Well all, it's the morning of day 3. Today I slept in, got up around 9:30-10. So, no early day at the park for us. That wouldn't be a problem though. I got ready for the big day ahead and went to my trusty Extra Magic Hours list to see what park would be good for today. I guided everyday at the parks around this list, because I knew going to the parks when there was an EMH morning would be bad. After looking at the list, it seemed like EPCOT would be the perfect fit for today. So I went downstairs, ate a quick breakfast, and everyone decided to head out to the pool for a swim before heading to the park. The pool is for everyone in our "district", but it is located literally right outside our doorstep, which was awesome. Plus, the fact that we had the whole building to ourselves made this even sweeter. Once we arrived at the pool, it was deserted. Very nice. We had the whole thing to ourselves for the hour and a half we were there. This was an opportunity we just couldn't give up. The pool was of a very nice size, it was all to us. It was extremely relaxing, and a great way to start off our morning. We just didn't want to leave it was so amazing. Anyway, after an hour and a half, we headed back to the room and got ready for a day at the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow.
Once everyone was ready, we headed out to the car and set out on our journey. Before we went to EPCOT, we stopped to get something to eat. We decided to check out some roads near our hotel, and found one with just about every chain restaurant you can think of. It seemed like looking here would be a smart choice. We just wanted something quick before heading to EPCOT for the day, so we explored the long road and decided to go to Chik-Fil-A. I had never been there before, so this would be hopefully a nice change from the norm. The place ended up being excellent. My grilled chicken sandwich was great, along with a pack of the chicken strips. This place is definitely one of my favorite fast food destinations now. Too bad there are many up here in NJ :(. Definitely a surprise of the trip with quick, good food. I got a cookies and cream milkshake on the way out...which was amazing as well. Well, now it's time to over to WDW and go to one of my favorite Disney parks, EPCOT. The drive was quite short, about 10 minutes tops until we were inside the WDW gates. We came in the same way we did the other day, near MGM. So, we got a nice view of Tower before heading over to EPCOT. From there on it didn't take long at all, probably 5 minutes and we were at the toll booths. We paid the ridiculous parking fee of 9 bucks and headed in. Once inside the parking lot, the park seemed to be pretty crowded. We were situated in one of the two parking lots located closest to the toll booths. Hopefully the crowds again weren't bad at all, especially for midday. How non-crowded the parks were those days still amazes me. Anyway, we hopped on the tram, and headed into EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow!
We arrived at the ticket booths and got our hoppers out and ready. EPCOT also has a fingerprint system, but it's different than the Magic Kingdom's. MK's is just a thumb print, EPCOT's (and the rest of the parks I may add) have a two finger system. This one was a bit more complicated, it took me a while for it to work. I hope they replace the these with the ones like at the MK, as they are much easier. Anyway, we finally got inside. First things first...maps! Always have to pick up a map on my way in. I have quite a collection now...starting with WDW maps for 2000! Anyway, I grabbed a few Soarin' themed maps and even an "espanol" map :). Hey, I am taking Spanish in school, so I decided to take it. Second things second...the beast that is Spaceship Earth. This thing is truly a monster. This thing dominates the skyline of the park. None of the other pavilions even have a shot at competing with this thing's gargantuan size. Sometimes you just have to stop and store at it. It's accompanied by the Mickey Wand, which a lot of people evidently have a problem with. I don't know, it doesn't seem as a big problem to me. Anyway, this thing's huge, and it's the first thing in our path. With a posted wait of 5 minutes, we decided to check out this classic attraction first. It's always a relaxing and educational ride through evolution of communications. We walked through the almost empty queue, and we actually never stopped walking. We just kept walking, as did everyone in front of us, until we came to our vehicles. We stopped on to the turntable and then into our retro blue vehicle. Our journey through Spaceship Earth begun as we approached the dark lift tunnel.
The journey through Spaceship Earth is coming soon!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Chapter 14:Cockroach Eating Isn't Only at Six Flags
After we pulled out of the Magic Kingdom parking lot, it was time to find a place to eat. We came to a conclusion on going to the Crossroads area to find something. The Crossroads is a shopping/eating area located just outside the WDW gate. I'd say the area is closest to Downtown Disney, as we passed it and Hotel Boulevard on our way there. The drive wasn't far at all, maybe 10 minutes tops, until we came to the light right outside the WDW gate. This thing just took forever. By the time we made it across the street (which is where the Crossroads is) it was another 10 minutes. So here's a tip...don't try to exit WDW through that gate...especially if it's near closing time. That light would just not move at all. Once inside, we checked the place out. They had more than quite a few places to eat, so it was going to be tough deciding on just one. We ended up deciding on Jungle Jim's, a tropical themed family restaurant near the end of the Crossroads strip. We had been there about 10 years ago, on my first WDW trip ever. I was little, maybe 3-4 or so, so I didn't remember anything about it. Anyway, the rest of the family decided it would be a good place to go for something to eat, so we tried it. Everyone was wiped out from our first day at the MK, and after a late night the night before, we all wanted to get a good night sleep. So, we parked the car, and headed into the truly jungle themed restaurant.
We walked inside and I noticed immediately how well themed it was...maybe a bit TOO well themed. It really looks like a jungle in there, full of green trees and blue waterfalls. The place seemed pretty popular, so hopefully this would be a good choice for the night. We were quickly seated upon coming in, and we walked through the very green restaurant towards a table in the back. We sat, relaxed after a long day, and checked out the menu. Everyone ordered quickly, i went with a buffalo chicken sandwich. While waiting for our food, I checked out my MK map and some of the brochures I begun collecting during the trip (I "collect" maps). I noticed that the WDW maps had been downsized since my trip in 2003, they went down to one single horizontal flap instead of two. Anyway, the maps are still very nice looking, I guess they didn't need all that extra space. So, that's what I did while I was waiting. However, let's fast forward to when the food gets here. It luckily didn't take that much time, maybe 20-25 minutes tops. Once our food was here, everyone dug in. My sandwich wasn't bad, I finished it pretty quickly. However, as soon as I did finish it, all I heard was "OMG"....and looked up.
There were two huge cockroaches climbing down the wall right beside me. They were on a mission, to capture my food! Well, the rest happened so fast. My mom and sister were out of there in an instant, my brother slowly behind. The cockroaches were still quickly gliding down the wall, looking to get a bite at my dinner. My dad and I waited a while, and I just watched them crawl down the wall in shock. Well, they don't call the place Jungle Jim's for nothing. Soon our waitress came around, and we showed her the nasty things climbing down the wall. She quickly apologized for the matter, and my dad and I made a quick exit. We left the place disgusted...it was a very spur of the moment kind of thing. While I at least got my sandwich down, which I didn't feel to good about now, some of the others didn't get to eat anything. Oh well...I guess this was a bad choice. I still can't get over that incident, and probably never will. Anyway, as you can see, I'm pretty speechless about the subject, so I'll say no more. However, I will give you a statement of advice...beware Cockroach Jim's...
After leaving, we met up with the others outside. Everyone just about had it for the day, and it ended on a pretty shocking note. Anyway, we headed back to the car, and made our way back to the hotel. The drive was about 20 minutes with no traffic. Before heading to the room we stopped at the Publix by our resort. We picked up a few items for the room, some sodas, snacks, etc..., and then made our way back to our room. Ah, how nice it felt to kick back and relax in our room. We all got ready for bed after a long day. I put on the Little league World Series and reflected about the day we just encountered...so here's a recap for those that are just joining us.
-Starting the day off at the resort's mini water park is awesome and relaxing
-Parking is expensive
-I love the Monorail
-The Magic Kingdom really wasn't crowded around midday, which is surprising for a hot summer day
-The new Pirates upgrade is a new, fresh addition to the attraction
-Big Thunder was wilder than I remember it
-Splash Mountain has the longest lines in the park
-The Haunted Mansion is a classic, but needs an upgrade
-it's a small world isn't for the faint of heart
-Mickey's PhilharMagic is the best 3-D show in the World
-Buzz Lightyear is fun yet incredibly hard for a beginner, yet with practice you will get better (trust me)
-The Tomorrowland Transit Authority is just freaking sweet. Most relaxing ride in WDW and one of the best for photos
-Space Mountain can NOT just go 28 MPH. Not possible.
-The Carousel of Progress simply doesn't get the respect it deserves.
-WDW popcorn is amazing...
-Beware Jungle Jim's...
-After a day at the park, it feels great to relax back at the room.
With that, I was out in no time. Tomorrow we would brave another park, the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow...EPCOT, of course! EPCOT may be my favorite park of the four at WDW, it is very, very close. Anyway, and in hopefully the near future...the biggest Expedition Everest review ever. Well, that's enough for day 2. Good night, sweet dreams, and drive save. Day 3 is on the horizon.
We walked inside and I noticed immediately how well themed it was...maybe a bit TOO well themed. It really looks like a jungle in there, full of green trees and blue waterfalls. The place seemed pretty popular, so hopefully this would be a good choice for the night. We were quickly seated upon coming in, and we walked through the very green restaurant towards a table in the back. We sat, relaxed after a long day, and checked out the menu. Everyone ordered quickly, i went with a buffalo chicken sandwich. While waiting for our food, I checked out my MK map and some of the brochures I begun collecting during the trip (I "collect" maps). I noticed that the WDW maps had been downsized since my trip in 2003, they went down to one single horizontal flap instead of two. Anyway, the maps are still very nice looking, I guess they didn't need all that extra space. So, that's what I did while I was waiting. However, let's fast forward to when the food gets here. It luckily didn't take that much time, maybe 20-25 minutes tops. Once our food was here, everyone dug in. My sandwich wasn't bad, I finished it pretty quickly. However, as soon as I did finish it, all I heard was "OMG"....and looked up.
There were two huge cockroaches climbing down the wall right beside me. They were on a mission, to capture my food! Well, the rest happened so fast. My mom and sister were out of there in an instant, my brother slowly behind. The cockroaches were still quickly gliding down the wall, looking to get a bite at my dinner. My dad and I waited a while, and I just watched them crawl down the wall in shock. Well, they don't call the place Jungle Jim's for nothing. Soon our waitress came around, and we showed her the nasty things climbing down the wall. She quickly apologized for the matter, and my dad and I made a quick exit. We left the place disgusted...it was a very spur of the moment kind of thing. While I at least got my sandwich down, which I didn't feel to good about now, some of the others didn't get to eat anything. Oh well...I guess this was a bad choice. I still can't get over that incident, and probably never will. Anyway, as you can see, I'm pretty speechless about the subject, so I'll say no more. However, I will give you a statement of advice...beware Cockroach Jim's...
After leaving, we met up with the others outside. Everyone just about had it for the day, and it ended on a pretty shocking note. Anyway, we headed back to the car, and made our way back to the hotel. The drive was about 20 minutes with no traffic. Before heading to the room we stopped at the Publix by our resort. We picked up a few items for the room, some sodas, snacks, etc..., and then made our way back to our room. Ah, how nice it felt to kick back and relax in our room. We all got ready for bed after a long day. I put on the Little league World Series and reflected about the day we just encountered...so here's a recap for those that are just joining us.
-Starting the day off at the resort's mini water park is awesome and relaxing
-Parking is expensive
-I love the Monorail
-The Magic Kingdom really wasn't crowded around midday, which is surprising for a hot summer day
-The new Pirates upgrade is a new, fresh addition to the attraction
-Big Thunder was wilder than I remember it
-Splash Mountain has the longest lines in the park
-The Haunted Mansion is a classic, but needs an upgrade
-it's a small world isn't for the faint of heart
-Mickey's PhilharMagic is the best 3-D show in the World
-Buzz Lightyear is fun yet incredibly hard for a beginner, yet with practice you will get better (trust me)
-The Tomorrowland Transit Authority is just freaking sweet. Most relaxing ride in WDW and one of the best for photos
-Space Mountain can NOT just go 28 MPH. Not possible.
-The Carousel of Progress simply doesn't get the respect it deserves.
-WDW popcorn is amazing...
-Beware Jungle Jim's...
-After a day at the park, it feels great to relax back at the room.
With that, I was out in no time. Tomorrow we would brave another park, the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow...EPCOT, of course! EPCOT may be my favorite park of the four at WDW, it is very, very close. Anyway, and in hopefully the near future...the biggest Expedition Everest review ever. Well, that's enough for day 2. Good night, sweet dreams, and drive save. Day 3 is on the horizon.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Chapter 13:There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow...
As I mentioned, it was time make a decision. Our decision came to this conclusion, to go on a favorite among us all, Carousel of Progress, then head out to get something to eat. After that we'd return to our hotel so we could actually get a good night's sleep, which we didn't get the last night. CoP was only a short walk away, and I was excited to ride this classic again. This is one attraction that I just enjoy going on whenever I visit WDW. It clearly shows how things have evolved, and will evolve. Plus, they have numerous entertaining scenes featuring Audio Animatronics to keep you entertained. This is one attraction that I would hate to see the World do away with...it's such an underrated classic. It really never has a line, which is quite disappointing. Anyway, we all approached the attraction and walked up the entry ramp. There were only a couple of other people waiting to ride, which again to me is disappointing. A lot of people are missing out on a classic Disney attraction. Anyway, it was only a couple of minutes before the doors were opened and we were allowed into the rotating theatre. We all took a seat (which are actually very comfortable, by the way) and got ready to enjoy a piece of Disney magic about one of the things that fascinated Walt the most, progress.
They filled up the theatre as much as they could, which unfortunately seemed like less than half of the total seats. People don't know what they're missing with this one. Anyway, after a few minutes, the doors closed, and lights dimmed, and the show was ready to begin. The red curtain in front of us opens, and shows the Carousel of Progress logo. Our host then greets us (who we're about to meet), and tells us some history about the attraction. It was created for the 1964 World's Fair, and it was entirely Walt's idea. It was a hit back then...unfortunately not so much now. He also explains how Walt was fascinated with the American family. The show itself shows a regular family going through the changes and advancements of the 20th century. With background info in hand, it's time to move on into the next part of the theatre. We begin to rotate towards the next area, and can hear the classic song "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" beginning to be sung as we enter. This first scene takes place around the turn of the century (In 1900, that is). It was a time when flying seemed impossible and automobiles were a rarity. Our narrator (named John) shows off his living room with the greatest inventions of the time, the telephone, gas lamps, and the good old icebox. We see the family living in almost 100 years ago, and they are shocked about all the new inventions popping up nowadays. However, this is only the beginning. There's plenty more of progress before this show's over...
Next up, we fast forward about 20 years to where electricity is the big thing. Our narrator shows off all of his electric powered devices now situated around the stage. Also, the invention of the radio brings in news from all around the world. They couldn't be more happier about indoor plumbing as well..."it's good for cold nights", says John. The family is prepping for the town's Fourth of July parade, and everyone's getting ready in costume. When the new handy-dandy radio says the festivities are starting to begin, it's time to head out for the parade. We exit the scene again with our narrator singing the classic tune. When we arrive in the next scene, we're in the fabulous 40's. The family's Halloween has been enhanced with tons of new inventions, such as the automatic dishwasher and the famed first television. The family is quite busy with Halloween festivities and transforming their basement into a "rumpus room"...it was all the rage at the time. And when John's paint mixer spatters paint all over the room, he tries to cheer up his wife, who was painting, with his song. With that, the 40's are over and its time to move into the next area. The time of this era isn't stated, but I've begun to think of it as the future, and we'll see why in a bit. It's Christmas time in the our narrator's American household, and everyone's over to celebrate the holiday. We see many new inventions popping up in the house, such as voice activation systems and and virtual video games that are played just through a set of glasses! I don't see is this as any time but the future. Everyone's having a great time until the voice-activated oven overhears the number "750", raises the temperature, and burns the Christmas turkey! After some talk about what will happen in the future, the final scene ends again with everyone singing the song together. Finally we rotate into the exit scene (which is different than the entry scene), and our narrator lets us go with "tomorrow's just a dream away..."
The doors opened and we all got up from our seats. We exited the theater and went back out into Tomorrowland. Overall, the CoP is an amazing attraction to me. It's highly informative and provides a learning experience for all. Also, the show it presents is highly entertaining. It's fascinating to see how much has evolved over the next decade, and how things will continue to evolve. To me, the attraction is excellent, as well as the idea behind it. It's a definite must hit on your next trip to WDW. Well, the day was beginning to end, and it was now time to head out. As we walked back to the main gate, I thought about was an awesome day it was. It was short, sweet, and I got on mostly everything. I'd be back later on in the trip to hit what I missed. However, for the first real day, it sure was a nice relaxing one at the park. It surprisingly wasn't crowded at all...no waits were longer than about 30 minutes and we only needed one Fast Pass. Not what you would expect from a hot August day. However, I did plan our days around the Extra Magic Hours, so maybe that had something to do with it. All in all, it was a great first day at the Magic Kingdom.
KKR05's Expert Advice-I think I've said most of what's had to been said about the CoP. It's a great ride for all ages...really everyone can experience this classic attraction. I said it once and said it again, this ride doesn't get what it deserves. So, on your next trip, head to the CoP for a nice pleasant surprise.
It was time for the last ride of the day...the monorail ride that is! We took an express shuttle back to the Transportation and Ticket Center. I love riding the monorail, it's so relaxing and gives excellent views. The trip was short yet sweet as we arrived back at the TTC. Our car was just a tram ride away now. Once we finally exited the monorail and got to our car, we noticed a surprising amount of people heading into the park. It seems we got out just in time (it probably was Extra Magic Hours). Now, it was time to eat, so we dashed over to the Crossroads for dinner, where we'd discover that cockroach eating wasn't only at Six Flags.
They filled up the theatre as much as they could, which unfortunately seemed like less than half of the total seats. People don't know what they're missing with this one. Anyway, after a few minutes, the doors closed, and lights dimmed, and the show was ready to begin. The red curtain in front of us opens, and shows the Carousel of Progress logo. Our host then greets us (who we're about to meet), and tells us some history about the attraction. It was created for the 1964 World's Fair, and it was entirely Walt's idea. It was a hit back then...unfortunately not so much now. He also explains how Walt was fascinated with the American family. The show itself shows a regular family going through the changes and advancements of the 20th century. With background info in hand, it's time to move on into the next part of the theatre. We begin to rotate towards the next area, and can hear the classic song "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" beginning to be sung as we enter. This first scene takes place around the turn of the century (In 1900, that is). It was a time when flying seemed impossible and automobiles were a rarity. Our narrator (named John) shows off his living room with the greatest inventions of the time, the telephone, gas lamps, and the good old icebox. We see the family living in almost 100 years ago, and they are shocked about all the new inventions popping up nowadays. However, this is only the beginning. There's plenty more of progress before this show's over...
Next up, we fast forward about 20 years to where electricity is the big thing. Our narrator shows off all of his electric powered devices now situated around the stage. Also, the invention of the radio brings in news from all around the world. They couldn't be more happier about indoor plumbing as well..."it's good for cold nights", says John. The family is prepping for the town's Fourth of July parade, and everyone's getting ready in costume. When the new handy-dandy radio says the festivities are starting to begin, it's time to head out for the parade. We exit the scene again with our narrator singing the classic tune. When we arrive in the next scene, we're in the fabulous 40's. The family's Halloween has been enhanced with tons of new inventions, such as the automatic dishwasher and the famed first television. The family is quite busy with Halloween festivities and transforming their basement into a "rumpus room"...it was all the rage at the time. And when John's paint mixer spatters paint all over the room, he tries to cheer up his wife, who was painting, with his song. With that, the 40's are over and its time to move into the next area. The time of this era isn't stated, but I've begun to think of it as the future, and we'll see why in a bit. It's Christmas time in the our narrator's American household, and everyone's over to celebrate the holiday. We see many new inventions popping up in the house, such as voice activation systems and and virtual video games that are played just through a set of glasses! I don't see is this as any time but the future. Everyone's having a great time until the voice-activated oven overhears the number "750", raises the temperature, and burns the Christmas turkey! After some talk about what will happen in the future, the final scene ends again with everyone singing the song together. Finally we rotate into the exit scene (which is different than the entry scene), and our narrator lets us go with "tomorrow's just a dream away..."
The doors opened and we all got up from our seats. We exited the theater and went back out into Tomorrowland. Overall, the CoP is an amazing attraction to me. It's highly informative and provides a learning experience for all. Also, the show it presents is highly entertaining. It's fascinating to see how much has evolved over the next decade, and how things will continue to evolve. To me, the attraction is excellent, as well as the idea behind it. It's a definite must hit on your next trip to WDW. Well, the day was beginning to end, and it was now time to head out. As we walked back to the main gate, I thought about was an awesome day it was. It was short, sweet, and I got on mostly everything. I'd be back later on in the trip to hit what I missed. However, for the first real day, it sure was a nice relaxing one at the park. It surprisingly wasn't crowded at all...no waits were longer than about 30 minutes and we only needed one Fast Pass. Not what you would expect from a hot August day. However, I did plan our days around the Extra Magic Hours, so maybe that had something to do with it. All in all, it was a great first day at the Magic Kingdom.
KKR05's Expert Advice-I think I've said most of what's had to been said about the CoP. It's a great ride for all ages...really everyone can experience this classic attraction. I said it once and said it again, this ride doesn't get what it deserves. So, on your next trip, head to the CoP for a nice pleasant surprise.
It was time for the last ride of the day...the monorail ride that is! We took an express shuttle back to the Transportation and Ticket Center. I love riding the monorail, it's so relaxing and gives excellent views. The trip was short yet sweet as we arrived back at the TTC. Our car was just a tram ride away now. Once we finally exited the monorail and got to our car, we noticed a surprising amount of people heading into the park. It seems we got out just in time (it probably was Extra Magic Hours). Now, it was time to eat, so we dashed over to the Crossroads for dinner, where we'd discover that cockroach eating wasn't only at Six Flags.
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