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Steve Russo
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Posts: 18
Registered: Aug 2002
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Posted 01-28-03 08:39 PM
January 14-21, 2003
Participants
Me - Steve The planner, tour guide, official photographer, all-around great guy and Disney veteran. DVC member since 1999.
Barb My bride of 30 years. Also a Disney vet but tends to forget things we've done there (or haven't done)
Stephen (17), Our son and the youngest of our 3 children. This will be his 11th WDW trip since he was 4.
Surgeon General’s Warning
First, a word of caution - this Trip Report (TR) will probably be long. I can be very prolific and, try as I might, I just can’t seem to shorten things up. If you’re looking for a quick summary style report, I’d suggest skipping to the end of each day for the summary information or moving on. If, however, you’re like me and you relish the nuances and details of a WDW trip – fill up the wine glass, put your feet up and read on.
Trip Reports Observations and Musings
This will be our 13th WDW trip and my 4th TR. One of the problems in writing a TR is trying to keep it somewhat fresh – avoiding the same tired jokes and lame pieces of advice that some of you may have read in previous Russo tomes. I recently read a TR from Larry Wilmot where he espoused much the same view. In an attempt to be different, he chose a rather revolutionary tactic of complete deviation from the time-honored chronological TR to one that he labeled “A to Z”. It was innovative and quite humorous although I do think he was reaching a bit with the X = X-ray section (Sorry, Larry).
I asked myself why do I (or anyone else for that matter) take the time and expend the effort to write TRs. While a severe case of masochism comes to mind, I believe the answers can be found in the very reasons I read them:
1. Take a vicarious trip to WDW - between my own trips;
2. Be entertained;
3. Learn something new.
Regarding the last item: I’ve learned a tremendous amount by reading other’s TRs. It started several years ago when I discovered Brian Bennett’s site (since merged with mouseplanet.com) and began reading TRs from folks like Sue Holland, Kevin Springer, Mike Scopa, and many others. I learned more about discounts and how to get them, restaurants I hadn’t yet tried, touring tips, attractions, etc. Sometimes it’s just refreshing to hear someone else’s perspective on something with which I am familiar. Anyway, I was hooked.
Writing TRs is, in a small way, payback for others that wrote the TRs I’ve read. There’s one other reason for writing – I will go back and re-read my own. It may sound a bit strange but, other than finding all the typos and grammatical faux pas I can’t believe I missed the first time (and unfortunately, there are many), it becomes a record of the trip. It’s sort of a literary version of the video tape or photograph book.
So, with all that said, I will try and write this to deliver enough detail that the reader may get the sense of that vicarious trip while educating the less experienced in some of the finer points of WDW, all the while being as witty and entertaining as is humanly possible. A tall task and we’ll see if I’m up to it.
Enough rambling. On with the trip (or at least the planning).
Planning
Like all our trips, the planning for this one began shortly after our return from the last one. We visited (with daughter Michelle and her (now) fiancé, Will) in February 2002. At that time, we purchased Annual Passes (APs) for Barb, Stephen and me with the thought that we’d take our next trip within 12 months. As it turned out, Barb and I actually squeezed in a shorter (5-day) trip, with some friends, in November for the Food and Wine Festival. This would be our third trip on the APs – Yahoo! Not exactly Sue Holland material but not too shabby.
First, the dates. We have typically pulled the kids from school for a few days (no flames here, please. We’ve done this for years and the two girls have graduated college and are gainfully employed. Stephen’s now a HS Senior and member of the National Honor Society. It can be done if you exercise some common sense.). We needed to find an appropriate time where we could fit a week into the schedule without jeopardizing school work, Regents exams, etc. We also wanted to limit his missed time to no more than 4 days. After a couple of false starts, we decided on January 14 through 21, sandwiching MLK Day to limit the number of days Stephen would miss.
Unfortunately, I could not get a room at the Boardwalk Villas (BWVR) for the week – they were booked solid over the MLK weekend. We settled for a 1-BR Villa at Old Key West Resort (OKWR). I requested a non-smoking room, second floor, near the Hospitality House. BWVR is our DVC home resort and we love it there. We like the hotel a lot but are really sold on the convenience (walk to Epcot and MGM, BW restaurants, etc.). Nevertheless, I had heard many good things about OKWR so we were anxious to give it a try.
Next, the flights. Since the demise of USAirways MetroJet service, the only non-stops from Albany to Orlando are via Southwest. I have nothing against Southwest (we flew them in November and I can “moo” with the best of them) but Stephen and I had enough miles for free USAirways tickets so…USAirways it is. For some reason, they won’t allow you to book tickets, using Dividend Miles, via their website. Their website, however, was the only way to get an Internet Price of $186.50 for Barb’s ticket. I spent 20 minutes on the phone with a very friendly and accommodating representative – he booked Stephen’s flights and mine while I booked Barb’s via the web site. Then he tied them together and handled the seat assignments for us. It was reasonably painless but could have been a lot easier if I could have booked all 3 via the web site. Bottom line… three of us are flying round trip for $186.50 (plus $10 each for the new security fee) but, we change planes in Charlotte on the way down and Philadelphia on the return. I smell disaster.
The flight down is further complicated by the fact that I booked us on a 3:00 PM flight out of Albany to accommodate Stephen attending school that day. A good rule of thumb when flying out of the snowy Northeast in the dead of winter is to always fly the first flight of the day. There’s much less chance of being delayed (and/or cancelled) due to weather. We’re risking it.
I threw together a quick spreadsheet with the appropriate park hours, parade and fireworks times, etc. (did I mention I’m somewhat anal?) and laid out a loose schedule. I then called and booked 2 Priority Seating (PS) reservations. We’ll dine at Boma on 1/17 (I’ve wanted to try it after reading so many rave reviews) and the Liberty Tree Tavern on 1/18 (this is one of the days the MK will offer Spectromagic and Fantasy in the Sky (FIST) fireworks). My plan was to finish dinner in time to catch some of Spectro as it moves through Liberty Square and then relax and watch FIST before we leave. Unfortunately, the best PS I could get is for 5:50 and Spectro starts at 6:30. Unless we get a window seat or eat very quickly, we may see little or none of Spectro.
Lastly, the personal arrangements. Daughter Stephanie had offered to take our Black Lab, Gunnar, for the week. She would take him to her apartment which is close to work so she’ll be able to get home during lunch hour to let him out. We decided she needed a trial run so… 3 weeks before departure, Steph arranged to take Gunnar overnight. The idea was to let him get accustomed to her apartment, new surroundings, etc. She picked him up and…. brought him back an hour later. He refused to enter Chez Steph for some unknown reason. C’est la vie. Steph will be staying at our house, with Gunnar, until the 20th when she leaves on a business trip. At that point, daughter Michelle moves back in for 2 days. And this is easier than a kennel? Funny, we went to great lengths not to spoil our children…but the dog?
Planning’s done. Nothing to do now but sit and wait for the 14th (and pray the blasted snow holds off). As I write this, I’m staring at over 40” of snow on the ground. That may be normal for Syracuse, Rochester, or Buffalo but not for Albany. We’ve had 2 major storms (the proverbial Nor’easters) and a ton of minor ones – since Christmas! It seems like it’s snowing every day. We’ve exceeded last year’s total snowfall and have already passed our average accumulation for the year. Let’s hope the 14th is clear and relatively warm.
Tuesday January 14 “I have to park where?”
I woke up at 5:30 to a temperature of –1. Stephen went off to school at 6:50. He’ll be leaving early but it’s no big deal as his last couple of periods are open and study halls. He arrived home around 11:30. We cleaned up some last minute packing details, loaded up the car, coaxed Gunnar into his crate, and headed to the airport at 12:15. The temperature had climbed to a balmy 14 degrees.
First surprise at the airport – the parking garage is full! What? In January? I can understand this for Thanksgiving or President’s Week, but January? I pull into the outdoor Long-Term lot and find it’s packed. Not only that but… since our two 20+” snowfalls of Christmas and New Year’s, the temperature hasn’t gotten above freezing so each parking space had a 6” mound of ice-hardened snow to climb. I finally find a spot at the farthest reaches of the lot – somewhere within shouting distance of Vermont, I believe. This area isn’t even paved and I comment that if we get a January thaw while we’re gone, this lot will be a muddy mess (turns out the thaw was wishful thinking on my part).
We make the 31-mile hike to the terminal. While crossing the roadway, I ask the guard “What’s up with the garage being full?” Now he’s dressed in 3 parkas (looks kind of like the Michelin man), 4 scarves, and a hat. The only skin you can see are his cheeks and they’re beet-red from the cold. I sense he doesn’t give a rat’s patoot about my not being able to park indoors.
We think about checking our bags outside with a Skycap but they’re obviously hiding out inside at the coffee shop. In we go to a surprisingly empty USAirways counter. We check our bags and discover that our seats are not together (even though I booked our seat assignments 3 months ago). The agent explains why this happens. Something about flight number changes (never happened), equipment changes (ditto), phases of the moon, and/or the whim of some computer geek with too much time on his hands (bingo).
Knowing that our food intake over the next 8 hours will amount to 1-ounce bags of stale pretzels, we hit the Coffee Beanery for a quick lunch. Barb has a bagel while Stephen and I wolf down a surprisingly good turkey sandwich.
Stephen and I both beep going through the security scan and are taken through the wanding and full cavity search. Does anyone actually remove his or her belt before going through?
We board on time and take off at 3:10 (10 minutes late). The guy in front of me immediately reclines his seat but, if you’ve read my other TRs or flown with me, this is a given. I check and the “guy” is actually an 8-year old girl. We land in Charlotte (52 degrees) on time and change gates and planes for a 6:00 PM flight to Orlando.
On this flight, Stephen and I get the exit row (Ahhh, leg room) and Barb is somewhere else – I actually forget where she sat. Lavatory? The wing?
We land on time (7:30) and head toward baggage claim where our Tiffany driver, Mauro (although I swear he said Merrill and I call him that throughout the drive), is waiting with a “Russo” sign. I introduce us and send him off for the car while we retrieve our two overstuffed suitcases. The luggage comes off quickly and we head outside where Mauro is pulling up with our Town Car. Great timing.
We’ve opted for a quick grocery stop so he takes us to a Kash N’ Karry (they’ve always used Publix before). We just pick up some breakfast stuff (cereal and muffins), milk, coffee, juice, beer, soda, and chips. We’re out the door in 10 minutes and on our way to Old Key West Resort (OKWR). We pull in around 8:30. I pay Mauro $75 plus tip ($80 for the round trip minus the $5 Internet coupon I printed) and am greeted by CM Dave with a “Welcome Home”. I never get tired of hearing that.
Dave puts our luggage, carry-on items, and groceries on to a cart and tells me to stop back when I’ve checked in. I head to check in and send Barb and Stephen off to hunt and kill some food (it’s been a long time since that turkey sandwich). CM Enit (from Haiti) gives me a “Welcome Home” and checks me in quickly – less than 5 minutes. I head down to Goods to Go where Barb and Stephen are waiting on our food. We scout the area (main pool, tennis courts, Community Hall, etc.) while we wait.
Food’s ready. It’s a Chef’s Salad for Barb and the Tube Steak (Hot Dogs for the uninitiated) dinners for the kid and me. We scoop up the Styrofoam containers and head out to find Dave. He loads our “stuff” into the back of a 6-seater golf cart, we climb on board, and he delivers us to Building 64 – Room 6426. This is a No-smoking, 2nd floor room, close to the Hospitality House (HH) which is exactly what I requested. Ahhh, that Disney magic.
Dave is showing us the 1-BR villa, which, by the way, is a LOT bigger than the 1-BR at the Boardwalk Villas. Living room has a pull out Queen-size sofa, a love seat, end and coffee tables. There’s a dining area with a table and 4 chairs and a full size kitchen (refrigerator, range, dishwasher, etc.) with an island that also house the 27” TV and VCR. I check out the balcony (again much bigger than BWVR) and see a patio table and 4 chairs and a view of the 7th green at Lake Buena Vista golf course. It’s a par-3 island green that, according to Dave, was bogied by Tiger Woods in 1997 when he put his tee shot in the water. Cool.
I tip Dave and send him on his way. We stow the perishables (OK, I grab 1 Coors Light to wash down the hot dog) and sit down to “dinner”. It’s 9:00 so we turn on the tube to see what new calamity awaits Jack Bauer on “24” while we dine. We give Steph a call to check on Gunnar (and her) and give her the phone/room number. While unpacking, I notice that the master bedroom is very similar to BWVR. So is the dressing room/Jacuzzi area although the bathroom seems just a tad smaller.
Before packing, I purchased a small bag of those plastic wire-ties to use to lock the suitcases. I’d heard that the new rules say that they will randomly select checked luggage for a personal review. At the last minute, I figure “What are the odds that they’ll select our luggage for this?” and use the luggage locks instead. Well, the odds were pretty good because both locks have been cut and shrink-wrapped inside our bags with a note explaining why (and a personal note about my color choices for boxer shorts).
Time to turn in and get a good night’s sleep for that first Disney day.
Things I Learned Today: Don’t lock your suitcases. I’m guessing that’s a pretty good way to have them selected for the “random” check. When flying USAirways, always check and re-check your seat assignments – and bring food. The person in the seat in front of me will always recline his/her seatback for the entire flight regardless of their age, physical stature or gender. I love hearing “Welcome Home”.
Wednesday January 15 “Do you have any normal food?”
I’m a notoriously early riser. My alarm is set for 6:00 AM at home and I don’t think I’ve heard it go off in 5 years. For whatever reason, at WDW this seems to get a bit worse. I’m awake at 4:25 and I can hear somebody in the next room coughing very clearly – and rhythmically. Are the walls here a bit thinner? I surmise this is one of the folks (3 couples) I saw last night from our balcony. At night, you can see quite easily into the living room of the unit next door. There were 3 couples (60s-70s?) sitting around the table having dinner and then playing cards (later in the week I discovered it wasn’t cards but something with tiles. I didn’t see a Scrabble board so I assume it was Dominoes or Mah Jong, two games I know nothing about. Anyway, that was apparently their MO – out all day and dinner and games in the room each night.
I put some coffee on and, at 5:10, flick on the TV to discover that it’s 41 degrees. We have some breakfast, shower, dress and are off to the bus stop at 8:30. The walk from Building 64 to the HH is only 3-4 minutes and we see our MGM bus in about 5. I had heard a good number of war stories about substandard bus service at OKWR but our experience was great. We didn’t wait more than 10 minutes for a bus all week and most were there in less than 5.
We were through security easily and at the turnstiles at 9:00 for opening. We joined the masses (small crowd, really) for the walk toward Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (ToT) and walked through the queue and into the library without stopping. After the pre-show, we walked through the boiler room on to a waiting elevator. The CM wished us luck and closed the elevator doors with the car about ½ full. Man, I love off-season touring.
The ride was much the same as I remembered. There are a couple of new twists in the elevator shaft and the drop sequence was one I’m not familiar with – although I’m not sure if, after riding, I could actually recount the actual starts and stops of the elevator. It’s all kind of a blur when I’m done. I did, however, notice that the entire back row of the elevator was seatbelts, no lap bars. Each seat also had a metal “handle” on either side that could be used as a grip if one were trying to avoid the dreaded airtime.
We then headed to Rock N’ Rollercoaster (RnRC) with Aerosmith. I’ve ridden this 3 times now but Barb has never taken the plunge. She insists she would not enjoy the inversions. I attempt a ploy that I learned from a certain Mr. Grill and explained that we would only ride the “left side” where there are no inversions. I’m obviously a rotten liar because she would have none of that. At the last minute and after my explanation that the ride was “so smooth you won’t even realize you’re upside down”, she relented.
We entered the queue and went immediately to the “holding area” prior to the pre-show where a CM was explaining something about the posters on the wall to our group of about 25. He then called our attention to the song playing over the speaker system and asked if anyone could name the artist. He also explained that the song was written by the Beatles but never recorded by them. It took me 10 seconds of singing ahead of the lyrics to get to the catch phrase and realize the song was “The Air that I Breathe” and I blurted out “Air Supply”. Well, that was the correct answer but I will be forever shamed for admitting that I knew it (and, no, I don’t own the album). I also disagreed with his comment that it was written by the Beatles (actually, no songs were – they were either Lennon/McCartney or Harrison or Starr) but I wasn’t in the mood to argue the point.
Thankfully, we’re allowed into the pre-show which Barb thinks is pretty cool the way the film depicts the group as life-size characters on a real set. We then head for our limo – Stephen in front and Barb and I behind him. We go through the countdown and the launch. Is there anything more breathtaking than the launch? I remember to listen to the music – my first ride, I was unaware there was any sound at all save my screaming like a 9-year old girl. Into the loop…the corkscrew…turns…dips…ride’s over. I glance at Barb and her hands are shaking and she has a look of confused terror on her face. “Like it?” I ask innocently. “No” was the terse reply accompanied by a look that indicated the next time she rides this would be to run over my cold, lifeless body.
We exit and glance up at the picture. Barb has her hair straight back (kind of like Snoopy’s scarf when he’s the WWI flying ace) and her face is screwed into something that looks like she just ate the world’s largest lemon. In hindsight, we should have bought the picture – just for grins. At the time, $16.95 seemed like a lot to pay for a picture of Pruneface.
Barb and Stephen took one more turn on ToT (I passed) and reported that the drop sequence was different but similar. They also said that the seatbelt configuration was the same as earlier.
We headed over to Star Tours, which had a listed wait of 5 minutes. We walked through the entire queue and never saw another soul until we reached the CM podium and they sent us into row 3. In just over a minute, we boarded a half-full simulator and took the trip to the Moon of Endor. This is still one of my favorite rides but I really wish they’d update the film. There seemed to be several potential “rides” from the two newest films.
Now our unofficial touring plan has always taken us into the Muppets 4D next but, horrors, we deviated from the tried and true and headed instead to Who Wants to be a Millionaire (WWTBAM). Barb and I visited this in November but it would be the first time for Stephen. It was now 10:20 and the first show was at 10:30. We figured if it was full that we’d pick up FastPasses (FPs) for the next show at 11:20. Not to worry. As we approached the theater, there were 2 CMs beckoning us in. Sure enough the theater was only ¼ full (love that off-season touring).
The first Fastest Finger was a woman from Panama that correctly sequenced 4 TV shows (including SWAT). Lucky guess? She lasted until the $32,000 mark. Next in was a young girl from Pennsylvania who was with her family. She was actually #3 on the board but spots 1 and 2 were her family members that had been in the “hot seat” within 30 days so they couldn’t play. Is it in their genes or something?
She did well and, after 5 questions, they post the Leader board and I’m #7. Well, all right. Now…for the next 5 questions I know every answer before the possibilities are exposed. Basically, I’m just waiting for the lights on the panel to come on so I can punch the button. They post the Leader board and…I’m no where in sight. How does this happen?
The young girl does fairly well but loses when the complete stranger has no clue what she’s talking about and she answers wrong. I also got this one wrong. The question asked for the term used to describe the raising of a coin’s edge in the minting process. I guessed “Annealing” but was wrong and I honestly can’t remember the correct answer.
We exit WWTBAM and Stephen informs us that we’re hungry. I don’t know what it is about WDW but I think, when he’s here, he could eat 24/7… and never gain weight, which really ticks me off. We opt for the SciFi Drive-In Theater. I know, I know, but I think they make one of the best burgers on property even if it is $11. We walk in and are seated immediately. Our server is having a great time providing sound effects for the film. They’re running the scene from “The Amazing Colossal Man” (or whatever it’s called) where the doctors prepare the 7-foot syringe and plunge it into his leg where it penetrates skin, bone, etc. The big guy takes the syringe and launches it like a dart and skewers one of the docs.
We settle on Burgers and Chocolate Shakes (both excellent if overpriced) for the 3 of us (actually, I think Barb had coffee) and got out of there for just under the GNP of Brazil.
After lunch, it’s the Great Movie Ride (GMR). The queue inside contained about 3 rows of people but it moved quickly and we boarded in about 5 minutes. We had the gangster side (can anyone explain why these are called “sides”?) and, for the first time, had a female gangster. This ride is also a favorite but it too needs some updating. Some new scenes along the way, maybe a few new film clips at the end and… maybe it’s just me but I wouldn’t mind lengthening the film clips as well.
We decide to head back so we spend a few minutes shopping (browsing actually – shopping entails actually buying something) on the way out of MGM. We catch a bus to OKWR and exit at the HH for some more browsing at the Conch Flats General Store. Here’s where Stephen and I start the great Conch/Conk Debate. I believe, and I’m not sure where I get this from, that the word “Conch” is pronounced “konk”. Stephen insists that it’s “konch”. He recently read “The Lord of the Flies” and saw the film for comparison and bases his argument on how it was pronounced in the film. We debated this for the better part of the next week. I refused to ask any CMs that worked there because, after all, that would only be their opinion and could very well be wrong. (After we returned home, I checked it in Webster’s New World Collegiate Edition, which basically said both pronunciations were acceptable.)
Back to the room and I grabbed some balcony time to watch the golfers attempt the island green. Very few actually hit it with their tee shots. I assumed it must be a difficult hole but Stephen and I walked down to the tee later and found that it only plays 117 yards from the White tees – which should be a fairly easy shot for most mid-range golfers. Stephen ran off to the quiet pool for a swim and some sun. It was probably mid-70s and sunny so it felt pretty warm. I went down their later but he was ready to return – the quiet pool by Building 19 seems to quickly lose the sun behind some tall trees in the afternoon.
At around 4:30, we headed to Downtown Disney and leisurely strolled through the Marketplace and Pleasure Island. We looked in a lot of shops but bought nothing (lot’s of time for that). We found our way to the West End and, while Stephen spent some time in Virgin Records, Barb and I tried to decide on something for dinner. We opted for Wolfgang Puck’s Café, went in, and were asked to have a seat on a sofa. In 2 minutes, someone came over and seated us in the back. We were seated next to a table of 20-somethings (2 guys, 4 girls) that were all sipping Cosmopolitans (2), Margaritas (2), and something else that was very dark and fruity looking (real fruit, that’s not a reckless aspersion). They also had something brought to their table that, I’m guessing, was Bruschetta. It looked very good but our table didn’t think we were hungry enough for that size appetizer. As we perused the menu, the waiter was taking our neighbors’ orders when one of the girls asked him if they had any “normal food”. He looked confused and she followed with “You know. Like Lasagna or Chicken Parm. Something like that”.
Anyway, we settled on sharing 2 of Wolfgang’s wood-fired, brick-ovened, thin-crusted, very tasty pizzas. One with pepperoni (Stephen) and one with sausage, pepperoni, and onions (Barb and I) – a real gastro challenge. It came, we ate, it was good. I think we had 1 slice left after the feeding frenzy. I washed mine down with a Sierra Nevada (actually 2 and they were quite good), Barb with a Coors Light and Stephen with a Coke. We did pick up a 10% discount (through either the DVC or AP – I think they’re both taken there) and the bill came to $44 before tip.
We shuffled around DD for a while more but really didn’t do much. We headed back to OKWR where Stephen worked on a school assignment and we basically called it an early night. It was a good day – reasonably productive – but, for some reason, we all felt it lacked a bit of something. We didn’t seem to be quite into the WDW frame of mind but vowed we’d fix it tomorrow.
Things I Learned Today: Don’t ever trick Barb into going on a thrill ride. Don’t ever admit to knowing anything by Air Supply. There are a lot of bad golfers at WDW and, worse, very few repair their ball marks on the greens – a common courtesy.
Thursday January 16 “I’ll have the freakin’ chicken.”
I’m awake at 4:30. There’s a real surprise, huh? I do the coffee thing. We’ve decided to vary our schedule a bit and hit Animal Kingdom (AK) today. The main reason is that today will be the last warm day (mid-70s) for a while and we’d like to ride Kali River Rapids (KRR) without picking icicles from our bodies.
We’re at AK in time for 9:00 opening. We enter and head for It’s Tough to Be a Bug (ITTBAB) which is traditionally our first attraction here. We spend some time in the queue looking at the carvings on the Tree of Life – that is always amazing – but it’s really just a quick walk through to the “lobby”. I get a real kick out of the movie posters here – Ant-ie, Web Side Story, A Cockroach Line, etc.
After ITTBAB we head to Dinosaur and it’s also a walk-in. We save the Iguanadon and exit into the “carnival” area (for the first time). I really think the theming here is very non-Disney and, especially, non-AK. Nevertheless, we decide to try a ride on Primeval Whirl. The CM at the entrance is dressed in a wool coat, scarf, hat, and gloves. It’s probably mid-60s and sunny (going to 73 today) and we’re in shorts and sweatshirts. There’s about a 5-minute wait as this seems to be a very slow loading ride. It’s kind of fun – sort of a poor-man’s coaster. Like Thunder Mountain, it provides some of the thrills of a coaster, and the spins of a Tilt-a-Whirl, without being overly taxing. I think most folks would enjoy it.
When we came off the ride, I was cornered by a CM to take a 2-minute survey about the ride and the area. I rated the ride very good but told her I didn’t think the theming of the area was in keeping with what I expect at WDW and she seemed surprised.
Our AK touring plan usually includes a late breakfast at Tusker House after the Safari ride. Our time at the “carnival” has put us behind schedule as the Tusker House stops serving breakfast at 10:30 and it’s now 10:20. I send Barb and Stephen to the Tusker House to get breakfast for us while I get FPs for the Safari (FP time is 11-12:00). We finish breakfast (bacon and egg croissant for me and cinnamon buns for Barb and Stephen) and head to the Safari at 11:05. There’s a 5-minute wait posted so we use the Standby line rather than FP and it’s literally a walk through and on to the truck – no wait at all. While we’re walking through the line I hear 2 CMs talking about missing the Space Shuttle liftoff at 10:39. Shoot! I forgot all about it and I really would like to have seen it.
The Safari is a good one. The cheetah and both lions are visible but sleeping. We do see a lot of rhinos and elephants (one drinking from a pool, several eating some long grass). We save Little Red and head for the Pangani Trail. This is always good and today is no exception. The gorillas were out and having some fun. I have no idea of their actual ages but a teenage gorilla was wrestling with a smaller (pre-teen?) one on the rock. The smaller one would attack and climb all over the larger one – the larger one would shake him off and hold him to the ground with one arm. This went on over and over under the watchful eye of the alpha male (dad?). It was very entertaining and we probably spent 15 minutes watching them play.
Next was the Maharajah Jungle Trail in Asia. Saw the bugs, the bats, and the tigers. They were actually cavorting around rather than sleeping. I think I got some good pictures here, and of the gorillas, but I won’t really know until the film’s processed.
Last stop, Kali River Rapids (KRR). We always save KRR until last because you will get wet and the thought of touring AK with wet clothing is never good. The USA Today had a 4-page advertising section on WDW where they rated hotels, rides, etc. There was a comment that a rider of KRR has a 92% chance of coming into contact with 22 gallons of water. Sounds about right.
We walked through the queue and directly on to a raft. I made the mistake of sitting next to Barb (shared the seatbelt). This was a mistake because Barb always gets soaked on KRR. This was no exception. On the first big drop, we found ourselves at the front of the raft – first over the drop. Sure enough, we hit and a huge plume of water went straight up and straight down on top of us. We got very wet. At the end of the ride there was no one in the queue and the CM asked if we wanted to go again but we figured we were wet enough.
We exited and caught a waiting bus back to OKWR. On the way, we got a view from the rear of the new Pop Century Resort. The buildings I saw had bowling pins and yo-yos. I can’t say if I like them or not. It’s certainly not my cup of tea for theming but it follows the same pattern as the other value resorts (All Star Sports, Movies, and Music).
Back at OKWR we changed into swimwear and hit the pool area. Stephen and I kept on the tee shirts, socks, and sneakers because we had some serious competition ahead. Barb went to the pool and claimed some lounge chairs while we visited Hank’s Rent and Return for some tennis racquets and balls (surprisingly, no charge – I just needed to leave a room key).
Now I was a fair tennis player in my day but haven’t touched a racquet in 2-3 years. Stephen has only played in gym class. We picked a court (very nice BTW) and warmed up. Stephen won the first game but then I found my stroke and reeled off the next 6 to take the first set 6-1. He wanted to go again and, in deference to my advancing years, agreed to a “first one to 3” set. I whipped him 3-0. Now I’m feeling pretty good about myself. I hit some decent groundstrokes but my serve was a bit lacking. A little practice and I’m ready for the Tour.
Stephen was looking for revenge so he suggested… basketball. During my athletic youth, basketball always ranked behind baseball and football. I was a decent forward on a CYO team and played in an over-30 league as an adult but it was never my strong suit, especially as I got older and turned to more sedate endeavors like tennis and golf. Stephen, on the other hand, has played a lot of basketball and has a fair amount of talent. Actually, more than fair. He regularly plays at the local YMCA against groups of 20-somethings and more than holds his own. Additionally, he’s somehow gone from 5’6” to his current height of 6’3” in about a week and a half. We have a driveway hoop at home and he and I have played a number of 1-on-1 games. 5 years ago, I owned him. 3 years ago I took it easy. Now, I don’t stand a chance. He’s tall, quick, and has guard-type skills. Long story short – he gave me a GOFAW (a good, old fashioned ass whipping) and won 11-4.
Duly humbled, I retreated to the pool and took a quick swim then joined Barb at a lounge chair. I decided that the Jacuzzi might be a good idea to soothe my aching muscles after the GOFAW, so she and I headed there while Stephen found a lounge in the sun. There were 2 other folks in the Jacuzzi but it’s fairly large so we waded in. I’ve been through 3 back surgeries and the back was feeling a bit stiff after the tennis and basketball so I positioned myself where I could get a jet spray into the center of my lower back. Unfortunately, the jet was so strong it kept sliding me off the seat and almost across the pool.
After some more sun, Stephen indicated he was going into the exercise room for a workout (the bliss of youth) so Barb and I decided on the Gurgling Suitcase for a couple of frozen margaritas ($13.50 plus tip). We took these to a table on the mini-boardwalk to take advantage of some sun. We warmed ourselves in the sun (it was mid-70s now) and sipped. Two tables away sat a group of 3 women that were lunching on some takeout. It looked like sandwiches in Styrofoam containers. For some reason, they felt it necessary to share their lunch with a group of birds. They were tossing crumbs and bits of bread to an ever-increasing flock. One put a piece of something (looked like a 3” slice of lox) on a wooden railing and laughed as a bird whisked it away. Another thought it comical to dump the leftover contents of her container on the boardwalk and watched the birds fight for it. The birds, and these women, were a nuisance and I wished again that I was in charge of Disney security (excuse me while I fire 3 warning shots into their legs).
We finished our drinks and headed back to the room. Stephen joined us in a bit and we showered and changed and decided to head to Epcot for the evening. We caught a bus and went through security and the turnstiles at about 5:00. A quick word on the (new?) security setup at Epcot: they’ve placed the security tables very close to the turnstiles – about 8-10’. What happens is that folks get through security and then queue up because someone always has a problem with a park pass at the turnstile. Eventually, the line backs up so people are waiting in front of the security tables – not because security is backed up, there’s just no more room. They need to separate the two.
We headed for Test Track, expecting to find a long wait and get FPs for later. Surprise! TT had a listed 10 minute wait. We entered Standby and basically walked through and into the pre-show. At 5:00, there was no line! I love off-season touring.
The TT ride was a bit different. Our vehicle stuttered and slowed several times during the ride. We actually came to a complete stop in the tunnel by the truck. We started again and did the swerve but the truck’s lights never came on and there were no sound effects. Strange. When we got to the “collision” test at the end, we stopped for what seemed like a very long time. Enough time for me to question whether or not this thing was working right. I had visions of us careening into the doors and not having them open for us. That might explain the look of terror on my face in the picture. The doors did open and we sped through the outdoor course. We reached 64.9 mph (again). Has anyone ever topped 65 mph on this run?
After TT we walked over to the “new” Journey Into Imagination (JII). Barb and I had done this in November but it was closed for rehab in February when Stephen was here last. We rode (walk on) and I was less impressed than before. We spent a few minutes in ImageWorks (IW) and sent a video postcard to Stephanie and to a buddy of mine at work. We left IW and headed up to Honey I Shrunk the Audience (HISTA) – one of my favorites. We entered a half full pre-show and I, once again, enjoyed “True Colors”. I know some folks don’t like this but I really enjoy the song and really enjoy and appreciate the photographs. We went in and watched Rick Moranis receive the Inventor of the Year award for probably the 25th time. I still like it.
It’s time to head to World Showcase (WS) for some sustenance. We walked counter-clockwise through Canada, the UK, and France while we listened and (sort of) watched the Tapestry of Dreams (ToD) parade in the distance. Call me a sucker, but I like the parade and the music (I usually hum the tune for a long while afterwards). We slowed by Morocco and followed the end of the parade toward the American Adventure. Through France and Morocco, I noticed something that was prevalent here in November – people lighting up and smoking while standing or walking on the promenade. I don’t see this in the other parks but, for some reason, it’s always in WS. And I do think that WDW has provided a number of convenient and nice smoking areas within WS (the garden area in the UK, the walkway by France, right side of America, etc.). Is WDW not getting the policy out or are a lot of people simply ignoring it?
We decided to see the American Adventure because there was a show starting in minutes. I saw no evidence (or signs) for either Voices of Liberty or American Vibe. We enjoyed the show (how can you not?) and headed next door for some food. This is where Barb and I had one of our typical and testy, on my part, exchanges. Barb was going to head into the food line and order for the 3 of us. The exchange was something like:
Barb: What will you have?
Me: I’ll have the Cheeseburger.
Barb: Are you sure you don’t want the Chicken Sandwich?
Me (testy): OK. I’ll have the Chicken Sandwich.
Barb: No. Don’t get the Chicken just because I said to. Get what you want.
Me (testier): Then why didn’t you just say “OK” when I asked for the Cheeseburger.
Barb: I’ll get you the Cheeseburger.
Me (testiest): Get me the freakin’ Chicken.
Happens a lot. I think it’s the result of raising 3 children and she’s always considered me the 4th (not too far from the truth actually). Anyway, we’ve survived 30 years of this so we consider these events insignificant road bumps on our highway of marital bliss. How’s that for a phrase?
I have the Chicken (you saw that coming, right?), while Barb has a salad (Chef’s I believe) and Stephen has chicken nuggets. While there, I notice, for the first time, that there are lots of large groups of teenagers (13-15 year olds) chaperoned by 2-3 adults, mostly women. Are these sanctioned school trips? Why? These kids are pretty noisy and boisterous.
It’s now about 7:30, and getting cooler, so we decide to catch the 7:45 ToD parade and then exit to beat the Illuminations crowd. (This is one reason I really enjoy staying at BWVR. It’s such a pleasure to watch Illuminations and stroll out through the IG and be at your hotel in 5 minutes.) We do this and catch a waiting bus back to OKWR. We’re tucked in our room by 9:15 or so. I catch a bit of balcony time while I watch the Mah Jong game across the way. I opt for an in-room Jacuzzi (soothing those old, aching muscles) before bed.
There’s a cold front coming through tomorrow. It’s amusing watching the local weather reports as they talk about the front coming with such urgency. It reminds me of the forecasters in my neck of the woods when we’re getting ready for a Nor’easter with 20 inches of snow. I guess it’s all relative.
Things I Learned Today: I seem to like AK more and more with each trip. I never tire of HISTA (and the pre-show) or the American Adventure. Feeding the birds while eating outdoors creates a nuisance for other people and is not good for the birds – don’t do it. I think my tennis game could be OK again with a little practice. I will never again beat Stephen at basketball. I miss staying at BW just for the convenience to Epcot.
Friday January 17 “You didn’t get wet on Small World, did you?”
I’m up early again and hit the balcony. It’s chilly but not like it’s been forecasted to be. A check of the TV indicates the cold front coming through around noon and followed by 20-30 mph winds. Cool! Literally.
I make a run to the General Store because we need some more detergent (we’re doing a laundry load – mostly towels – every day), Stephen needs Q-tips and I need a newspaper.
We head out to the Magic Kingdom (MK) and enter the park just prior to opening. We enter the turnstiles although there are no biometric gadgets where AP users can insert their fingers. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that before. I thought all turnstiles had the biometric scanners for APs, no? Nevertheless, the CM waves us in where we’re held below the train station watching the opening song and dance number. Several of the characters and some dancers enter on the train and perform a number to open the park. Actually, the Mayor and a selected child perform the actual opening but you know what I mean.
We head for Space Mountain (SpM) and walk right on to the ride. It’s good, as always, and after exiting Barb and Stephen opt for a second spin. I think about hitting Alien Encounter (AE), which I haven’t seen in about 5 years because the rest of my family are too damned chicken to go with me. I actually enter the outdoor queue just as they closed the doors. I’m standing there with about 30 teenagers and I decide I’ll visit it later. I just don’t feel like waiting 10 minutes for the next pre-show, especially with the 30 teenagers :^).
It turns out that I should have waited because it’s a good 20 minutes before I see Barb and Stephen come out of SpM. I killed some time looking around the arcade at the SpM exit. They have a “game” that’s enclosed in a locked glass case. I presume you need to find a CM to open it for play. It’s some type of shoot-em-up (helicopters?) but it’s covered with a ton of warnings (bad necks, bad backs, pregnant, airsickness, leprosy, etc.) and boasts 360-degree movement. Looks cool but I’m not into vomiting in an enclosed glass booth (enclosed plastic would have been fine).
Next it’s Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. I am the unchallenged Russo family champion here and the others decide that I should ride alone - something about my big head not fitting in the car with them. I come out on top with a whopping 243,000 points versus 24,000 for Barb and 14,000 for Stephen. As adept as he is with video games (and he is VERY adept), Stephen can’t seem to score well on Buzz. Anyway, my 243,000 qualifies me as a “Space Stud” or “Interplanetary Stallion” or some such title. I’m still waiting for the arm patch.
Next we take a spin on the TomorrowLand Transit Authority (TTA), which will forever be the WEDway to me, before heading over to FrontierLand for Thunder Mountain (a walk on although we were seated up front which is not the best place to ride). After Thunder we head to Haunted Mansion where I ride with Stephen to point out the 3 Hidden Mickeys I learned about during the Keys to the Kingdom tour we took in November (email me, I’ll tell you). I would never have found the 3rd one on my own. On the way out I scanned the pavement unsuccessfully, once again, for the wedding ring.
We decided to try the Columbia Harbour House for lunch. We ate there in November for the first time and liked it a lot. Before that, I had probably walked by it 100 times and barely knew it existed. We went in and found about 80 teenagers in line to order food from a single (yes, just one) cashier. Whoops. OK, Plan B. What? We don’t have a Plan B? So we did what anyone else would do. We walked back toward Frontierland, cut through the rest room area into Adventureland, and rode Pirates of the Caribbean (PotC).
PotC was, essentially, another walk on. As we walked into our “row” before boarding, I got a real chuckle from the couple behind us. I overhead the guy say “Oh, great. Another water ride”. To which the woman responded, “Relax. You didn’t get wet on Small World, did you?”
Now it’s time for lunch and we’re just about ready to head out of the MK so I suggest Casey’s for hot dogs (a personal favorite). We order but all the indoor seating is taken (including the bleachers) so we venture outside where it’s fairly chilly (I guess the cold front has made it). We find a table in the sun and it’s reasonably comfortable except the wind is picking up and you’ve got to make sure your napkins are weighted down with something.
After lunch, we visit the Confectioner’s and I splurge on 4 pieces of fudge (a plain, a marshmallow, a mint, and a peanut butter for $13.00). The very nice CM informs me that by buying 4 we get 2 free. I do a cartwheel. You’d think I just won the Lottery. OK, another marshmallow and a peanut butter (side note – we snacked on this fudge in the room for the next 4 days and, yes, it was very, very good).
On the way out, I suggested we visit the Wilderness Lodge or the Contemporary for a brief unguided tour but had no takers so it’s back to OKWR. At OKWR, Barb and I hung out on the balcony watching golfers while Stephen went for another workout (the kid’s crazy).
We had a 5:30 PS at Boma’s tonight so we head to the bus stop at 3:30 with intentions of boarding the first AK or MGM bus we see, and then transferring to the AKL. In 2 minutes, we boarded an AK bus. At the AK, we waited about 5 minutes and boarded the bus for AKL arriving at 3:55. Deep sigh. If we had waited until the last minute, you just know the trip would have taken 90 minutes.
We’re early, so we visit the Victoria Falls Lounge where we have 2 rounds of drinks (Manhattans for me at $6.75 each, Tangueray and tonic for Barb at $5.75, and Coke for Stephen at $1.90). Barb and Stephen make a brief trip outside to the Savannah and see some cattle.
At 5:20 we head downstairs to Boma and I give our name at the desk. In about 2 minutes, a very nice CM is seating us. She first asks if we’ve been there before. No. She takes us near the stations and explains the operation. She insists that we save room for dessert because “You just have to try our specialty, the…”. “Zebra Domes?” I say. She frowns. Gee, I hadn’t meant to steal her thunder.
I won’t bore you with the details of the feeding frenzy that followed. Bones and frosting were flying through the air; women were pulling small children and pets out of harm’s way. We tried to sample as much as possible by limiting ourselves to smaller servings (ahem…in most cases). The highlights:
Castle Beer – from South Africa and very good
Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette – very good
Fruit – excellent in choice and freshness
Pasta Salad – very good
Pap (or is it Pop?) – very good (although I sampled some that Barb got and it was very good, when I visited that station, the stuff there looked much different)
Boboti – It’s a quiche that I think contained cheetah or monkey or something. I thought it just OK. It was a bit too bland to give it a strong recommendation
Prime Rib and Marinated Flank Steak – very good and a chore to only get a “small serving”
Chicken Strips – very good (Stephen only)
Mashed Sweet and White Potato Mixture – fair. I tasted something (curry?) that was a little disconcerting
Couscous and Pilaf – both very good
Hummus – I brought back a plate with green, brown and gray hummus (don’t ask why they were different colors – I have no idea and I don’t recall what the sign said) and they were all very good. Endorsed by Stephen who had never had hummus before.
Now we’re ready for dessert. Save any room? I opted for the sampler platter, which is to say I filled a plate with five (count ‘em, five) desserts. Now keep in mind, that the dessert servings are approximately bite-size. OK, actually they’re about 2 to 2 1/2 bites each except for the Zebra Domes that are larger. I sampled a Dome, a Chocolate Mousse crunch type thing, a Pineapple Upside-Down Cheesecake, and two other goodies that escape me. After having read a recent review, I fully expected that the Zebra Domes would not live up to my expectations. Relax. They did. The Dome was excellent – moist, tasty. The Chocolate Mousse thing was very good (but I would say that about anything chocolate). The Cheesecake may have been the best thing there.
All in all, Boma was very good and we’d definitely do it again. Our server, Jules, did a great job explaining everything and answering questions. The cost is $23.99 per person and, IMO, is a very good deal.
After dinner, they rolled me out of Boma. We stopped to check out the Jiko dining room and the menu before heading upstairs to catch a bus to Downtown Disney (DD). The bus arrived in about 10 minutes and we got to Pleasure Island at about 7:20. We were hoping to catch the 7:30 show at Comedy Warehouse. I had a Park Hopper Plus from 2001 that still had 3 “Plus” features that would allow entry into PI but, I needed to get passes for Barb and Stephen.
We strolled up to a ticket window at the West End entrance. I tossed my AP on the counter (for the discount) and asked for 2 admissions with the added option of the 5 consecutive nights for $5. Somehow, the CM at the window interpreted this as my wanting to upgrade the AP to a PAP. After several minutes, we finally clarified what I wanted and she informed me that I could not use the discount and get the 5 for $5 deal. Huh? OK, I’m in a hurry. Just sell me the 2 passes – which she did. With the 5-night option, they came to $26.27 each.
We hauled through the turnstiles and up to an empty line at the CW. Not to worry, the room was less than half full. As we entered, we joined in behind the crowd that was moving down the stairs to be seated. We were ushered to the right and I wind up in the seat next to the seat by the phone. For those that haven’t been to CW, most shows begin with an actor on stage “phoning” the person in that seat and asking a lot of questions of that person. The entire cast then comes out and improvises a song based on that person’s responses. I’ve never had the phone seat and this is the closest I’ve ever got.
The show starts and, sure enough, my neighbor (Roland) answers the phone. He’s a carpenter from Rhode Island (owns his own business), is there alone (his girlfriend has classes), and usually spends a month in Florida every winter. The cast is Mary, Karl, Brian, Christa, and Christine and they do a great job with this. Mary particularly, seems to be “on her game” tonight which is refreshing. She’s one of Barb’s favorites and the last time we saw her she had an off night. Couldn’t find rhymes, etc. She was very good and very funny tonight.
Later, they play the game show “Up Your Alley”. The running gag is that during the game, whenever the host says Up Your Alley the audience responds with “Up Yours, host name”. During this game, Brian was the host and he gave his name as Sideways Johnson. So every audience response was “Up Yours, Sideways”. Well, I think it’s funny. Overall, the show was pretty good. When it ended, we exited and returned upstairs to get in line for the second show.
Now, it’s pretty chilly tonight. Nah, it’s downright cold. I’m wearing a polo shirt, fleece, and a pullover windbreaker over that. In line for the show, there’s a “family” of 4 in front of us. Mom and Dad are in leather and are basically all over each other. Barb and I would have been too but, Stephen’s right there and we’ve gotta keep up that pretense that we hate each other. Anyway, they have 2 young (17-18?) girls with them. One is wearing a thin shirt with a bare midriff – she’s gotta be freezing. Oh, she’s also wearing a dog collar with spikes. Her “sister” (maybe just a friend) has black lipstick and black eye shadow. I say “eye shadow” but it’s much more. You know the stuff a football player smears under his eyes for glare? This is the same thickness but it’s on top and bottom of both eyes. Almost looks like a mask. The “Goth” family.
As we enter, I look up ahead and spot Roland – he’s back for show 2. We get seated in the same row as the Goths. Mary comes out to open the show and “dog collar” insists on yelling “you” at her several times. Mary responds, finally, with “me”.
At one point, they put on a musical from audience suggestions. The suggestion was “Gigi” and Mary is playing her part as a 37-year-old French girl that wants to be Miss America. She’s wearing a wig with braids and, during a tender scene with her father, Mr. Goth starts yelling for her to go see the “big bad wolf”. There’s obviously a connection between a braided French girl and Little Red Riding Hood… but I missed it.
We decide to call it a night after this show. It takes about 10 minutes (very cold minutes, actually) for an OKWR bus to show. We’re back in our room by 10:00.
Things I Learned Today: The Confectioner’s fudge is very good. I like Boma. I also like Zebra Domes. Dog collars can, apparently, keep you warm on a cold night but only if you yell “you”.
Saturday January 18 “Always remember a dirty raincoat will never let you down”
There was a “mild” freeze this morning. The 6:00 AM temperature is 32 degrees. I can see my breath on the balcony. We had decided to “sleep in” this morning, in deference to the cold, although I’m still up at 6:00. Stephen and Barb sleep in until around 7:30.
We take our time with breakfast, showers, etc. and head to DD around 10:00. We’re looking for some souvenirs for the girls and my Dad. The girls are inconveniencing themselves to watch after Gunnar while we’re gone so we’d like to get them something nice. Stephanie has suggested a throw blanket (or is it a blanket throw?) – something she can keep on her sofa and toss it across her legs on those cold nights (shouldn’t it be called a “toss” instead of a “throw”?).
We first walk through the Christmas store, looking at everything but buying nothing. At Disney at Home, Barb finds a couple of nice “throws” – a subtle WDW one for Steph and a Mickey and Minnie bride and groom for Michelle. Michelle is getting married in October and I figure by then she’ll have enough Mickey/Minnie bride/groom stuff to fill a warehouse. In November we bought her the ceramic bride/groom statue. I’ve already purchased the bride/groom pin for her. The blanket will complete the ensemble.
We don’t buy them because we get no discount in Disney at Home and we’d like to see if they’re available in World of Disney where we get 10% off from DVC (and AP I believe). We hit World of Disney and I buy a new photo album. It matches one at home (silver and black with some metal embossing) that is about full. Stephen buys some key chains for friends. We, however, don’t find the blankets so after some serious browsing in World of Disney and Team Mickey, we head back to Disney at Home and buy them ($60 each).
It’s lunch time so we decide to try the Rainforest Café (RFC). There’s no line and we’re seated immediately. By seated, I mean our server takes us on the most circuitous route imaginable through the rainforest and the jungle (I consider leaving a trail of bread crumbs to find our way back). After 90 minutes of hacking our way through with machetes, he seats us at a table where I can see the entrance about 50 feet away. Was this a guided tour?
I know there’s a lot of mixed feelings about RFC. We’ve only eaten there once before, also for lunch and it was pretty good. I order the Buffalo Chicken Salad and iced tea, Barb has a Turkey Wrap and coffee, and Stephen opts for a plain burger and coke. All are very good. The Buffalo chicken could have been spicier but it was nicely done in a bleu cheeses dressing and was very big.
We now grab a bus back to OKWR and stow our packages in the room. At about 2:00, we decide to head to Epcot. The temperature is in the high 50s and it’s very sunny. It’s one of those days where, if you stay in the sun it feels warm but if you’re in the shade it’s chilly. Kind of like Albany in April.
We enter Epcot and the security tables are still too close to the turnstiles. We take a spin on Spaceship Earth (SE). On our previous 13 trips, I’d guess that SE has been our first ride on 10 of them. Here we are, taking our first spin on SE and it’s already our 4th day.
After SE, we wander into Innoventions. Stephen immediately gets lost playing some of the video games while Barb and I wander through. There’s a game where you stand on a floor pad in front of a large video screen. On the screen, you can see something dropping items on your screen character. The object is for the person to jump back and forth (and up and down) on the pad, blasting the falling items with his head before they hit the ground. For this you score points and work up a major sweat. I watch a young girl (about 16) do this and she seems to have boundless energy. She’s jumping side to side and up and down for a good 60 seconds. Minutes later, on the second of the two “pads” I watch a guy try it. He’s about my age, maybe slightly younger, and he starts jumping. After 15 seconds, he’s obviously winded and his vertical leap has now dropped to about 3 inches. I decide to skip this.
We round up Stephen and start to exit when I see the sign for the “Ultimate Home Theater”. I’ve seen this before, but have never stayed for the show. There’s a girl, with headset microphone, on a small stage. She’s giving a spiel about the technology of yesterday and she’s surrounded by it. Old 10” black and white TVs with those big magnifying lenses; speakers the size of a Ford; rheostat dimmers the size of a telephone; etc. Where possible, she contrasts the old with the new – we hear the “Ford” speakers and then a set of Sony mini-speakers that deliver more sound. It’s pretty interesting.
When she finishes the spiel, we’re invited to enter the room next door. It’s made to look like a typical living or family room (chairs, lamps, entertainment center) except there are several wooden benches. We sit on the benches and she demonstrates remote control lighting, finally leaving us in “movie mode”. The doors on the entertainment center slide open and we see a big screen (also wide-screen) HDTV. She also describes the associated equipment – receiver, speakers, sub-woofer, etc. We then get a demo of a scene from the movie “Armageddon” – first in stereo sound and then in full surround sound. We have surround sound at home (not a wide-screen yet though) but this is accompanied with some “bass shakers” in the benches. When you see and hear an explosion, you also feel it in your butt. This may very well be the only time an explosion in my butt was a positive thing.
When this demo concludes, you are taken into a small room with 4 rows of movie theater seats. This is for a demo of tomorrow’s technology. In the front of the room is a 100” silk screen that accepts front project from somewhere over our heads. The projector and a number of speakers are very well hidden somewhere in the walls and ceiling of this room. We then get a “film” of Roger Ebert and his new partner (whose name I do not remember) introducing this technology via scenes from sports and movies. There are breathtaking clips of NCAA basketball (floor level action) and tennis (Serena Williams). The picture quality is outstanding – the best I’ve ever seen. The audio is equally good. We get a scene from “Fantasia” and one from “Gone in 60 Seconds” and again it’s fantastic. Stephen and I look at each other and, together, say “We gotta get one of these!”.
The Ultimate Home Theater is presented by Lutron (I think they produce the remote lighting stuff and provide integration of the other components) and is worth doing if you have 20 minutes to spare.
It’s now close to 3:00 so it’s time for…ice cream. We head through WS and out the IG, walk to the Beach Club and find our way into a crowded Beaches & Cream. We wait just a few minutes for a table and then sit and gorge. Barb and I settle for Sundaes (Hot Fudge for her and Chocolate for me) while Stephen gets a No Way Jose. Aptly named because there was “no way” he was going to finish it. While there, we saw the remnants of a “Kitchen Sink” on another table. There were 5 used bowls around it and it looked to still be about half full. Moral: it must take about 8 people to finish one of these.
Now we’re stuffed. It’s about 3:30 and we’re going to head back to OKWR and we have several options for travel – none of them good. There’s a boat docked at the Yacht Club so we board, thinking we’ll take it to EPCOT and catch a bus. Unfortunately, the boat is headed for MGM with stops at the BW, Swan, and Dolphin. We exit at the BW and decide to walk to MGM. After the ice cream, we can use the exercise. We walk briskly to MGM (around 10-12 minutes) and board a waiting OKWR bus. After 5 minutes or so, the bus heads out and we’re back in the room by 4:00.
We hang out, rest, call Steph, etc. until 6:30. We head to the bus stop and join a large crowd. The first bus is headed for DD and surprisingly, we’re the only one’s getting on. We stroll through PI and I notice the Adventurer’s Club is closed until 9:30 for a private function. There are, apparently, a number of company functions going on at WDW. I can see it on the golf course (scramble format) and a lot of couples at PI in suits and dresses.
We jump into line at the CW and who do we see? Roland. Stephen observes that he looks a lot like Bobby Valentine (ex-manager of the NY Mets). It’s pretty chilly tonight and there’s a refreshing breeze blowing as well. We get into the first two shows (7:20 and 8:15). Roland’s at both shows and the 8:20 has a lot of the aforementioned conventioneers. I feel sorry for many of the women – they’re looking real spiffy in those slinky, strapless dresses but they’ve gotta be freezing their butts off waiting in line outside.
Both shows are good and feature slightly different casts than last night. The second show contains a very funny skit where Christine is “tortured” until she guesses the cliché “Always remember a dirty raincoat will never let you down”. I’m not sure how she got it from “Al wise re-member a thirty Ronco twilling evilet ewe down”. We decide to call it quits after the 8:20 show and spend a very cold 10 minutes waiting for an OKWR bus. Upon arrival at OKWR, we get dropped at the HH. I can’t figure this out. Some buses make the HH their first stop, others make it their last stop (as the handouts specify) but I can’t discern a pattern. Anyway, considering we skipped dinner thanks to the late-afternoon ice cream break, I stop at Goods to Go and pick up a warm pretzel. I devour half of it walking to the room and the rest once inside.
Things I Learned Today: I now know what a “throw” is – I think. Unlike many, I enjoy the RFC. I have to get the Ultimate Home Theater (c’mon Barb. Can I? Please?). Beaches & Cream is very good. Mmmmm, ice cream.
Sunday January 19 “Bucs, Raiders and Feng Shui”
Still cold. The forecasted high for today is 59 degrees.
We decide on MGM and somehow, get a late start and are through the turnstiles at 9:10. 9:10! I can’t remember a park morning where we’ve ever gotten there AFTER opening. I must be getting old.
Stephen and Barb hit ToT. I pass mainly because the tummy is just not right today. Nothing serious but enough to know I’m not going to push it. Stephen Takes a spin on RnRC solo. I pass due to the queasy stomach, Barb because she’s vowed never again to ride it in our, or anyone else’s, lifetime. Things have certainly changed since last week – it takes Stephen 20-30 minutes to return from RnRC and at 9:45 the posted wait time is 45 minutes. A long cry from Wednesday-Friday. Honey, were not in Kansas anymore. I figure the increase in crowds must be due to MLK weekend and expect will see the same for the rest of the trip.
We now head to WWTBAM and I’m expecting crowds (and maybe the need to get a FP) but it’s wide open. We walk into the lobby and, 3 minutes later, into the show set. The first Fastest Finger is won by a 10-year old boy with a time of 0.794 seconds! Great guess, kid.
He does OK but you can tell he won’t get far (after all, he’s only 10). When he hits the 1,000 point mark they show the Leader Board and Stephen is #1. The next question is read and Stephen knows the answer and is tapping the keypad before the choices are revealed. The kid in the hot seat misses and they bring up the Board to show…. Stephen is now #2. The guy who passed him must have beaten him by nanoseconds. Oh, well. We’ll just have to pay for that cruise.
Next we visit One Man’s Dream. We spend quite a bit of time in the lobby viewing the many exhibits. I find this stuff fascinating. After about 10-12 minutes, we enter the theater and view the film. I’m a little put off by Eisner at the beginning but he does a fair job and whoever made the decision to have Walt narrate this film is a genius. It really works.
After the film, we realize that we haven’t seen the Muppets 4D yet so we head over there and are greeted by a line out the door. The beauty of frequent trips is that we don’t absolutely have to see it this trip – we saw it last one and probably will on the next one.
We decide it’s time to leave but we have some shopping to do. Stephen is trying to find Disney character Pez dispensers for some friends. Earlier, we had commented that the Apothecary on Sunset Blvd. (?) should have them. Sure enough, they do and he buys them. They also have an industrial size Pez dispenser there (maybe 18-24”) but it costs $30 and I never liked Pez that much anyway.
We decide to head to the boat dock and grab a boat to the BW (our old stomping grounds). Today is the day of the NFL Championship games so we thought we’d have lunch at the ESPN Club. The first game won’t start until 3:30 and it’s 1:00 so I figure it won’t be a problem. Wrong. The hostess informs us that there have been a slew of Bucs fans there since opening at 11:30 – “and they’re a pain in the a$$”. She says we can wait for a table (unlikely) or seat ourselves in the bar area. I’m ready to walk out when Barb says, “Let’s try” and she finds a table in 9 seconds.
I get the Roast Beef and Cheese on a roll, Stephen a burger (no surprise there), and Barb orders the hot dog. I cringe and ask if she’s sure. She is. She apparently doesn’t remember that the hot dog is ½ pound. Stephen and I did this once and, until you see it and try to eat it, you have no concept of how much hot dog there is in ½ pound. At home we have a company called Quandts that makes Black Angus hot dogs. They only sell them commercially, but we found a source. They’re thick and juicy and unlike any hot dog you’ve ever had. I can eat only one and they’re only ¼ pound. There is no way that Barb will eat more than half of this dog.
I enjoy my Roast Beef and the other half of Barb’s dog. We leave ESPN after having willed our table to a guy standing there with a beer in his hand. He actually asked if we were leaving soon (we hadn’t yet finished eating) and, when we said yes, put his beer on our table to “claim it”. The place is crowded.
We walk through the IG and stroll through WS leisurely. When we get to FW, Stephen and I decide it’s one more time in the Ultimate Home Theater. This time I ask a few questions of the CM – sizes, brands, wattage, etc. I’m mentally pricing the system and wondering if I’m due for a bonus when I remember that Michelle’s wedding is in October and Stephen starts college in September. Bummer! Maybe next year.
We had back to OKWR and relax for a bit and watch some of the NFC Championship (Bucs win). At around 7:00 we decide to head back to EPCOT. While at the HH bus stop, a woman came out of the building and asked if we knew when the bus would be there. I wanted to ask “What bus?” but realized that my answer would be no different so I just said “Sorry, no”.
At EPCOT, we strolled up to WS and Canada and stopped for some Beaver Tails. We shared two (one apple cinnamon and one maple chocolate). They actually write “Canada” with the chocolate. We found a bench and dove into the Tails. A small group of teens was nearby arguing over where to go when one said, “I want to go to EPCOT”.
We spent the next hour or so cruising the shops in WS. We hit France (a lot of perfume), Germany, Japan and China. I could have spent a fortune in China on the model ships, silk carpets and hand-carved chess sets (but I was saving my dough for that Home Theater). I was also amused at how many books they have devoted to Feng Shui. Cooking with Feng Shui, Sewing with Feng Shui, etc. I half expected to see “Lovemaking with Feng Shui”. And just who is this Feng Shui guy anyway?
Satisfied, we headed back to OKWR in time to catch the 4th quarter of the AFC game. We arrive and Oakland is up 27-24. I settle in for what should be a great finish. The Raiders score twice in the next 5 minutes and that’s all she wrote.
Things I Learned Today: While we seem to eat a regular lunch everyday, for some reason we’re replacing dinner with ice cream, Beaver Tails, etc. I was not conscious of this and it’s rather bizarre – especially for us. Somebody makes a 2 foot tall Pez dispenser. I need a 100” screen at home.
Monday January 20 “Is it broken?”
Today’s forecasted high is 70. If it stays sunny, and it’s supposed to, this should be a great weather day. My balcony test says cool, not cold.
We catch an MK bus and are at the turnstiles at 8:55. We head to SpM for Barb and Stephen and I decide I’m going to AE. I’m tired of waiting for the chickens. I join a small crowd in the pre-show room and we move through, watch Skippy get zapped, and head into the main show room.
The room is only about ½ full and I move all the way to the end. Surprisingly, a family of four moves all the way down and sits next to me. I’ve got the older son (about 8) next to me, his brother (maybe 5) and then mom and dad. The older brother asks me if this is scary because his brother is looking pretty nervous. I tell them it can be and offer various tips – lean forward and remember it’s not real. Mom asks if he’ll be OK and can he just close his eyes. I reply as honestly as I can that closing his eyes won’t help because most of the show’s in the dark. I also tell her there’s no way to be sure – every child is different. The show goes on and I can see the youngster has taken my advice (leaning forward) and Mom’s (his eyes are closed). He came through it OK although I don’t think he was happy and I’m certain he won’t be going again any time soon. I’m reminded of the first time I went in with Stephanie when she was about 18. She had a death grip on my hand and had slid under the harness on to the floor. Like I said, you just can’t be sure about kids.
I exit and find Barb and Stephen and we decide to take another spin on Buzz. This time I only get 80,000 but still clobber Stephen (58,000) and Barb (45,000). I think my 80,000 only gets me “Interstellar Schmo”. Barb and I ride It’s a Small World. Stephen refuses and waits outside. Our children just hate IASW but I still find it relaxing.
We walked back to Thunder Mountain and it’s a walk on. Next, Stephen and I ride Splash. I get just a little wet from the various sprays but there’s a small puddle on my seat and every time the log starts or stops, this puddle rolls up and down my butt. I’m wearing gray shorts and I just can’t wait to see what this wet spot will look like when I get off (as it turns out, it was very close to a map of Brazil).
We head off for a visit to the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tike Room followed by lunch at the Harbour House. We missed it the other day. I have the tuna sandwich on toasted rye – very good. Barb has fish and chips while Stephen has chicken and chips…er, fries.
We shop on Main Street and finally settle on a bobble-head baseball Mickey for my Dad. I know, I know. But what do you get the 87-year old grouch that has everything? We catch a bus and head to OKWR to take advantage of the great day with some pool time.
After changing, we send Barb to the pool while Stephen and I decide to work up a sweat first with some table tennis. I beat him four straight games. I’m feeling good and strutting a bit when he suggests some basketball. I think he’s looking for revenge for the ping-pong beating I administered but he says we don’t have to play a game, just shoot around.
We grab a basketball from Hank’s and head to the court. There is what appears to be 2 families at one end of the court (4 adults and a number of kids) so we head to the opposite side and proceed to warm up. Lay-ups, jumpers, just getting loose. Stephen puts up a jumper that comes off the front of the rim. I rebound, take one dribble and put up my patented skyhook. I come down on my right foot only instead of landing on the bottom of the foot, I choose the side. All my weight (all 215 pounds plus last night’s Beaver Tails) comes down on my ankle and it rolls completely as I introduce myself to the court surface. Having rolled (and sprained) this right ankle several times in the past, I know immediately what’s happened. One of the Dads from the other court runs over and offers assistance. No. I’m OK. Just give me a minute.
After about 3 minutes I get to one knee and, with Stephen’s help, stand up. I start limping off the court and it’s not too bad. Maybe it’s not sprained. We walk out, return the ball and head to the pool. I sit on a lounge chair next to Barb and am wondering if I even need to tell her about this. I look down and discover that someone has placed a baseball inside my right sock. Whoops, looks like it’s swelling quickly. I elevate it while Barb heads to the General Store and returns with an Ace bandage. Stephen has secured an ice bag. She walks with me as I head back to the room - very slowly and very painfully. I did it good.
Back in the room, I ice it, elevate it and wrap it but it has continued to swell. I finally decide to have it looked at. We call the front desk and they give the number for Centra Care. I call them and they’ll give no advice over the phone but they will send a courtesy van. Where are you located? At the Crossroads near Downtown Disney. OK, send the van.
I hobble outside and take about 5-minutes getting down the stairs. The van shows and I get in. Everything I do is now painful. The driver hands me a clipboard with a form to be completed while he drives. It’s not easy filling in a medical form in a moving vehicle but I manage. When I complete it I look up and realize we’re on 192. What happened to DD?
He drops me at the curb and I hobble in and present my completed form to the cheery, wonderful young woman behind the glass. I say, “Hi. I’m Steve Russo and I called earlier and talked to…”. She cuts me off with “You musta called the other office. Lemme see your insurance card”.
Well, at least she’s pleasant. I explain that the insurance information, including policy number, is on the form I just handed her. “I gotta see the card to see if we’re affiliated”. I hand her the card, after breaking it out of the hermetically sealed plastic window of my wallet. She checks it against a book and says, “Nope. Not here. You have to pay. $125 plus whatever they do”. Gosh, she could be Miss Congeniality.
OK. I assume I can get a receipt and claim this with my insurance carrier when I get home? “Thass up to you”. Thanks so much for your help. I can see you really enjoy your job. I hobble to a chair and do a quick room scan and figure I’m 4th in line. On the wall, there’s a wide-screen TV (could be HDTV) broadcasting the Hospital Network – a very depressing show. I am seriously contemplating scrapping this whole thing and grabbing a taxi back to OKWR. After all, it’s probably only a sprain.
I got here at 3:00. At 4:00, a male nurse comes for me and has me follow him to an examining room. Except he’s off at a rapid pace and I’m limping like Walter Brennan after a mule kick. I finally find him (2 left turns and a right) and he takes my pulse and BP and tells me to wait here for the doctor. 15 minutes later, here’s the doc who spends 90 seconds looking and poking and then says, “Let’s get an X-ray”. I scream “I could have told you that an hour ago you freakin’ sawbones” (on the inside). In comes male nurse (after the required 10 minute wait) and has me follow him across the hall to X-ray.
I lay on a table while he turns my ankle to angles that would have hurt if I hadn’t been injured. In a few minutes he returns and jabs the film into those backlight things. “Is it broken?” I ask. “Doesn’t look like it but I’m no doctor”. Thanks.
Hobble back to the original room and wait for the doc. He comes in and says it’s not broken just badly sprained. Use the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) approach and then he has male nurse fetch the Ace bandage. Swollen, wrapped, and limping badly I check out. “That’ll be $307, please”. Great. Give them the Marriott VISA card – at least I’ll get points. They call the van, I hobble in and it’s back to OKWR.
I tell Barb and Stephen to head out. There’s no reason they shouldn’t go to the CW or EPCOT just because I’m a crippled invalid who can’t care for himself and is in excruciating pain and… They decide to stay back.
Barb heads to Goods to Go for dinner (we were going to try Olivia’s tonight, too) and returns with Chef’s Salads for her and me and a hot dog dinner for Stephen. Because we’re staying in, Stephen heads to Community Hall to check out the videos (free rentals for DVC). We were hoping for ‘Lilo and Stich’ or ‘Monsters, Inc.’ He returns empty handed. Nothing new, just older stuff that we had seen countless times. We spend the evening reading, watching TV, and refilling my ice bag. What a great way to close a WDW trip.
Things I Learned Today: Give up the skyhook…for good.
Tuesday January 21 “Was that the windshield washer?”
I had a little trouble sleeping. The ankle is very swollen and painful. It’s also turned a lovely shade of purple. Looks kind of like a fine Merlot.
Today should be beautiful. Forecast is sunny and 74…and we’re leaving. Tiffany is coming at 8:15 so we roll our suitcases out and down the elevator (I’ll skip the stairs, thank you). Sure enough, at 8:14 a black Town Car rolls in. Our driver is not Mauro but a blond lady that doesn’t introduce herself. This is the first time with Tiffany that we haven’t had the same driver. Anyway, she’s pleasant enough.
We encounter very little traffic heading to the airport (surprising for a Tuesday morning at 8:15?) and get there at about 8:45. We check our bags with a Skycap and he tells us we need to get boarding passes inside at the gate or the automated kiosks. Barb asked about a wheelchair for me. I can walk but it’s slow going. The Skycap points to a corral and says help yourself.
We head inside and Barb tries the kiosks but you need a credit card (our tickets were bought with miles) or your USAirways card (does anyone actually carry theirs?). There’s no line at the counter so we head there. It gets a little humorous when I ask for the exit row of seats…from the wheelchair. The Counter Agent says “No” and then “Wait a minute. Before I say no, Mr. Russo, can you fulfill the required duties of the exit row?” I think for a minute. Exit row duties. Let’s see. Pull handle, open door, jump from plane while screaming. Yes, I explain. It’s only a sprained ankle.
I beep (again) going through security and have to hobble over, remove my belt, catch my pants around my ankles, etc. We head to the gate, board, fly to Philadelphia, change planes, fly to Albany.
When landing in Albany, the pilot informs us that it’s 12 degrees with a 20 mph westerly wind. Welcome home.
There’s no way I can make the hike to Montpelier to retrieve my car so I send Barb for that while Stephen and I gather up our luggage. We bring it outside and wait for Barb. It’s 12 degrees. And windy. I’m wearing a windbreaker. My ankle is throbbing.
Barb finally pulls up and pops the trunk. Because I’m the only when that has mastered the system for sliding both oversized suitcases into the trunk, I perform this miracle. Stephen hops in the back. I shiver, limp and grimace my way to the passenger side and open the door, There’s no graceful way to get in the vehicle so I turn and lower my butt to the seat before swinging my legs around. Just as I begin to slide my butt into the car, Barb decides to clean the windshield. I catch a full spray of washer fluid in the side of the face. Most of it in my ear. Now you might think this is refreshing on another day but, when it’s 12 degrees and windy, not so much.
The drive home is uneventful. MY doctor believes I’ve torn ligaments in the ankle. As I write this, it’s 8 days later and it’s still swollen and purple. I see an Orthopedist next week. All in all, it was still a good trip. Thanks for reading.
Summary: Despite the end-of trip trials we had a great time. We took everything at a leisurely pace and got to do some things that we had planned, but not pulled off, on our last few trips. We‘ve talked about postponing our next trip until late 2004 or early 2005, mostly due to the impending nuptials and tuition, but I’m now thinking a short trip in December 2003 might be just what the doctor ordered. I’ve never really seen the Christmas decorations… or the Osborne lights…or the Candlelight Processional….or…..
Any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at srusso@nycap.rr.com.
Steve
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Crank
Administrator
Posts: 1957
Registered: Aug 2002
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Posted 01-30-03 12:23 PM
Thanks, Steve!
I'm sure Coastal can relate to getting old!!
I like persons better than principles, and I like persons with no principles better than anything else in the world.
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891
BOYCOTT FRENCH TOAST, GERMAN SAUSAGE AND BELGIAN CHOCOLATES
Crank-->
All Content is © the Poster and is to be considered Intellectual Property. All Rights Reserved. Though Brilliant, Breathtaking and Extrememly Well Written the Content contained herein is Opinion and Opinion only.
ib4cruzn at charter dot net
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Lunarlady
Cast Member
Posts: 1629
Registered: Aug 2002
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Posted 01-30-03 03:25 PM
WOW! That was
a long and great trip report, just like the ones at
MousePlanet! (I actually had to stop 1/2 way through,
run some errands, then come home and finish) Great
report! Sorry, but I almost fell off my chair reading
about the windshield washer fluid.
Thanks for posting it!
A whole week of peaceful bliss, beginning with a giggle
and ending with a kiss. |
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Steve Russo
Cast Member
Posts: 18
Registered: Aug 2002
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Posted 01-30-03 06:15 PM
quote:
Lunarlady wrote:
WOW! That was a long and great trip report, just
like the ones at MousePlanet! (I actually had to
stop 1/2 way through, run some errands, then come
home and finish) Great report! Sorry, but I almost
fell off my chair reading about the windshield washer
fluid.
Thanks for posting it!
My pleasure. Thanks for reading. Consider that the washer fluid had been sitting outdoors for 8 days with temps that never got above 15 degrees. Felt like a Slurpie in the ear.
Steve
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Steve Russo
Cast Member
Posts: 18
Registered: Aug 2002
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Posted 01-30-03 06:22 PM
quote:
Lunarlady wrote:
WOW! That was a long and great trip report, just
like the ones at MousePlanet! (I actually had to
stop 1/2 way through, run some errands, then come
home and finish) Great report! Sorry, but I almost
fell off my chair reading about the windshield washer
fluid.
Thanks for posting it!
My pleasure. Thanks for reading. Consider that the washer fluid had been sitting outdoors for 8 days with temps that never got above 15 degrees. Felt like a Slurpie in the ear.
Steve
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TrpltJanie
Cast Member
Posts: 1661
Registered: Aug 2002
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Posted 02-02-03 01:35 AM
Steve!
Thank you for posting your trip report especially
with details, details, and more details. It is like
I'm back at WDW again.
Janie
The Curb Kicker
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Coastalwader
Cast Member
Posts: 935
Registered: Aug 2002
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Posted 02-02-03 08:05 AM
Great report, as usual!
Thanks Steve. 
King Unca Bubba Lord DisneyTex
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Tink *~*~*
Cast Member
Posts: 1066
Registered: Aug 2002
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Posted 02-02-03 08:18 PM
Steve,
I read and enjoyed your trip report in several installments - gave me an excuse each day to stop working, etc. Sorry about your ankle, keep us informed! You're going into the prayer bowl tonight.
Tink *~*~*
Tink *~*~*
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Steve Russo
Cast Member
Posts: 18
Registered: Aug 2002
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Posted 02-03-03 10:19 AM
quote:
Tink *~*~* wrote:
Steve,
I read and enjoyed your trip report in several installments - gave me an excuse each day to stop working, etc. Sorry about your ankle, keep us informed! You're going into the prayer bowl tonight.
Tink *~*~*
Thanks. I see the Orthopedist today at 2:00. It's still pretty swollen but the bruising has subsided a lot. It's looking like torn ligaments but I'll wait for the official verdict.
Steve
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Common
Ground / Goofy's HUGE!
/ Russo Does Disney - Again |
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