anyway, we spent the time watching the waterfall and wondering if the wall behind it would open for the pre-show. None of us had ever seen this show before, and we all enjoyed it. Except for Zazu and Iago, the rest is so 1971!

Afterward, we headed to Big Thunder Mountain - this was our 5th trip to MK with the boys, and we'd never done this ride either! It seemed that the line was always too long, but today it was only a 10-minute wait. We all enjoyed the ride, but next time, I would sit out. Too rough for me, and I'm prone to motion sickness.

We looked at Splash M., but the line seemed too long, so we got a FP and took the train to Mickey's Toontown Fair. The train was fun and a relaxing way to get around the park. We saw a lot of downed trees while riding the train. We got off the train and Josh played at the Toon Park for a few minutes, then we took the pathway behind the Speedway to get to Space M. The pathway is another quiet and pretty area of MK on a busy day.

We enjoyed Space M. as usual, then we walked over to Main Street for the 3:00 Parade. It was about 2:40, and the curb was full, but we were still able to stand in the "second row" of people and see everything just fine. I loved the "snow globe" effect of this parade, and the silver float with the castle was my favorite. After the parade, we were hungry for lunch, so we went to Cosmic Ray's. I thought the boys & I would enjoy the entertainment, but the stage was filled with potted plants, so obviously there would be none. Also I had heard that there was a permanent talking trashcan here, but we didn't see it. As far as the lunch, it was OK, but I wouldn't rush to go back.

It was almost time for our Splash FP, so after lunch, we started heading that way. We stopped in the Castle to view the mosaics. I had always enjoyed the tunnel of the castle, but it seems that is most often blocked off now, due to the stage show in front of the castle. We visited the shop in the castle and Tinkerbell's shop next door. I had read that you could see Tink flying around her store; we heard her, but didn't see her.

We arrived at Splash and got in the FP line. WE had never ridden this ride, we always thought you would get soaking wet, so we were excited and nervous at the same time. We loved it! This is Josh and my new favorite ride! We will definitely be riding Splash as often as possible from now on!

Our final stop of the day was Fantasyland. We went to Mickey's PhilharMagic and we all loved the show. A final ride on the carrousel, and we were ready to head for the parking lot. Actually, Josh and I wanted to stay, but Jake was our "external conscience" - reminded us that we had a 3-hour drive home and we needed to get on the road. We left the park about 7pm, smiling at our Magical Day and dreaming of our next visit!