The Ogorek Family Trip Report - StartedByAMouse.com We Were Started By A Mouse Too Section


Wednesday, 7-11-01 We're going home! Thanks to husband's new parent company, he is being sent to a seminar, "Faster, Cheaper, Quicker, Better!" in Orlando; and we get to go along for the ride. He knew from the moment he received notification of his trip to Mickey country that he wouldn't be going without us. And so, in spite of his adamant determination not to, we're going home! Our United flight was supposed to leave at 10:45; due to "aircraft unavailability," it was noon before we left the gate. Of course, Jeannine breaking her seatbelt didn't help! Actually, she just gave it that extra safety tug and discovered that someone before her had broken it. A quick visit from a mechanic who miraculously appeared from the back of the plane put things back to right; and we were soon in the air. Somehow, though, our 2-1/2 hour flight only took 2 hours. I wonder how they did that!??! We left Ron at the airport Hyatt and took off for the World in our brand new red Dodge Intrepid, thanks to the wonderfully quick and convenient and on-site Dollar Rent-a-Car. The Coronado Springs is lovely, very Aztec and picturesque, set up like the rooms at Port Orleans and Dixie Landings (excuse me, Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside). We were on the fourth floor, far from the elevator. I decided this is where they send cast members staying at the resort; since they are in the process of downsizing, someone must have decided that this would be a great way to reduce ranks, killing us off one by one with 6 flights of 8 stairs that must be climbed several times a day. A bird's eye-view of Coronado Springs from the 4th floor! It's humid, but overcast, so the temperature today didn't get much over 85. As for rain, today at least just a little sprinkle before dinner, which we ate at Jungle Jim's in the Crossroads Shopping Center, as usual. We also paid a quick visit to some of the stores there, then headed to the Marketplace where we shopped until we dropped, AFTER we finally came across a spot to park. The stores are open until 11 now, so we were dropping when we finally stopped for a treat at Ghiradelli's. That World of Disney Store can be a frightening place at times, though. Thursday, 7-12-01 The day dawned "partly sunny," so the girls and I grabbed a quick (and pricey) breakfast at Pepper Market, the food court here that also blends in some sit-down service and has definitely improved upon the checkout procedure. It's a little more civilized than those seen at some other resorts, and for the first time I was actually able to eat a hot breakfast before paying. The walk to the main pool area is beautiful; this must be one of the prettiest resorts here and very colorful as well, with bridges to cross, a long water-side path for jogging or strolling, and even a hiking trail. The pool itself is great, with a wonderful, long slide (although the Mayan pyramid was undergoing "enhancements" during our stay). Jen (aka Daughter #1) took off about 11 a.m to meet a friend from the College Program and also work at the Tower of Terror photo desk from 4:30-10:30; she was very excited at both prospects. Jeannine (Daughter #2) and I stayed water-bound until 1:00, when the rain moved in. The lifeguard had predicted only the Magic Kingdom would get hit; perhaps they caught the brunt of this early storm because there were some nasty-looking clouds around us. Daughter #2 "wears" a new hat!??! The rain didn't stop us from going to Disney-MGM Studios, where something very interesting is happening to the "horizon" at the end of Hollywood Boulevard. It did, however, cut the Indiana Jones show short by two-thirds; it really came down then, with lots of very noisy thunder. We ate at Mama Melrose's and ran into Jen after dinner; she had been accidentally terminated from the computer instead of reinstated, so couldn't work and was at loose ends. She mentioned that she had called a friend from high school currently down on the College Program and was to meet them at Rock 'N Roller Coaster or the new "Who Wants to be a Millionaire-Play it!" attraction. Since we were headed there to use our fast passes, we left her on alert at Coaster while we went to check the stand-by line at "Millionaire." Sure enough, there was Jennifer's friend; they made cel phone contact and were soon happily chatting away face-to-face. Speaking of "Millionaire," what a well-done attraction that is! The set is identical to the one on TV; and you even get to your seat by walking "through" the same set entrance that TV host Regis Philbin and the contestants use. There is a short video that explains why Regis isn't here to host the show; and then play begins, just like on TV . . . well, almost like on TV. There are a few "surprises," as they call them, along the way. The first surprise is that you're playing for points and prizes, not cash. The second is that instead of the "Phone a Friend" lifeline, you get to "Phone a Complete Stranger," usually someone from the Backstage Walking Tour or someone accessing a fast pass out on Mickey Boulevard. It makes for some interesting help (or lack thereof). Also, the audience gets to play along on every question; even though there are people seated in the "fastest finger" section, the "hot seat" occupant can be anyone in the audience. A computer keeps track of everyone's points, so that when one contestant is done, the next is the audience member with the cumulative high score. Periodically throughout the show, they will post the top ten scores via seat numbers, so you can see how you're doing. Overall, it was a great experience and a lot of fun! I'm still not quite sure how Jeannine knew the name of Martha Stewart's estate!??! Jeannine and I had preferred seating for Fantasmic!, always an incredible experience. No pre-show tonight and two malfunctions - first, the two side mist screens were not operating; and then Maleficent the dragon got stuck in the cave with the door open, but they covered beautifully by sending the human Maleficent back out on her pillar to set the water on fire. Jen is out somewhere - probably PI - as I write this, and Jeannine is listening to her new Official Album CD - not enough daily Disney exposure, I guess! Ron left us a voice mail about 12:30 p.m., saying things were boring but going well. The humidity was at 96% this p.m., and the temperature during the day hovered around 90. He's going to be thrilled-NOT!
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Wednesday, 7-11-01

We're going home! Thanks to husband's new parent company, he is being sent to a seminar, "Faster, Cheaper, Quicker, Better!" in Orlando; and we get to go along for the ride. He knew from the moment he received notification of his trip to Mickey country that he wouldn't be going without us. And so, in spite of his adamant determination not to, we're going home!

Our United flight was supposed to leave at 10:45; due to "aircraft unavailability," it was noon before we left the gate. Of course, Jeannine breaking her seatbelt didn't help! Actually, she just gave it that extra safety tug and discovered that someone before her had broken it. A quick visit from a mechanic who miraculously appeared from the back of the plane put things back to right; and we were soon in the air. Somehow, though, our 2-1/2 hour flight only took 2 hours. I wonder how they did that!??!

We left Ron at the airport Hyatt and took off for the World in our brand new red Dodge Intrepid, thanks to the wonderfully quick and convenient and on-site Dollar Rent-a-Car. The Coronado Springs is lovely, very Aztec and picturesque, set up like the rooms at Port Orleans and Dixie Landings (excuse me, Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside). We were on the fourth floor, far from the elevator. I decided this is where they send cast members staying at the resort; since they are in the process of downsizing, someone must have decided that this would be a great way to reduce ranks, killing us off one by one with 6 flights of 8 stairs that must be climbed several times a day.

A bird's eye-view of Coronado Springs from the 4th floor!

It's humid, but overcast, so the temperature today didn't get much over 85. As for rain, today at least just a little sprinkle before dinner, which we ate at Jungle Jim's in the Crossroads Shopping Center, as usual. We also paid a quick visit to some of the stores there, then headed to the Marketplace where we shopped until we dropped, AFTER we finally came across a spot to park. The stores are open until 11 now, so we were dropping when we finally stopped for a treat at Ghiradelli's. That World of Disney Store can be a frightening place at times, though.

Thursday, 7-12-01

The day dawned "partly sunny," so the girls and I grabbed a quick (and pricey) breakfast at Pepper Market, the food court here that also blends in some sit-down service and has definitely improved upon the checkout procedure. It's a little more civilized than those seen at some other resorts, and for the first time I was actually able to eat a hot breakfast before paying.

The walk to the main pool area is beautiful; this must be one of the prettiest resorts here and very colorful as well, with bridges to cross, a long water-side path for jogging or strolling, and even a hiking trail. The pool itself is great, with a wonderful, long slide (although the Mayan pyramid was undergoing "enhancements" during our stay). Jen (aka Daughter #1) took off about 11 a.m to meet a friend from the College Program and also work at the Tower of Terror photo desk from 4:30-10:30; she was very excited at both prospects. Jeannine (Daughter #2) and I stayed water-bound until 1:00, when the rain moved in. The lifeguard had predicted only the Magic Kingdom would get hit; perhaps they caught the brunt of this early storm because there were some nasty-looking clouds around us.

Daughter #2 "wears" a new hat!??!

The rain didn't stop us from going to Disney-MGM Studios, where something very interesting is happening to the "horizon" at the end of Hollywood Boulevard. It did, however, cut the Indiana Jones show short by two-thirds; it really came down then, with lots of very noisy thunder. We ate at Mama Melrose's and ran into Jen after dinner; she had been accidentally terminated from the computer instead of reinstated, so couldn't work and was at loose ends. She mentioned that she had called a friend from high school currently down on the College Program and was to meet them at Rock 'N Roller Coaster or the new "Who Wants to be a Millionaire-Play it!" attraction. Since we were headed there to use our fast passes, we left her on alert at Coaster while we went to check the stand-by line at "Millionaire." Sure enough, there was Jennifer's friend; they made cel phone contact and were soon happily chatting away face-to-face.

Speaking of "Millionaire," what a well-done attraction that is! The set is identical to the one on TV; and you even get to your seat by walking "through" the same set entrance that TV host Regis Philbin and the contestants use. There is a short video that explains why Regis isn't here to host the show; and then play begins, just like on TV . . . well, almost like on TV. There are a few "surprises," as they call them, along the way. The first surprise is that you're playing for points and prizes, not cash. The second is that instead of the "Phone a Friend" lifeline, you get to "Phone a Complete Stranger," usually someone from the Backstage Walking Tour or someone accessing a fast pass out on Mickey Boulevard. It makes for some interesting help (or lack thereof). Also, the audience gets to play along on every question; even though there are people seated in the "fastest finger" section, the "hot seat" occupant can be anyone in the audience. A computer keeps track of everyone's points, so that when one contestant is done, the next is the audience member with the cumulative high score. Periodically throughout the show, they will post the top ten scores via seat numbers, so you can see how you're doing. Overall, it was a great experience and a lot of fun! I'm still not quite sure how Jeannine knew the name of Martha Stewart's estate!??!

Jeannine and I had preferred seating for Fantasmic!, always an incredible experience. No pre-show tonight and two malfunctions - first, the two side mist screens were not operating; and then Maleficent the dragon got stuck in the cave with the door open, but they covered beautifully by sending the human Maleficent back out on her pillar to set the water on fire.

Jen is out somewhere - probably PI - as I write this, and Jeannine is listening to her new Official Album CD - not enough daily Disney exposure, I guess! Ron left us a voice mail about 12:30 p.m., saying things were boring but going well. The humidity was at 96% this p.m., and the temperature during the day hovered around 90. He's going to be thrilled-NOT!

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