Off To Orlando and Disney
Written: Jul 23 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Adventures and fun
Cons: Crowds and heat
The Bottom Line: The bottom line is where you might land on the thrill rides
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| Granniemose's Full Review: Orlando |
It was early afternoon when we arrived in Orlando and found the Time Share that Terry and Leigh Ann belong to. Orlando has many, many hotels, condos, time shares and Inns. They seem to be trying to outdo each other in architecture and luxury appointments. I stayed at one of their time shares in Gatlinberg one summer and was impressed. I was even more impressed with this one.
My son and his family have used their time share units everywhere, which has given them big savings in hotel bills.
They have been nearly everywhere in the United States, and were even able to reserve units in London and in Paris.
It didn't take long to find the big HORIZON sign that marked the entrance to the condo. Palm trees and flowers were tastefully planted and the grounds looked welcoming.
The apartment was like new, the furniture all blended in a warm Florida style. There were Coral arm chairs and a sofa
upholstered in a coral, cream and a tiny bit of navy blue. The navy blue matched the built-in entertainment center which covered the living room area wall, and held a huge TV with a built-in DVD player. There was also a big coral upholstered chair with a matching ottoman for television viewers.
In the back of the apartment off the living room there were French doors which opened up to a completely screened sun room, cooled by an overhead fan. I loved to sit out there for breakfast, and watch the activity on the lake that the porch overlooked.
The bedrooms were out of this world. In deference to me, Leigh Ann had requested a suite friendly to the handicapped. This one was. It had big doorways with no bumps or stairs to manage. The master bedroom sported the biggest King Size bed that I have ever seen. It looked like two queen size beds in one. This room boasted a big shower for the handicapped. It was built so there was nothing to step over, just a gentle slope engineered to keep the water from splashing on the carpeting. You could hold the shower head if that is what you wanted, and there was a bathroom chair attached to the wall that could be pulled down. Although Terry and Leigh Ann took the room, they did permit me to use the shower, much to my delight.
Emily and I shared a big room with two queen size beds separated by a bedside table. There was lots of drawer space although there wasn't a lot of room to hang our clothing. There was also a nice bathroom leading from our room, which also could open into the kitchen area. It was well appointed with lots of towels and perhaps not enough drawer space.
The kitchen had a good stove, a large fridge, and a microwave. There was a toaster, a coffee pot, and all the necessary pots and pans and dishes and cutlery and kitchen towels that we could want. There was a laundry unit which included an ironing board and iron.
Leigh Ann was provided with an inventory list which she found helpful. If something was missing from the list, or if it didn't work properly, she called the office and it was replaced.
Leigh Ann immediately stocked the the fridge with supplies she had bought with her in a cooler. I think there may have been some basic items already stocked because in no time at all she was able to put together a nourishing and tasty lunch for us.
The grounds looked interesting, but we decided to explore them later. Now we were interested in checking out Orlando and the best way to enter Disney World.
Orlando obviously became a name of importance in Florida because of Disney, and I think the Disney influence was everywhere. Many business buildings showed the influence of Disney World. The town boasted a college, and the usual number of shops and eating places, and included a big Wal Mart store.
After driving around a bit, we checked out Disney World
to decide which entry we would use when we came in the morning. We hoped to get there by nine o'clock which was when it opened. About six o'clock we were getting hungry and found a Chinese buffet that served lots of tasty choices. Then back to the apartment we went.
It was getting dark. and the sounds of children and laughter made us curious. I rode in the power chair, and Terry went with me. We found that the place had three swimming areas. One was a water splash affair that made the kids squeal and shriek with laughter, and the other was a good sized pool with a deep end. The third area was a sauna.
There was a gazebo built on a pier that extended into the lake. A sign warned of alligators and firmly stated No Swimming or Diving in this area. Below and around the pier there were water lilly pads, some in bloom. They looked nice in the moonlight. There was also a shed where snacks and cold drinks were sold, and a game room with juke boxes and computer games in progress. After we had seen most of it, and had our bearings, it was time to return to the apartment and rest up for our adventures in Disney World.
In the morning we showered and dressed quickly. We had a breakfast on the screened porch of coffee, juice and English muffins, toasted with butter and preserves. A quick rinse of the dishes before going into the dishwasher, a quick scrutiny of the apartment by Leigh Ann, and we were on our way. We found a good parking space. Both Emily and I have vehicle handicapped parking cards, and that helped.
It was but a short walk to the Ferry boat which took us to the entry of the Magic Kingdom. Although we made good time, the place was already swarming with people.
Since the youngest of us was sixteen, we skipped a lot of rides and meals that operated especially for little kids. There were two rides that I especially wanted to try. One was the Haunted Mansion and the other was Pirates of the Caribbean. The Pirate ride was closed for updating or repairing or something, so we headed for the Haunted Mansion and it was fun.I had to leave my power chair behind and walk to the cars, but that was no problem at all.
I rode with Leigh Ann to my pleasure, and Emily and her Dad rode together. Leigh Ann is so much fun on this type of thing because she knows how to scream at will. I have tried. but I cannot do it. It comes out as a cross between a moan and a squeaky yell. Leigh can, and she did at all the right times. It was fun, and I bet Leigh Ann was a blast at the concerts back in the late seventies and early eighties. Leigh Ann tickles me at times. She comes across with so much dignity, and courtesy and charm, that when she cracks a joke it is just wonderful. I don't mean she is risque or anything like that, but she does see humor in pretentiousness and certain situations that cracks me up.
The ride progressed with black-out areas, moans and groans and screams, and shadowy ghosts doing things like playing the piano, or floating near you, or waving as you ride by.
We knew it was almost over when the car ahead of us, and our car, and the car behind us were reflected in a lighted mirror, and a holigram ghost was riding in each car with us. It was fun and I enjoyed the ride.
When the ride was over, Leigh Ann and Emily went to Splash Mountain to get a fastpass ticket. With this ticket you are informed of a time to return, and at that time when you present your ticket you are among the first to be seated.
I wasn't eligible for this ride (handicap) and ever since he was a little kid Terry has felt nausea at anything that drops fast or spins furiously. He tends to avoid this kind of ride as much as possible. The fastpass is good when you can get it, for the queue lines are sometimes very, very long for a popular ride.
One nice thing about Disney World is that it is handicapped friendly. People in power or wheel chairs and their families are boarded first, which is nice.
The next ride we went on was "It's a Small World" I have heard about the wonders of the ride, and wanted to see it for myself and my family indulged me. It was, honestly, the most boring ride it the park. All of these little dolls singing away but doing nothing, really, throughout the ride. I was glad when it ended and I no longer had to hear "It's a small world, after all" again.
By this time the park was getting very crowded and the sun was very very hot. I was amazed at the people who will walk right in front of a power chair and stop as though daring you to hit them. I didn't actually hit anyone except for Terry, but I was sometimes tempted.
Another thing that surprised me was the number of people speaking in different languages then English. I heard a lot of Spanish, some French, some German, and some kind of Scandinavian, probably Norwegion. There was also some Hungarian and I thing Slovenian languages spoken. I heard the word "purdel" quite a lot from the father of some little kids, and someone told me they thought it was Bohemian.
Also people wore Tee shirts proclaiming their states, and I must have seen every state in the Union represented by Tee shirts. I might mention that Disney World is not cheap. It costs $262 dollars (I think for a three day pass. (L.A. correct me if I'm wrong)
Ours cost less because a relative got us a break, but still,
where do all these people get all that money?
The last ride we went on in the Magic Kingdom was the Peter Pan ride. It was on this one that I managed to take a three point landing - my only fall of the trip.
The cars do not actually stop to let you on or off, but they do slow down a lot. I had to leave the power chair, but I thought I could manage to get on with a little help from my friends. The attendant was most helpful, and i made it on the car very nicely. Terry jumped in next to me, and L.A. and Emily were in the next car. The bar that holds you in place was snapped shut. The ride itself was sort of fun, even for a great grandma, and the little kids aboard were thrilled. First our car seemed to go up, and we could see Nana barking below, Then we went over the roof tops of the neighbor houses, and finally seemed to climb higher into the sky. We swooped down and saw the camp of the lost boys, waving their little plastic arms at us.
I think we circled a bit and came over the ocean and there was the pirate ship. We swooped down and saw Wendy about to walk the plank. We came close to Captain Hook, himself, who I think gave us a mean look before we darted away - and the ride was over, and slowing down. There was the attendant ready to help me out. The snap bar flew up and he told me to get out. I got one foot out and then the other. "Move out" called the attendant, but I couldn't. My foot was facing the wrong way, and there was no way I could get my foot in position to move quickly out of the way. It was then that Peter Pan got me. The next car cane along, and caught me. In fact Peter Pan swept me right off my feet. The cars stopped instantly, and Terry and the attendant helped me up. "Are you hurt?" Well, my shoulder hurt some, but I wasn't about to admit it. I was too ashamed. I felt a little better when Leigh Ann told me that an agile young man about fifteen had the same thing happen to him in the car behind her. So There! I wasn't the only Klutz that Peter Pan took for a fall.
Now it was time for Leigh Ann and Emily to redeem their fastpass and go on the Splash Mountain ride. Terry pulled some cold power water (bottled water with a fruity or citrus taste)from his backpack. I like plain water better, but this served the purpose. He and I found a shady spot to sit and we watched the people, the costumed Disney characters and the ancient cars while we waited for the girls and sipped the water. They said the ride was fun. It did have a huge drop with a big splash at the end they said. Tomboys that they are, they both loved it. I would have too, if I could have gone on it, although I would have held on mighty tight.
When we got home to Knoxville, Leigh Ann told me that a young boy had a heart attack on that ride and died. She saw it on the news or maybe it was in the paper. Apparently his parents didn't realize that he had a heart problem. It must have been a sad ending after a joyful time for the family. When we get up in the morning none of us really know whether we will make it through the day or not, do we?
Anyway, by this time we were getting hungry, and hot, and decided to leave the park for awhile, have something to eat, and come back after a while. More later.
Thanks for reading
Virginia
I have deleted this review from Haunted Mansion due to the fact that it was Off Topic. I hope that it is OK now that it's been moved.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
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Epinions.com ID:
Granniemose
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Member: Virginia
Location: Greenest spot in the land of the free
Reviews written: 207
Trusted by: 313 members
About Me:
I'm back. Waiting for Lorace to give me another piece of poetry
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