DISNEY: Resorts and MiniGolf

Today, I went resort hopping and mini-golfing with my friends Christopher and Sherri. We had originally planned the trip to visit the Muppet Exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Museum and to play miniature golf at Winter Summerland, but the two were on complete opposite sides of Orlando, so we decided on the miniature golf and also decided to do some MK resort hopping in order to soak up more of the Disney spirit.

We started the day with some extra sleep. I managed to get a few things done at the house before Christopher and Sherri came and picked me up at 10:00am. We weren't going into any of the parks, so there was no need to rush, and that was nice. However, we faced the matter of deciding whether to do mini-golf first or resorts first. We flipped a coin then decided on resorts first.

We free-parked at the Ticket and Transportation Center (*yay annual pass!*). We didn't even need the parking lot tram. We first took the ferry boat over to the front gates of Magic Kingdom on our way to the Contemporary. And since it was an absolutely beautiful day, we took the walkway to the resort. I got some nice ground shots of the Bay Lake Towers en route, though the best photos came from when we went around to the back of the resort -- the BLT looks cut off (cool!).

From there, we rode the resort monorail to the Polynesian -- Stitch's home -- where we took some pictures with the O'hana signage and took a short break in the lobby. Then we headed out to the volcano pool and then down the walkway towards the Grand Floridian.

We walked by the Wedding Pavilion where Christopher and Sherri shared a nice moment -- their anniversary is coming up -- and I took some photos of them -- my first stint as a Disney PhotoPass wedding photographer. Again, it was a lovely, sunny day with a light breeze. And the walk was quite serene.

We arrived at the Grand Floridian and walked upstairs for a rest in front of the Citrico's entrance. We noshed on some packed snacks, and I admired how this resort had really good lighting. It really is a classy place.

We took the resort monorail back to the Magic Kingdom then got in queue for a small boat to the Wilderness Lodge Resort. We ended up on a good-sized "small" boat. We rode up front (I'm the king of the world!) and there was a CD there with us who was play-throwing his little boy off the boat (awww...).

At the Wilderness Lodge, we walked by the geyser (not active while we were there) and watched some of the pool lifeguards play a wilderness version of musical chairs with the little kids -- it was quite cool because ties were broken using the back-together rock-paper-scissors method -- organized and effective (well done).

By this time, we were all hungry and went over to the Roaring Fork and picked up some more substantial food -- Christopher and Sherri got sandwiches (Ham and Tillamook Cheddar, Smoked Turkey and Brie) while I went for the pepperoni flatbread pizza and chocolate silk soymilk.

After that, we headed to the lobby, which was grand but, as I really noticed this time, dark... so dark... and noisy -- and a contrast to the Grand Floridian. Anyways, we checked out the shop, where I searched for the resort's bear mascot, which was cute and surprisingly soft. I will probably get one if/when they go on sale.

Anyways, we went to the bus stop and took the one to Blizzard Beach, which is adjacent to Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course, our next stop. I was particularly excited about this since it'd be my first time there. On the way there, a red car coming off an exit ramp nearly ran into the bus. I watched the whole thing but didn't really make any noise to alert the driver, who quickly saw the point of my interest and laid on the horn, averting a possible car-wreck pic... (this is probably a morbid sign of my personality... *shrug*).

Anywho, we got to Blizzard Beach/Winter Summerland alright and it seemed to be a quaint operation -- tucked under a small collection of trees -- an intimate shade. Anyways, Winter Summerland offered two 18-hole courses -- one was the Snow (Winter) Course and the other was the Sand (Summer) Course. We did both.

Neither course was all too challenging. Winter Summerland is geared towards little kids and families, and we had a lot of fun. The theming was fantastic, and I liked how both courses kinda mirrored each other. There were some unique holes, like the spitting fish on the sand side. My favorite hole, in name and accompanying poem, was "Squirty the Snowman" (seriously, Snow Course hole 13):

"Squirty the Snowman
Is a Jolly Happy Soul
He loves to cool off golfers
Who putt into this hole"

Anyways, It was 5:55pm when we finished up with the mini golf and headed towards the buses. We noticed that the Blizzard Beach parking lot was quite empty, and so we checked the signs, which made note that the last buses leave an hour after the water park closes, which happened to be 5pm... we are getting on the next bus to anywhere! And surely and thankfully, one final fleet of buses did come to pick up all remaining guests.

Now seasoned veterans of the Disney transportation system, Christopher, Sherri, and I got on the bus to the Grand Floridian, where we were going to transfer to the resort monorail, which was going to take us to the TTC parking lot. As we made our way through the lobby of the Grand Floridian, there was a man in a concert suit playing on the grand piano, and it was really cute when a little girl dressed up as Belle walked up to the side of the piano for a closer look.

Christopher, Sherri, and I took the birdcage elevator up to the second floor and listened to the pianist. The music was relaxing, and I was being taken in. I enjoyed watching the pianist play, and a couple times, he looked up directly at me and clearly smiled. My heart skipped a few beats. The music finished, and we continued on our way, happy with that magical feeling.

We were able to ride in the nose of the monorail for nearly all the resort circuit. I'm glad that things worked out and that they were able to have that experience. Sherri really enjoyed it, and the joy in her face was fantastic.

After we got back to Melbourne, I played host for dinner -- frozen dinner kit (yeah, Sherri and I made Christopher do the cooking). I wanted to introduce them to Wonderfalls, one of my all-time favorite tv shows. We watched the first two episodes (Wax Lion and Pink Flamingos), and they loved it *yay!*. Then we called it a night. I can't believe that we have to go back to work tomorrow, and it's a long week. I'm hoping to get a lot accomplished (God knows I'll needs it).

Anyways, it was a fantastic day. I really like Christopher and Sherri because they're people I feel comfortable with. They're nice and encouraging in the positive way. And I enjoy their company.

Pictures from our resort hopping can be found after the itinerary. The Winter Summerland pictures will be found in upcoming posts.
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Here's what we did this visit:

TICKET & TRANSPORTATION CENTER (MINNIE 41)

FERRY BOAT (Richard F. Irvine) to MAGIC KINGDOM

Walked to CONTEMPORARY RESORT

Resort MONORAIL to POLYNESIAN RESORT

Walked to GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

Resort MONORAIL to MAGIC KINGDOM

BOAT (Mermaid 1) to WILDERNESS LODGE

BUS to BLIZZARD BEACH

Walked to WINTER SUMMERLAND MINIATURE GOLF
- Snow Course
- Sand Course

BUS to GRAND FLORIDIAN

Resort MONORAIL (Nose!) to TTC

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Kermit & Stitch w/apple sauce & a rice crispy treat, respectivelyPolynesian pic from the Ferry boatSpace Mountain with its top cut open?On the walkway to the ContemporaryLooks cut off (cool!)Kermit & Stitch w/Uncle Christopher & Auntie SherriRiding the monorailO'hana means FamilyWe couldn't resistHappy AnniversaryAt the Grand FloridianOn the Mermaid I to the lodgeSandwiches and Pizza with a Wilderness flairLodge Sheriff I <3 the resort bearWelcome to Winter SummerlandSanta!I want to go there.One last restWe chose the nose! :)Sherri's holding onto Christopher's head-----(Special Bonus pic)

DISNEY: CamChu 3:14

Camille and Baloo drove down to Florida on Thursday. We decided to hit the parks on Sunday because it was her first weekend here and our last weekend before we Really started back with work... plus I made her go with me to Toastmasters Training on Saturday. We asked Chuck to go with us because he loves Disney too.

We headed over early to try for for DHS's rope drop (so we could get decent TSMM FPs times). We met up with Billy and were in about 10 mins after opening. They got into line as I picked up FPs (11:15am-12:15pm), then we were on in less than 20 mins. I rode with Chuck and we managed to unlock the rainbow balloons and western targets, and I came out with 241,100 pts, good for #2 of the day so far. Chuck did friggin' awesome for hist first time with 180,600!

From there, we walked over to Sunset Blvd and rode RnR (SR); there was hardly a wait. ToT was another matter -- maybe 25 minutes, but worked out well for getting re-hydrated; we didn't realize that our half of the elevator was so calm until we saw the ride picture (ha).

When we went to go redeem our TSMM FPs, we discovered that the ride was down, so we went to get some food at the ABC Commissary and had a nice, easy meal (sorry, forgot to take a food pic). When we went to go check up on TSMM again, it was up. We all ended up with slightly-lower scores but not by much; I rode with Camille, and we unlocked the alien bin monster.

It was past noon, so we decided to head on over to our second park. We took the small boat towards Epcot Center, walking a stretch of the way there. We entered through the Int'l Gateway and proceeded directly to FW.

We rode TT SR ("Please, this Fastpass machine is crazy!"), then went next door to the Advanced Training Lab at M:S's post-ride area. It's one of my favorite things to do at Epcot - fun, hardly ever a wait, and you get to press buttons! Anyways, our team won.

Next up was Camille's favorite ride, Spaceship Earth, which also has Camille's favorite post-ride game, Power City. Even though the future we chose ended up generic (face recognition didn't work),we scored our first team "Tokyo" and a PR of 11,093,000! at Power City. I was too slow with the camera to get a snapshot of the feat, but we'll definitely be back. Lastly at Epcot, we hit Cool Club, and that's where Billy left us to go do some homework. Thanks Billy!

Camille, Chuck, and I took the monorail to the TTC (we rode the nose!) then transferred to MK, where we headed straight for Tomorrowland. A CM passing out mini candy canes at the noodle station (what a wonderful touch. We first rode Buzz Lightyear because it was only at 25 mins (s'alright) then we went nextdoor to MILF.

At MILF, I'm totally digging the first two comedy acts more and more. They always have great audience choices (cute and/or funny). They chose a muscle-y guy as the "dancer" but when he was a little late to start, an older nerdy-ish guy behind him started to dance crazy and try to take the spotlight. The next time the dance section was called upon, both guys were dancing wildly. REALLY funny.

From one show to another, we went to Mickey's PhilHarmagic next, and it was a packed packed house. I didn't get as much of a feeling for it this time, but I'm glad to have gone since it's soon going under refurb. Next we walked over to Frontierland for some Big Thunder Mountain -- 40 mins SB was our only option. The queue moved quite a bit then stopped for the longest time. It was then that we decided to grab some food afterwards then head back home. We were worn out by the wait and were at the parks perhaps longer than we had really anticipated -- Chuck and Camille were good sports about it.

For dinner, Camille and I grabbed some food from Pinnochio's Village Haus (Camille got the chicken nuggets while I got the cheese pizza (yum)); Chuck went back to Frontierland for a turkey leg. I liked how we were eating at places that I wouldn't've normally gone to... just for the experience.

By the time we headed out, people were lining the streets and paths were being closed off for SpectroMagic. We took the ferry boat back to the TTC -- it wasn't packed; nice, relaxing ride back. The bus ride from the TTC to DHS and the tram to the car were another matter -- and involved some unsavory fellow-passengers. We shrugged them off though and made it home safely, a little past 9pm.

So overall, not a bad trip. I think I was a little more wound than usual, since I need to get re-accustomed to traveling with others -- I was worrying about getting to all the rides we wanted to see. Next time out, we'll have a shorter agenda and will be able to take it easier and maybe just walk around more.

Pics from this visit to the parks can be found after the itinerary.
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Here's what we did this visit:

DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS (MUSIC 50)
-Toy Story Midway Mania ((+>FP 11:15am-12:15pm) & SB 241,100 (2nd!) rainbow, western)
-Rock 'n' Rollercoaster (SR)
- Tower of Terror (SB)
(- TSMM (down))
- ABC Commissary (Ugly Betty Cheeseburger)
- Toy Story Midway Mania (FP 237,700 alien)

Small Boat to SWAN & DOLPHIN

Walked to EPCOT CENTER
- Test Track (SR)
"Please, this Fastpass machine is crazy!"
- Mission:Space Advanced Training Lab (Orion WIN 34)
- Spaceship Earth (generic future people)
- Power City (Tokyo 11,093,000 PR!)
- Cool Club

Monorail to TTC (orange, NOSE!)

Express Monorail (lime green) to MAGIC KINGDOM
- mini candy canes
(- Space Mountain (+>FP 7:55pm-8:55pm))
- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (233,200)
- Monster's Inc Laugh Floor (dance party)
- Mickey's Philharmagic
- Big Thunder Mountain (SB 40 mins)
- Pinocchio's Village Haus (cheese pizza combo)

Ferry Boat to TTC (General Joe Potter)

Bus to DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

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honey smacks, kermit digs'ema couple pics in queue
my average is going up, and i'm on the board
sitting on the less-enthused side
leaves
abc commissary pic
tsmm, round 2
i can read asian?
power city
thanks Billy!
a foggy nose
the blt's coming along nicely
we three trees

bew! bew bew!...
we're almost on btm!
food pic (a quite satisfying meal)
wwycdecoration
the castle lights still up and looking nice

DISNEY: AniStudios

It was my first off-Friday off in over a month and with the Race for the Taste 10K on Sunday, I used the opportunity to head over early to LBV for race packet pick-up, to have lunch with my friend Billy, and to make a visit to the parks.

Disney's Animal Kingdom
I started the day a little late due to lack-of-packing and being undecided whether or not to mow the lawn (didn't. too wet), and I got to DAK around 9:30am. I missed the first showing of FOTLK, so I headed to Kilimanjaro Safaris. I grabbed a fastpass and headed to the Conservation Station for a quick visit. I did little more than just walk through, and it was already time for KS. The animals were out, and I'm glad to get a good pic of the lion this time. Afterwards, there was just enough time to go take pictures of the EEC clue locations.

Yeah, that was a very quick visit to DAK. (I'll catch FOTLK next time)

Celebration
Next up was lunch with my friend Billy. I picked him up from work, and we made the short drive over to the Celebration Town Center. It was dressed up for the holidays with pumpkins, orange banners, and... haaaaay. We ate at the local Town Tavern -- I had the chicken salad sandwich while Billy ordered the Reuben. It was nice to catch up. No big news. And we briefly tried to figure out plans for the upcoming Tower of Terror 13K (costumes... still haven't figured that one out). Anyways, that's about it. I'm going to pick up his race packet as he'll be coming straight from the airport to the race next Saturday.

Race Packet Pick-up
Next on the list was race packet pick-up at Disney's Wide World Of Sports. There was a high school cross-country event and also some lacrosse. The pick-up was in the Milk House, and the race packet was much like the one for the EEC -- glade fresheners, mini-rice cakes, and the coffee energy tablets -- but instead of a shirt, they gave participants a beer mug (sweet). There was a small setup that sold a few RFTT 10K items (like if you wanted a cotton RFTT 10K tee) and they also had some 2006 Disney Marathon wine.

I went to look at the course map on display and ended up talking with a volunteer there, a friendly older gentleman who helps out at most of these events with his wife. He talked about some incredible races, Disney's less-publicized events, and about his family. Anyways, it was nice to hear his enthusiasm, and it added to my experiences that day.

Disney's Hollywood Studios
After race packet pick up, I headed over to DHS to maybe catch some of the live shows. I got there Right at 3 o'clock, and I literally walked the Block Party Bash floats up Hollywood Boulevard. There was quite a crowd lining the streets, so I decided to just move along. I walked towards TSMM (passed by a closed OM'sD: operation 9am-3pm) maybe a chance to ride?... 90 minutes. No thanks. So on to the backlot tour.

I wanted to do this because it's been a long while and because there was a rumor that it will become automated a la LWTL. I forgot that the first part took actual footage and put it into a video montage... just like new Disaster! at Universal Studios (which is actually waaay better). The other part of the attraction was the bus tour through the costume design tunnel and over to Catastrophe Canyon (not the same thing). There was a lot of waiting involved today but no restlessness from me, and we/I were rewarded with a quasi-behind-the-scenes look at the LMAXSS -- got a pretty good shot of the director (niiice). As it happened, it was just about time for LMAXSS so I headed over.

The show was good like always. No big surprises today, just that the motorcycle person didn't catch on fire this time.

After Lights-Motors, I went into MuppetVision 3D but bailed to catch the next showing of Indiana Jones. Indy was fine and the bad guy was Asian but the plant was niiice andthe heroine was attractive like Jenny McCarthy. I had forgotten how enjoyable the show (and its dialogue) was:

stunt actor (to stunt double): know what the difference between you and harrison ford is?
me: lipstick?
stunt actor: a few million dollars

After Indy, I headed to Beauty and the Beast. The show didn't have the effect on me as it did last time, though it did for one little girl (maybe 2 yrs old) in front of me. She got tearful when Beast was hurt. Another lady in the audience saw this and giggled a little (as did I).

After that, I decided against trying for RnR or ToT since I'll be riding them in a couple weeks, and that was a good decision. The instant I got in my car, the rain started down hard.

Anyways, the trip to the LBV area was successful. Individually, nothing was overwhelming, but collectively the Disney experience today was very positive.

Once again, itinerary then some pictures from the trip:
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Here's what I did this visit:

DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM (UNICORN 29)
- Conservation Station
- Kilimanjaro Safari [FP]
- Expedition Everest Challenge Clue Photos

[LUNCH IN CELEBRATION]

[RACE PACKET PICK-UP at Disney's WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS]

DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS (FILM 28)
- (Block Party Bash)
- Studio Backlot Tour
- Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show
- Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
- Beauty and the Beast

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Disney's Animal Kingdom
Celebration
Race Packet Pick-up
Disney's Hollywood Studios