Checking in and day 1 at the parks
Bob from Sunray made great
time from the Orlando Train station to Pop Century. I went to the check in line, no wait and
checked in.
My parents were meeting me
there, and their flight was due to land about an hour after I arrived. We requested 2 rooms that had interconnecting
doors on the ground floor in the 50's or 70's.
They assigned us rooms that were on the ground floor, adjoining in the
80's.
Before I left, I asked my
mother what was more important, since I was going to be getting there and
checking in first. Ground floor, close to the food court was more important then close
interconnecting rooms. So they found two
rooms in the 70's that were on the ground floor but not adjoining. I thought this was ok, checked into my
room. My room was in the part of the
70's building right next to the Mickey phone.
They didn’t tell me my parents room number, but
assured me it was close to mine.
I checked in, refreshed
myself by taking a shower and started to check out my parent's flight. It was due in after 12 and was a couple of
minutes early. They called me when they
landed and were waiting for the Magical Express bus to take them to Pop
Century. I sent an email to the
Travel-WDW yahoo group to ask how long it should take from airport to Pop and
Terrie answered my about an hour.
While waiting in the room,
was watching the news about the Earthquake that people felt in
While waiting, a fellow NY
Yankee fan made a comment about my cap.
He was a CM working at the Pop.
We spoke a little about who was pitching and such. He told me he once, half kidding, refused to
check in someone who had a
Sure enough, I spotted my
parents getting off the bus a little after 1.
The person checking in my parents refused to do so for a NY Yankee
fan. Told him I am already checked in
and this is just my parents. Again, half
kidding, I hope, he checked them in. We
confirmed the complimentary frig for my father's medicines. And I proceeded to
show them their rooms.
My room was right by the Mickey
phone facing the courtyard, my parents were on the other side of the building,
all the way at the end of the building, facing the lake. My mother wasn’t happy and went to guest
relations to see what could be done.
They couldn’t do anything for
us today, but if we like, they will move us to a new room in the 60's rooms
tomorrow. We will have adjoining rooms with an interior door.
My original plan was to go to
Animal Kingdom, do something, eat lunch at Flame Tree BBQ, then
head to Disney- MGM Studios, where we have Fantasmic
Package booked at
It was after 3 when we got
the room situation taken care of. No
time to go to DAK or even have a decent lunch since we will be having a buffet
for dinner.
I had my father pick out a
refillable mug for use for the trip. I
already purchased mine. Paid for both using reward money from Disney Visa card. We all just had a snack before heading to the
busses to go to Disney-MGM studios. I had nachos and cheese.
We got there about
We went on Great Movie Ride, they only had one tram working, the gangster
scene. My father enjoyed it, first time he saw it. I took some video of the ending montage to
Great movie ride. I think the difference, I noticed, they added Pirates
and removed Lion King, but have to watch it again to be sure.
We went to H and V a little early to check in, no problem. They had flank
steak which was good. Also had some cold shrimp, trying to practice how to
remove the shell in one step for tomorrow we will be at 'Ohanna.
The service was great, which for me means they will have a new beverage for me
before I finish my old one. This
happened at all the places I ate at last year.
No problem with service.
After we ate at H and V, we had some time to kill before heading to Fantasmic, so we went on Sounds dangerous. Not my
favorite, but my mother likes Drew Carey and my father never saw it. Both
left not careing for the show.
It was now about
something else we could do before Fantasmic. We
were thinking maybe
the backstage tour. A CM saw us looking a little puzzled and said we
could do both. But by the time we got to Backstage
tour building, we saw barriers in front of the entrance. A CM told us it was closed since
My father left his ecv outside the seating area, but
by the time we got back to it after the show, there was
just too many people there to maneuver it so we could leave. We just
stood there for about 10 minutes, till a cm started to direct traffic away so
he could maneuver it. We still couldn't move till the crowds thinned out
more.
Our plan at this point was to go to Magic kingdom to see Hall of Presidents
since it was the last day before a rehab, but the rain and the long day
finished that idea.
My parents landed a little after
I packed almost everything
back into the two pieces of luggage, except for what I need in the morning and
left it by the window for them to move while we are in the parks. I wasn’t thrilled with doing this, since I
was leaving my laptop, not in the safe, but in my backpack. But everything turned out well.
Tomorrow is