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Location: All Star Sports - Day 1
Guests: Tammy N, DH and DD
Weather: Rain / Cold
This is our 2nd annual Christmas trip although last year we only went for the day. I had booked this trip in Feb. so I was sure to be there.
Duke got home from work, he had to work half day, and I had already packed the van. We went to fill up with gas and Duke realized he forgot his glasses and contact solution. We both wear contacts so we had to turn around.
We arrived at All Star Sports and there was no line for check-in. It was before 4pm and our room was ready. The CM gave us room number 3366 in Hoops 3. I asked nicely if there was anything else, that we had Hoops last time but he said no, that he was almost completely booked. So off to Hoops we go. Let me add this. This is our 2nd stay at Sports. The 1st time they gave us the wrong room number and I had to use the phone by the elevators to call and they corrected it. Now back to the present, we went in search of 3366, but there is a problem. The hotel only goes to 3364! So this time we got a room that doesn't even exist. A guest saw us walking around and offered the phone in his room. Duke called and they said we were supposed to have room 3336. We are not happy at this point. 2 out of 2 times we have had problems with Sports. We have stayed at Music and PO French Quarter with NO problems at all. We finally make it to our room.
It was after 4 when we finally got to our room, it was after 4 and our PS at Whispering Canyon Cafe was at 5pm. I didn't know if we would make but decided to give it a whirl. The bus came after 4:30 so I told Duke if we didn't make it, we would go with the flow. Bus to MK and then boat to WL. I had never rode to the WL and it was beautiful but the rain was starting. Not heavy though. I loved the WL, it's beautiful! We arrived sometime after 5 but the restaurant was near empty so we got right in. I told the CM who checked us in, I didn't want to be picked on and she said she couldn't guarantee anything and smiled. Our waiter was named Kirby and he was great. He said he wouldn't embarrass us and he didn't. He looked like Kirk Cameron which he said he got that alot. Me and Duke got the all you can eat skillet. The chicken was very good to me. That was about it. Neither me or Duke cared for it and had a been there done that attitude after it was over.
Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, and Santa was in the lobby. We went to Santa and he was great. We looked around a bit and then tried to do the Hidden Mickey hunt but it was next to impossible in the dark. We rode back to the MK and it was raining and lightning then. The All Star bus was pulling out and he saw Duke so he stopped and we got on. Thank you Lord! We were soaked already and then we got back to the hotel and it was pouring! We decided to make a break for it and the pavement was flooded. We were soaked from head to toe when we got back to the room.
We we approached our building, the fire alarms were going off and firefighters were walking around with 2 managers. Duke asked them if it was ok to go back to our room and they said yes. We got back to the room and the fire alarms were piercing, screeching sound that followed you everywhere. It was horrible! Duke put some cardboard and tissues over the alarm and it muffled it a little but not much. They must have went off for 15-20 minutes that way. It was awful. They also said they were running on emergency power.
Thanks to Maggie, we took the VCR and hooked it to the TV to tape the "Disney" channels. So I have a tape with them.
We read the Bible and then the Night Before Christmas which turned out to be the Nightmare Before Christmas.
Location: All Star Sports - Day 2
Guests: Tammy N, DH and DD
Weather: Cold
December 25, 2002
Happy Birthday Jesus!
We wake with Mickey calling. First we hear Feliz Navidad then Mickey says "Up and at em. Lots of doings going on. Glad you're here". Britnee check out what Santa had left and he had hid it under her bed. Had our PopTarts and headed to the lobby for arts and crafts. Was supposed to be from 9-11 but when we got there, it wasn't happening. I asked at guest services and she called. Said they were going to have it but they were running late. I also asked about the Sports Scavenger Hunt I had received a flyer at home about and she went to ask. She came back and said they were out. I asked when they would have more, she left to ask, came back and said she didn't know. We decided to watch cartoons in the lobby and wait a bit. Remember the monsoon we got into the night before? Well mine and Duke's shoes dried overnight, Britnee's did not. So off to the gift shop. The Princess shoes for $18 only went to a size 3. But the $24 Mickey shoes did, so there was an expense I didn't plan on. Duke went back to the room and got her some dry socks. After a shoe / sock change, still no arts and crafts, so we head back to the room.
We hung around the room till lunch time. We were eating at the food court but we checked for arts and crafts, they were out then, so Britnee did that first. Had a burger(me), grilled cheese(DD), and steak and cheese sub(DH) for lunch.
Got on the bus to Downtown Disney so we could transfer to Animal Kingdom Lodge. We got there and did the Hidden Mickey Hunt. It was alot of fun, and I made sure to do it in the daytime. We had a wonderful CM named Trudy from Africa to "help" us. In fact, as we moved to another section of the hotel, there she would be! When you finish the hunt, take the paper to guest services and they will give each of your party a certificate with your name. Then take the certificate to the gift shop, and they will give each of you a trading card. I also got to trade a pin for the Dopey FL license plate CM pin!
Headed to the bus stops to go back to DTD so we could transfer back to Sports but decided to take a quick (but turned out longer) side trip. Britnee can never find anything with her name spelled her way, so I told her about the guest of honor badges and she wanted one. So we went to the Christmas shop and got her one. Then I loved the 3R's shop which now is named the Wonderful World of Memories store. I stood in the line so I could trade a pin for a Donald that a CM had on his lanyard.
Walked out the door and *thought* we were headed to the bus but we all we hungry. So we took another detour to Rainforest Cafe. We were seated right away and food was great as usual.
Left there, well since we were in this much, we had to go to the Pin Traders to see what was new. Well how could we not go into Once Upon a Toy since we were that close. OK, enough stalling, we head to the bus.
Made it back to the room and hung out for awhile. I had saved $7 in change, so we took it to the arcade and used it all. Why can't they have some Disney prizes? They had Rugrats for gosh sakes, but no Disney!?
We took a long way back to the room and looked around the hotel. Played on the football field and the playground.
Was day 2 better? No fire alarms but the housekeeper ONLY made the beds. No new bath mat, towels, cups, nothing. I had to call housekeeping to bring us some items we needed.
Location: All Star Sports - Day 3 and 4
Guests: Tammy N, DH and DD
Weather: Cold
December 26, 2002
I didn't make notes for this day, so I am trying to write from memory.
Duke and Britnee ate breakfast at the food court while I stayed behind and took my time getting ready.
I had won a ticket from MFL awhile back for a round of golf so we were going to play at Winter Summerland today. The first bus that came, was for Blizzard Beach and we were in a long line with all the people wanting to go to Epcot. He pulled up, asked the first people in line if they were going to BB and shut the door and took off. We didn't have time to get up to the bus so had to wait for a 2nd. We were the only ones on that bus. On the way over the driver was a "talker". He was talking about how none of the CM's like Michael Eisner and you buy yourself a car and a house, then Disney cuts your hours to about 20-30 a week. Anyway, we got to Blizzard Beach and walked to the mini golf. If you have AP's, you get half price. So for the Summer course, it cost us about $9 for all 3 of us. It was so much fun. We have never until that point played any of the mini golf at Disney. We then took a potty break and played the Winter course. I did alot better on the Summer course, but me and Duke got a hole in one on the hole for that day so we each got a large soda.
This was a Thursday and we were going to the pin trading that they had in the food court that night. When we got back to the hotel, Duke let Britnee pick where to eat and of course she picked McD's. So we went to the one right down from the hotel. First time in the van since we arrived. I got to thinking while we were eating I would like to go to one of the outlets to see if they had any pins I could use that night. Before we left, I noticed they had electronic trash cans. I told Britnee to go over that either they talked or opened the door for you. She walked over and the thing opened for her and she screamed and flipped the tray in the air and dumped it all on the floor!
We went to the Premium Outlet on Vineland Ave. Talk about crowded! Hindsight is always 20/20. We did make it to the Disney store and we bought: 8 Dixie Landings for $2.99ea, AK button for .49, Lilo hula doll $12.99, Donald tee $12.99, and Dalmation tin with chocolate chip cookies $4.95. I think that's it. Oh well, you get the idea. Back to the room.
Headed down to the food court before 7 and there was already a line. It was no where near busy as Halloween but still quite a few. For those of you who don't know how this works here goes: You line up at the back of the food court, and at 7, a CM will let you in the roped off area. Every person in line gets a ticket. The kids have their own pin trading area gated off with no adults allowed. The kids who go into the kids area, get an extra ticket. They have coloring pages and crayons for the kids. They also have a board full of pins, with alot of CM pins and kids can trade up to 5 pins on the board. They give them a piece of paper with numbers 1-5, then they punch their card for each trade. You must be present to win and they do the drawings every 15 minutes. They alternate between adult drawings and kid drawings. Britnee won one of the drawings and got a limited edition 2001 Happy New Year pin, nice! They are of course pin sharks with attitude but also some nice!
traders. Even one of the CM's had her books with her. I say sharks because they had bad attitudes and expressed their opinion loudly with cursing and talking about all the junk pins we had. CM's also, of course, have lanyards for you to trade. We stayed the whole time, and ate pizza while we were there. Headed back to the room to pack as much as I could and dread the morning to come.
Day 4----
Got up and called the front desk to request late checkout till 12. No problem. We were going to take some pictures of the hotel but all the teenagers for the soccer competition at Wide World of Sports were checking in and practicing on the grass. Need I say the language and behavior were bad for some of them? Duke said while loading the van, some boys were standing watching the cheerleaders and yelling as loud as they could rude as can be comments. Ok, so I'm not too bummed to be checking out as all the teenagers were checking in.
That's all for our 2nd annual family trip. As you have read, we had some bad bumps, but also some good ones. Thanks for reading!
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