Day 7 - Disney's Animal Kingdom

8/28/11

Here it is, Day 7 ... our second day of being stranded in Disney World. Today Hurricane Irene is due to hit at home. Originally they predicted that it would come towards evening, but as we watch TV before leaving for Disney's Animal Kingdom this morning, we are watching the effects that the storm is having already. Flooding at the Battery in Manhattan, and flooding of many neighborhoods on Staten Island. My son's house is in the evacuation zone, and mine is just blocks from it. I worry that my backyard furniture may be a problem, but there is nothing I can do about it from here. My brother has taken his family to Pittsburgh to get out of the way of the storm. We watch for a while, and then since there is nothing we can do, head off to Animal Kingdom for the day.

As it has been since we have been in Disney World this trip, it is another hot day. Animal Kingdom has always been the hottest of the Disney World theme parks because of the vegetation and other factors, so we know that we will not last the whole day even before it begins. As we sit waiting for the bus we can feel that it is another very hot, and very humid day. We arrive at Animal Kingdom and while I go through security rapidly, my wife encounters a woman who is very thorough and goes through her backpack with a fine tooth comb. When she finds the pen that holds my medicine she demands to see me before she lets my wife through. Ironically, it was taking so long that I had almost told my wife that I would meet her inside the park, so I could take some pictures while I waited. However, I was nearby and eventually my wife was passed through.

As usual, first thing we do is head back to Africa to get our fastpasses for the safari. They are valid in only about a half hour from now, so we decide to go on the standby line first and then use our fastpasses for a second trip when we are finished. While many of the animals are not to be seen - they can opt to stay backstage any time they want, and with the weather the way it is, I suppose many did just that - the ones that are out and about present some great photo opportunities. There is a lot of traffic out this morning, and we get to stop at many places for good views. (You can see some of my best photos from today's safari here, as well as all of my photos from the safari and the rest of the day here.) Between the two trips we walk past the section of the trail from which you can see the gorillas and find a solitary silverback sitting in the shade munching on a snack, so I decide to take this picture. Once that is done, we continue back to the fastpass entrance to the safari for our second trip.

Once we do both safaris, my wife and I decide it is time to get something to eat. It is so hot that neither of us want to eat outdoors or a heavy meal, so we decide on restaurantosaurus. It is very crowded so we split up to try to find a table which we simultaneous do. We decide to use the one she found, and proceed to get our lunch. 


One of my wife's favorite things to do in Animal Kingdom (or most typical amusement areas for that matter) is play the carnival games, and Hester & Chester's Dino-Rama provides this opportunity for her. I, on the other hand find a seat to sit on while she does. It is now the hottest part of the day, and the heat and humidity are starting to get to me, so when she is done, and we notice that it is almost showtime for Finding Nemo The Musical, we take the short walk and head into the show. It's nice and cool here, and we sit down and watch the show - something we always enjoy.

 

By the time we exit the show, we decide that it is time to leave Animal Kingdom for the day. My wife wants to head Downtown Disney to the Marketplace where we will have dinner and she can spend some time looking around The World of Disney. 


Dinner here is at Earl of Sandwich, perhaps the best food bargain on the entire property. Even without my daughter we get a discount using our AAA membership. Once done, my wife heads into The World of Disney and I find a seat in the outdoor theater in front of the store to sit and relax a bit, giving her as much time in the store as she wants. Surprisingly she comes out quickly, and even more surprisingly without any purchases. So it is time for dessert and that means going to Ghirardelli's for some ice cream!


Finally, we head back to The Boardwalk and watch the news to find out how NYC has weathered the hurricane.


(Don't forget that you can see some safari pictures here and all of the pictures from today here.)

Day 6 - We Visit Disney's Hollywood Studios - and Friends

8/27/11

Today we are going back to The Studios to do the attractions we didn't get around to doing yesterday, and to meet some online friends. Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the people I know from both the rec.arts.disney.parks (RADP) usenet usegroup, as well as from Laughing Place. There are a few that I know who are in Disney World this week, but with our schedule and priorities it has been hard to find a way to be in the same place at the same time. Today we will try to meet Michelle and her family.

Today Michelle will be in The Studios, and we keep in touch by text as my wife and I take the boat over to the park. Once we arrive, I take my wife's park ticket and head over to get fastpasses for Toy Story: Midway Mania. Once again Michelle and I text each other. We arrange to meet by Gertie the Dinosaur as it is near the Indiana Jones Stunt Show which Michelle and her family are planning on seeing next. As my wife and I arrive in the area, I see Michelle and her daughters there waiting for us. Her husband, Tim, will meet us here in a few minutes and then all of us will head in to see the show. We catch up on all of the events of the week so far and it is as if old friends were meeting, and of course, in a way it was. We have known each other for quite a while online, and it is nice to finally meet in person. Her husband arrives and we head in to watch the show.

Once the show is over, we part ways and my wife and I head towards the Muppet 3-D show. My wife does a little souvenir browsing in the Muppet themed store while I wait, and then we head into the show. When we come out, Florida's famous "liquid sunshine" is once again falling, and we wait in the exit area until it stops. As shows let out, the area becomes quite crowded, but happily the rain stops before the crowd reaches critical mass. Once again it becomes sunny, hot and very humid as it has been, and will be, for our entire stay this time.

We walk out to Streets of America, and my wife checks out one of her favorite stands, "Youse Guys Moychindice" (we New Yorkers take a lot of ribbing, don't we?).

Next up is a stop in the book store at the end of the street. Always a nice place to cool down, and perhaps get a drink or a cookie or cake. While in there my wife asks me if I would be interested in looking into how long a walk-in at Sci-Fi Dine In would be, and I naturally like the idea. She goes in to check. Having been here often, we don't mind if we are given a table in the back rather than a car to eat in. She comes back and says that we will only have about a 15 minute wait, and she has already checked us in. Very shortly our name is called and we are shown to our car. When our meal is over, and we are into the second time through the movie loop, our car hop brings us our check, and something special. Our car has been randomly selected for a surprise gift, and we are all (us and the family in the "front seat") given a Sci-Fi mug filled with caramel popcorn. Very nice indeed!

After lunch, and continuing on the theme of finding indoor entertainment to keep cool, we head towards the Animation Courtyard, and once again backdoor ourselves through the Art of Animation store. One of our favorite things to do here in The Studios is the Animation Academy. Each time we are here we like to do at least a few classes. It is here that an animator takes a group of guests every half hour and guides them through the process of drawing one of Disney's well known characters. Most people who take part are quite surprised how, by following the animator's instructions, they can actually draw the character pretty well. Today we get to draw Mickey Mouse himself. Over the years we have drawn many Mickey's from various angles and, of course, with his sorcerer's hat. Today we get to draw a classic Mickey Mouse pose.

From the Animation Academy, we decide to head over to The Great Movie Ride. Not only is it cool and you can get off your feet, but it lasts for quite a while. And by this point of the day and the trip we are hot and the feet are a bit tired. (Okay, more than a bit ... they hurt!)

Earlier in the day, we got fastpasses for Toy Story: Midway Mania and now it was time to get to use them. We head over to the area and present our fastpasses and enter the proper queue. As I mentioned earlier, I always enjoy meeting some of my online friends while I am here, and Toy Story is where one of them is currently a cast member. As we go through the queue and get on our ride vehicle I keep my eyes open for Kellyn, but do not see her. However, as we are exiting the ride, I see a CM who is just coming off her break, and it is Kellyn. I tap her on the shoulder and we have a brief conversation in the unload area. Unfortunately, she is working and my wife and I are ready to head back to the hotel, so the meeting is brief, but it was certainly nice to get to meet her. Hopefully next time we are here we can find a more convenient time and spend some more time together.

After exiting the ride, my wife and I decide to call it a day and head to the boat for the trip back to The Boardwalk.

More pictures from today can be seen here.

Day 5 - Last Day - Or Is It?

8/26/11

It's Friday morning and our last scheduled day here in Walt Disney World. My son and his wife will be dropping the grandtwins off later this morning so that they can take care of a few chores. We are watching all of the preparations along the east coast for Hurricane Irene. Disney's Magical Express has delivered our confirmation for a 4:30 AM pickup tomorrow morning. I decide to check the status of our flight home tomorrow morning.I notice that our flight has been flagged as potentially being cancelled and that we can change our flight with no penalty. My wife and I decide that it would be a good idea to stay until the hurricane has passed by NYC. Since it is scheduled to hit at home on Sunday night, I start checking flights for Monday - all booked. I check for a Tuesday flight - all booked. Finally I find a flight for Wednesday morning, and book it. Success! We have the new flight and assigned seats. Now to decide about where to stay. We consider moving to a less expensive location, such as Pop Century or one of the All Star Resorts, but in the end we decide that we would prefer to stay here at Boardwalk, if we can remain in our current room. I call my daughter, who has made arrangements for my son and his family to stay until the hurricane has passed, and discuss our options. While on the phone with her, she is in contact with a friend at the front desk of our hotel, and finds that our room is available to extend our stay. We agree and the reservation is extended. All we have to do is get to the front desk and get a new set of keys. We are now stranded for an additional four days in WDW, staying at the Boardwalk. (I know, it's a struggle but we will try to survive.) I call Disney's Magical Express to let them know of our adjusted plans.

At about 10:00 my son and daughter-in-law stop by to drop the twins off for the day. We take a walk downstairs to the Boardwalk Bakery for some breakfast for the boys and us, and then head back to the room. We had called for 2 cribs earlier, and the boys settle in for their nap. Almost two hours later, after a nice nap, they wake up and we head off to the Disney Hollywood Studios. The boat arrives almost as soon as we get to the dock and we are off.

We arrive at The Studios and decide to head for The Great Movie Ride. The line is not long at all and after a minute or so the doors open and we head onto the ride. The boys are fascinated by the sights and sounds, and even at the times we were a bit nervous that they might tend to be a little scared, they thoroughly enjoyed it.

From here we decide that it is time for lunch, and Pizza Planet gets the nod. My wife and I order meals for us and a kids' meal for the boys. But it seems that they don't have any kids' meals ready, so instead, for the price of the kids' meal, we get a full size pizza with the juice box from a kids' meal. We find a table and proceed to have our lunch.

After lunch we head over to the animation courtyard and backdoor ourselves in through the gift shop, not really wanting to sit through the presentation and movie of the full tour. The boys spot Winnie The Pooh, so we naturally have to take them and get a picture with that silly old bear. While waiting in line, one of the twins spots his favorite character on the TV and in the wall art ... Tigger! The line moves well and after about 10-15 minutes we get to see Winnie The Pooh. The boys are old hands at this, having been here earlier in the week with their parents, and meeting Winnie and Mickey here then as well. Picture taken, we spend a bit more time here, in the air conditioning, waiting until it is showtime at Disney Junior Live!

This is an attraction which my wife and I had never seen in all of it's various incarnations after that venue had changed from being a counter service meal location (and bar). By that time our kids were grown, so we never got to see it as Playhouse Disney. (Plus, sitting on the floor was becoming more problematic for my wife and myself.) However, the twins watch all of the Disney Junior programs, so we took them in. It was actually a rather cute show, and the boys enjoyed it.

By this time we were hot, the boys were starting to get a bit cranky as well, so we decided to head back to the hotel where we would meet our daughter. Once back in the room, the boys got their second wind and were having a grand old time bouncing on the beds and running around. They remembered seeing Illuminations from our balcony the night before and kept running to it wanting to see "fireworks!" Since it was too early, they had to settle for my video from our fireworks cruise a few nights before.

Iris arrived at the room and we decided to head down to the boardwalk and have dinner at Big River. The wait was supposed to be rather short, but the family at the table they planned on giving us had finished their meal, but were not leaving. The boys enjoyed the freedom of the boardwalk, and finally our table was ready. As tired as they (and we) were, the boys behaved like little gentlemen at the table and colored and shared a kids macaroni and cheese - not to mention chocolate cake for dessert. During the meal my son texted me that they were back in WDW and heading over to our room to pick up the twins.

I guess we really worked them out today, as when we arrived back in our room to wait for their parents, one of the twins asked for Tigger and Dog (Tramp) and asked to be put in the crib so he could go to sleep. My son and his wife showed up at that point, and the boys headed back to their own hotel room for the night.

Now we don't have to get up in the wee hours of the morning to get to the airport and fly home, so we start to make plans for tomorrow. The trip now changes from one which is all about my daughter's wedding to a trip about the parks. My daughter and new son-in-law leave tomorrow for their honeymoon, and the second (unplanned) vacation is about to begin.

Day 4 - we visit the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT

8/25/11

Well, the wedding is over, and we have just two more days to do the parks, or so we think. Today we are heading over to the Magic Kingdom in the morning and then over to EPCOT later in the day. The EPCOT trip today is so that my son and daughter-in-law can have a nice dinner by themselves in France. We will watch my grandtwins so they can do that.

Usually we don't get an early start on park days since we are here often enough to not need to do it all every day in a park, but we get a mid-morning start today, which is early for us now. When we arrive in the lobby and head out to get the bus to the Magic Kingdom, it starts to rain very heavily, so we head back into the lobby to wait it out. We look at the time and see that it is 10:00 AM. Had this been one day earlier the wedding would have had to been moved indoors. Happily it is not, and also happily after about 10 minutes the rain stops and we continue our trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Once inside, my wife wants to get fastpasses for Buzz Lightyear so we head into Tomorrowland and do just that. Once done, we head over to my all time favorite attraction, The Haunted Mansion. This is almost always what we do first when we arrive here, but today there is even more of a reason. Since the last time I was here, they updated the queue area and there is now an interactive queue in the graveyard as well as a more direct queue. Naturally I wanted to see the new area. While I usually am a bit of a traditionalist, I liked this new area ... especially since the original gravestones are all still there, albeit some not in the same place. Since my grandtwins have been here and will be here many times in the future (my son having spent time in Master Gracey's employ as a butler in his youth), how can this be anything but my favorite tombstone? It's true that it honors Marc Davis, one of Disney's Nine Old Men (and Imagineer), and he does spell his name differently from mine, but I am honored to share it with him. We also get to see the new version of the hitchhiking ghosts in the mansion itself, and thought it was quite well done. Haunted Mansion upgrades have all been done well in my opinion, and have been respectful of its tradition and history.

The rain may have passed through the area again while we were in the Haunted Mansion.As we exit, it seems to be just stopping, and is once again very hot and very humid, as will be the story of this trip from beginning to end. Yes, this is August in Walt Disney World, and is to be expected, but this may be worse than any August we have ever been here. But, we are here and that is good. The only other "must see" left for this trip is the new/old Tiki Room. But before we get there, it is definitely time for a Dole Whip first! As you may notice, I like mine as a Dole Whip/vanilla swirl ... my wife gets a rootbeer float.

Then it is off to the Tiki Room. I enjoy the old-school pre-show (minus the mention of the attraction's original sponsor, the Florida Orange Growers Association) and then we head into the theater. The show has, unfortunately been cut by about 2 minutes from the original, and some great pieces are missing. I do have to admit that it feels as if it has been shortened when the end of the show happens. However, I will state that I enjoyed seeing/hearing the original again and will not terribly miss "Under New Management."

From here we head to the Pirates of the Caribbean, and then back through Fantasyland to Tomorrowland to use our Buzz Lightyear fastpasses. Once done, a trip on the People-Mover is in order after which we start to head down Main Street to do one trip around the park on the Walt Disney World Railroad and the head off to take the monorail to EPCOT. When we get off the train the 3:00 parade is about to begin, and we find an empty spot on the curb to watch it, so we wind up doing just that.

Finally we decide it's time for us to head over to EPCOT so we exit the Magic Kingdom and head for the monorail. We arrive in EPCOT and realize that we just have enough time to do one (long) attraction before it is time to meet up with our son, so we decide to spend the next 40 minutes or so taking a cool break in the Universe of Energy. (We do both believe, however, that it is time to update the attraction as Ellen's Energy Adventure has gotten old.) Once done, we get a text message from our son that they are on their way into the park and to meet them at Mousegears. We meet them, along with my daughter and then head to the Electric Umbrella to get the boys some dinner. Their parents leave, and when dinner is over, they boys sit down at the Kidcot table to do some serious coloring.

We take the boys over to Kodak and ride the attraction there, and then to The Seas with Nemo and Friends where they ride the clamshells and enjoy seeing all of the marine life exhibits. This may be their favorite spot as they really don't want to leave. They are loving all of the fish and other sea creatures on display.

Finally we walk back to the room where we once again meet up with my son and his wife, and return the grandtwins. My son then asks if we can watch the boys tomorrow while they return to his wife's parents' house (where they had spent part of the trip) to get their remaining things, as they had decided to stay in Disney World until they begin the trip back home. We of course agree. They will be dropped off in the morning, and we will take them to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Once everyone heads off, my wife and I settle in to relax and listen to the weather reports about Hurricane Irene which will be making landfall soon and is expected to hit back home on Sunday - the day after we are scheduled to come back.

(More pictures from today can be seen here.)

WDW Wedding Trip - Day 3 - Wedding Day

August 24, 2011

It's 5:30 AM and an alarm goes off. My daughter is about to get up and start getting ready for her wedding day. Jason will also be arriving (with his mom) to get ready for the day.

At 7:00 the hair stylist and make-up artist arrives and starts to work. There had been worries that rain might move the ceremony indoors, but as of now, the sun is shining and the sky is blue. So the predicted rain may not indeed become a factor. And anyway, the forecast only calls for a 30% chance of rain by 10:00 AM, the scheduled time of the ceremony.

Soon, the photographer that my daughter has hired (in addition to the one provided by Disney) arrives in the room and starts to work. I do my best to stay out of his way and not play "flash tag" with him, since his will be the more important photos of the day. Still, I manage to get quite a few good shots of the preparation. And then it is time for me to get dressed.

At 9:30 we leave the room to meet the rabbi in order to sign the civil marriage license and the ketubah ... the Jewish marriage contract. The guests, who have arrived at The Boardwalk lobby are invited to join us for this. A quick look outside confirms that it is still sunny and that the ceremony will be taking place outdoors as planned.

We leave the hotel and head out onto the boardwalk itself and walk towards the pavilion where the ceremony is to be held. Once the guests are seated, Jason and his mom, and my wife, daughter and I prepare for the ceremony to begin. The violinist plays and Jason and his mom walk in and take their place under the chupah. The violinist starts to play "When You Wish Upon a Star," and my wife and I escort Iris down the aisle and take our places under the chupah as well. The ceremony begins. I do my best to keep my sniffling under control. It is a beautiful ceremony and Iris and Jason look as happy as can be.

The ceremony ends with Jason breaking the glass and the violinist plays Baroque Hoedown as the happy couple walk back down the aisle, followed by Jason's mom and my wife and myself.

Tables had been set up outside of the pavilion for champagne and cake, but since it is such a hot day, and the sun is already very strong, everyone stays under the cover of the pavilion for the toast (which I manage, somehow, to get through ... only "losing it" a little bit) and the cutting of the cake. The eating of the cake will wait for a bit, since we have arranged for lunch at The Turf Club at Saratoga Springs Resort, and will have it served there. Now, however, it is time for more pictures with family and pictures of the bride and groom around the lake. As hot as it is, these pictures will look amazing when they are ready, and all of the heat, humidity and sweat will be forgotten. Many of the guests head back to our room while both photographers work to get those memories saved. I stay back and watch them work, taking a few pictures myself along the way. The Boardwalk and the surrounding lake present some wonderful photo opportunities both on the beach and on the boardwalk itself.

Finally it is time to head over to Saratoga Springs Resort for lunch. The stretch limousine arrives to take the couple (and parents) there. In the limousine, we all are simply happy to have cold water on ice, and enjoy the short air conditioned ride to the resort. The Turf Club is a restaurant that we have been to a number of times, and Iris worked with the chef to put together a wonderful experience for all of us. We had an area in the back of the restaurant to ourselves, and the staff couldn't have been nicer, friendlier or more attentive to our needs. Remember the cake from the ceremony? It was cut and served for dessert here ... chocolate and lemon cake covered in fondant. Need I tell you how good it was? When it was over, the limousine took us back to The Boardwalk - along with a box of the left over wedding cake - where Iris and Jason would check in to their room. The rest of us head back to our room where we can change out of our formal wear and into something comfortable and relax for the rest of the afternoon. Soon naps are being taken and everyone is getting ready for later, when the final activity of the day will be taking place. But for now the main event is over, the weather held out and the ceremony was able to go on outside as everyone had planned and hoped for.

The final activity of the day started out at The Contemporary Resort marina. We were going out on a fireworks cruise to see Wishes at the Magic Kingdom from the Seven Seas Lagoon. We left from the dock and had a tour of Bay Lake and all of the spots of interest there when we were treated to an up close view of the Electric Water Pageant. This parade, which has been running continuously since the resort opened in 1971, is the forerunner to both the Main Street Electrical Parade and SpectroMagic. We then headed over to the Seven Seas Lagoon and soon took our place to watch Wishes. It was the perfect ending to a most perfect day.

WDW Wedding Trip - Day 2 - 8/23/11

Today will be a busy day. Lots of things to do, starting with a family character breakfast at Cape May Café at the Beach Club. We have often eaten at Cape May, but always for their clambake dinner, so this will be the first time we will be having breakfast there. Of course, the reason we are doing this is for my grandtwins, but the food at any Disney character breakfast is always good, and this proves to be no exception. The highlight for the boys is the Mickey Mouse shaped waffles. (It's not the first time they have had them, or even the first time they have been to a character breakfast.) The adults also have plenty to eat. At Cape May Café we are visited by Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck all ready for their day at the beach.


After breakfast, my son and his family have to check in at the Yacht Club where they will be staying for the next few days. Sandy and I then head over to Disney's Hollywood Studios for the single purpose of seeing the new Star Tours. (On the boat over back we pass the pavilion where the wedding will take place tomorrow.)  While we were standing on line to get in, a film crew (yes, this was a real one) was filming a TV commercial for the updated attraction. However, I am sure that we were standing behind a post during the shoot so you won't see us.

Returning from the Studios on the Friendship I saw a post from my cousin (who is also here in Disney World) that she had heard that there had been an earthquake back home. I looked online and found early reports that there had indeed been a 5.6 earthquake centered just south of Washington, DC - in Virginia. I also started hearing others on the boat talking with friends and family back home. We aren't known to have earthquakes of this magnitude on the east coast so this was quite an event. Usually when we do have an earthquake it is not something that most people are aware of - unless they happen to see the water rippling in their toilets ... I had.

In the late afternoon, Iris, along with Sandy, Jason's mom and a few other girls will be going for afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian. During this time I will meet Bobby and the twins at the Magic Kingdom (MK). About an hour before we have agreed to meet there, I leave the room to head over to the MK. As I get on the bus, the sky is still bright and sunny, but as we head to the MK the skies open up and the daily downpour occurs. Happily, this is Florida and as we approach the MK bus station, the rain stops, though it remains overcast. I head over to the porch of the Main Street Theater and sit and wait for my son.

During this time I speak with him on the phone and as the rain starts and stops a number of times, I give him the option of passing on coming over. However, he decides it will be okay and soon he and the boys are in the park. After picking up a few mouse ears (and having them personalized) for a friend we decide to head to Fantasyland and pull fastpasses for Winnie the Pooh. That done, we head over to It's a Small World. The boys have been on this a few times before but are still totally immersed in the attraction as we float through. Of course, this scene is totally appropriate for us on this trip.

After It's a Small World we start heading over to Winnie the Pooh, but when the boys see the carrousel, they want to ride, so we get on line and rather quickly are onboard.

That done, Winnie the Pooh is next, our fastpasses now valid. (One of the twins' favorite character is Tigger, so he is always happy to see him.)

After we exit the attraction, it is obvious that the rain will continue on and off for the rest of the day so we decide to head back. My son gives me a lift back to the Boardwalk and he and the boys head back to their resort. Tomorrow will be a big day ... The Wedding!!

(More pictures from today can be seen here.

August 21, 2011 - We Head to Disney World

After all the planning, Iris and Jason's wedding was just days away. Today we head to the airport and head to Walt Disney World in Florida. Not the first time by any means, but this time will be special. We don't plan on being in the parks very much ... but oh how plans can change.

We are flying out in the evening, and storms on the east coast have been playing with air schedules most of the afternoon. Though our 6:30 PM flight is still listed as "on time" when we arrive at the airport, Newark Liberty as a whole is experiencing an average of 84 minute delays. While it hasn't started raining in the NYC vicinity yet, our plane, which was coming from Spain, was diverted to Boston. However, we are told that it is now at Newark, and when our flight does get slightly delayed, it is only a delay of 30 minutes. By 7:00 PM we are on the aircraft and ready to push. In all, we wind up getting to Orlando International only about 45 minutes late, and Iris and Jason are waiting for us.

They drive us to Disney's Boardwalk Resort (BWR) where we are staying for the next 6 nights, and the wedding will take place on Wednesday. Sandy and I are amazed at our room when we get there. One of Iris's friends has made sure that we were assigned to the largest room at the level we had selected - which is important as there will be many people in and out of there on the wedding day, and Iris will be having her hair and make-up test there the day before, as well as staying the night before the wedding. There will be 5 people getting dressed there the morning of the big day! At night, we watch Illuminations from our rather small balcony - well, something had to make up for the size of the room.

The next day, Monday, Jason and I head off to pick up our tuxedos while Iris, Sandy and Iris's friend Lee Ann stay in the room waiting for the hair stylist/make-up artist. Once both of those tasks are completed, we all scatter to take care of a number of matters. Iris heads off to have her nails done with my daughter-in-law (and others) so Bobby, the twins, Sandy and I walk over to EPCOT for the afternoon.

First thing Sandy and I do is activate our Annual Passes. Sandy needs to get a few things at France, so after that stop, we head over to Future World and take the boys through Journey Through Your Imagination. They thoroughly enjoy the ride (again - they had been on it earlier in the week and last year) and spend some time running around in the interactive area.

It is a terribly hot day - and will be so all week - so before we go to The Seas With Nemo and Friends, the boys stop for a juice break. We  then do the Nemo ride and spend some time in Seabase, including a visit with Crush. The boys love watching the fish and enjoy their  time there. When it it finished we decide to head over to World Showcase so that we are closer to the International Gateway so that when it is time to return to the hotel to meet up with everyone, we won't be stuck on the other side of the park.
We walk around, and take the boys onto the ride in Mexico, but of course, this being Florida, the afternoon downpour is starting to make its presence known, so we decide to head back to the room and wait for everyone, at which time we will go have a bite to eat for dinner. At this point we hear thunder and see lightning, and our plan to take a boat back to the hotel is stymied by the fact that the lightning has caused them to stop running, so we walk the short walk back, hoping to make it before the rain comes. We do.

Once everyone is back, we decide that we would try to have dinner at the ESPN Club, but as we get there we can see that the lines are just too long, so we try Big River just down the Boardwalk, but they too had long lines. As it turned out we went off property and all had dinner at Red Lobster.

Back to the room when done, as tomorrow would be a big day with lots of things to do.

More pictures of today can be seen here.

Welcome

This blog will be where I will post my Disney World (or other) trip reports, so as not to torment those reading my other blog, Thoughts From the Dark Side, with an overdose of Disney.

Please feel free to share this site, become a member and most definitely make comments.

Above all ... enjoy.

P.S. At the moment it is still in a rough state, but I thought it was more important to get my trip report from the just completed trip done ... before it gets even blurrier in my mind than it already is.