November 2001

Mark L. Fendrick - November 2001 -
Animal Kingdom Lodge

Time of Year: Fall
Travel Method: Plane, Rental Car
Resort: AKL
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran
Comments: Mark and Sandy flew to Orlando to spend some time with their CM daughter Iris in early November. Traveling for the first time since the September 11th events, Mark covers some of the security changes. He also gives a classic play-by-play of the entire trip in his usual fashion.

Mark L. Fendrick -- November 2001 -- Walt Disney World (AKL)

November 9 - November 12, 2001

Who: Mark & Sandy
Guest Cast (member): Iris

 

Prologue

Upon arriving home from our last trip, the day after Labor Day, we decided to take a long weekend at the beginning of the school term if we could work it out and get a good airfare. Originally we thought we might be able to fly down on the weekend leading into the Jewish Holiday since it started Monday night, September 17, but since the schools would be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, and since Sandy had just transferred to a new school and couldn't consider taking the extra day off, we decided to try for Veteran's Day weekend. On September 9th I booked the airfare. As it turns out, this was a good thing, as on the morning of September 11, my home (NYC), along with the rest of the country was turned upside down. Ironically, as I was home from work that morning, it was Iris calling me from Orlando who first informed me of what was happening. Unfortunately, this affected her more personally as a Disney Cast Member who lost many hours on the job, and is still unsure from week to week if she will have enough hours to cover her living expenses. If nothing else, this trip would provide her with a few days of having her meals bought for her - and she certainly took advantage to the opportunity.

 

Day 1 - Friday, November 9, 2001

All packed and ready to go. I will pick Sandy up from school, with the car packed and head straight for Newark Airport. We are still being told that 2 hours prior to flight time is when we should arrive, and our best efforts should come very close to accomplishing that. We have a 4:30 flight, and I pick Sandy up at 2:00. It takes us about a half hour to get to the airport, park in long term parking and another 15 minutes to take the monorail (our first attraction?) to the terminal. The check-in process at the desk takes no longer than usual, and we head back to the gate with plenty of time to spare. Of course, the national guardsman with their weapons at hand remind us that this is no longer the usual situation. At the metal detector, I am pulled aside for a random check. I am asked to remove the money and credit cards from my money clip (which has a magnetic clip), and the foil packaging of the new contact lenses that I plan on opening the next day set off the wand. But, I clear security and we arrive at the gate eager to get started. Unlike the last trip, we leave on time, both in Newark and Charlotte, where we make connections. We arrive in Orlando on time and meet Iris who will drive us to the hotel.

In my last trip report I mentioned that I would like someday to stay at DAK Lodge, and this turned out to be the trip. When I originally called for my reservation, there were no rooms at CBR, and the only room available with a CM discount was a Deluxe Pool View at DAK Lodge. Being a short trip, I booked it, as it was only slightly higher than I would have paid at any of the moderates without Iris's discount. The resort was everything that is said of it, and I wish I had really had some time to take advantage of the facilities, which I didn't on this short trip. The view from my window each morning was magnificent.

As she did the last time, we were all checked in by the time we arrived and were able to go directly to our room, where we unpacked and after a bit of relaxing, left our wake-up call and went to sleep.

 

Day 2 - Saturday, November 10, 2001

Since we have been there many times over the years, Sandy and I went down with no agenda other than 2 PS's for dinner on Saturday and Sunday, so we let Iris decide what we would do this weekend. It turns out that she hadn't been in the parks "playing guest" for a while, so she decided that to maximize the weekend we would do something we hadn't done in years ... get to the parks when they opened! Our wakeup call came at 7 AM and by 8:00 we were out and headed to Boma for breakfast. When we saw the long line we decided to try Mara which was also extremely crowded, so we unanimously agreed that since the Disney Studios was our first stop today, that Starring Rolls would be fine for breakfast, so we headed to the busses and went directly to the park where we arrived just as the park was opening. I took this opportunity to renew my annual pass which would expire at the end of the day, and met Iris and Sandy inside. First stop would be the pin station at the Sorcerer's Hat where I would buy my Magic Moments pins (all 5 of them) and hopefully receive my 4 free internet pins, which had been out of stock for weeks until now. They were back in stock, but we were told that the Passholder pin which Sandy and I wanted to buy was out of stock at all of the parks and would not be back in stock until Thanksgiving. I bought the pins I wanted, and a few more for my collection, and then we went to get our Fast Passes for Millionaire. Finally we went to Starring Rolls and had some breakfast.

Following breakfast we visited the Walt Disney "One Man's Dream" exhibit and could have spent much longer in that exhibit than we did, as there is so much in the way of history to see there. So many items from the Disney history were assembled that you could almost feel Walt, Roy, and (completely ignored) Ub Iwerks standing and looking over your shoulder. Topped off by a movie hosted by Michael Eisner, this is a must visit for anyone who has ever experienced the Disney Magic. I can't wait until our next trip down which will be longer so we can spend much more time in this exhibition.

We arrived at the Millionaire attraction for the first show if the day, and I was intent on getting back to the hotseat to avenge my embarrassing mistake at the 32,000 point level on a question which I really did know the answer to during my last visit. Failing that I was hoping that Sandy would make it to the hotseat so I could tease her about whatever question she was defeated by until our next visit. Neither of us did. In fact, some of the low point questions were quite hard to make a snap judgement on and we never even made the top 10. Iris, of course, is ineligible so she didn't push herself too hard.

We went on to visit the Great Movie Ride and Star Tours, and then, according to Iris's plan - we headed over to the Magic Kingdom, where we would have dinner that evening at Cinderella's Royal Table. We also wanted to get there early enough to see the Share a Dream Come True Parade for the first time.

Of course, no trip to the Magic Kingdom is complete without a trip to my favorite Disney attraction, the Haunted Mansion. The line was listed as 40 minutes, but even though it was into the queue in the forecourt, I knew it would only be more like 15 - 20 minutes, so we waited. This was the longest we have waited for the mansion in almost 20 years or more. Hopefully this bodes well for WDW pulling through these dark days in our country.

We next headed through fantasyland where we rode It's a Small World, which was rehabbing last time we were there, and then Buzz Lightyear (we had a FastPass), and the TTA (peoplemover to us old-timers).

Finally the time comes for our PS at Cinderella'a Royal Table. We were called (along with the Eisner family ... naaaah no relation ) and sat ready for a wonderful meal.

We weren't disappointed and the food was wonderful. At 8:00, the lights dimmed and the fireworks music came up and we watched the show from the restaurant. A wonderful end to the day. Iris had wanted to go on Space Mountain and Splash Mountain, but she was (as were Sandy and I) too full and too tired so we headed back to DAK Lodge and finished our day ... ready for tomorrow.

 

Day 3 - Sunday, November 11, 2001

Up and out early again, as we passed over the DAK Lodge lobby, the Character Caravan was there with Goofy, Pinocchio, Gepetto, Fowlfellow, Gideon and Timon. It was obviously an enormous success judging by the lines to see them and have pictures taken.

Today our plans had called for Animal Kingdom in the AM and then going over to Epcot to spend the day eating and drinking our way around World Showcase (International Food and Wine Festival) and then over to the Beach Club for dinner at Cape May Café. We would try to park at Beach Club, take the bus to Animal Kingdom, then bus to Epcot and finally boat to Beach Club. However, the security guard at Beach Club, seeing Iris's CM ID sticker in her window told her that although we were with her she would still have to park in CM parking ... well out of the way. (They have 3 areas of the parking lot closed and the guard tells us that sometimes guests are parking at the Magic Kingdom parking and being shuttled back.) So, being the flexible folks we are, we decide to park in Epcot, and then continuing as planned. Oooops, forgot that Epcot now opens at 10:00 AM and it is just after 8:30. Unfortunately we realize this as we approach the Epcot parking lot and there are cars now behind us. Of course we could have left, but, once again being flexible, we decide to spend the day at Epcot and so we just wait for the lot and the park to open.

Once the lot opened, we got a parking spot (not far from the #1 resort bus position, so no shuttle needed) and headed to the entrance. A few weeks earlier, I had a problem with one of my feet, and it started again the previous day in the Studios and Magic Kingdom. Iris volunteered to get me a wheelchair and push me for the day, but I didn't want to stick her with doing that all day, so I rented an ECV for the day. Happily, that was all I needed and the next day my foot was fine and I had no problem. It had been years since we were at rope drop in Epcot, but here we were! The new plan called for breakfast at the food court in The Land. It would have been the breakfast in the Garden Grill, but with that no longer an option, we had a quick breakfast down below. (No hot breakfast there any more unfortunately.)

A quick stop at the Pin Station, where the line was quite long with people getting the Veterans Day Pin, and I picked up a couple.

Next we spent some time at Wonders of Life, although all we did was Cranium Command, and then it was time to head over to World Showcase and start our culinary adventure. From 12:30 until a self imposed deadline of 5:00 PM (we wanted to be able to eat our dinner) we worked our way around clockwise starting with watermelon water at Mexico, chicken satay, dim sum and plum wine in Southeast Asia, pepperoni pizza at Italy, perogie and kielbasa in Poland, sushi, shrimp tempura and sake in Japan, escargot in France, beef stroganoff in Russia, cheddar cheese soup and icewine in Canada and finally bananas dipped in chocolate. Don't expect the Food and Wine Festival to be a cheap lunch though. For the three of us, with the food, beers and wines it cost between $70 and $80. (Later the three of us would only pay $48 with tip at Cape May Café thanks to Iris's holiday discount coupon for 50% off!)

Halfway through World Showcase we stopped to take in a show at The American Adventure.

With heightened patriotism evident everywhere I couldn't wait to hear The Voices of Liberty and then, see the show. The Voices of Liberty, as expected, put on a magnificent show, starting with Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA and ending with a signed rendition of Let There be Peace on Earth. The response from the audience was fitting with the feeling of the country now. All through the parks everyone was wearing American Flags of some sort as pins or silk screened on their clothing.

Up in the theater, everything was as it always was until the scene of the depression - Brother Can You Spare a Dime. Something was wrong ... the set was missing! No store porch with the gas tank. With that, the lights came on and we were told that due to technical difficulties we must leave. Dissapointing, as I knew we would not get back there this trip.

When we reached Canada, we had to catch a performance of Off Kilter. Each time we are there we notice how their following has increased and that people are there to see them, rather than simply going to see whatever entertainment just happens to be performing.

Just before we had to head out to make our PS at Cape May Café, we viewed Tapestry of Dreams. As much as I loved the Tapestry of Nations Parade, they kept what was good about it and made it even more fun. While it is still basically the same parade, it is higher energy and very enjoyable.

Then we were off to The Beach Club for dinner. As we were called and the seater came over to bring us to our table, I heard Iris yell, "Tsuyoshi!" It turns out that the seater, an International Program CM, was her trainee at Caribbean Beach Resort front desk. Then one day he just disappeared. Now she knows that he was moved to Cape May Café, although he hopes to be back at CBR soon. The meal was as expected, and once again, I didn't even make it to a whole side of the buffet!

Once again, full and tired, we headed back to DAK Lodge to relax, pack and prepare for what would be our last day at WDW for this trip. However, more than we had bargained for was still ahead!

 

Day 4 - Monday, November 12, 2001

Our last day in WDW before heading home to NYC. All packed and with our bags in Iris's car, we head to Animal Kingdom, Iris's old "home" in WDW. We have a 4:20 flight to Charlotte and then a 7:20 flight back to Newark. (More about this in a while.) Originally we were to leave Orlando at just before 8:00 PM, but one of our flights was cancelled and this was the next best combination.

Somewhat surprisingly, due to time restrictions and what she wants to see, we never make it back to Conservation Station where she used to work before she moved to Caribbean Beach Resort, and where her apartment mate still works. We start at Tusker House where the breakfast we had planned for a day earlier was finally had. After getting FastPasses for the Safari, we had some time to kill, and took the walk down the Pangani Trail. Since all four of us (Sandy, Iris, my son Bobby and I) are big "animal people", this park and its in habitants are very enjoyable for us. (In fact, Bobby, a former CP at the Haunted Mansion and current WDWCP Campus Rep, has just applied for an advanced internship at DAK in animal behavior to start right after he graduates this May.) Along the way, Iris meets up with a CM that she knows (from South Africa) who works on the trail at the Gorilla area. She visits for a few minutes before we continue along our way. Finishing our tour of the trail, it is time for our Safari, and off we go!

According to Iris's plans we head over to Camp Minnie Mickey to see the Festival of the Lion King. Iris's apartment mate's boyfriend is one of the tumble monkeys, but he is not in the show this performance. However, she does know one of the tumble monkeys in the show. Having not seen the show since our first visit right after the park first opened, we had an enjoyable plan.

From there we headed over to Dinosaur to get FastPasses, and then over to Tarzan Rocks, which is a favorite of all of ours. This time it is much more comfortable than the last time we were there in August ... not nearly as hot! This has been almost a perfect weather weekend.

The last attraction for this trip is Dinosaur and then it is time to leave and head for the airport. Since our flight is at 4:30 PM, we plan on leaving the park at 2:00 and get to the airport the suggested 2 hours ahead of time. That is when the real world starts to intrude.

Checking my cell phone messages, I find that my son and my father have left messages for us. An American Airlines flight has crashed upon takeoff at Kennedy Airport, and all of the NYC airports are closed. (Note: Newark (NJ) Airport is a NYC airport.) I know that my first flight to Charlotte is still on time and should be unaffected by this, let's face it - if I have to be stranded, I would rather it be at DAK Lodge than the airport in Charlotte, NC! I call my son and my father who do not know for sure the current status of the airports, or the bridges, since they too were closed and I would have to use one of them to return home to Staten Island from Newark Airport. I have Iris continue to drive towards the airport as I continue to get the facts. A call to US Airways confirms that while JFK is still only accepting incoming flights, Newark and LaGuardia are back at full arrivals and departures, and my flights are still on time.

Arriving at MCO, the line at the US Airways counter is quite long, but we are able to check our bag (we only needed one for this short trip) at curbside and head back to the gate to check in for the flight. Passing through security is relatively normal ... no random checks for me this time, although once again the put Sandy's pocketbook through a few times. But everyone understands the need for security (and those National Guardsmen) and no one is complaining.

Everything does indeed go smoothly and we get back home at the time we expected, and now it is time to think about our next trip.

 

Final Thoughts

This was our first flight since the WTC tragedy. Aside from the WDW aspect, it was good to see and spend time with (and feed) Iris who we hadn't seen since before 9/11, and who has been having trouble paying her bills with reduced (and sometimes no) hours - not knowing from week to week what is going to happen. This trip was indeed more about family than Disney. (Next weekend we will be traveling north to visit Bobby who is performing in Chicago - The Musical - in school.)

Ironically it was Iris calling from Orlando who told me about the 9/11 attack taking place within sight of my house, and Bobby calling me in Orlando to tell me about the airplane crash in Sandy's old neighborhood.

As for WDW, despite all the cutbacks, I wasn't put off at all. The only thing that I really felt was the fact that they no longer serve breakfast at the Garden Grill. Other than that I would not have been put off at all.

The Character Caravan seems to be a big hit judging by the crowds at DAK Lodge.

I saw more Character Greetings throughout all the parks than I have EVER seen before.

While I knew that street entertainment had been cut back, I certainly noticed no lack of street entertainment.

Yes, I know that it was a holiday weekend and the NJ schools were off, but it was nice to see the parks crowded, as they were this weekend.

Bottom line - the magic was still there as much as ever before.