Note: Min's trip report is in Coral and Bill's comments are in Blue. In the Gallery links, pictures without a border link to the specific picture and those with a border link to a gallery of related pictures.

Valentine's Weekend & Then Some - Part One

Click to Read:   Intro   -   Part Two

Prelude

This trip was one that started out small and kept on growing, no real planning at all just taking things as they come. It all started out as a day trip when Deb Wills and the All Ears Net folks announced a mini-meet at the Plaza Pavilion in the Magic Kingdom on February 7th. We figured what the heck, we can go down see some friends, meet some new ones, eat dinner and see SpectroMagic and Wishes. It sort of blossomed from there...

February 6, 2004 - Friday

I knew we were going down to the Magic Kingdom tomorrow for the All Ears Net mini-meet but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go down tonight.

It was a slow Friday, not many calls, not much work. I had lots of time to dwell upon our day trip to WDW tomorrow; a two and a half hour drive down to WDW, a few hours at the Magic Kingdom and a two and a half hour drive home. Blech... I needed to find a way to have more time at WDW this weekend. So I spent most of the day puzzling over our household budget and finances.

After work I got home, went into our office and checked my email. Bill came over to my desk and had me pull up our budget spreadsheet. I opened it and made a comment that was a whisper. He said stop mumbling and I said that I wished we could go down to Orlando tonight. Bill just smiled and said call CRO and check if they had any rooms for the weekend.

Well not just any room, it had to be at a value or moderate resort to fit within our current budget.

Nancy K at CRO was very helpful. She tried the AP and Florida Resident's code as well as general availability for all the values and moderates for Friday and Saturday night. No rooms were available, so Bill said just check for a room on Saturday night. Still no luck, the only thing available was Wilderness Lodge and Beach Club. We said thanks to Nancy and ended the call. We decided that we would just day trip like we had originally planned.

Wilderness Lodge and Beach Club were very tempting but the budget just would not accommodate it. Oh well... fate had decreed a day trip, so be it...  :(

I really wanted to go down tonight, so I began looking at off property hotels on 192. I found the Ramada Inn at Main Gate with a rate that was equal to the AP code for the value resorts. I talked to Bill about it and he said book it, so I did. We were packed and out the door by about 6:45 PM. After a quick stop at the ATM, we hit the McDonalds drive-through to grab some food. We were on I-95 and headed south by about 7:15. It was the regular two and a half hour trip down although it seemed shorter this trip for some reason.

It was the adrenaline rush... After all, we had not been down to WDW in about two months...  :)

We got to the Ramada about 9:45 and were in our room by 10:00. I began to unpack our bag and found that I had forgot the bag with our toiletries items. We had shower gel, shampoo and my medicines but no deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, cologne or perfume. I was upset because I could see the toiletries bag sitting ready to go on top of my dresser at home.

I told her no big deal, there was a Target or Wal-Mart nearby we could pick up some replacements in the morning... No need to worry, after all we were going to WDW in the morning...

Luckily, I did not forget the important things like our APs...  :)

Yep, gotta have those priorities straight...  :)

February 7, 2004 - Saturday

We were up and on our way by about 7:45. We had breakfast at Shoney's. When we got back out to the car and Bill asked where I wanted to go. We had the Animal Kingdom CD playing in the car, so I pointed at the CD player and said there. We decided to park at the Magic Kingdom, since we would be ending our day there and take the bus over to Animal Kingdom. We parked and caught the tram to the TTC. On the way to the TTC, we realized that we had forgotten the camera in the car. Bill looked distraught, so we stayed on the tram and rode back out to the car. Bill got the camera and we once again boarded the tram for the TTC.

Go to the parks without my toy... not very likely...  :) Besides, I like riding the trams. It brings back memories from the days of my youth...  :)

After a short bus ride followed by a quick security check, we entered Disney's Animal Kingdom and headed for Africa.

The Kilimanjaro Safari guides were calling our names...  :)

On the way, Bill got a picture of me with Terk and also took some pictures of the Africa area. We walked on to the safari vehicle without a wait. We were seated directly behind the driver. There were SO many animals out, as you can see from the pictures.

Yep, there were animals galore... I think it was the most animals we have ever seen on the Safari... There would be even more pictures, but I am still trying to master the camera settings for shooting photos from a moving vehicle.

After the safari, we did the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Lots more animals, everything was up and about, including the gorillas who were very active. Bill took a bunch more pictures, of course.

There was an area right after we got off the Safari that had three gorillas in it. I don't ever remember seeing that area before. It was a neat way to start the trail walk. I was surprised at the pictures I took at the fish tanks. All I did was set the camera for action mode, turn off the flash, and put the camera right next to the glass and click. The trail was great. I know I have said it before but I can't say enough how much I like to wander at my own pace and watch the animals.

Next, we caught the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch and Conservation Station. There were a bunch of characters out. Bill got a picture of me with Governor Ratcliffe and one with Stanley. I got one of him with Pocahontas and we got one together with Rafiki. We did not stay for the animal of the hour, because bugs are not very interesting.

Aw, come on... who out there doesn't want to learn about hissing cockroaches and big hairy tarantulas...  :)

We caught the train back to Africa and rushed to see the Flight of Wonder show. Well King Louie was standing all by his lonesome, so we decide to stop and keep him company.

Oh, and get a picture of us with him...

Unfortunately, the visit with King Louie made us late and we ended up missing the bird show.

He really did look lonesome standing there all by himself... I am glad we stopped, we can see the birds next week...  :)

We headed deeper into Asia and walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Just like it had been in Africa, the animals were out and about. The tigers were on the prowl, moving around in their compound, then laying down, then getting back up and moving around some more. They acted like they were expecting something. We stopped on the bridge to watch some of the tigers in the second area. Shortly after we stopped, the girls all came over to watch something happening under the bridge. A large meaty bone went flying into the water and so did one of the tigers. The guide on the bridge told us it was their weekly treat. They all came up to edge of the water and then jumped in to get their treats. It was so neat watching a cat diving in and swimming around in the water.

It was amazing and I got some great pictures, too. Unfortunately, I missed the one picture I truly wanted to get. While the camera was recycling, one of the bones landed in the deepest part of the water. The tiger that went after it had to completely submerge and swim underwater to get it. Wow...

After our trek was over, we decided to skip Kali River Rapids. We did not want to get wet and have to change before meeting up with the Debs. We saw three gibbons, the mother, the father and the baby, swinging around on the island by the entrance to Kali. We began wandering towards the front of the park. We stopped at the Beastly Bazaar and then walked through the seating area behind the Flame Tree Barbecue. I stayed up on the path while Bill went down into one of the dining areas and took some photos of the Expedition Everest construction.

A family was sitting by where I stopped to take the pictures and the father asked if I was taking photos of the construction. I said sure and told him that Min and me visited about every six to ten weeks. We always took photos to record the progress from one trip to the next. He said that we must live nearby since we visited so often. I told him that we were from Jacksonville. His wife laughed and said that they were from Jacksonville, too. Turns out they live a few miles from us in Mandarin.

After the construction photos, we continued on our way towards the front of the park. We stopped at Island Mercantile hoping that they might have some of the free annual passholder pin lanyards that they had given away the previous two weekends, no such luck. However, we did learn about the Villaintine's Day pin Scavenger Hunt/Trivia Contest. You visit seven different locations, answer a Disney villain trivia question and get a stamp on your card. If you miss the question, you can trade a pin with a cast member at the location to get the stamp on your card. If you get all the stamps, you receive a special Villaintine's Day pin free as your reward. Since we were coming back the next week, we decided to give it a try.

And the answer is Jafar... what is the question you ask? Who is the villain that attempts to keep Jasmine from her true love Aladdin? Score the Animal Kingdom stamp on the Villaintine's Day card for Min and Bill...

After a quick trip through the Oasis and out the gate, we boarded a bus and headed for the TTC. After a few pictures of the topiaries at the TTC, we caught the monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

I was wondering if we might run into one of the Debs prior to our meeting at Cosmic Ray's. Oh yeah, we forgot to mention we had planned a little get together with the Debs prior to the mini-meet.

Guess who we should run into just before the security check? Deb Wills and her friend, Linda.

Honest, I did wonder if we would run into them... cross my heart...  :)

We chatted for a little bit and then said we would catch up with them in about half an hour at Cosmic Ray's. We headed over to the Emporium for the next part of the Villaintine's Day contest, only to be told we needed to go to the Exposition Hall, so we did.

And the answer is The Sword and the Stone... The Magic Kingdom question: Merlin and Madame Mim have a wizard's duel during which each changes into various creatures in what Disney Animated Classic? Two down, five to go...

Upon leaving the Exposition Hall, we ran into to Linda again and the three of us headed towards Cosmic Ray's. We met up with Deb Wills and got a table. Deb Martin Koma (dcdeb) joined us shortly, thereafter. We had a quick snack and talked for a little bit before the mini-meet. DCDeb empathized with me forgetting our toiletry kit at home, it seems that she had gotten to WDW only to find that her husband's annual pass was still at home.

It was nice getting to sit down and talk with the Debs and Linda. In our previous meets with them, it was one of those "Hi, how are you, it was nice to meet you," no real time to talk sort of things that happen at the larger meet and greets.

After the sit down with the Debs and Linda, we headed over to Plaza Pavilion. The Share A Dream Come True parade was running so I stopped and watched the end of the parade. Bill continued on to the Plaza Pavilion.

Big mistake, everyone kept asking where's Min, where's Min... It seems to have been decreed that there should be no Bill without Min...  :)

After the parade, I joined the folks at the mini-meet. We got to see some of the folks from the Mega-Meet in December. We also met some new folks. We talked for a while sharing our love for things Disney and also talked a little bit about our web site.

Let's see the folks we had met before: the Debs, Linda, Gloria from Miami, Anita Answer, Cathy (cbock), Andrea (tigerlily) and Kenny. The new folks: Ron from Chicago; dcdeb's husband, Brian and their son; Wanda (wlc) and her daughter; Linda Lee; Laura (tigger); SwanDiver's daughter, Jennifer; and Dianna, Marc's wife.

As the mini-meet was winding down, we spoke with Deb Wills and decided to catch up with her and some of the others later for SpectroMagic and Wishes. Then we headed over to Carousel of Progress.

Remember folks, videotaping or flash photography are not permitted during this attraction... For the record, the flash was turned off and the camera was in picture not video mode... I just wanted a couple of pics in case the attraction is shuttered for good but the loudspeaker announcement during the middle of the turn of the century scene did the trick, the camera went into my jacket pocket.

Next, we made our way to Crystal Palace for our dinner PS with Pooh and Friends. We love the food here but after the snack this afternoon, we were not very hungry.

Nah, not very hungry... only one salad plate, one dinner plate and one dessert plate... each...  :)

After dinner, we had a little bit of time before meeting the others for SpectroMagic so we made our way over to the Haunted Mansion. We watched the parade from Liberty Square right behind the Liberty Bell with Deb Wills, Linda, Kenny, Gloria, Jennifer and Dianna. After the parade we both decided that is was way too windy and cold to stay for Wishes.

I think it was one of us decided that it was too cold and windy for the fireworks... but what the heck, we were coming back to WDW next weekend.

A walk through the Emporium, then to the monorail, through the TTC, on to a tram and we were at our car. We drove back to the Ramada, watched some TV and went to bed.

It was the first time that we have stayed in an offsite hotel after a day in the parks. We have gone down the night before the "official" start of a trip and stayed offsite but then we always checked into a Disney resort for the rest of our trip.

February 8, 2004 - Sunday

We slept in a bit and got up around 8:30 AM. We packed, checked out and headed out. Bill asked me where I wanted to go and I said Downtown Disney. He said okay, but then I said that I wished he would decide where we were going. We turned off of 192 and headed onto the WDW property.

I get to decide... Yeah, I've got the power...  :)

When I looked up from some coupon books I had been reading; I realized that we were going to Epcot. Which was fine with me, as I had not really wanted to go to Downtown Disney. We parked very close to the front of the park. There were no trams running, so we walked in. Boy, was it windy and cold. Once in the park, we picked up a map and schedule.

Yes, yes, yes... Off-Kilter was here today; we were finally going to get a chance to see them.

We stopped at Guest Relations and made a PS for lunch at the Garden Grill, then headed for Test Track. We had about 15 minute wait, thankfully only a couple of those were outside in the wind. Test Track was neat and I actually kept my eyes open for most of the ride this time.

"The Brave Little Min-ster"...  :)

We took a break from the wind by ducking into Mouse Gears and shopping for a little while. Then we headed out to the Showcase Plaza with Bill taking pictures of "the ball" as we walked. The Characters on Holiday arrived at Showcase Plaza shortly after we did. We got pictures with every character that was there. Next, we headed for Canada. Since we had skipped breakfast, I was feeling a little hungry so Bill bought us some fries and drinks.

Egads... I bought McDonalds fries while at Disney... With all of the wonderful food choices, I bought McDonalds... Bad Bill, very bad...  :)

After our snack, we had some time before Off Kilter started their show so we walked through Canada. Bill took lots of pictures.

I did not! Well... I guess I did... I even put them in a photo gallery called Walk Through Canada...  :)

I just people watched and tried my best to stay warm by sitting in the sun. The show was great but I wish I had my earplugs, as it was quite loud.

Off-Kilter was great... Who would have thunk it, "Johnny B. Goode" on bagpipes along with "The Greatest Song Ever" both in the same set... We will definitely see them again and I will make sure Min has her earplugs (which were also in the toiletry case sitting at home) next time.

After the show, we made our way to Garden Grill for lunch. We were seated in no time at all. Our server was Angela and we asked to speak to Allison, the chef, once again. She remembered us from our previous trips. We talked some and she told us her in-laws live in Orange Park the town where my parents live. That was neat. We told her that we would be coming back for Valentine's weekend, she said her and her husband were going out of town to a place in west Florida that Bill knows real well for a Valentine's Day vacation. The food and characters were great as usual. After lunch, we rode Spaceship Earth then made the cold and windy trek out to our car for the ride home. This trip was so much fun. I cannot wait until next weekend.

Definitely a good weekend. It was fun seeing the All Ears Net folks, both old friends and new ones. Only four working days until we go back, hope I can make it...  :)

Click to Read:   Intro   -   Part Two