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Three Girls on a Vacation
Trip Reports
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Who: Mary B and daughters Jennifer (31) and Robyn (29)
What: Three Girls on a Vacation
Where: All-Star Music
When: August 8 to 11, 2001
Why: For a family getaway before one girl's wedding
How: By plane
My older daughter was getting divorced, And my younger daughter was getting married, so it seemed
like a great time to get away. We planned this trip on the spur of the moment, which was a lot of fun.
August 8th
We flew out of Lehigh Valley International Airport. It was a quick And uneventful flight, fortunately. We
took a Mears shuttle bus from the airport to our hotel, All-Stars Music. We checked in, locked up our
luggage, And picked up our hotel information And park passes.
We looked around the resort And found our building, the Calypso building, which is to the left of the
guitar-shaped swimming pool.
Then we caught a bus to Disney-MGM Studios. The first ride we went on, well Jennifer And Robyn
anyway, was Rock 'N Roller Coaster. It was our first of many uses of what was then the new fast pass
system.
After a quick lunch of turkey legs And hot dogs, we headed down Commissary Lane to watch
Muppetvision 3D, starring Kermit de Frog. then we walked through Washington Square to take the
Backlot Tour. We saw a bunch of old movie props And costumes, And luckily we didn't get too wet
when our tram took a side trip through Catastrophe Canyon.
Ready for another adventure, we headed down Sunset Boulevard, bound for the Hollywood Tower of
Terror! It was great! Then we all enjoyed an iced coffee, even me who discovered I actually like coffee if
Next we walked back to the Chinese Theatre, having passed it before, to see the Great Movie
Ride--and enjoy the air-conditioning.
Quite exhausted, after that we caught a bus back to our hotel, where our room was ready And waiting.
First we swam in the pool, sunbathed, And sipped margaritas. Then we had dinner in the hotel's food
court, Intermissions.
Totally high on vacation adrenaline, we went over to Disney Quest And rode Buzz Lightyear's
AstroBlaster, Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride, Virtual Jungle Cruise, And CyberSpace Mountain. Then we
went back to the hotel And all collapsed into bed.
August 9th
Wednesday morning, after breakfast in the food court, we hopped on a bus to EPCOT. We
meandered through Future World on our way to World Showcase.
We walked through the pavilions of World Showcase, especially enjoying the tour of Norway, the
Maelstrom boat ride, And the video Impressions de France. After a lunch of hot dogs And ham
sandwiches in Germany, we were very lucky to get to see the Best of Michael Flatley's Lord of the
Dance. (Well two-thirds of us anyway. I fell asleep!)
As our fast pass time for Test Track was quickly approaching, we left World Showcase behind for
Future World. First, we went to the Universe of Energy to ride Ellen's Energy Adventure, then we
walked through the Wonders of Life Pavilion.
Finally, we rode Test Track. It was our longest line And our most suspenseful. An electrical storm
threatened to close the ride down, but we were able to ride!
Tired And hungry, we arrived just in time for our priority seating reservations at the Garden Grill, where
we met Mickey, Chip, And Dale. Next, we sprinted back to World Showcase to get good perches for
the Tapestry of Nations parade And Illuminations.
After Illuminations ended, we walked in the sea of people out of the park as EPCOT closed. Then with
energy known only to three year olds And women on vacation, we took the monorail over to the Magic
Kingdom. We arrived exactly in time for the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks. We staked out some good
curb space And got some treats to enjoy while we watched the Main Street Electrical Parade.
August 10th
Wanting to get an early start to the Animal Kingdom, which opened at (gasp!) 7 am, we ate muffins
And drank coffee while waiting at the hotel bus stop to catch a ride there. Once inside the park, we
walked through the lush Oasis, passed the majestic Tree of Life, window-shopped through Safari
Village, And caught the train to Conservation Station. ("Sheep! I bet Jon would love to have sheep!" my
daughter Robyn joked about her husband, Jon.)
After that, we took a drive through the Kilamanjaro Safari, an African savannah. After a delicious, And
nutritious, lunch of frozen bananas, we toured through the Maharajah Jungle Trek, a walking tour
through the Royal Forest of Anandapur. We saw dozens of creatures, including komodo dragon, tapir,
And blackbuck. It was more than a little chilly in the air-conditioned theater where we watched It's
Tough to be a Bug. We enjoyed it anyway.
Next we rode Kali River Rapids. We got totally soaked, so in an effort to dry our soggy clothes, we
strided over to Dinoland USA. We played around on the dinosaur statues for a bit, then rode Dinosaur.
Then we watched the Festival of the Lion King.
That night, we had a fantastic dinner at the Rainforest Café. Without missing a beat, we took a bus
over to Downtown Disney for a shopping extravaganza. We also admired the LEGO displays, listened
to music, And caught a show at the Adventurer's Club. Finally we returned to the hotel And collapsed
into bed.
August 11th
Friday morning, we took a bus to the Magic Kingdom, early, even before breakfast. First thing, we
enjoyed our Flex Feature, a delicious breakfast at the Crystal Palace. We went on It's a Small World,
then the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. We walked alongside a construction site to get to
Liberty Square to see the Haunted Mansion.
Then we zipped over to Tomorrowland, where we rode Alien Encounter And Space Mountain And saw
the moving trash can. After a great lunch on Main Street at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, we took a bus
back to our hotel And checked out.
We relaxed for a bit in the food court, enjoyed a long-awaited Mickey Popsicle, then flew safely home.
What: Three Girls on a Vacation
Where: All-Star Music
When: August 8 to 11, 2001
Why: For a family getaway before one girl's wedding
How: By plane
My older daughter was getting divorced, And my younger daughter was getting married, so it seemed
like a great time to get away. We planned this trip on the spur of the moment, which was a lot of fun.
August 8th
We flew out of Lehigh Valley International Airport. It was a quick And uneventful flight, fortunately. We
took a Mears shuttle bus from the airport to our hotel, All-Stars Music. We checked in, locked up our
luggage, And picked up our hotel information And park passes.
We looked around the resort And found our building, the Calypso building, which is to the left of the
guitar-shaped swimming pool.
Then we caught a bus to Disney-MGM Studios. The first ride we went on, well Jennifer And Robyn
anyway, was Rock 'N Roller Coaster. It was our first of many uses of what was then the new fast pass
system.
After a quick lunch of turkey legs And hot dogs, we headed down Commissary Lane to watch
Muppetvision 3D, starring Kermit de Frog. then we walked through Washington Square to take the
Backlot Tour. We saw a bunch of old movie props And costumes, And luckily we didn't get too wet
when our tram took a side trip through Catastrophe Canyon.
Ready for another adventure, we headed down Sunset Boulevard, bound for the Hollywood Tower of
Terror! It was great! Then we all enjoyed an iced coffee, even me who discovered I actually like coffee if
Next we walked back to the Chinese Theatre, having passed it before, to see the Great Movie
Ride--and enjoy the air-conditioning.
Quite exhausted, after that we caught a bus back to our hotel, where our room was ready And waiting.
First we swam in the pool, sunbathed, And sipped margaritas. Then we had dinner in the hotel's food
court, Intermissions.
Totally high on vacation adrenaline, we went over to Disney Quest And rode Buzz Lightyear's
AstroBlaster, Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride, Virtual Jungle Cruise, And CyberSpace Mountain. Then we
went back to the hotel And all collapsed into bed.
August 9th
Wednesday morning, after breakfast in the food court, we hopped on a bus to EPCOT. We
meandered through Future World on our way to World Showcase.
We walked through the pavilions of World Showcase, especially enjoying the tour of Norway, the
Maelstrom boat ride, And the video Impressions de France. After a lunch of hot dogs And ham
sandwiches in Germany, we were very lucky to get to see the Best of Michael Flatley's Lord of the
Dance. (Well two-thirds of us anyway. I fell asleep!)
As our fast pass time for Test Track was quickly approaching, we left World Showcase behind for
Future World. First, we went to the Universe of Energy to ride Ellen's Energy Adventure, then we
walked through the Wonders of Life Pavilion.
Finally, we rode Test Track. It was our longest line And our most suspenseful. An electrical storm
threatened to close the ride down, but we were able to ride!
Tired And hungry, we arrived just in time for our priority seating reservations at the Garden Grill, where
we met Mickey, Chip, And Dale. Next, we sprinted back to World Showcase to get good perches for
the Tapestry of Nations parade And Illuminations.
After Illuminations ended, we walked in the sea of people out of the park as EPCOT closed. Then with
energy known only to three year olds And women on vacation, we took the monorail over to the Magic
Kingdom. We arrived exactly in time for the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks. We staked out some good
curb space And got some treats to enjoy while we watched the Main Street Electrical Parade.
August 10th
Wanting to get an early start to the Animal Kingdom, which opened at (gasp!) 7 am, we ate muffins
And drank coffee while waiting at the hotel bus stop to catch a ride there. Once inside the park, we
walked through the lush Oasis, passed the majestic Tree of Life, window-shopped through Safari
Village, And caught the train to Conservation Station. ("Sheep! I bet Jon would love to have sheep!" my
daughter Robyn joked about her husband, Jon.)
After that, we took a drive through the Kilamanjaro Safari, an African savannah. After a delicious, And
nutritious, lunch of frozen bananas, we toured through the Maharajah Jungle Trek, a walking tour
through the Royal Forest of Anandapur. We saw dozens of creatures, including komodo dragon, tapir,
And blackbuck. It was more than a little chilly in the air-conditioned theater where we watched It's
Tough to be a Bug. We enjoyed it anyway.
Next we rode Kali River Rapids. We got totally soaked, so in an effort to dry our soggy clothes, we
strided over to Dinoland USA. We played around on the dinosaur statues for a bit, then rode Dinosaur.
Then we watched the Festival of the Lion King.
That night, we had a fantastic dinner at the Rainforest Café. Without missing a beat, we took a bus
over to Downtown Disney for a shopping extravaganza. We also admired the LEGO displays, listened
to music, And caught a show at the Adventurer's Club. Finally we returned to the hotel And collapsed
into bed.
August 11th
Friday morning, we took a bus to the Magic Kingdom, early, even before breakfast. First thing, we
enjoyed our Flex Feature, a delicious breakfast at the Crystal Palace. We went on It's a Small World,
then the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. We walked alongside a construction site to get to
Liberty Square to see the Haunted Mansion.
Then we zipped over to Tomorrowland, where we rode Alien Encounter And Space Mountain And saw
the moving trash can. After a great lunch on Main Street at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, we took a bus
back to our hotel And checked out.
We relaxed for a bit in the food court, enjoyed a long-awaited Mickey Popsicle, then flew safely home.
