BethC
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 18, 1999
Day 6 - Thursday November 2, 2000
Weather - 80's, clear, beautiful!
Guests of Honor:
Supporting Cast:
Click here to read Day 5
Mickey wakes us up and we shower and get ready for our breakfast PS. Today we are eating at Cape May Buffet, whi ch is actually a character meal we have not tried yet, can you believe it? My parents arrive a little after 8:00am and we w alk over to the Beach Club. We check in at the podium and the kids sit down to watch the Little Mermaid on the TV i \n the lobby. The Beach Club lobby is just gorgeous, with pale pink tiles, fresh flowers and pale colored furnishings. Everything is light and airy here and you do indeed feel as if you could be in a Cape Cod cottage.
We are soon called into breakfast a \nd the waitress takes our drink orders. We must have a pot of coffee for the guys, milk for Jake, juice for Mom and Minnie, and my obligatory diet Coke. I just can't start the morning without it! The restaurant is nice and open with a huge four sided buffet in the center. We all greedily fill up our plates and I manage to find something delicious on all four sides, no small feat for a picky eater like myself.
One whole side of the buffet is fresh fruit, which is my favorite! Watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew, and pineapple slices abound, as do bunches of grapes, whole strawberries, apples, oranges and grapefruit halves. T \here is also yogurt and several delicious breads. I could spend the whole day right here, but I move on to the hot side of the b uffet and find scrambled eggs, omelettes, crispy bacon, biscuits and gravy, fried potatoes and pancakes. Think my plate is fu ll yet? Think again! I round the corner to the third side of the buffet and find all kinds of pastries - donuts, caramel nut r olls, turnovers, muffins as well as the kids buffet which features eggs, sausage and Mickey waffles. The fourth and final side of the buffet offers oatmeal, blintzes, some more potatoes and some other exotic stuff that I would never try! LOL!!
We enjoy our hearty meal and are visited by Chip and Dale, who are very cute in their beach outfits and very playful this morning. Dale checks every pin on Chris' hat looking for a Dale pin!! He is a little disappointed that he can't find one! Chip has fun ruffling the kids hair and generally giving them some loving. Our waitress comes by and announces that Minnie Mouse is making a special appearance up front and will only be here for the next half hour. We rush up to see her and she is just darling in her little sundress and sun hat. She is sweet as can be with Melanie and Jake and we snap a few pictures and head back to the table. No characters in sight so we jump up to fill up our plates once again at that terrific buffet. When we return Goofy comes over and spends some time with us. He is wearing a life vest and shorts and the kids think he looks, well.....goofy!
We really enjoyed this character meal and will definitely try it again in the future. After breakfast, we slowly walked along the Boardwalk bordering the Yacht and Beach Clubs. We decide it's another beautiful morning as we arrive at the dock just in time to see the Disney MGM Studios boat arriving.
We bid a quick farewell to Mom and Dad and rush to get on the boat. Minutes later we arrive at the Studios. Melanie wants to go see Doug, and as I am looking at the map to see what time it starts we see people being let inside. We rush over and just make it in, whew! We grab some seats in the back and there i s absolutely no hope of being chosen to go onstage. One of these times, we are going to sit in the front, darn it!! The first little girl they pick to be Quail Kid is too shy and decides she doesn't want to do it. The second girl they pick doesn't speak any English and we wonder how she is going to pull off her one line, Quailman I believe in you! Imagine our surprise when they get to that point in the story and out comes.....QuailTwins!! 2 NEW kids chosen from the audience! Man, if they wou ld have just picked Melanie or Jake in the first place, they wouldn't have had any problems! LOL!
After Doug we decide to ride Star Tours. Chris sits this one out as the motion tends to bother him. It's a short 10 minute wait before we are on our flight to Endor. A great ride, as usual, and one of Jake's favorites. He smiles through the whole ride and as we exit he is heard to say, this ride is the best! We meet up with Chris in the gift shop and head over to Sounds Dangerous for the next show. A fun time is had by all as we listen to bees buzzing, hair cutting, phones ringing and circus knives being thrown.
We were going to go see Indiana Jones Stunt Show but nobody wants to wait 20 minutes for it to start so we head off in search of Al's Toy Barn instead. We finally find it, along with Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the Green Army men. Jake wants to see Buzz because he doesn't have his signature in his autograph book yet, so Jake and I join the line to meet Buzz and Woody. Chris and Minnie run off to meet Jessie and the Green Army men. It is a short wait before it is ou r turn to meet the characters. This is a great meet and greet spot, because you get to meet both at once and take a pict ure with a nice back drop. There are also CM's at the front of the line holding people back so you don’t end up with twenty oth er kids in the picture. I snapped some pictures of Jake and then we met up with Melanie and Chris.
It's time to leave and as we exit we see a Friendship Boat just pulling in. Great timing, as always! Our boat captain is decked out in pins so our departure is delayed slightly while first Melanie, then Jake, then Chris all have to trade pins with her! Grrrr! We get off at the Dolphin again and walk back to the Boardwalk, making a quick detour at the pin cart. Wouldn' want to miss out on anything, now would we? We decide to use our DVC pool hopping privileges and go for a quick swim at Stormalong Bay over at the Yacht and Beach Clubs.
The pool isn't very busy today and we find a table and chairs easily. We slip into that glorious pool and float around a bit. It is no secret that this is my favorite pool in all of Walt Disney World and it did not disappoint today. We float around in the whirlpool for awhile, then get caught up in the bubbling jets before tackling that fabulous pirate slide. We walk up the winding steps to the top of the ship and once there the lifeguard informs me that Jake can't slide with his lifejacket. I hadn't even thought about it but you need to lay down for this slide and you will obviously stick to the slide if you are wearing a life jacket! I take off Jake's lifejacket and was going to walk back down since Chris was waiting at the bottom, but the lifeguard let me slide while holding it against my chest. We slid down the mast and circled round and round, finally ending up in the beautifully clear water. We float around some more, enjoying the f abulous feel of the sand running through our toes.
Melanie and Chris hang out for a while in the sinking sand, which we notice has now been renamed, the rising sand! Guess the title scared off more than a few people. LOL!! Jake and I swim and watch the water flowing down the rocks. It is another beautiful afternoon, the sun is shining, the temp is perfect and we enjoy a lovely afternoon swim.
Chris and I dry off and enjoy a few mai-tais while the kids swim around in the sinking sand area of the pool. The lifeguards have set up a volleyball net and there is a rousing game going on with a huge inflated beach ball. Minnie and Jake have fun with this while Chris and I relax. Chris strikes up a conversation with a woman on the lounge next to us abou t, what else, pins! After a lovely afternoon the kids finally get out and after a few snacks we pack up and head back to the resort. We need to get all spiffed up for our DIS meet tonight!!
We shower and clean up, making ourselves presentable for the Illuminations Cruise tonight. I had tried to get the cruise for the night before with no luck, so I talked my parents into staying an extra night so they could come with us. Luckily they were able to extend their stay at Fort Wilderness AND they w ere able to get the MKC discount. While waiting for them to show up, Melanie and Chris ran down to the pin cart. Chris had arranged to meet somebody at 5:00pm to make a trade and Minnie had decided to use her Disney Dollars to get her face painted. She comes back up to show me and she looks so beautiful! She selected the fairy princess and it looks great on her. Soon, my parents arrive and we walk over to the Beach Club for the second time today, stopping by the pin cart to pick up Chris, this time heading for Beaches and Cream.
Tonight is the night we finally get to meet Kanga and her family. Kanga is an avid reader of m y trip reports and we had begun emailing back and forth for some eight months now. I came up with the brilliant idea of sharing an Illuminations Cruise together and here we are! We arrive at Beaches and Cream a little early and grab a seat on the patio. I inform the CM at the podium that we will be a party of 11 and she hands us one of those vibrating flashy things they're using now. Chris gets up to use the restroom but returns arm in arm with Kanga and her family!! Kanga says she recognized him from his safari pin hat!!
We are introduced to Debbie (Kanga), her husband Frank, her mother Helen, Jarrod,7, and Lisa, 5. I had purposely not told Melanie that it was the boy who was her age because you know how seven year olds can be! She throws me a look that says why can't I ever meet any girls my age, and I just shrug my shoulders. Of course, all the kids end up getting along famously! Our flashy thing starts vibrating and lighting up and we are all shown into Beaches and Cream. We are seated at two tables and it's a little crowded but we don't care. We're all too busy talking and sharing our fun memories from our vacation.
We place our orders and enjoy a great evening among friends. Kanga and her crew order milkshakes, as do my parents. We all place orders for burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, onion rings, etc. Jake is being picky tonight and I ask the waitress if she can just bring him a bowl of fruit. She says the fruit cup is canteloupe and honeydew melon, both of which Jake hates. She then asks what his favorite is and I tell her watermelon. She says she'll see what she can do. I tell her not to worry about it, we'll just pick something up for him later. Melanie pipes up and says she doesn't want anything either, so we call the waitress back and ask for fruit for her too. Sheesh!!
Our server brings out the food, including two bowls of watermelon for the kids. Way to go!!! We enjoy our dinners, talking and laughing, when suddenly Eeyorestail (Matt) appears. He had been over at the Boardwalk pin cart and Leighton had told him that a bunch of DIS'ers were meeting at Beaches and Cream. Chris and I had met Matt last June, so we introduced him to Kanga and her family and struck up a nice conversation. Matt was using the In-Touch Radios and while we were talking Wilderness gave him a call. Matt handed the radio to me to talk to Wilderness and let me tell you, these things are great! I will definitely consider using these when the kids are older and we need to split up more. Matt works in Fantasyland so he asks us if we've discovered the new bridge. You know the one between Liberty Square and Adventureland? Ha!! I smack Chris and tell him I KNEW that bridge did not exist on our last trip here!
Matt says he's meeting Baloo and Nicole at Cape May at 7:30pm for dinner and Debbie and I decid e to run over for a minute to say hi. Our fabulous waitress brings the bill right out and we be sure to tip extra for the wonderful service. I'm su e she had to run over to Cape May to get that watermelon! We send our families over to the Boardwalk boat dock and walk over to Cape May Buffet with Matt.
Baloo and I had emailed each other about meeting this trip, but had never come together on a time, so I was excited about meeting her and Nicole. We arrive at the Beach Club a little early, but soon we spot them. Hugs all around and we sit down and have a nice conversation before they are called into the restaurant for dinner. We hastily say our good-byes and slowly walk back over to the Boardwalk to meet up with the others.
It's a little early for our cruise yet, and Kanga and I need to hit the bathroom. It seems everyone else stopped on their way over here! We decide to run up to our room and Helen comes along to sneak a peek. I show them around the villa and we arrive b ack at the boat dock just in time to meet our captain. What a great surprise, he turns out to be the DIS's very own Cruise Captain (Derrell)! We take care of the payment and are soon off on our moonlit cruise. Derrell is a lot of fun and even pulls out a flashlight so the kids could look for alligators. He tells us that the walkway to MGM is set to open on December 5, which would be Walt';s 100th birthday. He amuses us with trivia and tales of other DIS'ers he has met, and soon we arrive at the bridge near the International Gateway.
Derrell hands out an autograph book and asks for our names and addresses, promising to send us postcards and Boardwalk updates in the future. My parents don't sign because they basically use our address now that they're full time RV'ers. Debbie signs after me and we put LONG LIVE THE DIS next to our names to help him remember us later. There is still time before Illuminations starts so Mom pulls out a gift she has brought for our Australian friend s. It's a great reminder of our home state of Michigan and includes a Michigan-shaped basket, maps of Michigan, Michigan chocolates and jellies, Michigan pencils, Gwen Frostic (native of Michigan) stationary. I forget what else, but it was all wrapped up in a Michigan map and Mom had even highlighted where Kalamazoo was! Kanga and Helen loved it and we were all talking excitedly when all of a sudden it w as time to quiet down and we heard the great big boom that signaled the beginning of Illuminations.
We all sat mesmerized, enjoying the show. The music, the fireworks, the globe....it was all simply wonderful, especially when seen from our prime viewi ng spot. After the show, Derrel presented us with Magical Millennium Moment certificates for our Illuminations 2000 cruise. They were wonderful, but he had incorrectly guessed that my parents were Chris'parents, and their certificate read - The Czada family. We sheepishly tell him of the mistake and he teases them about not signing the autograph book in the first place. He quickly makes up another certificate for my parents, and Chris and I end up with not one, but two certificates!!
On the way back, Derrell lets all the kids take a turn at driving the boat as we cruised past the Yacht and Beach Club, finally arriving back at the Boardwalk. We say good-bye to our newfound friend, Darrell and stroll the Boardwalk. Frank and Chris stop into the Screen Door General Store to buy a bottle of beer and we showed them around the Boardwalk area, stopping by for a quick look at the pool.
The kids are starting to get tired so we say our good-byes, while Mom and Dad take Melanie and Jake back to the room, and Chris and I show Kanga and her family to the bus stop. As we approach the stop we realize that the Downtown Disney bus has already arrived and we rush down so they can catch it. We hug and say a quick good-bye and they just make the bus. Hopefully it didn't take them forever to get back to Dixie Landings! We walk slowly back to the room, relieving our wonderful night.
Back in the room the kids are sleepy as we say our good-byes to Mom and Dad. They are leaving in the morning and we won't see them again until Christmas time. Melanie and Jake are asleep in no time and I begin the tedious process of packing up all of our stuff.
Chris and I sit out on the balcony amongst the stars and whisper about our wonderful trip and all the great DIS'ers we were able to meet tonight.
Next Post:
Yikes! Where did all the crowds come from? Can we get a peek at the new Wilderness Lodge Villas? Just how crappy can the Ramada Inn be? and Will we arrive in time for our flight?
Tune in next time to say good-bye to the Czadas!
Click here to read Day 7
Beth C
Co-Mode rator - Transportation Board - Getting you from here to there
Co-Moderator - Rewards Board - Getting you there cheaper!
[This message was edited by BethC on 11-27-00 at 10:42 PM.]
Weather - 80's, clear, beautiful!
Guests of Honor:
- * Chris - 34, Disney fanatic, pin cart frequenter
* Beth - 34, DIS addict, DIS meet planner
* Melanie - 7, aka Minnie, new friend maker
* J acob - 5, aka Jake, new friend maker
Supporting Cast:
- * Jim and Cheryl - 55, Beth's parents, proud Michiganders
* Frank, Kanga, Helen, Jarrod-7 and Lisa-5 - happy little Australian vegemites
* Eeyorestail, Baloo and Matt - fellow DIS moderator \s
Click here to read Day 5
Mickey wakes us up and we shower and get ready for our breakfast PS. Today we are eating at Cape May Buffet, whi ch is actually a character meal we have not tried yet, can you believe it? My parents arrive a little after 8:00am and we w alk over to the Beach Club. We check in at the podium and the kids sit down to watch the Little Mermaid on the TV i \n the lobby. The Beach Club lobby is just gorgeous, with pale pink tiles, fresh flowers and pale colored furnishings. Everything is light and airy here and you do indeed feel as if you could be in a Cape Cod cottage.
We are soon called into breakfast a \nd the waitress takes our drink orders. We must have a pot of coffee for the guys, milk for Jake, juice for Mom and Minnie, and my obligatory diet Coke. I just can't start the morning without it! The restaurant is nice and open with a huge four sided buffet in the center. We all greedily fill up our plates and I manage to find something delicious on all four sides, no small feat for a picky eater like myself.
One whole side of the buffet is fresh fruit, which is my favorite! Watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew, and pineapple slices abound, as do bunches of grapes, whole strawberries, apples, oranges and grapefruit halves. T \here is also yogurt and several delicious breads. I could spend the whole day right here, but I move on to the hot side of the b uffet and find scrambled eggs, omelettes, crispy bacon, biscuits and gravy, fried potatoes and pancakes. Think my plate is fu ll yet? Think again! I round the corner to the third side of the buffet and find all kinds of pastries - donuts, caramel nut r olls, turnovers, muffins as well as the kids buffet which features eggs, sausage and Mickey waffles. The fourth and final side of the buffet offers oatmeal, blintzes, some more potatoes and some other exotic stuff that I would never try! LOL!!
We enjoy our hearty meal and are visited by Chip and Dale, who are very cute in their beach outfits and very playful this morning. Dale checks every pin on Chris' hat looking for a Dale pin!! He is a little disappointed that he can't find one! Chip has fun ruffling the kids hair and generally giving them some loving. Our waitress comes by and announces that Minnie Mouse is making a special appearance up front and will only be here for the next half hour. We rush up to see her and she is just darling in her little sundress and sun hat. She is sweet as can be with Melanie and Jake and we snap a few pictures and head back to the table. No characters in sight so we jump up to fill up our plates once again at that terrific buffet. When we return Goofy comes over and spends some time with us. He is wearing a life vest and shorts and the kids think he looks, well.....goofy!
We really enjoyed this character meal and will definitely try it again in the future. After breakfast, we slowly walked along the Boardwalk bordering the Yacht and Beach Clubs. We decide it's another beautiful morning as we arrive at the dock just in time to see the Disney MGM Studios boat arriving.
We bid a quick farewell to Mom and Dad and rush to get on the boat. Minutes later we arrive at the Studios. Melanie wants to go see Doug, and as I am looking at the map to see what time it starts we see people being let inside. We rush over and just make it in, whew! We grab some seats in the back and there i s absolutely no hope of being chosen to go onstage. One of these times, we are going to sit in the front, darn it!! The first little girl they pick to be Quail Kid is too shy and decides she doesn't want to do it. The second girl they pick doesn't speak any English and we wonder how she is going to pull off her one line, Quailman I believe in you! Imagine our surprise when they get to that point in the story and out comes.....QuailTwins!! 2 NEW kids chosen from the audience! Man, if they wou ld have just picked Melanie or Jake in the first place, they wouldn't have had any problems! LOL!
After Doug we decide to ride Star Tours. Chris sits this one out as the motion tends to bother him. It's a short 10 minute wait before we are on our flight to Endor. A great ride, as usual, and one of Jake's favorites. He smiles through the whole ride and as we exit he is heard to say, this ride is the best! We meet up with Chris in the gift shop and head over to Sounds Dangerous for the next show. A fun time is had by all as we listen to bees buzzing, hair cutting, phones ringing and circus knives being thrown.
We were going to go see Indiana Jones Stunt Show but nobody wants to wait 20 minutes for it to start so we head off in search of Al's Toy Barn instead. We finally find it, along with Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the Green Army men. Jake wants to see Buzz because he doesn't have his signature in his autograph book yet, so Jake and I join the line to meet Buzz and Woody. Chris and Minnie run off to meet Jessie and the Green Army men. It is a short wait before it is ou r turn to meet the characters. This is a great meet and greet spot, because you get to meet both at once and take a pict ure with a nice back drop. There are also CM's at the front of the line holding people back so you don’t end up with twenty oth er kids in the picture. I snapped some pictures of Jake and then we met up with Melanie and Chris.
It's time to leave and as we exit we see a Friendship Boat just pulling in. Great timing, as always! Our boat captain is decked out in pins so our departure is delayed slightly while first Melanie, then Jake, then Chris all have to trade pins with her! Grrrr! We get off at the Dolphin again and walk back to the Boardwalk, making a quick detour at the pin cart. Wouldn' want to miss out on anything, now would we? We decide to use our DVC pool hopping privileges and go for a quick swim at Stormalong Bay over at the Yacht and Beach Clubs.
The pool isn't very busy today and we find a table and chairs easily. We slip into that glorious pool and float around a bit. It is no secret that this is my favorite pool in all of Walt Disney World and it did not disappoint today. We float around in the whirlpool for awhile, then get caught up in the bubbling jets before tackling that fabulous pirate slide. We walk up the winding steps to the top of the ship and once there the lifeguard informs me that Jake can't slide with his lifejacket. I hadn't even thought about it but you need to lay down for this slide and you will obviously stick to the slide if you are wearing a life jacket! I take off Jake's lifejacket and was going to walk back down since Chris was waiting at the bottom, but the lifeguard let me slide while holding it against my chest. We slid down the mast and circled round and round, finally ending up in the beautifully clear water. We float around some more, enjoying the f abulous feel of the sand running through our toes.
Melanie and Chris hang out for a while in the sinking sand, which we notice has now been renamed, the rising sand! Guess the title scared off more than a few people. LOL!! Jake and I swim and watch the water flowing down the rocks. It is another beautiful afternoon, the sun is shining, the temp is perfect and we enjoy a lovely afternoon swim.
Chris and I dry off and enjoy a few mai-tais while the kids swim around in the sinking sand area of the pool. The lifeguards have set up a volleyball net and there is a rousing game going on with a huge inflated beach ball. Minnie and Jake have fun with this while Chris and I relax. Chris strikes up a conversation with a woman on the lounge next to us abou t, what else, pins! After a lovely afternoon the kids finally get out and after a few snacks we pack up and head back to the resort. We need to get all spiffed up for our DIS meet tonight!!
We shower and clean up, making ourselves presentable for the Illuminations Cruise tonight. I had tried to get the cruise for the night before with no luck, so I talked my parents into staying an extra night so they could come with us. Luckily they were able to extend their stay at Fort Wilderness AND they w ere able to get the MKC discount. While waiting for them to show up, Melanie and Chris ran down to the pin cart. Chris had arranged to meet somebody at 5:00pm to make a trade and Minnie had decided to use her Disney Dollars to get her face painted. She comes back up to show me and she looks so beautiful! She selected the fairy princess and it looks great on her. Soon, my parents arrive and we walk over to the Beach Club for the second time today, stopping by the pin cart to pick up Chris, this time heading for Beaches and Cream.
Tonight is the night we finally get to meet Kanga and her family. Kanga is an avid reader of m y trip reports and we had begun emailing back and forth for some eight months now. I came up with the brilliant idea of sharing an Illuminations Cruise together and here we are! We arrive at Beaches and Cream a little early and grab a seat on the patio. I inform the CM at the podium that we will be a party of 11 and she hands us one of those vibrating flashy things they're using now. Chris gets up to use the restroom but returns arm in arm with Kanga and her family!! Kanga says she recognized him from his safari pin hat!!
We are introduced to Debbie (Kanga), her husband Frank, her mother Helen, Jarrod,7, and Lisa, 5. I had purposely not told Melanie that it was the boy who was her age because you know how seven year olds can be! She throws me a look that says why can't I ever meet any girls my age, and I just shrug my shoulders. Of course, all the kids end up getting along famously! Our flashy thing starts vibrating and lighting up and we are all shown into Beaches and Cream. We are seated at two tables and it's a little crowded but we don't care. We're all too busy talking and sharing our fun memories from our vacation.
We place our orders and enjoy a great evening among friends. Kanga and her crew order milkshakes, as do my parents. We all place orders for burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, onion rings, etc. Jake is being picky tonight and I ask the waitress if she can just bring him a bowl of fruit. She says the fruit cup is canteloupe and honeydew melon, both of which Jake hates. She then asks what his favorite is and I tell her watermelon. She says she'll see what she can do. I tell her not to worry about it, we'll just pick something up for him later. Melanie pipes up and says she doesn't want anything either, so we call the waitress back and ask for fruit for her too. Sheesh!!
Our server brings out the food, including two bowls of watermelon for the kids. Way to go!!! We enjoy our dinners, talking and laughing, when suddenly Eeyorestail (Matt) appears. He had been over at the Boardwalk pin cart and Leighton had told him that a bunch of DIS'ers were meeting at Beaches and Cream. Chris and I had met Matt last June, so we introduced him to Kanga and her family and struck up a nice conversation. Matt was using the In-Touch Radios and while we were talking Wilderness gave him a call. Matt handed the radio to me to talk to Wilderness and let me tell you, these things are great! I will definitely consider using these when the kids are older and we need to split up more. Matt works in Fantasyland so he asks us if we've discovered the new bridge. You know the one between Liberty Square and Adventureland? Ha!! I smack Chris and tell him I KNEW that bridge did not exist on our last trip here!
Matt says he's meeting Baloo and Nicole at Cape May at 7:30pm for dinner and Debbie and I decid e to run over for a minute to say hi. Our fabulous waitress brings the bill right out and we be sure to tip extra for the wonderful service. I'm su e she had to run over to Cape May to get that watermelon! We send our families over to the Boardwalk boat dock and walk over to Cape May Buffet with Matt.
Baloo and I had emailed each other about meeting this trip, but had never come together on a time, so I was excited about meeting her and Nicole. We arrive at the Beach Club a little early, but soon we spot them. Hugs all around and we sit down and have a nice conversation before they are called into the restaurant for dinner. We hastily say our good-byes and slowly walk back over to the Boardwalk to meet up with the others.
It's a little early for our cruise yet, and Kanga and I need to hit the bathroom. It seems everyone else stopped on their way over here! We decide to run up to our room and Helen comes along to sneak a peek. I show them around the villa and we arrive b ack at the boat dock just in time to meet our captain. What a great surprise, he turns out to be the DIS's very own Cruise Captain (Derrell)! We take care of the payment and are soon off on our moonlit cruise. Derrell is a lot of fun and even pulls out a flashlight so the kids could look for alligators. He tells us that the walkway to MGM is set to open on December 5, which would be Walt';s 100th birthday. He amuses us with trivia and tales of other DIS'ers he has met, and soon we arrive at the bridge near the International Gateway.
Derrell hands out an autograph book and asks for our names and addresses, promising to send us postcards and Boardwalk updates in the future. My parents don't sign because they basically use our address now that they're full time RV'ers. Debbie signs after me and we put LONG LIVE THE DIS next to our names to help him remember us later. There is still time before Illuminations starts so Mom pulls out a gift she has brought for our Australian friend s. It's a great reminder of our home state of Michigan and includes a Michigan-shaped basket, maps of Michigan, Michigan chocolates and jellies, Michigan pencils, Gwen Frostic (native of Michigan) stationary. I forget what else, but it was all wrapped up in a Michigan map and Mom had even highlighted where Kalamazoo was! Kanga and Helen loved it and we were all talking excitedly when all of a sudden it w as time to quiet down and we heard the great big boom that signaled the beginning of Illuminations.
We all sat mesmerized, enjoying the show. The music, the fireworks, the globe....it was all simply wonderful, especially when seen from our prime viewi ng spot. After the show, Derrel presented us with Magical Millennium Moment certificates for our Illuminations 2000 cruise. They were wonderful, but he had incorrectly guessed that my parents were Chris'parents, and their certificate read - The Czada family. We sheepishly tell him of the mistake and he teases them about not signing the autograph book in the first place. He quickly makes up another certificate for my parents, and Chris and I end up with not one, but two certificates!!
On the way back, Derrell lets all the kids take a turn at driving the boat as we cruised past the Yacht and Beach Club, finally arriving back at the Boardwalk. We say good-bye to our newfound friend, Darrell and stroll the Boardwalk. Frank and Chris stop into the Screen Door General Store to buy a bottle of beer and we showed them around the Boardwalk area, stopping by for a quick look at the pool.
The kids are starting to get tired so we say our good-byes, while Mom and Dad take Melanie and Jake back to the room, and Chris and I show Kanga and her family to the bus stop. As we approach the stop we realize that the Downtown Disney bus has already arrived and we rush down so they can catch it. We hug and say a quick good-bye and they just make the bus. Hopefully it didn't take them forever to get back to Dixie Landings! We walk slowly back to the room, relieving our wonderful night.
Back in the room the kids are sleepy as we say our good-byes to Mom and Dad. They are leaving in the morning and we won't see them again until Christmas time. Melanie and Jake are asleep in no time and I begin the tedious process of packing up all of our stuff.
Chris and I sit out on the balcony amongst the stars and whisper about our wonderful trip and all the great DIS'ers we were able to meet tonight.
Next Post:
Yikes! Where did all the crowds come from? Can we get a peek at the new Wilderness Lodge Villas? Just how crappy can the Ramada Inn be? and Will we arrive in time for our flight?
Tune in next time to say good-bye to the Czadas!
Click here to read Day 7
Beth C
Co-Mode rator - Transportation Board - Getting you from here to there
Co-Moderator - Rewards Board - Getting you there cheaper!
[This message was edited by BethC on 11-27-00 at 10:42 PM.]
