Walt Disney World - Vacation Summary

MGM 9.17.01
We checked into Disney's Polynesian Resort shortly after 12:00 on September 17, 2001. Our room was in the Rarotonga House [#1812].

Before jetting to MGM, Delta and I strolled to the Barefoot Pool Bar by the Nanea Volcano Pool for an adult beverage.

We took a bus to MGM from the stop outside of the Great Ceremonial House. After a short bus trip we were standing near the entrace of MGM.

After stopping for some photographs we quickly made our way to The Twilight Tower of Tower. We rode it twice before moving on to the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (which we also rode twice).

We had some burgers on Suset Blvd. at Rosie's All-American Cafe. After lunch we took the Disney MGM Studios Backlot Tour before working our way back to Star Tours. We ended our 1/2 day in MGM at the Beauty and the Beast stage show.

Back at the hotel, we took our first grand circle tour of the resort via the monorail. The evening ended with a stroll to the Grand Floridian.

Magic Kingdom 9.18.01
Our first full day! After an early wake-up call from Mickey, I had Delta showered, dressed and standing on line for the monorail in less than an hour!

After taking several photographs outside the park with the Walt Disney World Railroad as a backdrop, we made our through the main entrance.

We purchased morning coffee and pastry from the Main Street Bakery, before crossing Main Street and the bridge near the Crystal Palace and heading toward Adventureland.

Delta took the following photograph just as we crossed the border between Main Street U.S.A. and Adventureland. The first attraction of the day was Pirates of the Caribbean and there was absolutely no line. Delta was irritated because I made her go on it before she could finish her coffee!

After Pirates of the Caribbean we crossed the border into Frontierland. We managed to ride Splash Mountain twice (and neither of us got really wet). After Splash Mountain we hit the other mountain in Frontierland- Big Thunder.

We were on line for The Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square well before noon. After touring the mansion and picking up our ghost we crossed the border (again) into Fantasyland. In addition to looking at the mural in Cinderella's Castle, we also took several photographs of the fountain.

In Fantasyland, we rode; Peter Pan's Flight, "it's a small world", Snow White's Scary Adventures, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. In Mickey's Toontown Fair we went on The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm before crossing the border into Tomorrowland. In Tomorrowland, we went on the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, Space Mountain, Tommorland Transit Authority (formerly WED way people mover), Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, and The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.

By late afternoon, having circled the park once by foot, we took a grand-circle tour of it via the Walt Disney World Railroad. While waiting for an afternoon showing of Legend of the Lion King in Fantasyland, we went on the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. We also took a Raft to Tom Sawyer Island before finishing the day by going on Splash Mountain, Walt Disney World Railroad (from Main Street U.S.A.), Big Thunder Mountain (2X) and Pirates Of The Caribbean. We managed a very very late lunch at Pecos Bill Cafe in Frontierland.

We both left the park via of the monorail exhausted! We also waited so long to leave that there was very little crowd activity. On our way back to the Polynesian Resort we stopped at the Contemporary. I bought a CD and a Cinderella Castle Screensaver at Fantasia on the fourth-floor concourse.

Notes: The Hall of Presidents was closed for refurbishment. The horizon in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland were devoid of the Skyway. More importantly, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride had been replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The only attractions with a line that day were Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Indy Speedway and the Many Adverntures of Winnie the Pooh.

According to a report on Intercot Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress was permanently closed less than two weeks after we left the park.

EPCOT 9.19.01
Before beginning our day at EPCOT we purchased tickets to the Polynesian Luau at the front desk in the Great Ceremonial House.

We took the monorail to EPCOT after a transfer at the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC). Entering the park, I drove/hauled Delta and her shin splints to Test Track. We went on Test Track 4X that day!

After our first two trips on Test Track, we doubled back to the West Side of Innoventions and had coffee at the Fountain View Espresso and Bakery [9:42 AM]. Although I can't remember whether or not we rode Spaceship Earth before or after breakfast, it was the first attraction we did after Test Track.

At 11:21 AM we bought a post card for our scrapbook at the Sea Base Alpha Gift Shop. We spent about 40 minutes in The Living Seas before moving on to The Land and Imagination!. At The Land pavilion we went on Living with the Land and watched Food Rocks.

At the Imagination! pavilion we went on Journey Into Your Imagination and watched Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.

World Showcase
We started our tour of World Showcase in Mexico, riding El Rio del Tiempo. Delta perused the shops (specifically the jewelry shops). In Norway we rode Maelstrom before traveling to China for lunch at the Lotus Blossom Cafe at 2:49 PM. After lunch we stopped to watch some Chinese acrobats before continuing our travels through Germany and Italy. In Germany we took some pictures of a g scale train display featuring the same engine the Quarter-Line R.R. uses.

We reached The American Adventure in time to hear The Voices of Liberty perform some patriotic songs before watching The American Adventure Show hosted by Ben Franklin and Mark Twain. Since The Hall Of Presidents was closed for refurbishment this attraction was particularly important to me.

We spent very little time in Japan, Morocco and France, ending our day in the United Kingdom and Canada. Before leaving EPCOT we managed to work our way back to the Universe Of Energy in Future World.

Exhausted from our travels around the world we left EPCOT bound for a luau in the South Seas. We also made the mistake of taking a bus to Downtown Disney Marketplace after the luau for 1/2 hour of shopping.

Notes: It's difficult to compare the newly refurbished Journey Into Your Imagination with the previous version. I just missed figment too much. I also missed the narrative in Spaceship Earth by Walter Cronkite. Spaceship Earth is still my favorite attraction.

Blizzard Beach 9.20.01
Wedgies! Big ones.That's what you get after riding Summit Plummet. Rising 30 feet above the top of Mt. Gushmore, Summit Plummet hurls you 60 miles per hour down a 350 foot slide. To reach the summit of Mt. Gushmore you can either use a chairlift or climb one of three sets of stairs. Delta and I took the plunge four times that day!

After our first plunge down Summit Plummet we went on Slush Gusher. Through the course of the morning we managed to go on Teamboat Springs, Toboggan Racers, Snow Stormers, Runoff Rapids, and Downhill Double Dipper. We both enjoyed some sun at Melt-Away Bay and a leisurely inner tube excursion on Cross Country Creek. The ice cave along the creek was awesome, but I enjoyed the alligator's hut on the west side of the creek the most.

We left Blizzard Beach for the Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness. We made a special trip to the Heritage House in Liberty Square to purchase a cap before heading to Fort Wilderness via Motor Launch. In my opinion, this is the best way to travel between the Magic Kingdom, Fort Wilderness and the other MK Resorts (Polynesian, Contemporary, Floridian and Wilderness Lodge). Our Motor Launch docked at the Fort Wilderness marina and we were off to the Trail Blaze Corral at Tri-Circle D Livery for a trail ride. Unfortuntately, the corral was on the west side of Fort Wilderness and the marina was on the east so we had to make a mad dash by foot and bus to the main entrance of Fort Wilderness (we were still early though). Fort Wilderness was empty and the area near the marina and Pioneer Hall was deserted.

We had dinner at Planet Hollywood on the West Side of Downtown Disney. Delta had swordfish and I had some pasta with shrimp. After dinner we walked back to the Marketplace (also part of Downtown Disney). At World Of Disney I purchased some postcards for our scrapbook and a plush Mickey Mouse. We spent the rest of the evening on Pleasure Island whooping it up at 8Trax. The New Year's Eve show on the West End Stage was incredible, and I love how the "New Year's" theme carried over outside each club in the street.

Animal Kingdom 9.21.01
We had coffee and pastry at the Tusker House Restaurant/Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery at 10:09 AM before walking to our first attraction of the day- Kilimanjaro Safaris in Africa. The animals were cooperative and we managed to view/photograph numerous elephants, lions, and rhinos. We walked the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and Delta took some photographs of the gorillas.

We started our tour of Asia on the Kali River Rapids (which we rode twice that day) before photographing tigers and bats on the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

At noon we crossed the bridge connecting Asia and Discovery Island. On Discovery Island we used several rolls of film to photograph The Tree of Life. We also saw the 3-D film, It's Tough to be a Bug!. At the Beastly Bazaar I purchased two more postcards for our scrapbook.

We made our way to Dinoland U.S.A. and the thrill-packed attraction- Dinosaur. This was one of Delta's favorite attractions. At Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures, Delta found a pendent for Matthew and some fossilized shark teeth and agate. At 2:21 PM we stopped for lunch at Pizzafari before leaving the park.

We took a bus from Animal Kindgom to EPCOT. In EPCOT, I managed to get Delta to go onSpaceship Earth again. We also did some shopping in World Showcase at The American Adventure and Germany. In France we watched Impressions de France and in Canada a 360° Circle-Vision Film titled,O Canada!.

We took the monorail back to the TTC and Delta and I rode in front of the blue monorail! Alas, after 7+ trips to Walt Disney World I got to ride in the front of a monorail. At the TTC Delta and I walked to the lost and found station to try and retrieve my missing Atlanta Braves cap which I lost several days earlier (no luck). We also saw a rainbow.

At 7:15 we had a dinner at the California Grill. The restaurant, located on the 15th floor of the Contemporary, afforded us a terrific view of the sunset. Delta had sushi and I had the filet mignon. The decor at the California Grill matches the cuisine…both are excellent and complement each other nicely.

After dinner we took the momorail back to EPCOT for the 9:00 PM showing of Illuminations: Reflections Of Earth. We made it to Showcase Plaza five minutes before the show started. Unfortunately, Delta sat in a area roped off and was attacked by fire ants. She was bitten multiple times and I was worried about her all night.

Magic Kingdom 9.22.01
Delta and I decided the night before she would go shopping at Downtown Disney while I would head to the Magic Kingdom before an afternoon rendezvous at the train station on Main Street U.S.A. Before parting we rented a Water Mouse boat at the Polynesian marina. We spent a 1/2 hour touring Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, enjoying fabulous views of the Contemporary (this is the best way to view this architectural masterpiece), Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom.

I took the motor launch to the Magic Kingdom from the docks at the Polynesian. The park was actually crowded today and the bag search at the gate took especially long. Since Delta and I enjoyed every attraction days earlier, I had the luxury of experiencing the park without the pressure of racing from attraction-to-attraction. I spent time in City Hall, Main Street Exposition Hall and some of the shops on Main Street. The hightlight of the day was the multiple grand-circle tours of the Kingdom I took courtesy of the Walt Disney Railroad. It rained in the afternoon, but I still managed to go on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. I used Disney's FASTPASS service for the first time that day on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

In Mickey's Toontown Fair I purchased some postcards for our scrapbook at Cornelius Coot's County Bounty. I also took several pictures of the Walter E. Disney (one of the four locomotives on operated by the Walt Disney World Railroad) from the station in Mickey's Toontown Fair. In The King's Gallery, a shop inside Cinderella Castle, I purchased Delta a glass rose from the movie Beauty and the Beast. I also took numerous pictures of the architecture in Adventureland's Caribbean Plaza

I took the Walt Disney World Railroad back to the Main Steet Railroad Station to meet Delta. On the second floor of the Main Steet Railroad Station (one of my favorite vantage points in the park) I enjoyed some popcorn and an icy cola while I was waiting for Delta. After Delta arrived I dragged her to the Main Street Exposition Hall to watch Steamboat Willie. In Tomorrowland she purchased a ring at either Mickey's Star Traders or Merchant Of Venus. We had lunch at the Columbia Harbour House.

At 6:55 PM we stopped at Aloha Isle for some Dole Whips before choosing a location on Main Street to view the SpectroMagic Parade and the Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks. We also walked through the Swiss Family Treehouse.

Notes: I remember when Steamboat Willie actually played at the Main Street Cinema.

Magic Kingdom 9.23.01
Our last day at Walt Disney World! We had breakfast at the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian (our first official breakfast). After breakfast we made travel arrangements with Mears before heading to the Magic Kingdom.

We took the motor launch to the Magic Kingdom. In the Magic Kingdom we made some final souvenir purchases on Main Steet U.S.A. We also went back to County Bounty in Mickey's Toontown Fair so I could exchange some merchandise. In Tomorrowland I convinced Delta to go on Space Mountain one final time (using FASTPASS). It was our last attraction before departing the Magic Kingdom.

We took one last stroll down Main Steet U.S.A. Before leaving, Delta bought a pre-paid telephone card from a machine at the Main Street Railroad Station and used it to call her family. While she was on the telephone, I looked at the black & white photographs of Walt Disney's private miniatrure railroad in the locker alcoves underneath the Main Street Railroad Station. We travelled back to the Polynesian Resort via of the Monorail.

We did most of our packing the night before so we had time to enjoy the resort's recently built Nanea Volcano pool one last time. By the time we boarded the shuttle I was already starting to fight a nasty case of the Walt Disney Departure Day Blues. It's difficult to describe the way it feels as this obnoxiously large bus stops at each resort to pick-up other travellers. I know it sounds selfish and trivial- some don't even get to experience Walt Disney World at all, but it's difficult to leave because while you're there you're not tied to reality at all. Possibility, at Walt Disney World, is rich and plentiful and it's easy for your mind to find ease in past, present and future times.

Orlando Internationl Airport helps ease you into reality a bit. This is a fantastic airport, and shares some design elements with Future Showcase in EPCOT and the Contemporary. Delta and I bought some sandwiches and sat on a bench in the giant glassed concourse near a fountain (adjacent to the Hyatt). Sitting in that concoourse, I felt like I was looking at a painting by Feininger. I was completely shot (one week of over excitement coupled by poor discipline on my part) by the time we reached the airport and was relaying heavily on my wife for care.

Postscript
This was Delta's first trip to Walt Disney World and I think she enjoyed it. Although Delta had shin splints and sore feet at the end of the trip she was a tremendously good sport for allowing me to drag her all over. If I had to identify some highlights I would choose:

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