Sunday, August 21, 2022
CHAPTER 3: JULY 5-18, 1995
HOTEL: Park Inn International/Port Orleans
AGES:
Shannon: 7
Sean: 5
Les: 34
John: 38-39
Day 0: Tues 7/4:
Les: 34
John: 38-39
Day 0: Tues 7/4:
Stayed at Double Tree at the Philly airport. We swam and worked out and had dinner at their restaurant. Then we came back to the room and watched the parade on tv and went to bed. The kids slept fine, me and Les were too excited to sleep!
Day 1: Weds 7/5:
We got up EARLY!!!! We got to the airport at 6:15 am and left Philly at 7:25. We flew Continental and got to Greensboro at 9:30. The kids were excited about the plane ride. The Greensboro Airport was closed due to fog so we were late getting in and leaving. We got something to eat and left at noon. I had a couple of screaming kids next to me and I thought I was in trouble, but they moved me to first class [so I WAS in trouble!!!] We landed in Orlando at 1:15 and got our Oldsmobile Ciera from National at the airport. We got to Park Inn International a little after 3 pm. We got settled then went to look at the Resort World presentation [we made out so good on the last trip with no pressure so we thought we'd try it again, but not as lucky this time!]. We didn't buy so the guy got ignorant but we still got our free hotel! He kept saying how much money we'd save on these trips and i told him we never take trips, we only camp and that we only came here cause it was free, that we'd never be back to Florida again [pretty funny, huh?]. Then we had dinner at Pizza Hut and came back to the hotel. Me and the kids swam while Les got settled, then Les and the kids swam while I videoed the lake. Les went to the store while we went to the playground then we went to bed.
Day 2: Thurs 7/6:
Universal Studios:
We were the 2nd car into the parking lot. We went to the Character Breakfast at the International Food Bazaar and got pictures and autographs with Yogi Bear, Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble, George Jetson, and Woody Woodpecker. Shannon asked Woody what tree he pecked today. They sang Happy Birthday to me. After breakfast we went on Jaws. Me and Shannon went first, then Les [we child swapped Sean], then KongFrontation [child swapped both kids], then we went on E.T. Adventure [we got a ticket with breakfast to go on without standing in line]. The kids got pictures on the bike. Next we went to Fieval's Playland and the kids played and watched the show and got autographs with Papa, Tony, and Mama. Then Les and the kids went to The Animal Actors' Stage and saw Beethoven, Lassie, Benji, and other animal actors while I went to The Phantom Of The Opera Make Up Show. I saw Lucy and Ricky, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Laurel and Hardy on the way there. Then I looked in the monster store and cartoon character store.
Next we went to a Day In The Park With Barney, which does not officially open until July 11th. We saw the show with Barney, Baby Bop, B.J, and Peek A Boo and played in the Playroom and the kids met Barney. Then we saw the Beetlejuice Rock n Roll Graveyard Revue with The Wolfman, Dracula, The Bride, Frankenstein, and Beetlejuice. We ate lunch at Finnegan's Bar & Grill. The hostess gave the kids coasters since we were the owners. There were 2 musicians singing and me and the kids went out and saw some of The Blues Brothers Show. After lunch the kids got pictures and autographs with Rocky and Bullwinkle. Then we went to Production Central and went in the Casper and Apollo 13 exhibits, then went on The Tram Tour [we saw Mae West, Charlie Chaplin, and Rocky and Bullwinkle] and looked around The Nickelodeon Studios lot. Next we went to the Ghost Busters Show. the kids got pictures and autographs with Scooby Doo, Boo Boo Bear, and Winnie Woodpecker and played in the Funtastic World Of Hanna-Barbera. From there it was back to Fieval's Playland. Next we went to the Jurassic Park Behind The Scenes Exhibit and went shopping in the Universal Monsters Store, then saw The Wild Wild West Stunt Show and got our picture taken with King Kong. Then Les and the kids watched The Dynamite Nights Stuntacular [Sean slept through some of it] while I went on Back To The Future The Ride. We came back to the hotel, I ran out to get milk and ice and we went to bed.
Day 3: Fri. 7/7:
We drove to breakfast/lunch at IHOP. We played a triangle solitaire game and Shannon bought one for herself. Then we drove to Sea World. First we went to the Dolphin community Pool, then got pictures and autographs with Seamore Sea Lion and saw the Hotel Clyde and Seamore Show at the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium and went to the Pacific Point Preserve. Then Les got us juice and we went to The Penguin Encounter and did some shopping at Friends Of The Wild. Next we went to Terrors Of The Deep. We walked past Flamingo Lagoon and saw the horses at Clydesdale Hamlet, then went to Shamu: Close Up. After that we played [and got WET!] in Shamu's Happy Harbor and went to the Shamu: World Focus Show at Shamu Stadium. Me and Sean sat in the upper level to tape the show but Shannon and Les in the bottom level and they got SOAKED! After that we saw the Bay Watch Show at the Atlantis Water Ski Stadium and the kids got pictures and autographs with the Bay Watch people and I got a picture with Agnes [she was a nut!]. Then we went back to Shamu: Close Up and went to Smokehouse Chicken and Ribs for dinner. While we were eating there was a HUGE thunderstorm and after that it was like we had Sea World all to ourselves! we went back to Terrors Of The Deep until the rain slowed down then went to Wild Arctic and looked in the Wild Arctic Gift Shop. From there we walked past the Pelican Exhibit to Stingray Lagoon. We got to pet stingrays and a guitar fish. The we went to Manatees: The Last Generation and saw them feeding lettuce to the manatees, went to the Tropical Reef and pet a sea urchin, and went back to the Dolphin Community Pool. On the way out the kids got pictures and autographs with O.P. Otter, Sir Winston Walrus, and Virgil Pelican. We did some shopping at Shamu's Emporium and came back to the hotel. I got milk and ice and Shannon played her game until midnight.
Day 4: Sat. 7/8:
Les woke up and played Tetris right away, Shan woke up and played her game, and Sean woke up and said "Good night Shannon, I'm going to sleep now!".
Favorites So Far:
Sean:
Universal: ET and the water slide at Fievel's.
Sea World: The big fish and Bay Watch.
Shannon:
Universal: ET and Jaws.
Sea World: everything!
Les:
Universal: Beetlejuice show.
Sea World: Wild Arctic and Shamu.
Me:
Universal: Kong, Jaws, Beetlejuice show, Ghostbusters, and Barney playground.
Sea World: Wild Arctic, Terrors Of The Deep, and Agnes.
We packed up and went to breakfast at IHOP again then stopped at Liberty Village to see Fort Liberty where the Wild Bill Dinner Show is then we got to:
WALT DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!
Before we got to Port Orleans we drove the Old Key West Disney Vacation Club Resort [some day!] the went to Port Orleans. Our room wasn't ready yet so we hit Doubloon Lagoon and went swimming and used the Serpent Slide. Then we had lunch at the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory. The lady there was teaching Shan some Spanish. Next we got a canopy boat and took a ride on the Sassagoula River [Sean thought it was going to be like Jaws, but he liked it once we got started.]. Me and Les split the driving. We got our room just as it started raining so we unpacked the car and got showers at the same time, then got settled in the room and our refrigerator came. I went down and got milk at the Jackson Square hotel store then we took the bus to The Magic Kingdom. First we found our brick at the Walk Around The World. The kids were surprised! The cast member gave them each a certificate. Then we went to Fantasyland and had dinner at the Pinochio Village Haus. We could see It's A Small World from our table. Me and the kids tried to pull the sword from the stone but we couldn't. Next we went on It's A Small World and Peter Pan's Flight then took the Sky Way to Tomorrowland and followed the Spectro Magic Parade to Frontierland. Sean was too short to go on Splash Mt so we said we'd do a baby swap then Les and Shan went to the exit of the ride [neat trick!] and me and Sean watched the Fantasy In The Sky Fireworks. One man told Sean to put hamburgers in his shoes to be tall enough for Splash Mt. The we road the Walt Disney World Railroad from Frontierland to Main St, checked on our brick again, and took the bus to the hotel. [It was Shan's first time standing on the bus]. Les put soap in Sean's shoes to make him tall enough for Splah Mt but he didn't like it [it was uncomfortable].
Day 5: Sun. 7/9:
Took the bus to Magic Kingdom and checked on our brick. We were the 2nd ones into the park! We had breakfast at King Stefan's Banquet Hall in Cinderella's Castle [why does Sleeping Beauty's father have a restaurant in Cinderella's castle anyway?]. We had Mickey shaped waffles and got pictures and autographs with Cinderella, Perla Mouse, Wendy, Mr. Smee, Alice, The White Rabbit, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. I teased Smee by wearing Sean's Peter Pan hat. Wendy asked if we went on Peter Pan's ride and said it was the best ride. She loved Sean's Peter Pan hat and called Alice and the Rabbit to see it. She said that Peter was at Neverland on an emergency but would be back for the parade and told the kids where to stand to see him. Alice and the Rabbit teased Shan about not having any teeth and told Sean that his name must be Peter. After breakfast we walked to Frontierland and went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad [me and Shan went twice!] then me and Shan went on Splash Mt. After the ride the kids got pictures and autographs with Breer Bear [he choked me!]. Then we took the railroad to Main Street [the cast member gave us stickers] and got drinks at the station. We listened to a band at Town Square then took a horse carriage ride to the castle and back and got pictures and autographs with Pinocchio and saw Capt. Hook, The Big Bad Wolf, Honest John, The Sheriff Of Nottingham, Prince John, Chip, Dale, Pluto, and Tigger, then checked on our brick and took the bus back to the hotel. We picked up lunch at The Food Factory [Shannon showed a boy her teeth (or lack there of)] and ate in our room. We went to our room and Les did the wash at the Laundry On The Levee and got us drinks at Mardi Grogs. Then we came back to the room and put on our Hawaiian clothes. Shan wore her grass skirt and lei. We drove to the Polynesian Resort and the cast member knew right away that we were going to Mickey's Tropical Luau when he saw Shan. We got leis on the way to Luau Cove. Before the show started me and all the other people that had birthdays got on stage and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to us! Me and the other 2 adults said that we were 21. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto put on a show with the Polynesian dancers. It was so hot one of the dancers actually fainted before the show. We had Mickey shaped ice cream sandwiches. Shan and Les got up and did the hula. The kids got pictures and autographs with Goofy then we walked around the hotel and checked out The Never Land Club. Sean loved it! Then we took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Les asked the conductor if we could ride with him and he let us [TC!]. Then we took the train to Starland and saw Mickey's Starland Show with Mickey, Goofy, Max, Baloo, King Louie, Darkwing Duck, Launchpad, and Bonkers. The kids got pictures and autographs with Mickey in his dressing room then played in the Duck County Courthouse and the playground. We saw Minnie Moo in Grandma Duck's Farm then looked through Mickey's House. We walked to New Tomorrowland and road on the Grand Prix Raceway [Les and Sean in one car, me and Shan in the other] then went on The Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Next Shan and Les went on Space Mountain while me and Sean checked out the Tomorrowland Light And Power Company Arcade and went on the Astro Orbiter. While we were in the air on the ride we could see the end of the MGM fireworks, then saw Tinkerbelle fly off the castle to start the MK fireworks. We watched cartoons at the Rocket Tower Plaza then met the babes for another car ride [guys together, babes together] then walked to Main Street and got a perfect spot for the Spectro Magic Parade on the curb right outside of the Fire House Gift Station [right where Wendy told us]. Me and Sean looked in the Station until the parade started. A girl from the Station gave the kids stickers.
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