Walt Disney Vacation 2005

 

 

While we were still in California I sketched out a daily itinerary for each day of our stay. Every plan made was thoroughly thought of, well, so I thought. In 2005, I planned our first trip to Walt Disney World. My dream finally came true during our first visit to Walt Disney World. We stayed for 5 nights & 6 days in late October. It was an amazing experience to have with my family.  We were finally at the airport waiting for our suitcases at the luggage claim, but nothing showed up. We went to report our missing suitcases and to our surprise we were told they have been taken to the resort already! (Compliments from Disney) I should have known this right?

Dont leave home without one of these books!

 Note to remember: A few weeks prior to your arrival, registered guests will receive an Airport Transportation Booklet containing general information and special bar-coded luggage tags which need to be attached to the guest’s luggage before departure, please read and don’t make the same mistake as we did.

　
NOTE: Luggage delivery service is available for flights arriving between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. daily. For airport arrivals after 10:00 p.m., Guests must collect their luggage at Baggage Claim and transport it with them on the Disney Motorcoach, just like any other airport trip.

Finally the time has come! *ahem* DRUMROLL PLEASE! *drum roll goes off* the feel of an African game reserve at The AnimaI Kingdom Lodge
The kids could feel the energy as we arrived. We arrived at 6:30 a.m. and were able to get a room within our arrival after my husband had told them that our daughter missed the step in the bus and had a great fall. They were very compassionate and understanding about it and said they would accommodate us right away and within 15 minutes we got our key to our room. Thankfully no broken bones.



You can see the Giraffe in the background

Amazing to see giraffes, zebras, and other wild animals roaming around outside from your own balcony! How cool it was to have our room above the savannah. This is a once in a life time experience you will never forget. The Animal Kingdom in my opinion is one of the world's best kept "secrets"... Wow what an experience that was for us!!

From Animal Kingdom Resort Buses:

 

Disney's Hollywood Studios: 10 minutes
Epcot: 15 minutes
Magic Kingdom: 20 minutes
Animal Kingdom: 5 minutes
Downtown Disney: 15 minutes

　

~Day 1~

　
The very first park we visited was ‘The Animal Kingdom Park’, of course. My advice, get to
 Animal Kingdom early and head to the safari first. The animals are waking up, stretching and out looking for food. When we arrived at the park after 3:00 p.m., we tried to do as many rides & attractions as we could in such a short time because of the park closing early. We hopped on the ‘Kali River Rapids’, which took us spinning around in the water and dropped us down little hills. You never knew who was going to get soaked next!


 

Anthony 5 years old

Afterwards, we went to go on the Kiliminjaro safari, only to find out that last one left at 5:00 p.m., what a bummer to hear that we just missed it. One last show we had to catch before the park closed was ‘The Festival of the Lion King’, we loved this show; the fact that the ‘Lion King’ is one of Disney's best productions, this show is one amazing movie, lots of humorous characters, and amazing stunts, all combined into the perfect show on an arena stage. The acrobatic displays are stunning, and the whole family will enjoy the performers, and your kids’ eyes will light up; they will be shouting, "Woooah!! That’s awesome!!" So glad we didn’t miss this one!

~Day 2~

The Magic Kingdom, it lives up to its name as the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’. Our visit to the park was positively great! Sure, there were a few long lines but the ‘Fast Pass’ feature is an outstanding way of doing what you wish without waiting in the long lines. You simply go to the attraction, get a ‘Fast Pass’ ticket and return at the designated time to enjoy the attraction, while waiting in line for as little as 2 minutes!
I went for the pleasure of watching my daughter and my son enjoy their happy moments together in a magical world. A promise was fulfilled… Sure, I enjoy riding at most of the attractions and seeing the shows, but sharing the moment with your kids and seeing their faces light up is just a priceless moment. The fact that they had no idea that such a place existed made it that much more enjoyable.



Nelly 9 years old

 My daughter’s face lit up as she met Ariel the mermaid for the first time ever, as that was her favorite Disney princess. She had a little chat with her, and after she had said goodbye to her, she looked over at me. Her face was amazed, as if she couldn’t believe what just happened.
　

~Day 3~

Epcot is different than most Disney parks. It is more about the experience of visiting other countries all in one place at the same time. There are a number of fun rides throughout the park. The rides we enjoyed the most included GM Test Track, (my husband’s and son’s favorite ride!) Other rides include Launch rides, Soarin’, Living with the Land (boat ride), and Mission Space.

Epcot has plenty of stuff for kids. There are people from their originating country in the various lands, which adds great authenticity to the experience. Each country has at least one restaurant, some better than others, but all will give you an enjoyable taste of the country and culture. The additional countries were set up with kiosks and such all around the lake in the middle of the park.
There are many stores to visit in each country if you're inclined to shop. If you have your heart set on a specific restaurant, please go ahead and make reservations in advance so you won’t be disappointed and turned away. We tried dining in at a Mexican restaurant, but we were told we needed reservations. That’s ok because we had so many countries to choose from. So instead, we went to China! No reservation required, I guess the restaurant wasn’t all that busy that day?

You can see performers from around the world and it is like going on an all around the world trip that you can do in 1 day. Different parts of Europe had mini Shakespeare type plays going on that involved audience participation (it would be a lot of fun for you if you were the type who likes to act!) My favorite and the family’s of course was the acrobatic act at the China pavilion. The young performers were all between the ages of 9 and 12. Amazing to see!! Didn’t think that it was possible to bend in such ways while spinning plates and chopsticks on your head and feet.
‘Reflections of Earth’ is a spectacular 14-minute, live fireworks show that brings together the past, present, and future of our planet and its colorful nations. You can’t miss this nighttime spectacular bursting with surprises for the entire family. My husband had to carry my 5 year old over his shoulders so he can see past the ‘human giraffes’ that had blocked his view.
　

~Day 4~

‘Hollywood Studios: Is probably the smallest and most compact of the Disney parks but also has some of the coolest Disney rides. There are several shows that you should NOT miss while at this park. All attractions and shows have various times, so you will need to get a daily info sheet and map. My absolute favorite is Tower of Terror – terrifyingly incredible. You sit in an "old, run-down elevator" from the 30’s, while a creepy elevator man tells you "Enjoy your stay…" Go up 13 stories and you see 4 ghosts walking in front of you, (they’re the people who supposedly got shocked on this elevator, not to mention that this ride was based on the popular T.V. show, the Twilight Zone). Our 9 year old daughter and 5 year old son surprisingly did better then we expected.

The Jedi Academy training, which is done outside the Star Wars ride and features children (maybe under 12) being 'trained' as Jedi's, get to face Darth Vader himself. It was worth stopping for a moment to watch the action! ‘Lights, Motors, Action!’ is a stunt show in which they show you the behind-the-scenes secrets to car jumps, explosions and a lot of car action in Hollywood movies. Get there early for a good seat! We all enjoyed it, especially the boys. ‘Hollywood Movie Ride’ takes you through several famous movie scenes of old time classic Hollywood stars. How amazing that was! It really gave you the feel that you are actually behind-the-scenes on famous movies. ‘The Muppets: 3D’ was a 3D show that involved lots of hilarious situations, idiotic moments, and not to mention some fiery explosions in the laboratories including all of your favorite Muppet pals, like Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and more. This is definitely a show you will want to take your kids to, they’ll be begging to see it again when it’s over!!

We really wanted to go on the ‘Rock 'n' Roller Coaster: by Aerosmith’, but my 5 year old was not tall enough for the ride. Oh well, everything happens for a reason I guess, right? Maybe next time. Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular! – Just like the movie, full of action and nail biting stunts.　 One of the best shows at the park, moves on to the scene from the ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ with a giant boulder chasing "Indy" down a narrow path. That was nerve wrecking to watch but fun at the same time.　The show builds to an explosion of action and special effects and a little bit of audience participation. Definitely another show your kids will want to see!

A great restaurant at this park is the ‘50's Prime Time Café’. Good "home-cooked" meals that were just absolutely yummy. Everyone at the Café had sung Happy Birthday to our kids, waiters, people walking by, and guests at other tables! What a special touch that made us feel at home. We did not stay for ‘Fantasmic’ (the light show that happens every night). The kids, husband & I were beat and tired and just wanted to get to our room.
　

~Day 5~

The next morning we headed for ‘Disney's Blizzard Beach’ which features lots of water attractions, including thrill rides, ‘chill’ rides, family-style raft rides, areas for little squirts and plenty of cool lounging places for mom & dad. When we were at the water park it had begun raining when we were swimming in the water! We got evacuated and were sent to a dry spot to stay until the rain stopped, because of the weather conditions. Walking in the rain with my daughter while wearing our swim suits is something I’ll never forget, mainly because the whole situation was kind of humorous. What a fabulous way to end our vacation.

Whether you head out of the country to visit a new city or decide to buy a tent and camp out in your own backyard, remember that it is not what you spend on the trip that makes it memorable. The love and laughter that you share with your family is truly what makes any vacation worthwhile. Whether you’re staying at a fancy- hotel, or some Inn, remember no one is really going to be impressed with where you stayed when you come back. It’s the memories that you made with family is what’s important. All I can really say is, go. Go and do what you can in this life. Life is not short, but sweet. For once, think like a child again, be happy again….remember age is just a number go to Walt Disney World and have fun!  It was a family vacation that is still fresh on my mind today. I am so glad I was able to take my family on this amazing journey.

This was our package:

2005 Magic Your Way Package plus Deluxe Dining

This plan gave us 3 meals and 2 snacks per person, per night of our package stay, and the flexibility to enjoy any combination of select table-service and quick-service restaurants. We were able to choose dining at over 100 restaurants throughout Walt Disney World Resort. We also choose to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the safari view.