August 2001

Mark L. Fendrick -- August 2001
Walt Disney World (CBR)

Date: August 28, 2001 thru September 3, 2001 (Labor Day)
Who: Mark and Sandy Fendrick (Frequent Visitors) Guest Cast (Member): Iris Fendrick (CBR)
Stayed at: CBR - Trinidad North
Traveled by: Airline and Iris's car

Prologue and the trip down:

When last we spoke, I said, "One day I would like to be there when the parks are empty, but until that day we survive! " Well, despite my dislike for Florida in the summer, almost on the spur of the moment we decided to head down to spend some time with our daughter in the few days, including Labor Day, before Sandy had to be back at school. (Even though my kids are grown, I am still stuck with school vacations since Sandy is a teacher.) We would leave Tuesday night and be back on Monday (Labor Day). Having never stayed at CBR we decided to try to book it for our stay. I called CRO and (having my daughter's information) booked a standard room for six nights with her CM discount. Iris would later upgrade us to a water view room in Trinidad North, close to the bus stop and OPR. As I expected she would be staying with us, saving herself a 20 minute commute from her home in Orlando. She would check us in the afternoon before we arrived, so when she picked us up at the airport we could go straight to our room rather than the front desk. This turned out to be more important than it first seemed.

Our flight out of Newark was scheduled to leave at 9:10 PM, but due to weather up and down the east coast, our aircraft didn't leave its previous airport until after our scheduled departure time. We got onboard at 11:00 PM, but didn't get into the air until almost midnight. We now were scheduled into MCO at 2:35 AM! I wasn't to concerned about Sandy or myself, but about Iris, who would have to be at work at 9:00 AM the next morning. Even with her short commute, from Trinidad North to The Customs House, that wouldn't leave her with much sleep. I offered to get a cab, but she said it would be okay, and at last we finally arrived in MCO and got to our room at 3:00 AM!

Day 1 - Wednesday, August 29 - The Disney MGM Studios

Although we slept late, Iris had to get to work at 9:00 AM. It would only be a 4 hour day this day, so we would wait until she was done working and go together to MGM for our first day. She had made a late reservation for dinner for us at Boma (in AK Lodge), but other than that, we had no place to be at any time, so we should have an opportunity to recover from our late/early arrival.

Since Iris had checked us in on her credit card, I would need to stop by the Customs House to replace her card on our account, so when we finally got up we walked there to take care of that. As we arrived there, Iris was standing in the Lobby, and informed us that things were so slow that when she was offered the chance to leave early, she took it and would punch out in the next 15 minutes. While we waited, I took care of business and then we all headed back to our room so she could get out of her costume and then drove to MGM.

Since by this time we were all hungry, we decided to go to Sci-Fi for lunch first. When we got there they informed us that we could get right in if we didn't mind sitting at a picnic table at the back instead of a car. This was no problem for us, having been there so many times, and it actually was nice being able to have enough light to read the menu and see our food.

From there we did the Great Movie Ride, on which I almost fell asleep, and then on to Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Play It! The previous week my son and his girlfriend visited Iris, and they all fell in love with this attraction, and Iris wanted to go back, despite a certain detail. The first time my son, Bobby, went, he managed to come in first place, but had to decline the hot seat since he is also a CM ... campus rep for the WDW College Program and occasional butler in Master Gracey's Mansion. The woman sitting next to him asked why he declined and he explained that he was a CM, so she leaned over to Iris and told her to watch what Bobby did and perhaps she could be next. Iris then had to inform her that she too was a CM. The next few times they went to WWTBAMPI they both kept coming in at the number 1 spot but had to decline each time. Iris informed us that we were her last hope. Although I didn't place during this visit, Sandy did come in at #3 once. Anyway, a trip to a taping of WWTBAM in NYC would be about $3.00 round trip on the subway for us from home.

From there we decided that while we waited for the next performance of The Hunchback of Notre Dame which we all wanted to see again, we would ride Star Tours. When we finished that, it was still a bit early to be admitted to the theater, Iris and I bought waters (a common thread during this very hot and humid week) while Sandy went into the Muppet shop ... mostly to keep cool. Earlier in the day, Iris told us about this family (she has a habit of "adopting" families for their stay) that she checked in earlier in the week. The day they arrived it was so busy that there was over an hour wait to check in, so management offered all incoming guests a comp ticket to go right to a park, so they could check in later that day when the wait was more reasonable. Iris was working luggage when this family from Buffalo, NY arrived. She took their luggage and gave them their park tickets. When they returned Iris was at the front desk and checked them in. They recognized her from earlier in the day and started teasing about wanting something for their inconvenience. Since they were very understanding and friendly, Iris arranged for them to have a refrigerator for their stay, no charge. (It does usually pay to be nice rather than demanding.) As the week went on she kept running into them. 

Now, as we were sitting near the theater, they passed by and recognized Iris (who was not in costume at that time, of course). She introduced us, and it turned out that they were also going to see the show. She would continue to run into them until they checked out on Saturday, when she left them a personal goodbye message.

After the show - and the preshow juggler who is as funny as ever - we decided to head back to our room to cool off, clean up and get ready for our reservation at Boma. We drove to DAK Lodge and Iris showed us around and I was very impressed. (She had stayed there a while ago with a few of her friends.) Perhaps the next time we might stay there ... providing we can get a room with her CM discount !

The smells which were coming from Boma made me all the more hungry, and soon we were seated and about to sample the interesting African delicacies. I was not disappointed! But I was exhausted. We headed back to the room, and decided that since Iris was due into work at 1:00 PM the next day, she would come with us to EPCOT the next morning. We decided to have breakfast at The Garden Grill at the Land. Iris had just learned the dining reservation system earlier that day, but since she wasn't going to be near a terminal for a while, she called for a reservation. The girl on the other end of the phone must have been just learning herself, because she seemed very confused. After asking some strange questions, Iris got our reservation for 10:10 AM. It was at that point that she suggested that we leave ourselves enough time so as not to be late due to the Tapestry of Nations Parade. Huh? The parade is in the afternoon at World Showcase, and would not have any effect on our breakfast at Future World! Go figure!

Day 2: Thursday, August 30 - EPCOT

We arrive in EPCOT and head over to The Land for our breakfast PS at the Garden Grill. It's a nice breakfast, with the occasional character coming over to say hello. As always this is a great breakfast, which we follow up with a trip through Living with the Land and the Food Rocks. Iris decides that she will head back to the room to relax and change into her costume before heading off to work.

We then figure we would head over to Test Track and get a Fast Pass. Since it is so hot and humid, we go through Innoventions, something we very rarely do. We did this time and enjoyed the high tech demos, not to mention the air conditioning. We sat through a presentation and got our picture taken and printed.

We raced - virtually, and walked around both sides of Innoventions. Then we headed out and got our Fast Passes for Test Track.

Sandy needed to buy some room decorations in Italy since she will be teaching Italian in the fall, (She also teaches Spanish and French, but has enough of those decorations from over the years.) We take a boat across and she gets an Italian flag and a postcard. We then decide to head over to The American Adventure for an air conditioning break. We had hoped to see Voices of Liberty, but this show was preceded by a group of young singers (and a bass player) by the name of American Vibe. While they weren't Voices of Liberty, they were quite talented and it was indeed a different type of show.

From there we went on Test Track and just before the barrier test which leads outside, we had to stop behind another car, and eventually yet another one had to stop behind us. This was the first time that happened to us, but within about 5 minutes the cars started again and we were off!

Next was a soda stop at Ice Station Cool. As always it was fun watching everyone tasting Beverly for the first time. Finally we went on Spaceship Earth, and then one final task. My son and his girlfriend were there last week and had their Leave a Legacy picture taken. He wanted us to find it on the temporary board at the kiosk, and take a picture. Without too much fuss we found their photo and took a few pictures. As it turned out that was not necessary as when we got home this was in the mail.

We headed back to CBR where we would relax until Iris was finished working - about 9:00 PM. 

Together we went to Old Port Royale for dinner and then out by the pool and a drink at Banana Cabana. Iris - who is 23 - looks very young. Just a few weeks ago she and her apartment mate were shopping on what was the Orlando school's first day of classes. The shopkeeper wanted to know why they were not in (high) school. They had to explain that they were both college grads. This night, I went to order two drinks, one for me and one for Iris, and the bartender looked at Iris and said, "Not for her, right?" This would not be the last incident during the week of this nature.

Day 3: Friday, August 31: Magic Kingdom

Iris is once again up and out of the room before we wake up. We get up and head to the Magic Kingdom close to about 11:00 AM. We do see Iris before we get to the Magic Kingdom, though. Just before we are about to leave, our room door opens and in comes Iris to use the bathroom. She was doing Magic on Demand at the Trinidad North bus stop, right by our room, so this was the quickest and most logical place to go. We walked back to the bus stop and waited for the next bus to the Magic Kingdom.

As usual, we first head for my favorite attraction - the Haunted Mansion. It's not the same without my son working there, but it has been my favorite since I first rode it in DL when it first opened. From there we headed into Fantasyland, my wife's favorite. We take a Fastpass for Winnie the Pooh and then decide to get some lunch at Cosmic Ray's and catch Sonny Eclipse's act.

Once done, we went back to use our Fastpass and found that due to an earlier problem, there was a 10 minute wait on the Fastpass line. We were given the opportunity to come back anytime during the day and our FP's would be honored. We decided to wait. From there we got our FP for Buzz Lightyear and rode the CoP and the TTA while waiting for our return time.

This brought us to about 2:30 PM and Sandy wanted to watch the Remember the Magic Parade. (This 5 year old parade will be retired on October 1 in favor of the 100 Years of Magic Parade.) We walked down Main Street and surprisingly there were plenty of curb spots, as the park was not very crowded due to the time of year. Sandy wanted to watch it from the porch by Tony's so we continued. She found a couple of rocking chairs and brought them up to the rail. By this time it was hot and so very humid. I finally got tired of having a wet head of hair, so I told her to wait for me there, and I headed to the Harmony Barber Shop - in its new location between the Emporium and the Firehouse. Both barbers were free, so I told him to cut my hair VERY VERY short! (Just short of a buzz!) Surprisingly, Sandy liked it, and the response has been good, so I probably will keep it the way it is now. No maintenance at all!

We watched the parade, as it got hotter and more humid by the moment!

Next stop was the WDWRR as we went once around the property and then got off by Splash Mountain. We got our FP and headed off to the Pirates of The Caribbean. When we came out, it was pouring - typical Florida summer downpour. We waited a bit and when it let up and almost stopped, we headed out. Suddenly it started again, so we ducked into the nearest shelter - The Tiki Room! After the show there it had stopped again, but neither the Jungle Cruise nor Aladdin's Flying Carpets were back running yet, so we decided this would be a good time to get our Dole Whips. When we finished, the Jungle Cruise had just re-opened so we took a cruise and then returned for our Splash Mountain FP return time.

When we got off Splash Mountain, it was nearly 6:30 and we decided to take the WDWRR back to the entrance and start back to the CBR where we would meet Iris who would return after work. That night we had reservations for the Hoop-de-Do Revue. (CM's were getting 50% off at the time and since we all enjoy it, we took advantage of that.) It was here, when we were told to see the photographer, and Iris said, "No thanks" as we had no intention of buying the picture, that the CM commented that it was a typical teenage reaction. Once again, Iris was mistaken for younger than she is. But wait - one day she will appreciate that! We had a good table right up front and center, and once again had a fun evening!

Day 4 - Saturday, September 1, 2001: Animal Kingdom

Once again, Iris is off to work before we awaken, and today we are heading to her former work location, Animal Kingdom. It's another very humid day, as we head off to the park. Our first destination is Dinosaur, where we get our Fastpasses and then head out to see Tarzan Rocks, while waiting for our Fastpass return time. The show is enjoyable as always, although all I kept thinking about was just how hot they all must be. I was drinking as much cold water as I could get into me just to keep hydrated as the fluid was leaving my body as fast as I poured it in. (A nice way of saying that even sitting down in the theater with all the fans going I was sweating profusely!)

After the show we took our ride on Dinosaur and then headed back to Harambe to go on the Safari. However, as we passed, we decided to make a stop at the Passholder's Lounge. It was shaded and only slightly cooler, but the seats were comfortable and we got some more water into us while we looked at some pins and got a Fastpass for the Safari - not that we really needed it, as the line was hardly much of a wait anyway.

In the heat, I don't usually have much of an appetite and probably would have gone all day without eating, as long as I kept drinking. However, Sandy was now hungry, so we went into Tusker House. This was more than she wanted to eat, so I made the suggestion that we get a couple of hot dogs from the wagon at Conservation Station - which was our next stop. This was where Iris worked before she moved to CBR, and she still has quite a few friends there, including one of her apartment mates. Originally, all four of the girls who moved into the apartment in December were CP's at Conservation Station. We take the train back to Rafiki's Planet Watch and on the path back to Conservation Station, run into Iris's apartment mate, Jill. We promised her that we would return Iris in a few days and then headed back to the air conditioned Conservation Station. We watched a few keepers presentations (Iris knew both keepers who made presentations that day) and then got the hot dogs as planned. (Iris told us that occasionally she would get one there and they were not bad.)

By this point it was getting late in the day, and since DAK closes at 5:00 PM, we decided to see It's Tough to be a Bug and then head back to CBR where we would wait for Iris and have dinner at Cape May Café at the Beach Club.

We had never been to Cape May Café before, so this was a first for us. In fact, Sandy and I had never been to the Beach Club, although Iris had a class there at one point, and Bobby had his WDWCP formal there as well. Let me say that it has now moved to the top of my "must go to" places on future trips. I never even got to the meat portion of the buffet, filling myself with Clam Chowder (Manhattan, mind you, although the New England looked good as well!), steamers, peel and eat shrimp, crab legs, and on and on! And the desserts - yummmmmm!

Day 5 - Sunday, September 2, 2001: MGM and EPCOT

We tried to keep from remembering that this was our last full day in WDW, as we were being taken to the airport at 5:30 AM for a 7:05 flight the next morning. Iris had originally planned on being off this day, but had to work a few hours in the morning, so we waited until she got finished before we headed to MGM to start the day. Sandy and Iris were hungry so our first stop was the ABC Commissary, which was enjoyable. We next got our Fastpasses for WWTBAM PI and found we had just enough time to take a trip through the Great Movie Ride. This time we made sure to get the "Old West" show (the front cars) since we had the "Western" show a few days earlier. This time I was aboe to stay awake through the attraction. Then we headed over to WWTBAM PI.

The first "fastest finger" question was a mystery to me, and was won by a very young boy, no doubt guessing correctly. He really did not know any of the answers, and used his life lines right away, and was eliminated before he reached the 1000 point plateau, and received a consolation prize. When they went to see who would next be on the hot seat, I saw Sandy's seat number come up close to the top - and then - in the number one spot - seat 80 - HEY THAT'S ME!!!

My heart was pounding and I was surprisingly nervous as I sat in the seat. I am not afraid of being in front of a large group of people or even speaking in front of such a group. I was just scared that I would embarrass myself and get eliminated fast. So when I saw the first question my heart sank. What are the names of Daisy Duck's nieces? Luckily the answers to the first question usually show you the proper answer even if you don't know it. Three of the names were months and the fourth one was Bertha. Whew - got past that one! Most of the next questions were fairly easy and I made it through and past the 1000 point plateau - winning my hat and pins.

I used two of my lifelines (50/50 and Poll the Audience) on 2 questions which I was somewhat confident of the answers, but needed some reinforcement. Then I was at the 32,000 point plateau and was asked a question which I really did know the answer to, but I thought too much and rather than going with my first instinct (which was correct) I chose and incorrect answer and was eliminated. So now I join Iris and Bobby as ineligible for the hot seat - at least until October 2!

We next took the backlot tour and the backstage pass and then decided to head out to EPCOT where we had a dinner PS at Oktoberfest in Germany.

We took the boat from MGM to EPCOT (stopping at the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, The Yacht and Beach Club, and the Boardwalk before getting to the International Gateway at EPCOT. We stopped at Canada and saw a performance of Off Kilter.

Next we wandered through the UK and caught the end of the British Invasion performance and then headed around to take a boat back across to Germany. As usual, dinner was enjoyable and the show was as well.

We finished as the second Tapestry of Nations was going on so we stayed and watched.

We then headed back to CBR to relax and go to sleep early. We had already packed so there was nothing left to do.

Day 6: Monday, September 3 (Labor Day): The return home.

It always happens - the day you return home always comes . We called for Bell Services to pick us up at 5:15 AM for our 5:30 pick up by Tiffany Town Cars. As a change, Iris stayed asleep while we left, as she was not due to work until 10:00 AM. Again, she was planning on being off this day, but over 850 impending checkouts cancelled those plans. She would work 8 straight days before having a day off on Thursday. We met Donny outside of our room since we did not want to wake Iris up, and it was over. Everything went smoothly and our flights were on time and we returned home with no problems at all, unlike the trip down.

Time to plan for the next trip - maybe before my AP expires in November? (Not that I will let it expire - I will renew as will Sandy when hers is due in December.)

April 2001

Mark Fendrick - April 2001 - Coronado Springs

Time of Year: Spring
Travel Method: Personal Car, Plane
Resort: Coronado Springs Resort
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Adult WDW
Experience Represented in Group: Veteran, Cast Member

Comments: Mark and Sandy drove down to see Iris, their daughter, who works at WDW. The trip was a week long. For the most part, the Fendricks just enjoyed the parks and spent time with Iris. Mark's reports are always fun to read.

Mark Fendrick -- April 2001 -- Walt Disney World (CSR)

Dates: April 7 - 15 2001

Starring: Mark & Sandy (WDW Veterans and AP holders)

Guest Cast (member): Iris

 

Prologue - April 7 & 8

Right from the beginning this trip did not seem as much a trip to WDW as it did one to visit our daughter who has been working in WDW since last August. And as always, due to the fact that Sandy is a NYC teacher, we are limited as to the times we can go down to WDW, and it is always a very busy time when we go. Since this is Spring Break for NYC public schools, we knew that this trip would be no different.

However, thanks to the number of times we have visited the World, we didn't feel the need to see any particular amount of attractions, plus we knew the best way to do the parks during the crowded times.

The original plans called for us driving down again, but at the last minute I found a relatively cheap flight, although it did require us to drive down to Raleigh, NC, then fly to Miami and then back to Orlando.

This worked out since we have friends in Raleigh who are getting married in a few weeks and we won't be able to make the wedding, so this gives us an opportunity to see them before the wedding. We made good time getting to Raleigh, and got an place for the night right by the airport. (We would see our friends on the way home.) In the morning we drove the five minutes to long term parking and checked in for our flight with plenty of time to spare. The flight to Miami was uneventful, but that would soon change. Our flight to Orlando was soon cancelled due to equipment failure, but we were able to get seats on a flight only three hours later. Two lunch vouchers were issued and we had a delicious meal while waiting . unfortunately we were not really ready for lunch at 11:00 AM! During that layover, I called Tiffany Towncar and updated my situation with them (no problem), and had a voice mail from my daughter, who knew we were meeting her for dinner that night at Le Cellier, but just didn't know where or when. I couldn't reach her, but left her voice mail on her cel phone with the information.

 

Day 1. Arrival and dinner at Le Cellier

We got to Orlando three hours later than planned, but all it did was change our plans slightly. Darcy from Tiffany Towncar was there waiting for us, and despite the confusion, our luggage arrived with no problems, and we were off to Coronado Springs. (My daughter tried booking us into CBR, but all that was available with her CM discount was a room with a King bed. We would soon find out why she did not book that and placed us in CS instead.) We had stayed at CS shortly after it opened and liked it, so I expected nothing less this time. Upon checking in I found that we had a fourth floor room in Casitas 5 with a beautiful view of the fountain, lake, and Tower of Terror. (Turns out that when Iris went to CS to validate her discount, the CM she dealt with was a friend of hers and he made sure we had a great room. Thanks Fabiano!)

Since we were later than we expected to get into the resort, rather than going over to Epcot and meeting Iris when she got off, we decided to go to CBR and see her there, and go to Epcot together.

We got there just as she was coming off a break, and found out that she would be getting off in about an hour, so we took a walk to Old Port Royale, looked around and by the time we got back, she was just about ready to leave. We drove over to Epcot and had enough time to do Test Track (single rider line) once before we headed off to our PS at Canada. When we were seated and the server came over to our table, she recognized Iris from a the time in December that Iris and Bobby ate there. (Both were working in WDW at the time.) They caught up a bit, and we found out that she was on the last 4 weeks of her contract and would be going back to Vancouver at that time. After a delicious meal, we headed back to the parking lot through a practically empty Epcot, since our PS was only 10 minutes before the park closed.

 

Day 2 - Disney Studios

We found out why Iris did not book the room with the Kingsize bed at CBR for us . she intended to stay with us for convenience. It made sense since her apartment is 5 minutes from Universal and the traffic on I-4 can be bad. This way she did not have the trip (20 minutes round trip usually), and did not miss any chance of a free meal from Mom and Dad! Of course the housekeeper might have been a bit confused as to why there was a CBR costume hanging in the room each day . nametag and all! ?

Our destination today was The Studios, and we got a reasonable start . not planning on getting there when the park opened. Actually, we got there shortly before lunch. Before we left the room, Iris called for a PS at the 50's Prime Time Café, and that was one of the first things we did. We had a terrific server who stayed in character and made the meal enjoyable. After lunch we all went on the Great Movie Ride and before we knew it, Iris had to leave to get to work. After she left, Sandy and I went to see (Fastpass, if you please!) Voyage of the Little Mermaid, take the Backlot Tour, and finally, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Play it! This was great. We got our Fastpasses about 2 hours before our show, and had a great time when we got in. We highly recommend it, and can easily see how one can become addicted to it!

It was still early, and due to the record heat we would have all week, we left rather early and decided to have dinner at the Pepper Market at CS, and then just hang out, perhaps go swimming. (We never made it.)

 

Day 3 - Universal

This was the day we went to Universal Studios (not Island of Adventure). We hadn't been there in a few years - the last time we went it was to IOA and Sandy and I are not huge roller-coaster fans. Right away we found that their Universal Express (their version of Fastpass) system was not operating correctly and the tickets were being given out manually, so there was nothing stopping anyone from getting more than one at a time. Again, crowds were large, but we never had to wait more than a few minutes to get into any attractions there. This was our first time on Men In Black, and (sorry to say) once again Universal has shown that they are now the better theme park when it comes to new and innovative attractions. This can best be described as Buzz Lightyear/Roger Rabbit (in DL) done right. The queue takes you through a replica of MIB headquarters as seen in the movie. Then you, as a trainee, are put in a training vehicle where you will compete against another group of trainees. Something goes wrong and real aliens are rampant through the city and you are turned loose on them. But you are not just shooting at them . they are shooting at you as well. If hit, your vehicle spins out of control. Each individual is scored and then each vehicle is scored and compared to one you are traveling along with. The one with the higher score is the "winner". You must try this!

The other new attraction (to us at least) was Twister, which turned out to be a very disappointing, one stage walkthrough. The effects were alright, but nothing that I would wait online for any time to see. Once again, the Express passes eased us through. We did manage to see all the attractions in the park . with minimal wait times, have 2 meals, and still leave the park about 8:00 PM.

When we left the park, Iris wanted to take us to the bar in which she hangs out, Pat O'Brien's in City Walk at Universal. It was a very nice place (a New Orleans bar) and while she did spend most of the evening with us (Two for Tuesday . two specialty drinks for the price of one), she did spend part of the night visiting with bartenders that she knew and picking up guys at the bar. Sheesh! A local radio station was broadcasting from there and Sandy answered some trivia correctly and won free movie tickets which we, of course, gave to Iris. Both Sandy and I collapsed when we got back to the room.

 

Day 4 - Epcot - Visiting my parents - MK/DD

Today was the day I promised my parents we would come to see the house they had closed on just the previous week. For the past dozen years or so, they had been renting an apartment in Brandon (near Tampa) and spending half the year down here. Now they bought a house in a community about 20 miles further south. Since Iris had 2 days off this week - surprisingly - so this was the day we arranged to go. However, we had a PS for breakfast at the Garden Grill at The Land in Epcot. It is funny, but when Iris was young and into her teens, she was scared of the "fur" characters. Now she enjoys character meals, and since we all love the breakfast at the Garden Grill, we always manage to find a day to eat there.

We took the time to do Food Rocks, and then off to Sun City Center and a day with the parents. Iris, though, had tickets for a concert at the House of Blues, so we couldn't stay too long, and headed back about 5:30 PM, passing through Polk County which is still quite on fire. They need rain there badly, but even with a weather front coming through, no rain is predicted. None really expected until about June!

Sandy wanted to spend some time at Downtown Disney and I didn't, so I headed to the MK and Sandy would meet me there later. I did a quick trip through the HM, which now seems to be missing something without my son there, and then settled down in Liberty Square to watch SpectroMagic. I met Sandy after the parade, did the HM once more before we started out and back to the hotel. As we left the Mansion this time the fireworks were just starting, and we watched it from my son's favorite place in the HM forecourt. This particular area used to be closed to guests, but with the re-layout of the queue, you can now stand there and watch the show. (I did get to watch it from there with my son and other HMCM's on a few other occasions.) So as the second SpectroMagic parade is going on, we exit the MK and head for the bus and our room.

 

Day 5 - Epcot and ????

Today, Iris goes back to work, but since she is working 3:30 PM - 12:30 AM most days this week, she can come with us to Epcot where we has PS for lunch at the Biergarten. (Back when we first planned this trip, Iris told me that she wanted to eat at Le Cellier and the Biergarten, so those were the PS that I made before coming, once I knew her work schedule.) Before that, though, we had some time and went through The Living Seas, which we had put off the last few times we were in Epcot. The only difference I saw was that now you have the option of skipping the movie and going directly to the hydrolators. We went in to see the movie since we all enjoy it before the attraction. Most did.

Then we were off to Germany. The last time I ate there, a number of years ago, it was a sit-down situation where you ordered off a menu and was served while a full Octoberfest show was going on. Now it is a buffet with a good selection, right through the desserts, but the entertainment has been reduced to a three man band. They were good, but not quite what the old show was. However, the food was wonderful and varied, and we took our time and enjoyed it. The family which was seated at the table with us came after we were well into our meal, and where gone before we were ready for dessert. Somehow, that should not be the way to enjoy this restaurant. After lunch we walked around World Showcase a bit until Iris has to leave for work. We walked her into Future World, and after she left we did a few attractions such as the Universe of Energy and Spaceship Earth. Of course, a quick stop into Ice Station Cool was required to quench our thirst.

Now our plans were to go to the MK, do a few attractions and watch both parades and perhaps the fireworks. Since Sandy and I were both tired, we decided to go back to the room first for a nap. I should have realized that this would not work out as planned, since once I take a "nap", I am usually no good for the rest of the day. But since Sandy naps every day after school, I figure she will get me up and about. Well, our one hour nap turned into 3 and a half, and we decided not to even try to make it to the MK, so we ate at the Pepper Market once again and just hung around the resort and relaxed. However, even though it had been quite hot during the day all week, the evenings were cool and comfortable. This evening turned out to be hot and sticky, so we wound up in the room, which was really okay, since on this whole trip my feet never hurt and I never felt totally wiped out.

 

Day 6 - Animal Kingdom - CBR - Magic Kingdom

This was the morning that we finally got to Tusker House for breakfast. Okay, maybe it is not fine dining, but we do like to breakfast sandwiches and hash browns that they serve there. Also, it is a homecoming of sorts for Iris who worked in Rafiki's Planet Watch for four months before moving to CBR. (And hopes to be back there after this assignment is over.) Before breakfast we get our Fastpasses for the safari, and after we ate, we spent the remaining time until our Fastpass return time watching Iris hug almost every cast member in Harambe. Many of them - mostly from South Africa - are coming down to the last weeks of their contract and most will be returning home, so things had a tendency to get a bit emotional. Earlier, before the Spring Break season was upon them, Iris would do a few shifts of OT back at Rafiki's Planet Watch, but in the past month or so, she hasn't even had a chance to get back there, so they hadn't seen each other in a while. Since Iris's apartment mates all worked together in Rafiki's Planet Watch, they decided to have a party at their apartment for the Africans before they go home. She hugs her way back to Rafiki's Planet Watch where she sees one of her apartment mates for the first time in almost a week at this point - she is returning to her apartment this evening.

After seeing some of the keepers she is friends with, we go out to Affection Section and see another of her apartment mates - this one is actually her roommate - who is giving a tour to a school group.

After leaving Rafiki's Planet Watch we head off to see Tarzan Rocks and then we decide that instead of eating lunch at DAK we would go with Iris to CBR and eat at Old Port Royale with her, and she could leave when she had to since she would be there and ready for work.

When she leaves, we do head over to the MK this time. Since we have to meet our driver back to the airport the next morning at 5:30 AM, we would leave the park fairly early. But still we managed yet another go through the HM, a show at the CBJ, a Jungle Cruise (not the same without the shooting the hippos). Since it would be our last meal at WDW I wanted to do something different, which gets harder as time goes by, but we had never eaten at the Liberty Tree Tavern, so I asked if we could get in without a PS. At first I was told no, but since we were only 2 the "no" changed to "20 minutes". The 20 minutes were only 10 and it was a very enjoyable experience with plenty of character interaction - even with adult only tables such as ours. I am glad we decided to do it! And then it was back to the hotel to pack and leave a 4:45 AM wake-up call.

 

On The Way Home

Earlier in the week, Sandy was closest to the phone (since Iris was still staying with us) and answered the few wake-up calls we received. She claimed it was "classical music" on the phone. This morning since Iris is not staying with us and we each use one bed (hey, 27 years of marriage . comfort becomes important!), I answered the phone, and discovered that "classical music" was Grim Grinning Ghosts followed by Mickey's morning message.

Bell services shows up at the appointed hour and when we arrive at the front of the resort, Darcy is once again waiting for us and it is off to the airport. This time our flights get off perfectly on time and there are no problems as there were coming down. However, I develop a toothache in the air which doesn't go away with Aleve, or Advil or anything else I try. (As I write this I have an appointment with my dentist tomorrow morning . 3 days later!) That evening I would get a good night's sleep thanks to some Tylenol PM! But before that, we meet my friends in Raleigh (the first time Sandy has ever met them) and go out for some great Barbecue and then an interesting night in a Karaoke bar. While Sandy and I have been to one here in NYC (Staten Island, actually) as expected such a place in North Carolina would have a different "flavor". I hadn't even heard of most of the country songs that were chosen, but we had a great time. Hopefully we will go back there and if my tooth doesn't hurt even participate next time we visit.

An uneventful trip home that Sandy did most of the driving since I was in a great deal of discomfort, and another trip to WDW is but a memory.

 

Final Thoughts

Although Sandy and I always go down at the busiest times of the year and WDW is always crowded, we have found how to get around without waiting on long lines - of course Fastpass helps. We know what to expect and when to expect it . and having visited so often don't feel pressure to see any number of attractions at any given time. One day I would like to be there when the parks are empty, but until that day . we survive!

December 2000

Mark L. Fendrick -- December 2000 -- All Star Music

December 22, 2000 - January 1, 2001

Starring - Mark L. Fendrick & Sandra Fendrick

Co-Starring - Iris Fendrick & Bobby Fendrick

Special Appearances as noted below

 

Prelude

This trip was supposed to be similar to the one we took in November, 1999 except where that one was Mark, Sandy and Iris visiting Bobby who was working at the Haunted Mansion on the College Program, this time it was going to be Bobby coming with us to visit Iris who is working at Rafiki' s Planet Watch at DAK. 

However, just before he came home from college for his break, he received a letter from WDW asking if he wanted to spend his break working in his old area, and offering housing again at Vista Way. A few phone calls later we found ourselves saying goodbye to him at Newark Airport, a week before we were scheduled to leave ourselves. So now we would have to work our schedule so that we could visit him at the Haunted Mansion and Iris at DAK. Would be get to spend much time with them together? We would find out when we got there.

We left after I got back from work on Friday, December 22. We left Staten Island, NY at 5:30 PM and made it as far as Dumfries, VA the first night, and St. Augustine, FL the second night . about 2 hours from WDW!

 

December 24, 2000

We arrived at AS Sports at 10:00 AM and were going to do a pre-check-in, so we were surprised that we were assigned our room and were able to unpack the car before heading off to the see the kids. Iris had asked me to bring down her television so that when they found an apartment (she and 3 other CM's from Rafiki's Planet Watch) she would have her TV and VCR. What I found out was that while we were on the road, they did indeed find an apartment and were already approved and would get the key while we were down there. This was nice as we could see her apartment and bring the TV and VCR directly to it rather than into her apartment at Vista Way first.

Since Bobby was coming on duty at 4:00 PM and Iris at 10:00 AM, we decided to head to DAK first and then finish the day at MK. Since it was Christmas Eve, we had to decide if we were going to eat at the food court at AS Sports, or perhaps, if we could get the kids together after work and any place was open, have a nice meal with all four of us. (Iris and one of the keepers at DAK tried to find her a menorah for Chanukah, but were unsuccessful. Next year I will definitely send one down to her.) We got to DAK and bought Sandy her AP. (We had 4 passes - 2 each from Iris and Bobby - which we used as Chanukah presents since we would still have to buy Sandy extra time while we were down there.) As we passed the Tree of Life we noticed that with the addition of FastPass, the entrance to ITTBAB had been moved. However, before we headed back to see Iris we got out FastPasses for the Safari. With them in hand, we went to the Wildlife Express and headed to Rafiki's Planet Watch. Once again, from the time we entered the Train Station we kept our eyes open for Iris. Not at the station or along the path to Conservation Station, I spotted her coming out of the break room. Her first few positions put her by the windows so we spent about an hour with her. During that time I had both Rafiki and Meeko come over and say hello to me. When the next rotation came around and she was moving into Affection Section where she needed to keep her eyes open for guests with maps or annoying the animals, Sandy and I left for the Safari. We made arrangements for Iris to meet us at the AS Sports lobby so we could feed her. At this point, though we did not yet know if Bobby could meet us and if we would eat at the hotel, or perhaps someplace else.

We are enjoying the warm weather as we get on to the Safari. A week earlier, there was a day where it was 37° at noon, and it would be cold later in the week. But for now, the weather was in the low 70's. It was a walk on with either the FastPass line or the Standby line at this time. I had learned from one of Iris's apartment mates to be that while most of the habitats in the Safari were all natural, Pride Rock is both heated and air-conditioned. And there are 2 pairs of male/female lions, which take turns onstage so as to avoid a combat for dominance.

By the time the safari was over, we headed towards the bus to TTC and then to the Haunted Mansion to try to catch Bobby and see if we could arrange to meet him for dinner as well. Sandy was having trouble getting used to the biometrics reader until we realized that she was inserting 3 fingers instead of 2. Once she realized that she was passed through with no problem. As would happen over and over this trip, we arrived as a parade was starting so when we finally made it back to Liberty Square, we had to wait a bit to cross over and make it to the Haunted Mansion. With the new FastPass distribution center and the additional queue area installed, the area in front of the mansion was extremely congested. However, the stand-by line was at 45 minutes so we took a FastPass, which would be good in about an hour. Bobby was not at any of the outdoor positions, so we decided to get on the Standby Line (it looked as if it was really only about 10-15 minutes, and it was) and hope to catch Bobby inside the Mansion. 

However, as always happened in the past, we went all the way through the attraction without seeing Bobby. At this point, Sandy was emphatic about not waiting on line again without knowing where he was, so she went to find a member of the Mansion's staff and see if she could find Bobby. While she was gone, a fistfight broke out in the congestion that was the entrance to the HM, and a CM first stepped in to break it up, and then though better of it. (Later in the week, Bobby would call security and handle another fight in the HM, and would receive another GUEST SERVICE FANATIC AWARD. He now has a few of those on his record.) Smartly, Sandy approached a female CM - Bobby has this attraction you see - and she found that Bobby was in Stretch Room 2, and unfortunately when we went through the first time, we were admitted by the CM who was assigned to Stretch 1- so we moved right past Bobby without ever knowing it! We got to spend some time with him here, seeing the Stretch Room cycle three or four times while we arranged for him to also meet us in the hotel lobby after work.

After we left the HM, we saw the Holiday Show at the Country Bear Jamboree . a full house! After a brief bite at Pecos Bill's we did Splash Mountain and then headed back towards Fantasyland as we started to make our way out of the park. We took a spin on IASW and then headed back towards the entrance and the bus to the hotel.

Since we were going to have Bobby and Iris together for dinner I made sure that the restaurants on the West Side were going to be open their normal hours, and we decided to head for Bongos. However, when we got there, Bongos had closed the restaurant, so we had dinner at Wolfgang Pucks. Not that it was a bad thing! The food at WP's is terrific! Having fed the kids, and being exhausted - all four of us! - Iris drove us back to the hotel and then she and Bobby headed back to Vista Way.

Tomorrow will be EPCOT.

 

Day 2 Christmas Day

It is December 25th . which used to be a great (empty) day to be at the MK, but since the advent of the televised parade, no longer is. So we use this day for Epcot. Sandy reads about the Candlelighting Processional and when she finds out that there is a celebrity involved (she is amazingly star-struck!) she insists that we see it. Tonight it will be Gary Sinese narrating. We decide to try to catch the first CP of the evening and perhaps even be able to head over to the MK late in the day.

The entrance into Epcot is not overly crowded, and we decide to head over to Test Track and see how long the FastPass return will be. It is just over an hour away, but we have to wait a long time to get our FP's since there are people getting a large number of them for their entire groups. The FP return time is 10 minutes later than when we got on line by the time we finally have our FP's in hand. We head over to the bakery/espresso place and get some breakfast. While sitting there we have a nice chat with a custodial hostess about many things Disney. We discover how common it is for many CP's to stay after the program and find their way into management.

Just to remind myself once again how bad JIYI really is, we decide to kill some time by riding it again. I make sure to try to notice new things, but no matter how I try to find some redeeming value in it I fail. In the shop at the end of JIYI, I stop at the WDW Forever kiosk and make myself a CD. Since I have no CD player with me and Sandy's car, in which we drove down, has only a tape player, I wont get to hear it until I get home. I have it sent to the hotel for pick-up the next day.

It is finally time to use our FP's for Test Track, so we head there and see that the FP return line is quite long in itself, but we decide to wait. In the past we would have done the single rider line, but it was over an hour at this point. This was only the second time since TT opened that Sandy and myself rode in the same vehicle. From the time we got on the line until we actually left the building was a full hour. I hear that the Standby line was now over 2 hours long!

We decide to head over to World Showcase and start our way around. In Mexico we do something that we haven't done in years and rode El Rio del Tiempo. The line was not very long and it only took about 3 boat loads until we got on. When we were done, we decided t have lunch there and went over to the restaurant. Again, we had not eaten there since almost when Epcot had first opened. Since then so many Mexican restaurants have opened at home that the novelty had worn off, so we stopped going there. It was as good as I had remembered though.

Now fed, we started a clockwise trip around World Showcase, stopping to see the Holidays Around the World presentations as we encountered them. I took the opportunity to sit and watch the shows while Sandy went into each shop for a while.

We continued around until we reached the American Adventure and decided once again to see the show - one of our favorites. Unfortunately we had just missed the Voices of Freedom and went right into the show. When done, we continued our journey until we reached France. I sat once again to watch Pere Noel, while Sandy shopped for material to use in class - she is a foreign language teacher.

By this time it was already about 3:00 and people were lining up for the first CP of the day. Since we did not have the CP show package since I did not think she would want to see the show as it is basically a religious presentation and we are not Christian, we lined up right away for the best seats behind those with ressies. We were at the front of the line and did get good seats for the show - although we had to stand on line from about 3:00 to 4:00 when they let us in to sit. 

Unfortunately my camera has only a small zoom and my wife wanted good pictures of Gary Sinece, but she will have to make do with what we have. Had I thought to bring my video camera I would have had a very powerful zoom.

The show itself was beautiful . even for us non-believers. I was particularly impressed with the performance of the "singer" who was signing the show and the guest conductor - being a musical director myself. I wish I could make it look as smooth and easy as he did.

When it was over we decided to try to head for the Magic Kingdom, as Epcot was getting very crowded and we were thinking that many guests were leaving MK for Epcot. When we got to the monorail we were informed that MK was still closed to new guests and so we decided to call it an early evening and head back to the hotel where Iris would meet us later that night for dinner at the hotel. Since Bobby was working until 12:45 AM we would not get to see him that day. It was important that I see Iris, though, as I needed to get the passes from her which I was going to let some friends of mine from HS use the next day. As always, Iris was glad to be fed, rather than pay for or cook her own meal. Kids!

Tomorrow, MK and the Studios

 

Day 3 December 26

Today is somewhat special for me. I am meeting some friends from HS and spending the day with them and their families. Norma, an old girlfriend, and Hector, her brother and fellow musician, moved from Brooklyn to Buffalo in my (and Hector's) senior year of HS. Although I visited them there for a while, there came a time, about 28 years ago, where we lost touch. In planning my HS's 30 year reunion this past summer, I found both of them - Hector is living in VA and Norma in MI. I got to see Norma and her family in MI when I visited there to see her in a show in May. I saw her and Hector at the reunion last August, so while this was not the first time I had seen them in 28 years, it was still a special day. And it would be the first time I met Hector's wife and two children. (Norma was there only with her youngest daughter, Mary.) It would also be the first time I would see their Mom (who they were visiting in FL) in 29 years.

I had made up where to meet them, but expected delays due to traffic and crowds, so wasn't too concerned when they showed up an hour late. Sandy had already gone into the MK to do some shopping/browsing. They had gotten to TTC on time, but it took an hour to get over to the MK entrance. I had two passes, courtesy of my daughter, which I let them decide how to split. When we got into the MK I found Sandy in the lobby of Tony's watching 101 Dalmations which had just finished and was about to start again. Since Sandy and I come so often and they are occasional visitors, I let them choose where to go. They wanted Space Mountain, and I explained how FP worked, and we got FP's for SM which would be good in a little over an hour. In that hour they wanted to ride TTA and see CoP which was just fine with me as they are both favorites of mine. When we got to out SM time, Dora (Hector and Norma's mom) sat outside waiting while we walked right up and got on.

From there we headed to AE which only Sandy and I had ever been on before. Mary was getting very nervous, but with her eyes closed only part of the time, she survived the experience but probably would not go back at a future date.

At this point in time, Norma was going to leave us for a while, to have lunch at DD with another friend, and I offered Mary the opportunity to run over to MGM with her to ride ToT and RnRR which she had not ridden yet. Since every one had single day passes, the only ones who could hop were Sandy and me and which ever 2 used Iris's passes which were also single day hoppers. So as not to cause a fight between Hector's 2 kids, I decided just to take Mary, and Sandy tagged along so she could spend time at the gift shops without me hounding her to leave.

When we got to MGM, Mary and I headed back towards ToT and RnRC and decided the most economical use of time would be getting FP's for ToT and waiting on the Standby line for RnRC which while marked 45 minutes only turned out to be less than 20 minutes. We even had time to get over to and ride TGMR once before our ToT FP's became active. After riding all three, we picked up Sandy and headed back to MK where we would meet Norma coming back from lunch and the rest of the gang. Norma got back just a few minutes after we did, and in that time we decided to have lunch at Tony's, so Hector and half the gang went over there to put our names in, while we waited at City Hall for Norma. The timing was almost perfect, and just as we all got back together at Tony's, our name was called. While being served, Hector noticed that our server was from Argentina. This was a big deal since Norma, Hector and their parents moved to this country from Buenos Aires in 1963, and still visit family there. It turned out that our server was also from B.A. and they visited throughout the meal - which was wonderful by the way! My Spanish is good enough that I was able to keep up with it all, even if my ability to speak it has deteriorated over the years. Hector's wife is French Canadian and knows no Spanish, so she and my wife (who teaches Spanish but hates to use it) spoke to each other through the meal.

From there part of the group went to use FP's they had for Splash Mountain, while Sandy and I headed over to HM to see if we could find Bobby. It seems as if the addition of FP has increased the crowds at the Mansion, both the FP line and the Standby line. Perhaps it was not as dumb as I originally thought. Sandy went to find someone to check the computer to see where Bobby was at the time. Norma and Ruth (Hector's wife) had come with us. Ruth had never met Bobby before although Norma had. I would have liked to have a chance for Norma to meet Iris, but time was too tight to make it over to DAK as well. It turned out that Bobby was at Load 1 (near the console), perhaps the worst spot to talk in the entire rotation, and I had to let him know where to meet us the next morning - which was his first day off since he arrived in WDW. He got part of my message, but bad timing lead me to miss his page later when he found out that from 9 PM on he would be working parade and I would have been able to talk with him a lot more conveniently, as well as having the rest of Norma's family meet him. However, at this point in time, the CM who found out where he was "backdoored" us into the stretch room. Sandy and I had been through the "servant's quarters" a number of times before - including once on the Keys to the Kingdom tour, but this was a first for Norma and Ruth who marveled that even here, the theming was maintained perfectly. We did find Bobby at Load 1, but after a quick attempt at telling him where to meet us, it had to be settled on a 2 AM phone call.

We circled through Fantasyland where we did IASW and Buzz Lightyear, before heading out of the park. It was good to see Norma and Hector again, and I hope to see them more often than every 28 years now!

Tomorrow

MGM with my sister and nephews and DAK and MK

 

Day 4 December 27

Today I am meeting my sister and her two boys at MGM.

Today was also Bobby's first day off since he arrived in WDW and he decided that he would meet us in MGM and spend the day - also getting a good meal or two out of it. He met us at 10:00, and we were going to meet my sister inside at 11:00. 

During that interval we rode TGMR and then Bobby and I stopped at Starring Rolls for some breakfast while Sandy went to Sid Cahuenga's to browse and wait for my sister. We had made up to meet at the tip board, and Sandy and Bobby were waiting there (Sharon and the boys were watching some Streetmosphere) when Bobby spotted a VIP tourguide. He looked to see who she was escorting and mentioned to Sandy that it looked like Gary Sinese. (I figure if I spell it every way I can imagine - one will be right .) Sandy was off like a flash before Bobby even had a chance to turn his head. (Turns out that it was him and he was doing a handprint ceremony and a Talk with the Stars later in the day.) When we finally got everyone together, we headed over to Star Tours, where the line was not very long at all. After doing Sounds Dangerous, we headed over to ToT and RnRC. Both had huge lines and FP times that were beyond the time that Sandy, Bobby and I planned to stay in the park. They got the FP's for RnRC a My younger nephew wanted to go to Pizza Planet so we split up so we could go to see the Talk with the Stars and the Beauty & the Beast show while they went to Pizza Planet. We would meet at 50 's Prime Time Café just before our PS time.

Once finished, we said our goodbyes and the three of us headed for DAK to meet up with Iris.

Once again we were back at Conservation Station, and Bobby was kidding Iris on how "easy" her job was as compared to his. Remembering, all the time of course, that this is where Bobby wants to work full time when he graduates, and is currently taking the courses that the CS manager told him he should when he was here last Fall. In addition, he just finished an internship at the zoo in Binghamton, NY where he goes to college, in which he would take animals out in the zoomobile to the schools and showed them, just as the keepers do at Conservation Station. To this end, Iris introduced him to Fred, an invertebrate keeper. The two of them spoke for over an hour, and Fred will be giving Bobby some more advise and contacts for keeping his plans on course. If you are at Conservation Station and Fred is giving an animal demo . watch it . Fred is definitely a cool guy.

It is now getting late and CS is mostly empty when Iris's manager tells her to give one of the girls a break and then when she comes back just walk around and do something useful. Alright, so Bobby wasn't too far off saying that Iris's job is much different from his ! When Iris is done, we head out to MK.

Iris is hungry when we get there and we go to Plaza Pavilion . which we do at least once each trip . for pizza. Sandy is exhausted at this time so she decides to meet us on the porch in front of Tony's while Iris, Bobby and I go on a few rides. First we hit JC which was rehabbing in August when we were there and we didn't get a chance to go on when I was there a month ago. The boats no longer have the circus stripped canvas on top, and the skipper' s costume is a bit changed, but otherwise everything seems as it was. Bobby is disappointed that none of his buddies are working JC that evening.

Then we head to the HM, and the first few CM's we encounter are unknown to Bobby. As we finish the ride, Bobby notices that Little Leota is not working so he heads to the office to report it. After a few minutes he comes out and informs us that all his buddies are in the break room! When he reports Little Leota not working, the response was, "still?" (She was working the next day.) If she were not the only effect out, the attraction would have had to go "101" (close down) until they were fixed.

We finish the night on Buzz Lightyear and then head to get Sandy and leave the park. Back at AS Sports I now have to drive Iris and Bobby back to Vista Way . on the other end of the property . and then drive back. Talk about exhausted!

Tomorrow ..

Downtown Disney, Animal Kingdom, Chef Mickey's

 

Day 5 December 28

Today is an unusual day in that both Iris and Bobby are off. They meet us at the hotel . they get breakfast that way, and then we transfer the TV and VCR from the backseat of my car to the trunk of her car. It is raining pretty hard by now. We have a few stops to make before we head to Iris's apartment . which is right by Universal. First we have to head to Animal Kingdom Wardrobe so Iris can get another 5 costumes. (Unlike Bobby and the CM's at MK who get their costumes in the utilidors under the MK, she has to go to a separate location, and wears her costume to work from home. That goes smoothly with no hitches and then we head to Disney University where Bobby will catch a bus to the MK utilidors and hopefully pick up his check. It takes almost an hour, and we know something is not right. Since Bobby is an active Campus Rep, his check was issued to him through that department, so AdLib did not have his check. After some checking around he found that 1) his paystub was at the WDWCP marketing department office at Casting, and 2) the direct deposit order to his Vista Credit Union account was still active and his money was in his account already. Luckily he had his Vista ATM card with him (they simply reactivated his old account luckily), but he did not remember his PIN. There is a branch right at DU so he went in and they allowed him to change his PIN to something he would now remember. We would pick up his paystub at Casting since we were meeting my parents (and my sister and nephews who were staying with them for the week) in Downtown Disney.

Then we headed to Iris's new apartment. It is a lovely apartment, which she will be sharing with 3 other CM's who are currently CP's at Conservation Station. One of the girls, who did not get along with her roommate at Vista Way had already moved in, although the apartment has absolutely NO furniture yet. What it does have now is 4 TV's and 4 VCR's! Oh well, who needs furniture?

We head back to the West Side to meet my parents and sister and nephews.  My father wanted to eat (they went to Bongos) and since we were going to Chef Mickey's that evening it was a perfect excuse to excuse ourselves early. Iris and Bobby made arrangements to drive to Tampa to visit my parents the following week.

With more time on our hands than we had planned, Iris suggests that we go to DAK. Only I understood why she made this suggestion. All she ever gets to see is Africa and Rafiki's Planet Watch, and none of the rest of the park, so off to DAK we go!

It is raining again, so we get DAK ponchos (nicer than the traditional yellow ponchos available other places in the parks) and head towards First Aid. Bobby had ripped his knuckle open when carrying Iris's TV, so he wanted to get some antiseptic and a Band-Aid. From there we take the Safari, and then get a quick bite to eat in Asia - just to hold us until 8:15 at Chef Mickey's. We then head to Dinosaur which was a long line and a FP time that was after we had to be out of the park to make our PS's, so we went to see Tarzan Rocks and then left the park and headed to the Contemporary Hotel where we killed a bit more time by looking through the shops on the 4th floor until it was time to check in at Chef Mickey's. And then the fun started!

One of the women that Bobby worked with last Fall at the HM was now a friend of Mickey's at Chef Mickey's, including Thursday nights, which it now was. However, he realized that she probably would not be there until next week since she was off for a while. We sat down, and right away the server recognized Bobby as a CM and started socializing. Shortly thereafter Mickey makes his rounds and since there is no recognition when he gets to out table Bobby realizes that his friend has indeed not come back to work yet. However, in a bit Chip pays our table a visit and becomes very animated. Chip then points to his eyes and then his nose and then Bobby (eye nose you - I know you). It takes Bobby a while but then he realizes that Chip also has a good friend who has worked in the Haunted Mansion with Bobby. Later, when Goofy stops by, he shows Bobby and Iris a note and they both crack up . and Goofy is doubled over in obvious glee. (I can't tell you what the note said, but I can say that it wasn't going to be shown to a guest, only another CM!) It certainly made for an interesting meal.

On the way out, Bobby needed to ask a question about his room discount (he has some friends coming down next week) so stops off at Guest Relations. Surprise! At the desk is another one of Bobby's friends from the Fall 1999 College Program who is working full time at WDW now. Not bad for someone who had been down for less than a week at this point.

Tomorrow..

MGM & DAK & MK

 

Day 6 December 29

This will be our last full day at WDW and we head over to the Studios to pick up some of the stuff we missed earlier in the week. However, being there so often has taken away the urgency of seeing anything in particular during any visit, so despite having many attractions that we did not do, there is no pressure on us in that regard. When we get to the entrance, the lines are longer than I have ever remembered seeing them. Even the CM's are taken by surprise, as it was not expected. To ease the entry bottleneck, there are Security Guards at non-turnstile gates stamping passes with a date rather than passing them through a machine. My question - which goes unasked - is if these folks do not park hop, have they just gained an extra day of park admission? Not that it would affect anything, but Sandy had her AP stamped in this manner.

The rain the day before was the leading edge of a cold front which was now starting to make itself felt . big time!

We decide to head back towards the bookstore next to the Sci-Fi Dine In where Sandy wanted to get a coffee and a cookie. It seems as if everyone else in the park had the same idea and the line there was many times longer than either of us had ever seen. From there we headed towards the Back Lot Tour. We noted that the preshow video of the special FX in Con-Air has been replaced with a trailer for Gone in Sixty Seconds. And to rush folks through the water effects tank portion of the tour, the two volunteers had been replaced by dummies, and the hostess spoke so fast that it was at times hard to follow unless you already knew they spiel. Our host on the tram portion of the tour was great, but it was obvious that he was just learning his spiel and made some faux pas along the way. One of the funniest moments was as we left Catastrophe Canyon and a plane with a trailing banner flew overhead. He read it and it said something like, "The most fun at night." He then said that he wondered what it was advertising and then he could read it . CITY WALK! (Oooops!)

Next we stopped by Momma Melrose and since it would be only about a 20 minute wait we decided to have lunch there.

After lunch we decided to catch the Hunchback of Notre Dame once again, and walked in during the juggler pre-show. (We love this guy who has been here as long as the show itself!) The show was as enjoyable as ever, but I found myself getting real cold while watching it - very unusual for me. As it was I was wearing a tee shirt and a sweatshirt and a jacket. Sandy and I decided to go back to the hotel to add yet another layer (I would change into my heavy jacket and add a much warmer sweatshirt. We also brought an additional sweatshirt for Iris, who we would meet just before her area closed and would come with us to MK to see Bobby.

It seems as if the temperature was dropping rapidly because as we got to Rafiki's Planet Watch, although we were now warm, everyone else was freezing! Iris was on break when we arrived, so I looked around and noticed that the keeper at the Food area was Dale, a friend of Iris's and the one who had helped her look for the menorah a week earlier. I introduced myself to him and was talking when Iris came up from behind me. She was glad that we brought the extra sweatshirt, but didn't like the one we brought so she took my nice warm, hooded Mets Playoff sweatshirt. She had to remove her DAK overcoat when we got to MK, but that was no big deal because although they look like nice warm long coats, they are very thin and not very warm at all. Unlike the Great Coat that Bobby likes to wear all the time at the HM, which is quite warm.

Surprisingly, when we arrived at the HM Bobby was assigned outside. From wheelchair assist to Fast Pass Distribution to Validation and all the other outdoor positions, we were able to spend time with him. When I took a picture all the female CM's wanted to get into it with Bobby - all the women love Bobby! But when one of them told me that Bobby had a problem, he had lost his shoes, I was a bit puzzled. It seems that he left his black shoes out of his locker the night before and when he returned to work this day, they were gone, and not in lost and found or anywhere to be found. Concerned that he would not be able to work that day, he went to entertainment to see if he could borrow a pair of black shoes for the day. So today he was working in black parade dancing shoes. That's Bobby for you! He asked if after work he could meet us and go to Wal-Mart to buy another pair of shoes. We agreed. (We later decided that everybody would be happier if we did it the next day as he didn't have to be at work until 6 PM.) So after work he met us at the bus to AS Sports and while I didn't take him to Wal-Mart that night, I did drive him and Iris back to Vista Way for the night.

I was already getting nervous about the snowstorm hitting NYC as we were still in WDW. I had two cars that would have to be dug out when I got home, as well as needing a space for the one I had with me. I also would need to shovel my walk. Oh well, can't worry about that now!

Tomorrow .. DAK, Wal-Mart, Red Lobster, and the start of the journey home.

 

Day 7 December 30

Bobby is actually getting up early this morning (remember this is my son who used to go to work in the HM in his sleep clothes because they give him clothes when he gets to work, after all!) But he realizes that this will be his chance for his last good meal until he comes home on January 12 and before he leaves for school shortly after that. Also he still needs to go to Wal-Mart and either borrow Iris's car keys or have us drive him. (We decide to drive him.) Also, we have stayed and come back to DAK this morning because Iris is scheduled to do her Conservation Station show and we want to see (and video tape) it. She has made up with Bobby to use him as her volunteer from the guests. However, we realize that with the weather so cold, the show will probably be cancelled - too cold for the animals. The show is indeed cancelled as we realize when we arrive at the CS station and Iris is working the platform. However, in the video camera, I have the tape I took of Iris and Bobby and friend at CS during our very first visit to DAK shortly after it opened. Ironically, during this visit Bobby started getting tips on how to eventually work there . a year before his stint on the College Program in the Fall of 1999. I show Iris the video and she tells me to show it to her apartment mate, Cissy, who is currently working in Affection Section and is really into "her" goats. I do that and Cissy recognizes her kids . they look the same, only younger. Everyone is quite sad this day, although they never let the guests know it, or why. One of the goats has very bad arthritis that has crippled it and will be put down later this day.

We hang around for a while, and then regretfully leave, knowing that we will be heading back home. As we pull out of Conservation Station's platform, seeing Iris all bundled up it really hits me . perhaps for the first time. She is not coming home when the program is over in a few days, but is now a Florida resident with her first non-college, non-program housing. Her car has Florida plates and her legal address is Orlando. I am proud, but sad at the same time as we pull away and I see her grow smaller in the distance.

We take Bobby to Wal-mart where he buys shoes and soap (a good combination) and odor-eaters. We take him to Red Lobster for lunch . still trying to postpone leaving as long as possible. Finally we drop him off at Vista Way and start the trip home.

 

Postscript

December 30, 31 and January 1

The trip home is uneventful, and we spend New Years Eve in a Days Inn in Fredricksburg, VA. We don't see any snow most of the way home, but when we do start to see it, it comes fast. We get back to Staten Island about 3 PM on Monday, January 1, and were happy to see that our parking space had been plowed OUT rather than having all the snow piled into it. My neighbors looked out well for me and while the plow did originally use my empty spot to pile the snow, they made him remove it, only hours before we returned home. One neighbor had even shoveled my walk. I have GREAT neighbors! I only had to dig out my other two cars which were in better shape than they looked. Both started right up, and life goes on. Time to start thinking about my next trip down. Happening very shortly I promise you!

August/November 2000

All Star Sports, Offsite

 

August

First let me tell you that this was not a trip whose purpose was a WDW vacation. That would never occur in the summertime if I have any say about it. The purpose of this trip was to bring my daughter down to participate in the WDW College Program for the Fall 2000 semester.

Although she has already graduated (Binghamton University with a BS in Psychobiology), she is hoping to find a place to live and stay on at WDW to finance her masters.

We left Staten Island, NY on Saturday morning, 8/26 and ran into terrible traffic in NJ and Delaware, but the rest of the trip went well and was a very pleasant drive. (We stopped in Raleigh, NC for the night)

We checked in to the AS Music resort at about 6 PM Sunday night. (Note: I was asked to show my MKC card at check-in.) After getting settled we had dinner at Chef Mickey's. We had planned on going swimming after that, but Iris and I decided we had enough energy left to spend the evening at PI, so we headed over there. Caught 2 shows at the Comedy Warehouse - for you Leyden fans, he was in both shows. Caught a library show at The Adventurers Club, and had a nice conversation with Fletcher Hodges. My daughter was disappointed that Frankie and the West End Boys were not playing that evening, but was happy to find out a few days later that one of her roommates knows Frankie personally and she would have a chance to meet him.

The next day (Monday) we decided to spend the day at EPCOT. We found our Leave a Legacy photos (first row - easy to find) ... and then did Test Track. (The parks were relatively empty and except for a 4 minute wait for Living with the Land ... all were walk-ons.) Did Ice Station Cool and enjoyed watching Iris's face as she tasted Beverly. Her favorite was the watermelon soda ... mine was the apple soda.

We did Ellen's Energy Adventure, Wonders of Life, Test Track, and The Land. Purposely skipped JIYI (once was MORE than enough) and never took the time for Spaceship Earth or Living Seas.

Grabbed a quick lunch at the fast food stand at China, and then had dinner at the Teppanyaki restaurant at Japan, caught the ToN parade (which I missed last time I was there in November) and then had to go to the Orlando Airport to pick up my wife. She had not come down with us so we could use the entire back seat for Iris's luggage and "stuff".

The next day I drove Iris to Vista Way to check in - the day was dreary and rainy. At one point, I was talking with a gentleman from Arizona whose daughter was also moving in and filling out here paperwork. I discovered that she was in Hospitality and was an excellent chef. A day later I also found out that his daughter was one of my daughter's roommates. So I now know that at least one girl in the apartment can cook. It was when Iris finished here that we discovered her assignment was to be in Conservation Station. After months of speculation, she had found out that she would be at the one place that would actually make her brother jealous! (Remember he was at the Haunted Mansion during the Fall 1999 College Program, and is now Disney's Campus Rep for the program.) The reason for this is that Bobby (a bio major) is planning on working in Animal Kingdom when he graduates, (as does Iris) and Conservation Station is a great place to start. Any other assignment and she would be listening to how cool the Mansion was in comparison to where she is.

The next day, Iris was getting herself settled so my wife and I went to DAK to check out Conservation Station ... looking at it in a different way than the last times we were there. (We also did the Safari, ITTBAB and Dinosaur before we left to the Studios where we ate at Sci-Fi Drive In (for the atmosphere, certainly not the food). We got Fastpasses for RnR while we walked on to ToT. Finally after my wife's mandatory stop at Sid Cahuenga's, we headed off to EPCOT where my wife wanted to taste the soda's at Ice Station Cool. We also did Test Track - although there was a small line and we decided to do the Single Rider thing. A family behind us decided to do the same thing, but got perturbed when then couldn't ride together. We stayed to see Illuminations 2000 (another thing I had always skipped when I was there last November.)

The next day we met Iris - who could now get into the parks on her ID - and went to MK. Of course we had to do my favorite attraction - it has been my favorite since I first rode it in DL in 1969 - the HM! (It had nothing to do with the fact that my son worked there. That was only a bonus last year.) Of course we had to take a picture for my son! (There is a LOT of rehab work going on there.) We were disappointed that JC is rehabbing and we couldn't ride it.

Midday we decided to run over to DAK with Iris so she could see where she would be working. She also found out that the black shoes she brought weren't what she needed, nor where the white sneakers. We went that night to get a pair of work boots which she needed for her costume. So if you are in Animal Kingdom - take the train to Conservation Station and look for Iris (from Staten Island).

 

November

Short TR on a short - almost solo - visit

Well it wasn't your average visit because this time my purpose was not to visit the parks - although I certainly managed to do that, but to help my daughter buy a car so she could start looking for an apartment.

Starring

Me ... Mark L. Fendrick
Cast (member) - Iris Fendrick

I left my office early on Friday, November 10th because I had a 5:30 flight from Newark Airport to Raleigh-Durham where I was to make my connection to the Orlando portion of the flight. With so much construction going on I wouldn't up in the furthest long-term parking and it took almost a half hour for the bus to get me to the terminal. I checked in with Midway Airlines and still found myself to be more than 2 hours early, so I headed to the gate to simply chill out. I arrived as they were boarding the Raleigh bound flight prior to mine, and since I was meeting friends in the Raleigh airport and had no checked luggage, I asked if they had an empty seat and if so could I take the earlier flight. They did so I did. I managed to meet my friends early in Raleigh and spend some time with them before my flight to Orlando boarded. We arrived in Orlando on time and I breezed through the Dollar Rent-a-car desk and was on my way down 417. Since this was Super Soap Weekend, the on property rooms were all filled so I had booked myself into the Days Inn in Old Town. At least I saved $$$ as it was $36.00/night. Got to my room and basically collapsed and fell asleep.

 

Saturday, November 11, 2000

Got an early start since this was to be a park day since my daughter was working and we wouldn't have time to do any car searching. The plan was that we would end the day at the Magic Kingdom since it was the last one to close that night, so I drove to the MK parking lot. I explained that I was going to buy an AP so I was allowed to park without paying. I proceeded to the ticket booths and bought my first ever AP. My wife and I figured that we would be coming down enough to make this the best way to go. We planned on buying her an AP when we come back in a few weeks, but as it turned out, between the passes my daughter has and the passes my son (he is a Disney Campus Representative) has (and my AP) we won't need to buy her AP until the next visit. I bought my AP and then headed to the bus to DAK.

I knew my daughter wasn't due to work until 9:45, so I got my Fastpass for the safari and then went to Tusker House for breakfast. The food lines practically came to a standstill while they waited for a new batch of hash brown potatoes to be ready, but as I had plenty of time, I was not upset. This was the first time I was in the parks by myself, even though I would not be spending the whole day that way. I finished my breakfast and then took a walk to take a few pictures for my daughter's website while waiting for my appointed Fastpass time.

The safari was good in the fact that since it was early, many animals were out and easily seen. Even the bongo which tends to hide in the background were on the road itself. Safari over, I headed to the train station to make my way to (newly renamed) Rafiki's Planet Watch. Passing under the new sign, I got on the train and headed back. Not knowing where Iris would start working that morning, I kept looking from the time we arrived at the station. Not on the platform, not at preshow, not at CTT, not at greeter, not at EcoWeb, nor at any of the windows, however, on exiting the other side of Conservation Station I spotted her at the Elephant Wash section of Affection Section. She spotted me and I joined her there. Shortly she was bumped to the inside section with the goats and sheep. I said that I would stay with her until her lunch/break at about noon. Since her job is all about talking to guests, this did not cause her any problems. Her next stop in the rotation was EcoWeb and it was while she was here that she pointed out to me the smallest Hidden Mickey in the entire resort. (You can see it on her website listed above.) When she rotated to lunch/break I headed back to the train and to lunch for myself as well.

I headed over to Asia thinking that perhaps I would ride Kali River Rapids, but I decided that I wasn't in the mood to get wet, so I stopped at Chicken House (not sure if this is the exact name) and got lunch. From there I headed over to Flights of Wonder to see the show.  Then it got close to the time she was getting off for the day (3:45), so I headed back towards Conservation Station from where we would leave for the rest of our day. As I was talking to another CM to whom Iris had introduced me, Iris passed on the way to the station. He final position that day would be preshow and then she would change out of her costume and we would head for Epcot to eat and drink our way around World Showcase since the International Food and Wine Festival was in full swing.

We leave DAK for Epcot at about 4:00 with appetites still ready for the IFAWF. We decide to do Spaceship Earth as we arrive (we missed it last time, but since we do get there often missing something on each trip is a way of life and does not matter) followed by a short wait on the Single Riders line at Test Track. Then on to World Showcase. Highlights? Plum wine both at Japan and China ... Coq au Vin at France ... Chicken Satay in Peanut Sauce ... Strawberries with 3 kinds of chocolate to dip them in ... IceWine and Cheddar Cheese soup at Canada ... Pepperoni Pizza at Italy ... Funnel Cake ... and so much more that I can't begin to remember! We watch the ToN parade again  and then head for the Magic Kingdom (we have seen Illuminations 2000 and want to get to the MK to see the MSEP so I can take pix with my new digital camera).

We take the monorail to MK and arrive just before the fireworks so Main Street is a mass of humanity. We make our way down to the Ice Cream parlor since Iris wants to get some Ice Cream, and I stay outside and take a picture or two of the fireworks. Fireworks over and we try to head for Liberty Square where I want to ride my favorite Disney ride, the Haunted Mansion. Just to set the record straight, this has always been my favorite Disney attraction since I first rode the DL HM in 1969 shortly after it opened. It has always been the first thing I head for when I get to the MK, and has nothing at all to do with the fact that my son was a butler in Master Gracey's employ. Yes, we rode it innumerable times during his tenure there, but it is still my favorite! However it looks as if they are expecting the largest crowds in the Mansions history with what they have done adding Fastpass and all that extra (permanent) queue area! Who are they kidding? When we finish and bid farewell to our Ghost Host, we camp out by the stocks in Liberty Square where the parade route turns into Frontier Land ... my favorite spot to watch a parade, and usually a lot less crowded than Main Street. Although we "saw" the MSEP last time we were there (in August) this time I actually made sure to get a spot from where I could see all the float (and not just the tops as we waited for the parade to be over so we could head out) and was able to get some nice pictures.

Tomorrow, Sunday, Iris usually works, but due to a quirk in her schedule she is off this Sunday so we see if we can do any car shopping (very little indeed as most lots are closed), so she stays with me in my motel so we can get an early start.

 

Sunday, November 12, 2000

We had planned on getting up and having breakfast at the Land Grill in Epcot (she is in a period where she gets 50% of meals at certain restaurants at certain times), but she had a rough night ... a combination of my snoring (she forgot to bring earplugs ... we remedied that for the next night) and a budding cold (for which we had medicine for her the next night as well). So I decided not to wake her up and we slept a few hours later. We got on the road about 11:00 AM and did see a few cars, and have lunch at a Pizza Hut in Kissimmee, but then we decided that we weren't going to accomplish anything more and headed back to Epcot. I finally had a chance to catch an entire show with Off-Kilter and we hit a few more food stands in World Showcase. We had to leave before the park closed as Iris had made reservations that night for the Hoop-de-doo Revue. (She fell in love with the bread an salad when she was there a few weeks earlier.) Nice to get 50% off here too!

Exhausted, we headed back to the motel for what would be a long, exhausting day the next day.

 

Monday, November 13, 2000

This would be the day we would have to get our mission accomplished. Iris was scheduled to work on Tuesday ... usually her day off. We started the day with breakfast at the Land Grill as we had planned the morning before but never did. Saw Mickey, Chip and Dale and left for our day of car hunting with full bellies and wishes of good luck from Mickey, Chip and Dale. I had a list of places to check out - garnered from some homework on Auto Trader.com when I was still in NY. We also saw many more used car lots, and by early afternoon had found a car, did our haggling and bought it. A quick sidetrip to get her insurance, and the job was done, and she drove back to the motel following me in her new car ... the first in her name and not mine! We did stop for an oil change and discovered that we should replace the battery which we did the next morning.

At first we were planning on eating dinner at Downtown Disney, and actually parked and walked around a bit, but in the end drove to Crossroads and ate at TGI Fridays. Then we went back to the hotel and actually had a relaxing evening. Iris stayed that night as well since we knew that her car would probably need a boost in the morning and it did. I jumpstarted it and we went to buy her a new battery.

 

Tuesday, November 14, 2000

My last day there, but we knew that the job had been done and now we could relax ... once we got her the battery. She returned her clothes to the trunk of HER CAR and we drove to her apartment complex where she left the car, after having a few of her friends come see it. Originally we planned on having lunch at MGM (now that Super Soap weekend was over) and then returning to MK from where I would leave for the airport, so I parked in the MK parking lot. We had lunch at the 50's Prime Time Cafe ... where I had not eaten for many years ... and made sure to order something that I knew i could finish ... vegetables and all ! I now have my Clean Plate Club sticker in my wallet! I had the Chicken Pot Pie (delicious!) and Iris had the pot roast (my favorite!). We then did the backstage tour and rode TGMR. But I realized that time was passing quicker than I had anticipated, and as much as I would have loved to have missed my flight and had to stay another day (Iris was performing in a show in Conservation Station for the first time ... I would have loved to see it!), I needed to head back. We got to the MK parking lot and got my car and I dropped Iris off at her apartment and headed for the airport.

My first flight was a half hour delayed, so the extra time I spent with my friends in Raleigh going, was given back by the short time I had with them on the return trip. I was home in my own bed by midnight. Mission accomplished and we had even spent some time in the parks as well.