Sheri Niklewski - Fourth of July - July 4 - 7, 2013 - Offsite

Founding Fathers -

Sheri (51) - trip report writer and someone who is very surprised to be going on this trip
Rich (53) - husband - not quite sure what he thinks about the trip

Introduction - "When in the Course of human events."

As of June 21st, we had no idea we would be going to Disney World. Yep, just two weeks before we left. Rich had one day he needed to use of vacation before October and had mentioned taking July 5th. At that time (months ago), he proposed going to Disney World since I had reluctantly agreed to go to Maryland to see his family for Thanksgiving and was giving up my beloved Christmas trip. But I didn't think I would be able to get the day off and wasn't sure about my vacation days.

Then my company decided to switch from having a set amount of vacation and a set amount of sick days and combine them all into paid time off. This is the second company I've worked for who has done this and it's benefited me both times. I had carried over five days from last year so combined with everything this year and taking away what I had planned, I still had lots of time left over. And, with the new policy, all has to be used by the end of the year. By the time I calculated everything, it was June 21st so I asked my boss for July 5th off, hoping my two co-workers hadn't done the same. My boss replied "Go for it". Unfortunately, I had to wait until that Monday when Rich's boss was back in the office to find out he can take the day as well. That was a heck of a long weekend!

Resort - Our Independence Hall

After I got the day off but before Rich knew, I researched an offsite hotel for us. This was after checking out Disney resorts and falling down laughing with the prices. As much as I love staying onsite, there's no way in heck I'm paying $179/night for Pop Century. The offsite place I was interested in was Baymont Inn and Suites which I knew was slightly off Irlo Bronson Highway and close to Sherberth Road which meant very easy access to Disney World without actually going onto the Highway. The rate was decent on the Saturday I checked ($59) but decided to wait to find out if we were actually going. If Rich's boss took the 5th off, everything went out the window. So I waited until Monday. And the rate had risen to close to $100! Nope, that ain't going to happen. I think hotel rates are like car prices - no matter what you pay, someone else will always have a better deal.

So I moved over to the new standby of the Ramada. I wasn't too thrilled with the place last Thanksgiving but it's decent. Rich and I have learned to live with non Disney resorts (Rich more than me - he surprised me this trip but more on that later). The rate was higher than normal which I expected because of the holiday but $63 wasn't bad. I also tried Hotwire and Expedia and the lowest rate on either of those I could get for a three star hotel (which is what the Ramada is) was, yep, $63. So I just kept what I had. By the way, that $63 was with Rich's Geezer, I mean, AARP rate. At this point, I was just darn happy to be at my Laughing Place for a major American holiday when I never expected it.

Day One - Thursday, July 4, 2013 -

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

And yes, we were in the pursuit of happiness (or Happiness since Thomas Jefferson and all those old boys felt the need to capitalize everything). After a tense discussion, Rich and I mutually agreed to leave this morning instead of last night and going halfway to Valdosta. Of course, I wanted to go last night and get to Disney World earlier but reason did win out.

Last night, I asked Rich what time we were going to get up. He said "11:00". I said "I vote for 6:00" and I was totally joking, thinking he'd counter with 8:00. When that alarm blared at 6:00, I just about died! So we were up and going right at 7:00 with lots of loving to our bosses - the cats.

I have to admit, driving today was a very good decision (Rich will never read this so he won't know I said that). Traffic was non-existent and if we did less than 74 MPH all the way to Kissimmee it was because we were taking an exit or entrance ramp somewhere. Rich commented he wasn't used to going more than 5 MPH to get onto I285 and he almost missed going onto I675 since we got there so fast.

Rich likes to listen to rock music stations on the radio when he drives and as we were near the Atlanta Motor Speedway, a business had a huge American flag flying. At that moment, the Jimi Hendrix version of the Star Spangled Banner came on the station. Nice, nice reminder of what today means. The freedoms we all have and what was done and is still being done to continue that.

I also heard the Statue of Liberty reopened today after being closed due to Hurricane Sandy. This icon was a gift to the United States by the people of France so I thank them and all other countries that have helped us along the way.

I mentioned earlier we only did 74 MPH and were very glad we did. We probably saw more police officers along the road during this trip than I see in a year on my commutes to work. They were all over the place so a lot of people didn't have a very enjoyable Fourth of July. At least we didn't have to slam on the brakes every half hour or so once a cop appeared on the shoulder or median.

We switched drivers in Valdosta and I surprised myself (and probably Rich) by doing the last four hours into Kissimmee. We were at the Ramada sometime between 2:30 and 3:00 which concerned me since offsite hotels are notorious for not giving out rooms until the check-in time which for this one was 4:00.

We've stayed here before and check-in has never been quick. Today was no different. I think I will offer the suggestion of having some sort of queue system because people just mill around the front desk with no organization and this time a family came in, went around to the side of the desk and boldly moved up when that clerk became available, ignoring the five families who had been patiently waiting.

I was finally helped and the clerk said she would see if a room was available so at least I expected to have to come back later (and probably have to wait in a mismanaged "line") again. But she was able to find a room for us and gave us the keys to room 421 so we happily headed there. The buildings here aren't really clearly marked but we guessed the right one and went to see exactly where the room was so we could move the car closer if needed.

The room was on the second floor, two from the end and had the curtains open and the TV on. And people in the room with cereal boxes on the table. This is the first time this has ever happened to us and we visit hotels often. We were quite dumbfounded and I think both our jaws hit the ground. So back to the car and back to the lobby and back to that line. Fortunately, our clerk had just come out from the back room so we just walked up to her and told her what happened. I think her jaw hit the floor. She said the system had the room as empty so she was going to find out what was going on. I was a little worried that now we wouldn't be able to get into a vacant room. But the clerk was great and asked if it was just the two of us. When we replied in the affirmative, she offered us a king bed room for no upcharge fee. And on the first floor. Great!

I picked up a Courtesy Shuttle Schedule from the front desk just to see what is offered. And here's where if you are planning to stay at an off-site place and rely solely on the hotel's shuttle to Disney, you might want to think again. Here's the schedule from the Ramada which is very close to Disney World:

To Epcot -
Departs at 8:50 AM, 10:05 AM, and 12:30 PM
Returns at 8:45 PM and 9:30 PM

To Magic Kingdom (actually the Transportation and Ticket Center) -
Departs 11:15 AM and 12:30 PM
Returns at 7:45 PM, 10:30 PM, and 11:30 PM

Yes, that's right. If you want to get to rope drop at Magic Kingdom at 9:00, you arent going to make it. The best you could do would be to get the 8:50 bus to Epcot and then take the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom. Actually, the only rope drop you might possibly make is the Epcot one but you'd probably just get there at 9:00 if you are lucky. During the day, you are expected to use the Disney World transportation to get around which is fine but forget about coming back to the hotel for a midday break.

So if you are debating whether to stay onsite or off-site, factor in not only the $15/parking (unless with an annual pass) plus the cost of either renting a car or taking a taxi to and from the parks. That cost will probably add up in a hurry. We are fortunate in that we have our own car and annual passes.

We finally were able to move the car and get everything unpacked. Good room but it has its' problems. When the air conditioning shuts off, the fluorescent light fixture in the sink area makes a noise. Rich thinks it's from the air pressure. And the toilet will run water like it's been flushed. Maybe we have a ghost using the bathroom and we can't see him. But everything else is fine so we're not complaining.

This is where Rich shocked me. I tell him the complaints about Disney accommodations from the discussion board and he's surprised. Today he said that people just need to compare offsite things to what Disney has to offer and Disney will kick butt every time. Yes, my tightwad husband actually said that. Although he wasn't going to spend the extra $$$ to stay on site this trip, he does understand that when we can stay on site for a decent price, we are going to stay on site. Small step for Sheri, one giant leap for Rich.

I got some ice and we had drinks to unwind from the drive. I especially needed it since I was driving just about non-stop for those four hours which I am not used to. I am a spoiled girl when it comes to driving. It was getting close to 4:00 and we wanted to get some time in at Epcot so we finally headed out to what we knew would be a packed park. There was no way we were going to stay until 10:00 for Illuminations and the masses that would be there for that.

On the way to Epcot, I saw that Magic Kingdom was full which didn't surprise me at all. At the Epcot parking lot, all cars were still being directed to park in the efficient Disney manner with, of course, some people just not getting the concept. It's pretty easy, you just go into the space right next to the one the person in front of you pulled into. Then walk to the end of the row and either continue walking to the front of Epcot or get on the tram that's going to come along in a few minutes. We were parked in Explore 75 which wasn't that bad although we didn't think we could go this one way to walk to the park so we took a slightly longer route. But we made it.

Oh - when we went through the parking attendant booth, we both had our annual passes and photo ID out and ready. Rich just handed his two documents over and went right on through. Don't really know what the big deal is although I am glad I read about the new policy before we got here.

Once inside Epcot (security and the turnstiles were no problems and our Tyvek passes worked just fine), the only thing I thought we'd do was a couple of walks about World Showcase but Rich suggested getting a FastPass for Mission:Space which we did for a few hours away. Then we headed to the Showcase, going counterclockwise since Rich wanted a beer. I was surprised to see the lines for food and drink weren't that long so was encouraged a little. I was able to get a wine in France and had the same thing happen that usually happens here. People just won't make up their minds as to what they want so they stand on the other side of the queue thing and I don't know if they are in the line or not in line. There were four people there and two figured out what they wanted and went into line. I thought the other two would follow but they didn't so I got in between them. Sorry to them but they didn't seem to mind and getting my Chardonnay didn't take all that long. I think maybe the France kiosk should have their menu displayed a little better since you can only really see it when you are right there as the awning covers it.

We were in time for the 5:15 showing of Slippery When Wet (the Bon Jovi tribute band) but I wasn't in the mood to listen tonight and figured we'd have a couple more opportunities to see and hear them. We did hear the first song as we strolled by, though. As it turned out, that would be the only time we heard the band. Oh well, there's always next year as this seems to be a Fourth of July tradition for Epcot now.

I was pleased to see that, at least for this weekend, the Heritage Manor Shop in America had *gasp* really American items for sale. The shop had disappointed me over Memorial Day since it seems the good ole red, white, and blue has all but disappeared from the place. As patriotic as I am, this pavilion disappoints me sometimes.

We just did a walk around but when we got to Norway, Rich said "what did you want to do here?" and reminded me about my wish to slow things down and visit some of the less than "thrilling things". So we did our first venture into the exhibits inside the Stave Church. It was a very interesting museum but some of those Vikings weren't very nice!

Our time for Mission:Space wasn't up yet so we did another walk around with me thinking of listening to Slippery When Wet but that didn't happen. We noticed the lines were getting quite long now for all the food and beverage places but we managed to get another beer and wine for each of us. We also saw something quite, er, unusual. It was a guy, and trust me, we know it was a guy, in a leotard long pants kind of thing. It was red, white, and blue with stars on it so he was enjoying the holiday. A little too much. Because it showed. A lot. Really guys, it's not a good look.

There was also a nice sighting of a momma duck and her eight ducklings right next to the Promenade Refreshment place. Momma was just a small distance away from the eight youngsters and all eight of them were curled up next to each other. I think if any human had gotten over the railing, that momma would have really turned into a feisty creature! I really love seeing true nature at Disney World and very glad it's a safe haven for animals of all kinds (including humans like Leotard Man).

We made our way around the masses now coming in force for the evening's showing of Illuminations and were amazed at the people at the entrance to World Showcase already staking out their places for the show. I think there was still well over two hours for the presentation. Yes, I love Illuminations. Yes, I love my country. Yes, I would have liked to see the show but to sit on the ground for almost three hours just to have a spot so I could run out the front entrance was a bit much. I noticed there was tape on the ground at the beginning of World Showcase so others could safely walk around the sitters but nothing at the back. I guess, the words of Bill Engvall, "there's your sign". We've almost always watched Illuminations from the back of World Showcase, never had problems and even tonight noticed "our spot" didn't have anyone piled up already. But I guess for some, getting out of Epcot is more important than having hours to explore the rest of the place.

Mexico was our next museum stop and it's easy to miss this one as it's in the entrance of the pyramid so most just rush by it. We took our time looking around and ended up having a lady who was sitting waiting for her family (I think - she was just sitting there - maybe The Grand Fiesta Tour was too much for her?) bothered because she was right in front of one of the exhibits. To be fair, I don't think she realized what was behind her. I really think she thought we were crazy but we were getting educated. Another nice and overlooked thing Disney quietly does.

The FastPass time for Mission:Space was finally up so we went to do that. Er, no. They are now souvenirs. The crowds had really picked up on our second walk around and the stand by line was now 105 minutes! The FastPass line was down to the entrance and there was no way we would be doing that. Test Track and Soarin, which had run out of FastPasses much earlier, had stand by times of over two hours. Even Spaceship Earth, which I thought about doing on the way out, had a line out of the queue which was snaked around the entire thing.

We really didn't have much discussion and headed out of the very crowded Epcot. Rich got a fritter thing at the pastry shop on the way so he could have breakfast in the morning and then we walked back to the car. On the way, I cheerfully told the parking lot people to have as nice of an evening as they could because people were flocking into Epcot. I'm not sure if Magic Kingdom was closed still and guests were coming over for these fireworks but it was going to be a busy, busy night. Since Rich and I weren't really interested in all that, we headed the other way and the safety of the Ramada.

Rich needed some food (I'm having stomach issues again) so we stopped at McDonald's for him to get a 20 piece McNugget. He said I could have some and I politely told him the only way I would have a McNugget would be if I was the last person on the planet and dirt wasn't available to eat. Then back to the room for some much needed relaxation. We never really intended for this night to be all about the parks - we were on vacation and an unexpected one at that so this was highly appreciated. It turned out the movie Independence Day was on a channel (TNT?) so we watched that. And had an unexpected bond with my niece, Ashley. She had posted Bill Pullman's speech about "this is OUR Independence Day!" on Facebook so we got to see that and gave thanks for our wonderful, if scattered, family.

And so, that was our July Fourth. Filled with fun even though it was just the two of us. We were content.

Day Two - Friday, July 5, 2013

I woke up shortly after 9:00 and Rich kind of grumbled a bit and asked the time. Both of us were kind of still groggy from the day before and the 6:00 AM wake up call (I think that's the last time I joke with Rich on a wake up call!). So we took our time getting ready and were leaving for Animal Kingdom around 11:00. No - wait, we had to go back to the room because on the way out, I said something about first getting a FastPass for Kali River Rapids and Rich said he didn't think we would do that today. The temperatures were in the high 80s with humidity out the wazoo so why not do the one water attraction at the park? So we reversed the car's direction for Rich to change into his bathing trunks and sandals. He took his sneakers and regular shorts for our anticipated evening visit to Epcot. And then we were finally off.

From the Ramada, we just have to make a right turn out of the place and then we can get to World Drive. Except the traffic on Highway 192 can be very heavy as it was this morning but we finally made it out. Once on World Drive, we went by the Animal Kingdom exit since Rich didn't think he should take it because I didnt say anything. I didn't say anything because I thought he knew where he was going. So we got a little tour of Buena Vista Drive before we came back down around Coronado Springs. At least I could wave to the place where we are staying for Labor Day weekend.

We got a decent parking space and I noted that we were in Peacock 1-9. Rich didn't notice the parking area and we walked to the front gate using the nice sidewalk here. If we had just looked down at the end of the parking aisle and noticed our actual lane, it would have saved us some trouble later. But, we're on vacation so let's have some fun and adventure!

The anteater was out along the Oasis and it's nice to see that guy every once in a while, even without Chris. We also saw a lizard on a mouse trap (the trap was box shaped and out of the way) and Rich made a comment about seeing some red shorts and black legs sticking out of the trap. I hit him.

I checked out the wait board for Flights of Wonder since Rich just about had a heart attack when I suggested we not do that this trip. He loves this show so we'll catch it when we can. But the Kali River Rapids FastPass was a must for me with the temperatures. It's July, it's Florida, why not get wet? I didn't realize I would be getting a lot more wet than I thought. The FastPasses were for a couple of hours out and one of the things I told Rich I wanted to do was to slow down and see some of the walking trails. And my favorite was right there - Maharajah Jungle Trek. I think this is simply the best themed thing anywhere in Disney World.

I kind of made Rich slow down quite a bit during the walk as I kept stopping to take photos of things. We only saw one or two tigers but I'm just amazed at the detail of the trail. One of these days, I'm going to come here on my own and take my sweet time going through everything. This was a trip where I wanted to look up and enjoy what Disney has to offer and I'm so glad I did that here. We also were able to see lots of different birds in the aviary so that had Rich very happy.

After our walk, we had about a half hour for the next showing of Flights of Wonder so we did our normal beer and pretzel combo (at two different kiosks) and enjoyed a nice sit in the Flame Tree BBQ area. Well, we did the beer and pretzel combo with a slight hitch. Rich discovered he had left our gift card back in the room so he panicked while I just calmly handed over my credit card to cover the purchase. Rich spent the next half hour worried he left the gift card out in plain sight in the room. I told him there was nothing we could do about it so relax. Wow - that planner in me might have died a quick death! (The gift card was later found in Rich's short's pocket that he wore yesterday.)

Then we did the show and it was quite different as Pogo, who was the bird that was supposed to be our lesson on how birds respond to visual cues, was a little bit put off by a native mourning dove that flew by just as Pogo came out of the window. So Pogo sat on a tree branch while our host tried to entice Pogo down. It was interesting to experience the ad libbing between the host and Guano Joe while all this was going on. But Pogo eventually responded and the show went on. And since we've seen the show so many times and know the script, we noticed there were a couple of skits left out but I don't think anyone else cared. I have to say that while in recent previous visits the tears in my eyes when Hope, the American Bald Eagle, is brought out remained in my eyes, they didn't this time. America's symbol of liberty and she's beautiful and we saved her.

I actually went up to the stage after the show because the owl featured in this show was a fluffy one. So I got a nice photo of him/her. I'm liking the "slow down" trip because most people were rushing out the exits while I had a nice moment with a bird I'm probably not going to see out in the wild. I think Rich was kind of amused as I'm a city girl and I've slowly gone over to his country ways of seeing life. I think I like my hybrid way.

But onto thrills and we went to the single riders line at Expedition Everest which took less than ten minutes. I'm not the most social person in the world and was sat next to a man who was with two other people and he got the single rider. But I bravely spoke up and asked if he had ever ridden this before. He said no so I sat back to enjoy his reaction. He absolutely loved it! When we got to the part where the track "ends" he was yelling, "no way!" and I eagerly anticipated the next part. He whooped all the way down and around. So the single riders line ain't so bad. BTW - Rich rode right behind me.

Next up was a more sedate thing but part of the whole "slow down" aspect - Rifiki's Planet Watch which is becoming more and more of a must do for us. I knew it was way too late for a veterinarian procedure but we were more interested in petting the goats (for Rich) and the pigs (for me). As it turned out, we had just missed an operation on a warthog! The Cast Member was explaining the operation took almost three hours. Lots of Pumbaa comments made by the guests. There were only three pigs outside but lots of goats laying down in the shade. There also seems to be more activity here in an area off to the side where maybe the animals are featured? Not quite sure what was going on over there as I was trying to find my pigs. Yeah, the city is still in me somewhere but country might be winning out.

We returned to Africa and our FastPass window for Kali River Rapids was up and the return time for Kilimanjaro Safari was within our stamina so we took a couple of those for later. Then we headed back to Asia for our ride on the Rapids.
As we entered the FastPass return line, we didn't notice but we were in between a family of eleven or twelve people. Once I discovered that (they were talking to each other after we entered the line), we let the ones behind us go to the ones in front of us. Then they started passing ponchos out and chattering about getting wet and all that. Rich was prepared with his sandals and bathing suit but I really didn't care. While I'm not too keen on getting on this thing in 40 degree weather, I welcome it in the high 80s with humidity to beat the band. I just don't wear white and make sure my underclothes are decent. But to each his own and I figured we wouldn't be riding with the family since they would have a raft to themselves.

It took a while for the FastPass lane to load and I'm not sure why as the guy was holding up both lines for some reason. I'm thinking it was because they didn't want people standing on the bridge or whatever that is right before the revolving platform. But we were eventually led down and the family in front of us (the ones we let join up together) started to gesture to us. A two person party was needed and that nice family remembered us and let us through. Karma can pay off, I guess. So we were loaded with a family of ten and they were a hoot! There was one small boy who was sitting in the "magic" seat which meant he had the special lapbar since he was height challenged and he was a bit nervous. The rest of the family were laughing and having a great time so we all talked about who was going to get the wettest. Two other boys wanted to get wet. So guess who got wet? Yep - me. Totally completely and absolutely soaked. Rich got some but I got the gusher. And I didn't care. I loved it.

The parade was going to start and we still had time before our Safari FastPass so I suggested we dry off with a beer sitdown at Flame Tree. However, our normal kiosk was closed because of the parade so we went to the actual Flame Tree and got a beer and wine and then sat by the water and relaxed until the parade was over. Rich's situation wasn't that bad since he hadn't gotten the big wet and he was wearing his swim trunks. I was a bit more soaked but had worn comfortable shorts and a shirt that dried quickly. Well, as quickly as possible.

Once the parade was over, we headed back to Africa and our Safari. And had an "encounter". Remember that family we unintentionally got in between going into Kali River Rapids and how nice they were to us and how nice we were to them once we realized what we had done? Well, this "lady" could have taken a lesson from the other family. It was only four people - two adults and two kids. She was with one child, husband was with another and I guess he wasn't keeping up with her. We got in between the two groups without realizing it. She turned around and right in front of my face (seriously, she was like two inches from me) starting yelling "THESE PEOPLE NEED TO WAIT UNTIL MY FAMILY GETS UP HERE! WE HAVE FASTPASSES!!!!!" I stopped and said, "Ma'am, everyone in this line has FastPasses" and then followed Rich around her. She was behind us and berating her husband for not keeping up with her. But seriously, why bother? They ended up in the same darn jeep as us. I reasoned it off as someone with either a commando mode or just a Type A personality. I guess my point is - don't sweat the small stuff. The attraction is not going to disappear in five minutes.

We were seated right behind the driver (the loud woman and her family were about three rows back) and the driver asked the Cast Member on the platform for something to drink. I casually asked if he was asking for vodka. The driver laughed and said sometimes he wished.

We made our two week journey and saw lots of animals (including two out and about warthogs - obviously not the one who was operated on earlier in the day), although no lions. It was getting closer to the closing time for the attraction but there was a lot of activity so I adhere to my advice of going on this whenever you can as I've been on the Safari at high noon, the early afternoon and the early evening and never been disappointed.

One thing on our Safari that I noticed was the increased number of people doing the Wild Africa Trek. In the past, I just kind of ignored the extra stuff but I guess this is becoming more and more popular or maybe there's just a tour around this time but I really could see the people. At least they were just standing and not zip lining or anything. I think that would freak me out. I get what Disney is trying to do but at the same time, I want the simplicity back. Not sure how I feel about it. But, the price tag is hefty enough so maybe my Disney stock will continue to rise.

After the Safari, we decided to embrace the relaxing trip mode and did the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and I'm so glad we did. I am not a gorilla fan at all and this trail usually has me frustrated as people just flock to the windows and stay there to watch the animals and, since I'm so short, I can't really see anything. However, because it was so late in the day we walked right up to a totally empty viewing area and watched as a mom and her daughter frolicked and played. That little gorilla was rolling over and slapping her mother. There was another female right there who looked quite disgusted with the whole thing and kept her distance. Dad was briefly there and then left. It was just us and the Cast Member telling the history of the family. So - hint - take the trails towards the early evening and you might just see a lot of activity without the crowds.

The only other thing we were interested in was It's Tough to be a Bug and with the park clearing out, I suggested this to Rich. A literal walk on. We didn't even have to wait under the tree before being let into the theatre. The only bad part was we didn't get the end effects (crack myself up! Oh wait - I did it again with the crack joke!) but others around us did so that was really funny.

We were finally done with Animal Kingdom even though we never ventured into Dinoland or Camp Minnie-Mickey. We made our way out (seeing the anteater yet again) and then began the adventure. I knew we were in Peacock 1-9. Rich didn't look at the actual row and I stupidly thought Peacock 1-9 was a specific area. Nope. Peacock has nine rows. Neither one of us knew which one was ours. And just as we were walking close to where we thought Maxx was parked, the skies opened up in all their glory. And where were the ponchos? In the car in anticipation of our Epcot visit tonight. We got absolutely and positively soaked. Me for the second time that day and I had just gotten dried out. Plus, we had to find the darn car. So we were those two drenched souls wandering around the Peacock section of the Animal Kingdom parking lot tonight. But at least we weren't the only ones. Another guy was in the same boat (Noah's Ark maybe?). Rich finally found Maxx after about ten minutes and we scurried inside, both uncomfortably wet.

I said I needed to get changed before we went to Epcot and when Rich turned on the car he noticed it was already 6:00 PM. He was incredulous. We spent seven hours at Animal Kingdom and the time had flown by. But we both needed dry clothes so we headed back to the hotel and discussed the situation. By the time we went back and changed and then headed to Epcot, it would be close to 7:00 and the park closed at 9:00. Easy mutual decision to go back, get changed and then go offsite for dinner.

And that's what we did. Sort of. The big advantage to staying offsite is the boatload of offsite dining options. The disadvantage is Friday night and rain and Highway 192 and the boatload of offsite dining options. I had a coupon for 20% off at TGI Fridays' and we headed there. Line out the door. Nope, not going to wait for food. So we headed down the Highway and noticed just about every chain restaurant along the way was packed. We continued on to more towards Kissimmee and ended up at the Longhorn we used to frequent when we stayed at the Travelodge down here. Five minute wait and we were seated. Hint - if offsite, just head towards Kissimmee and you'll find a less crowded place.

We had a nice dinner and then back to the room for Law & Order:SVU in syndication, our fantasy NASCAR draft, and finally sleep. I had to dry everything out and hoped for a better tomorrow for the weather. I think my fingers looked like prunes by this time!

Day Three - Saturday, July 6, 2013

No alarm again set for this morning but the Lawn Mower Man had Rich a bit miffed. I was up around 8:30 with the noise and Rich finally moved around 9:00 complaining. Yeah, it bothered us but at least it wasn't 7:00 AM like the neighbor's roof guys had bothered us last weekend. Now, that was a wee bit early for a Saturday morning. But I digress.

Today's park was the Studios and we both knew we wouldn't last that long there and we'd be at Epcot for the evening after missing it last night. So, after our usual morning routines, we headed for the Epcot parking lot to do a walk through there and take the boat or the walkway to the Studios. Again, we were not in any hurry to rush to anything. And this time, I handed over my annual pass and driver's license. The old grumpy parking attendant decided I should be told to sign my annual pass. I have never signed the pass so was a little surprised. And I really hate to tell him this but my driver's license signature is well over ten years old and has changed a bit since then so there's no way to match that signature with the one on my annual pass. Georgia just lets you renew online and you get to keep the same photo. Which is funny because I really don't even look like the photo anymore since it was taken back in 2001. Oh well, no big deal and we were through. After this Rich asked how we were going to sign MagicBands. I think the attendant was just in a bad mood or something. Oh - and my annual pass still isn't signed but don't tell anyone

We actually got a decent parking space and noted this time we were in Discover 12 - I did not want a repeat of last night at Animal Kingdom. After we entered Epcot, we noticed the tour groups were here. As Rich said "it's like an entire country is here right now!" Yep. We did see various groups all over Epcot and the Studios but it wasn't the hordes that have been reported. The one group that had arrived all together quickly broke up into smaller groups although the one that immediately went into line at Spaceship Earth began to chant. I do have to question the mindset of the planner, though. This was around 11ish, the large group was just getting to Epcot and the first thing they were doing was Spaceship Earth? Oh well, there are more effective ways to tour but it wasn't my problem.

Rich suggested checking out a FastPass for Soarin' since, so far, the crowds haven't been that bad (except for July 4th itself). At this time of the morning, there were plenty available for around 1:30 but we didn't think we'd be back by then so we didn't bother. There's where the enforcement policy finally had an effect on us. In the past, we would have gotten a couple and then ridden whenever. Now, we couldn't. But honestly, it didn't bother us at all. If the attraction was that important, we would have made some plans but it's not a priority with us. You just have to choose what you want.

We just walked through to the International Gateway and saw. the Friendship boat just backing out and pulling away from the dock to go to the Studios. Drat it. Oh well, we're in decent shape (if round is a shape - that's actually a T-shirt our son gave to Rich) so we hiked it to the Studios and arrived shortly after the boat. We could have picked up our pace and caught the boat at either the Boardwalk or the Swan/Dolphin but it was still early in the day and we could use the exercise. Plus - we're not here to rush around.

It was a bit frustrating at the bag check line as I thought Rich was going to be in the same line as me but he scurried over to another one leaving me behind the Backpack People from Hell. There were six people, three on each side, who each had a huge, and I mean huge, backpack with many compartments and none of the six got the clue to open up all compartments. And there I am with my tiny little bag waiting my turn. What I found amazing was none of those six people had anyone with them. Or if they did, they in turn had a huge backpack and were part of the six. What the heck do people pack in those things? Last time I looked, Disney World had the equivalent of a kitchen sink somewhere in a park. And there were no strollers around either so it wasn't like it was a family who needed diapers and a change of clothes. Had me doing a head scratch for a while.

The one thing I wanted at the Studios was to do Star Tours as we usually will pass this up for Twilight Zone or Rock N Roller Coaster and I wanted to slow things down. So that was our first stop and FastPasses for less than a half hour away (around 12:30ish). I suggested another main goal which was the Studio Catering Company for my Tuscan sandwich. I just love this thing and last time couldn't really enjoy since I had some stomach issues and the place was packed over the very crowded Memorial Day weekend. This time, I aimed to get the whole thing myself and find a table and not some ledge way off to the side. Fortunately, the seating area was not the logjam it was a few months ago and Rich surprised me by suggesting we share the sandwich. My only concern was he wanted fries and unless those fries are fresh off the fryer at McDonald's, I'm not eating them. So I ordered the sandwich and fries but with an additional side of sliced apples for me.

After we had our food, the counter service person delivering it starting yelling something like "hey, hey, hey, we got ourselves a magic tray!" I had turned around and was going out the exit line and Rich had a perplexed look on his face and I can't imagine what I looked like. I actually thought we did something wrong as it was totally unexpected. The Cast Member called us back and said we were to receive a free dessert since we had a "magic tray". Whaaaa? I can honestly say I don't think there were two more confused people in the Studios at that moment. The Cast Member gave us the options of dessert and I picked cheesecake, knowing Rich and I could share in that one but it took me a while to get it all sorted out.

We easily found a seat (much better experience than Memorial Day weekend) and enjoyed our simple lunch with free dessert. We pondered over the "magic tray" and I thought it was something on the receipt since it was done after everything was on the tray. But then Rich, the ever observant one, took notice of the actual trays. Ours was red. Everyone else's was black. Hence, the magic tray. I'm wondering if in the past, the trays were red and then switched to black but some red were left behind. Leave it to Disney to add a little pixie dust should a red tray come out.

BTW - that's only our theory, we have no idea if that's the case. So if anyone else gets a red tray here and doesn't get free dessert, our theory was wrong.

I do have to add this - in all my 60+ trips, this is the first time something like this has ever happened to us. I never expect the magic to come to me - I make the magic happen if I want. A really nice moment in our trip.

While we were eating, we noticed a lot of the tour groups but all were smaller and all perfectly well behaved. Rich had fun with picking out the countries since he's the world geography "expert". While I know United States history and geography, once you get outside our borders, I'm pretty much lost (no pun intended). I pride myself on knowing South America is south of us and Canada is that big area north of us. BTW - Rich was looking at the flags the tour guides were waving and knew them almost immediately. See - collecting stamps and coins can be beneficial.

After the meal, we returned to Star Wars where we really didn't need the FastPass. The crowds were a lot lower than I had anticipated with the weekend. I figured more people would take July 5th off and the parks would be mobbed but that wasn't the case. But we used the FastPass anyway and had a good trip. Our "rebel spy" was a young boy and on the way out he was so excited by that. Great reactions and I hope people realize this changes each time you are on it.

I suggested venturing down Sunset Boulevard to do a thrill ride but we were walking by the American Idol show and it was going to be starting soon so we detoured into that. I think we've only done this once or maybe twice so it was a nice diversion. We immediately went into the studio and had the warm up host come out. Rich and I are not the "we will follow what you say" kind of people so we just sat while everyone else did the whole "raise your hands" and "clap" and "yell" and all that kind of stuff to get the juices going before the show. No offense to anyone who does all that but I think Rich used the term "lab rats" and I said something about Pavlov. It's just not for us but everyone else had a good time and the warm up guy was very good if you like that kind of thing.

Our contestants were three females and when they were introduced, I immediately told Rich I was not voting for Number Three. She seemed cocky and did the whole pageant pose of one sneakered foot in front of the other. She also seemed so sure she would win so she turned me completely off.

Number One was a mild mannered person who was going to college to become a music teacher and she did a decent version of Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway". She wasn't a chart buster but OK and had a good voice. Number Two was a fifteen year old girl who did Alicia Keys "No One". She really needs to work on her strength and consistency, though. And then came Number Three. She strutted, she did the hand work, she sashayed and she did Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats". Rich liked her. And then we voted. I voted for Number One, Rich for Number Three.

We knew Number Three would win - she was good. And then the results. Number Two?! Yep - the fifteen year old won. Rich and I looked at each other and said "whaa?" So, now we know why all those other American Idol winners in the past years have won. The public votes. And that's why we don't watch the show anymore. Oops - pop culture commentary there, sorry.

After the show, we finally made it down to Sunset Boulevard and checked out FastPasses for Twilight Zone which were for an hour or so away. Then we started to walk towards Rock N Roller Coaster only to be told by Cast Members that the attraction was down so, like Rich said, "that makes the decision easier". We got a couple of FastPasses for the drop and then had to do something until that time opened up. It really wasn't enough time for anything (where are the people?) so we did what we do best and headed for a beer.

We tried Bill and Min's but yet again, the taps were down so we went over to the Oasis Canteen and then grabbed a bench near the dinosaur and I'm so glad we did. There was a family next to us and they were so delighted to see the native ducks just casually strolling around so they started to feed them. I'm not a fan of feeding the natural wildlife but this family had some much fun without being mean. Although we did have one little boy, far away from his mother (she was not really paying attention to the boy which wasn't great) who came up and wanted to chase the ducks. We kindly told him not to. He looked confused and started to chase them again. We spoke up again, this time a little louder. He watched for a while and then ran back to his mother who, surprise, realized she had a son to think about. But we enjoyed the rest of the time with the other family and the human family too.

Our FastPass time for Twilight Zone was up so we went back there only to find the line for FastPasses was way down to where you enter the FastPass line! No way! So we found a couple and gave the FastPasses away because we were not going to spend a half hour in the FastPass line. Maybe the attraction had gone down or something but that was way too long. Second time not to use FastPasses. Maybe Disney will get this all straightened out once FastPass Plus comes online but wow. For now, it looks like we will be going back to standing on line for at least a half hour even with a "Fast"Pass.

So we head out of Ecpot and Rich had said there was no way in heck we were going to walk back there. Fortunately, the wait for the boat wasn't that bad as one came around the bend as we were entering the line. I don't understand the mentality of people who are under the awning here. They don't "move up and fill in every available space" so there's usually a line of people out in the brutal sun. Once the boat docks, the line mysteriously shrinks as the awning people are compacting the line to get on the boat. Why not just do that earlier and help out the poor people being baked? But we boarded with no problems except the people who have to sit on the edge of the seat along the aisle. And leave space towards the windows. Just slide over and make the boarding process a bit easier. Oh well, we just excused ourselves over the woman who couldn't put down her cell phone and got some seats.

This might have been a mistake as once we sat down, we realized how tired we were so, along the way, decided to do just one walk around World Showcase and then leave for the trip. Rich wanted to get some beer at Publix to watch the race tonight and we needed to head there after Epcot. When we went for dinner last night, we saw the new one and debated doing that this morning or trying for a Wal Mart later. The place we knew won out and for after the parks. Rich might have regretted that.

Rich decided on a margarita for our walk and I did the wine in Norway. Then we found a nice little seating area with tables and chairs near the Germany pavilion so we could enjoy our drinks. This was a nice shaded place and not crowded at all. Just a small area - maybe six tables and I wish it would stay. I took off my shoes and socks and we just took a nice rest and finished the drinks. Rich then needed another beer for the walk out of World Showcase so he stopped at the Fife and Drum Refreshments while I walked a little ways to see the Corps performing. When Rich joined me he said the Refreshment place had the little bottles of wine and it looked like I would get more there than in France which is where I was going to stop. This could be my new found friend. Of course, Rich told me the prices for those little bottles at Wal Mart but I reminded him we weren't at Wal Mart.

As we approached Future World, I looked over and saw the family of ducks from the other night. This time, momma was huddled with her kids. Extremely cute.

Spaceship Earth was very doable so we boarded to learn about communication and to salute Mitchell. We did a "backwards" trip where we pick things at the end that are totally different from us and we also put ourselves in a whacky country at the beginning. Have to liven up the show just a bit.

Then the walk out to the car and our departure from Disney World until Labor Day. This was an unexpected trip and well worth it. We took a wrong turn getting out of Disney World and instead of heading east on Highway 192 like we wanted, we were going north on I4. That one sign is quite confusing as I thought it was only for west Highway 192, not the entire Highway. Oh well, we just got off on 535 and went down to International Drive South and then hooked up with Highway 192. Rich had no clue so I was navigator. Actually, I was guessing at some points but the important thing is we found Publix.

With beer in hand, it was back in the room for the little packing we had to do and the Daytona 400. One of our least favorite drivers won, darn it. Well, at the least the guy is on my fantasy NASCAR team.

Day Four - Sunday, July 7, 2013

We were up and packed and ready to go by 8:45. Maxx needed gas and the Hess station was the cheapest we saw so back on Disney property for that. And one last nature encounter. There were three ducks hanging out at the pumps. They were right in front of Maxx so while Rich in for his Diet Cokes and a water for me, I protected the guys and gals from any car who didn't happen to see them. One car did come up but then left them alone and they slowly, and I mean slowly, waddled over to an unoccupied pump. Disney ducks are not afraid of humans at all.

There was a lot of traffic on the way home and next year, because the Fourth of July is on a Friday and we have a true three day weekend, we're taking July 7th off to avoid some of this. One slow down involved a nasty accident right where the construction started on the south side of I75. Our north bound side had to slow down to gawk so the backup was about twelve miles. If I did over 15 MPH, I'd be surprised. And since it was where construction started on the south side, it was at the end of our construction. Our back up started at the beginning of where we got down to two lanes for the building of the new lane. That was awful and I don't have a lot of patience.

The second back up was for the Georgia drivers who just can't seem to drive on a holiday to get home. About twenty miles from the exit to get onto I675 and we're going about 30 MPH. Across five lanes of highway. At least Rich was driving for that part. It seemed to take forever but we were home about 5:15 so maybe 30-45 minutes lost for all that. We had the Braves game on for the entire time so our attention was diverted.

Conclusion -

This was a relatively impromptu trip decided on about two weeks before. It was very welcome and we took things slowly with no real agendas. As usual, we didn't feel the need to get up at the crack of dawn to do things (except for departure day and I'll never even jokingly tell Rich 6:00 AM) but we do have the luxury of going back to Disney World often. Rich is such a practical person and I'm surprised he went along with all this but I think he's glad we did.

And the main reason he's glad we did was all the nature encounters we had. The day at Animal Kingdom was really nice, rain excluded. We had such a nice time just doing what we wanted and managed to fit in Expedition Everest with the singles rider line plus Kali River Rapids and the Safari, both with FastPasses. We also did Rafiki's Planet Watch and both of the walking trails. Plus, It's Tough to be a Bug. Camp Minnie Mickey is not for us and we've seen Festival of the Lion King and Rich was turned off on it for the same reason most people would have been turned off by Leotard Man. Rich just thinks some parts of the male anatomy should remain, well, private. I don't mind Dinosaur but the sound level is way too high for Rich. And I won't even go into our feelings on Finding Nemo: The Musical. So, our day at Animal Kingdom was perfect for us - we did everything we wanted.

We also had a ton of duck meetings and that's one thing we really appreciate about Disney World - the native wildlife. Seeing the momma duck and her eight ducklings not once but twice was wonderful. And the ducks at the gas station on the way out as well as by the Oasis Canteen at the Studios. Some people are turned off by the birds and ducks but we reason they were here long before Walt Disney flew over the area so we took over their land, they aren't taking over the parks. I only wish parents would take the opportunity to educate their kids to not chase the animals. I realize the kids are curious but it's a great time to teach the child the animal is just doing what comes naturally. Getting chased by a human is not natural. OK - off that soapbox now.

Getting the "Magic Tray" at Studio Catering Company was very unexpected and a nice touch. That really was the first magical thing we've gotten from Disney World in over sixty trips and I can tell you both of us were surprised as heck. We never expect anything and I think it showed. Of course, Rich made sure that dessert, which we almost never order, didn't go to waste. Well, maybe to his waist

The Ramada suited our needs even though some people wouldn't like it because it has its' flaws. The rooms are by no means perfect and they never will be. But we know that going in and live with what we have to live with. I'm not paying Disney World prices and don't expect Disney World service. The only thing I wish for is a more organized front desk system. The free upgrade to a king room was appreciated, though. If we need to stay offsite again, this will be a choice if I can't find something different for the same price.

Rich's reaction to the Ramada surprised me a few weeks later when he was talking to his mother on the phone. He said he's rather find somewhere else to stay since the noise from the light fixture every time the air conditioning went on bothered him. I cornered him on that comment later (with Rich, there always has to be a waiting period) and he said he just didn't want that room. I think next time we stay offsite, I'll give him a listing of place to stay with prices included and he can make the decision. Then he'll have no one to blame but himself if he doesn't want to spend more money.

We'll be back for Labor Day weekend and staying at Coronado Springs for a great price since there is a car show going on and we were able to tag along for the group rate. And it helps that Rich is a car person so he'll drool over the exhibits. Then back for the Food & Wine Festival in October. I traded off our Thanksgiving trip for a longer one in March so Rich could go back to Maryland to be with his family for the holiday (I'm dreading that but you gotta do what you gotta do).