ernierocker Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 Introduction When Candace and I got married, her parents gave us a week exchange through their RCI time share for our wedding/honeymoon gift. Basically, we could pick any RCI resort in the world to stay at for a week for free! We decided that this would be perfect for a trip to WDW since we would be spending so much on park tickets, and having a free place to stay would help a lot with costs. We chose the Summer Bay Resort which is at the end of SR 192 about 7 miles from WDW. I will do a short review later in the trip report, but for now I will get to the parks. Day 1: Epcot Center January 27th We started the vacation with my favorite Disney park. The crowd level for the day was fairly good with 60 min. waits for Soarin and Test Track but most everything else had low waits. With fast pass we never waited more than 15 minutes all day. I absolutely loved Test Track, but I could not figure out why Soarin is one of the most popular rides in WDW. Its great and all but there are SO many more better rides. Enough typing, lets move on to some photos. NOTE: Most of the photos were taken by Candace Can anybody guess where this is? At least I got the monorail track in a couple pics. Does that count? Is the girl in the background competing in a Physical Challenge on Double Dare? This part of the park sure is dead these days. I remember I couldn't get near the fountains when I visited in the early 90's. Hidden Mickey. Check. Seems like there should be more pumpkins. Tisn't the season I guess. I never rode this ride before. With the low crowds, I gave it a shot. Found him. Check. Dolphins always look happy. Almost like they know something we don't. Hmmm... Candace loved dolphins when she was a child. I tolerated them as a child We timed our visit right to catch the Dolphin show. Next up was the Living Seas Pavilion. For some reason, I never spent much time in here on previous visits. We spent over an hour this time! I love the Disney Imagineers vision of the future! I really, really do! They obviously did some work in this room because it smelled like a Home Depot. Candace says these didn't turn out too well. Lets try out the new expensive camera in the dark Candace! The first ride of the day was naturally Spaceship Earth! Yep, everything seems normal in front of Spaceship Earth. These giant plaques are new. The best part of not being to Disney World since 1998 is that everything looks completely unchanged in the front of the park!
ernierocker Posted February 11, 2008 Author Posted February 11, 2008 Day One Cont'd Because this was Candace's first visit to WDW since she was 2 and first visit ever to Epcot, I was really anxious to see how she would like it. She loved the World Showcase but thought Future World was okay. I think the main reason why I love Epcot so well, is because I came here as a child. There is a lot of nostalgia here. She never got to experience Horizons, good Figments, or the Wonders of Life. Although I enjoyed the new additions to the park, it may me kind of sad to see some of the older rides gone or just sitting there. Unfortunately, Candace isn't an enthusiast (yet), we didn't get any more shots of the rides in Future World. Here are some photos featuring the World Showcase. Candace: Can we hurry up and go to Japan?! We shall end Part 1 with an artsy shot. Next up, Epcot at night! I constantly look back at Spaceship Earth when I am in the World Showcase. Just love looking at it! Another ride I remember fondly as a child. We didn't get to eat in the restaurant. A lady was nice enough to take our picture here. She however didn't realize Candace's camera had no auto focus and focused on the building behind us. We completely look photoshopped in the picture as a result! Back to Mexico and me. Can't remember where this is. Anyone? WTF?! We caught the end of the Chinese Acrobats. I don't quite remember what this room was but I think I remember something about these guys being the original lawn ornament. People found them to look way too serious though. I think they are far less scarier than the garden gnome. Candace liked China a lot too. Just not as much as Japan. More temple pictures and a caption filler. There really wasn't a lot to do in the pavilion though besides take pictures. If you hadn't figured out yet, Candace LOVES Japan! Fortunately, Senor Donald came along to end our fight. We can't argue around you Senor Donald! Candace: Grrrrr! There! Me: I don't see it. Is it over there somewhere? Candace: No! There! Over There! Me: Where Candace? You want to go where? Over there in Canada?
jedimaster1227 Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 Can anybody guess where this is? Right outside of Mexico on the shore closest to Odyssey. This is a great TR so far! I look forward to seeing the rest of your update!
BeemerBoy Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 Can't remember where this is. Anyone? Germany. At least I got the monorail track in a couple pics. Does that count? I've reviewed the evidence, and I've decided to award you half credit. Congrats on marriage, and nice report thus far!
mcjaco Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 ^ I was thinking Italy, but remembered those are different boats there. I'd say Germany too. We started the vacation with my favorite Disney park. Bonus points.
BeemerBoy Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 ^ Italy? Are you sure it's your favorite park? Maybe I should've sent you the Germany postcard. It's a statue of St. George slaying a dragon. Final answer.
mcjaco Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 It's my favorite park, but I don't recall everything. That boat is 20' north and 15' west of surveyor spot 253769. Besides, I get all gooey inside when I see wandless SSE, and get a little light headed.
ernierocker Posted February 11, 2008 Author Posted February 11, 2008 I've reviewed the evidence, and I've decided to award you half credit. Congrats on marriage, and nice report thus far! I'll take it! Thanks, we've actually been married since August '06, but just were now able to use the wedding present. I assumed it was Germany by the background but didn't want to be sending out any false information. Thanks for reading guys!
BeemerBoy Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 ^^Oh, now I think I get what "boat" you were talking about. At first I had NO FRICKIN' idea how a boat had anything in the world to do with the statue of St. George in Germany. You were referencing his pic of the boat outside Mexico? Si? I was ready to take your fanboy card away.
ernierocker Posted February 11, 2008 Author Posted February 11, 2008 Can anybody guess where this is? Right outside of Mexico on the shore closest to Odyssey. This is a great TR so far! I look forward to seeing the rest of your update! You win! Whatever happenend to Odyssey and why is the building just sitting there? I glanced in there that evening and it looked like they had had some sort of banquet/meeting in there. Another sad reminder of the past.
mcjaco Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 ^ It hasn't been open for years. They've used for special functions, and seminars for Food and Wine, etc. We used to eat there as kids, when the characters would walk around.
SharkTums Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 I have pictures of me with Space Minnie at the Odyssey Restaurant.
mcjaco Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 Those outfits made me laugh, even as an eight year old.
jedimaster1227 Posted February 11, 2008 Posted February 11, 2008 You win! Whatever happenend to Odyssey and why is the building just sitting there? I glanced in there that evening and it looked like they had had some sort of banquet/meeting in there. Another sad reminder of the past. Cool! Odyssey is used as a special events location (though some say that they will be re-opening it to the public soon) as of now. It was our back-up location for our Celebration 25 Dessert Party, and when (sure enough) bad weather came into play, we were relocated to the former restaurant. It is a really nice venue still, and quite flexible for various events.
ernierocker Posted February 11, 2008 Author Posted February 11, 2008 That boat is 20' north and 15' west of surveyor spot 253769. With Google Earth (the pay version I think) you can get the boat's exact coordinate system. Start memorizing! I must of visited Odyssey when I was a toddler. I felt some strange attachment to the building. Maybe because it was the closest restroom that I found leaving Test Track, who knows. More pictures coming tonight!
mcjaco Posted February 12, 2008 Posted February 12, 2008 ^ That's one of the best restrooms. No one knows it's there!
ernierocker Posted February 12, 2008 Author Posted February 12, 2008 Epcot at Night As night fell on our first day, so did the temperatures. We had left cold weather behind in Tennessee, so when the forecast called for lower 50's for the first night, I figured I could get by without a long sleeve shirt. Yeah, I was wrong! I managed to make it through Illuminations, but the next day I made sure to bring a long sleeve shirt! On to pictures: Good night Epcot! Magic Kingdom is next! Well worth the cold! BIG BOOM! little boom Fireworks. Yep. China from across the lake. We lucked into a great spot to watch the show. We were scouting a spot between France and England, when two Park Employees gave us special passes to watch the show. It was behind the fish restaurant in England. And now for the reason I was freezing my butt off, IllumiNations! This is best Beatles cover band Ive ever seen at Epcot. Waiting for Illuminations to begin. I am hiding it pretty well, but I was freezing in this picture. This is pretty much all the attention we gave the U.S.A Pavilion. I am pretty sure something was being refurbished anyway. Lets give Morocco a little love shall we. I really loved the Teppanyaki Restaurant when I came last time but I just didn't feel like making reservations for this trip. I kind of wish we had tried the new restaurant though. We've got some Japan night shots of course. More of France at night. This was Candace's first chance to try out some night shots on her new camera. The France Pavilion can not be fully appreciated until it turns dark. Eric wasn't! Candace was smart enough to dress properly for the weather.
mcjaco Posted February 12, 2008 Posted February 12, 2008 And people wonder why I orgasm over wandless Spaceship Earth. That picture is it folks. End of story.
dandaman Posted February 12, 2008 Posted February 12, 2008 This part of the park sure is dead these days. I remember I couldn't get near the fountains when I visited in the early 90's. We have home video of my first trip to Disney in '94. I must have had terrible hand-eye coordination because I kept trying to hit the water, but here's how it went: water shoots up, hand makes the move, misses, water falls back down. Repeat 88 more times. And you're right, that part of the park was pretty crowded then. Great TR!
ernierocker Posted February 12, 2008 Author Posted February 12, 2008 one hell of a photographer you have! Indeed! I just thought of a question that I meant to ask earlier. What is Robin William's role in the Imagination Pavilion? There is a large picture of him along with Rick Moranis and that other guy in the line for Figment. I never saw the relevance of Robin Williams in the whole pavilion. Maybe I missed something?
mcjaco Posted February 12, 2008 Posted February 12, 2008 ^ He was in the remake of "The Nutty Professor."
jackskellington101 Posted February 12, 2008 Posted February 12, 2008 I just thought of a question that I meant to ask earlier. What is Robin William's role in the Imagination Pavilion? There is a large picture of him along with Rick Moranis and that other guy in the line for Figment. I never saw the relevance of Robin Williams in the whole pavilion. Maybe I missed something? It's supposed to be a continuation for the Imagination Institute theme carried over from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. The three portraits are supposed to be the three former winners of the "Inventor of the Year" award, which is presented to Wayne Szalinski over at Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Apparently, the other winner besides Wayne Szalinski is Philip Brainard (Robin Williams character in Flubber) for his creation of Flubber, or only as I can assume. Also in the queue line, there's Brainard's office, which has a bunch of dancing Flubbers running around and some other props from Flubber, like Brainard's robotic companion Weebo. There's also references to Disney's other family science-fiction type movies, like a door for Dean Higgins in the queue and a "No Tennis shoes" sign with a pair of tennis shoes by the computer room in the ride (both for The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, among other films starring a young Kurt Russell).
ernierocker Posted February 12, 2008 Author Posted February 12, 2008 Thanks for the explanation. With there being no wait for the ride, I didn't take the time to stop and read what those pictures were all about. Just noticed a big honking picture of Robin Williams and I've never seen Flubber so I didn't make that connection either.
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