Thursday September 5, 2002

Embrace the future

I woke at 9am to partly cloudy skies and very high humidity. I went through my normal morning routine, without which I am a zombie all day, and took some time to check my email and post yesterday's trip notes on the internet. Then I was off to the ASSP food court for breakfast. I think the food courts at All-Star Sports and Music are among the best counter-service food in WDW (never tried movies). I shared the food court that morning with a high-school football team (they don't look so big now that I'm 33), and put away my breakfast fairly quickly. Then I went back out to the parking lot to get my rental car, and I was off to Epcot.

Epcot's parking lot was not terribly crowded that time of the morning, and I got a great parking space in the Journey section. There were so few cars in the lot, in fact, that the trams weren't even running; instead, all Guests were parked in the Journey and Amaze sections, close enough to walk to the gates.

As I entered the gates, pausing briefly for a bag check, I noticed one of Epcot's double-decker buses, which used to carry Guests around World Showcase but are now used to drive characters around, parked between Leave-A-Legacy and Spaceship Earth. A bunch of characters were standing around the mostly empty plaza, signing autographs and mugging for pictures. I saw Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, and Pinochio and Gepetto. None had much of a line; in fact, the only ones with more than one kid/family waiting were Mickey and Minnie. From the crowd levels I had seen in the parking lot and entry plaza, I expected a very quiet day at Epcot, especially if the rain materialized as forecasted on the evening news last night.

Give me a little credit, will ya!

I was not in a mood to hurry, so my first stop was to get a locker. But I encountered a problem there I had never had before: my credit card requested a call for an authorization number. It wasn't declined, as it is when over the limit, but the CM had to call the credit card company for an authorization code to tap into the credit card machine. This freaked me out a little; was I late on my payment? Was I over my credit limit? What the heck was going on?

After putting my backpack in my locker, I went to the payphones in the locker lobby and dialed the 800 number on my credit card. After five minutes of automated menus, and another five minutes on hold, all the while sweating like an ice sculpture in Death Valley thanks to the heat and awful humidity, I finally got in touch with an actual human being, who explained what the problem was.

It seems that many credit cards (including my Visa from Chase Manhattan) have an automated theft-protection system built into them; if your card is suddenly used out of your home town, or if it is suddenly used a lot more than it is usually used, the company's computer flags the charge as a possible stolen card. This is supposed to protect you from thieves using your card to run up a huge bill before you can cancel the card, although I don't know how it would do that, since the authorization code is so easy to get and the CM didn't ask for ID. Anyway, the guy from Chase told me he could put something called a 'referral' into my computer records, which would prevent the credit card machines in Orlando from asking for authorization codes for the duration of my trip. In the future, if I wanted to use my card out of town, I could call and ask for such a referral ahead of time.

Lovely, thought I, just another annoying detail to remember as part of a standard vacation planning procedure.

Quick looks

Once done with the credit card fiasco, I staggered through the 90-degree temperature and 90% humidity past Spaceship Earth, on my way to Innoventions. On the way, I walked through the Art Of Disney, a once beautiful and special store that had been reduced to a shadow of it's former glory in a useless rehab about two years ago. Some very nice collectables and expensive Disney art work can be found here; I peaked around at most of it, noting the outrageous price tags and wishing I could hit that $90-million Florida Lottery jackpot this week so I could actually afford some of it.

Once done in the Art Of Disney, I finally reached Innoventions, where I took a half-hour or so to look around at some of the new exhibits. I loved the Segway personal transport! CMs can often be seen riding one of these amazing vehicles around Innoventions Plaza, and there is another on display inside, with labels and diagrams pointing out key features and controls. There is no price sticker, of course, brining to mind the old adage, "If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it!"

I didn't really spend much time in Innoventions, since I had just been there in June; my next stop was the Living Seas. I skipped the pre-show, a great movie called the Deluge, because I've seen it a million times. But if you haven't seen the Deluge, you should. It's a great, awe-inspiring look at the world's oceans, leading you into the Hydrolators, exciting undersea elevators that take you to Seabase Alpha.

At least, they do now. At one time, the Hydrolators let Guests off at a boarding station to a line of SeaCabs, moving vehicles similar to those in Journey Into Imagination, or Spaceship Earth; the SeaCabs took Guests on a brief journey through the many huge aquariums (or is it aquaria?) that make up the Living Seas, before depositing them inside Seabase Alpha. Now, you simply get off the Hydrolators and walk into the Seabase through a short hallway; far less interesting, but no doubt much cheaper. Thank you, corporate bean-counters.

The Living Seas is a fascinating pavilion for anyone who is heavily enamored of aquatic life. The huge observation area on one side allows Guests to gaze into the pavillion's largest water tank at dolphins and a large variety of other sea life. Several species of sharks can also be seen, some of which are in a cordoned-off section of the tank to prevent them from preying on the dolphins, and some stingrays, manta rays, and a wide variety of other salt-water fish mingle freely in the main tank. Outside the observation area, four large rooms contain various ocean-themed exhibits, some interactive,, as well as some areas wherein live presentations are given on a regular schedule. My favorite is the manatee habitat, which has a feeding area inside the room where Guests can look over a rail as manatees, immense cow-like aquatic mammals, feed on lettuce and other vegetable matter. The manatees' keepers often hold Q & A sessions while the animals eat.

I spent some time gazing in at the manatees while they ate their morning meal, then left the Living Seas. I love the manatees, but the rest of the Living Seas is a bit of a yawn to me these days, since I've seen it so many times before, and it hasn't really changed much in 7 or 8 years, except for the criminal elimination of the SeaCabs.

My next stop was The Land, which is also less than fascinating to me. I took a bathroom break here and tried to clean up a bit; the morning's heat and humidity had nearly melted me, and I needed to cool off and dry out a bit before continuing. I had intended to go up to the Annual Passholder Lounge, but decided that I wanted to take in some attractions, so I left the Land behind and headed for Imagination.

Ride, stand, sit...

The crowd levels continued to be extremely low, even for September. I walked right onto Journey Into Imagination (the Figment ride), then I walked right into a 3/4 full show of Honey, I Shrunk The Audience. Afterward, I sat down on a bench outside the show to write out some trip notes.

My next stop was Test Track; since it had been malfunctioning yesterday, owing to the rain, I figured I needed to ride it again before the rain made an appearance today. I had about a five-minute wait to get into the pre-show area, which is very unusual for Test Track, usually the single busiest ride in all of Epcot. I have actually seen Test Track's FastPasses sell completely out for the day at 2pm, and the standby line can be as much as 95 minutes, but with the tiny crowds in the park today, a 5-minute standby line was all I had to contend with. The FastPass machines weren't even turned on.

It was, today, a perfect ride.

After the fast-moving Test Track, I wandered over to the Wonders of Life and walked into a half-full show of Cranium Command. This is my favorite attraction in Epcot, more so because it is little-known and vastly under-rated by the majority of people, making it a little easier to get into than other attractions even in the height of the summer touring season.

I need a vacation from my vacation

By the time I got out of Cranium Command, I was whipped. Although most of Future World is made up of indoor, air-conditioned pavilions, there is, unfortunately, little shade between the pavilions, so I had been walking around in the blazing heat and stifling humidity all morning. I had remembered to bring my water bottle, and had drained it and refilled it once already, but I was still feeling the fatigue that comes with dehydration, so I decided to take a break from touring and go back to All-Star Sports for a nap. This, of course, is where having your own car at WDW (in this case, a rental) pays off. I got back to ASSP in about ten minutes, where the WDW bus system could have taken as much as 40, when you factor in the wait for the bus to show up. I also had a room close to the parking lot, so I was able to park close to my room and didn't have to walk the 3/4 mile it can be from the bus stops to your room in the All-Stars.

When I got to my room, I drank some water and collapsed on the bed for about an hour. I woke feeling re-energized, and decided to check my email quickly before setting forth in search of lunch. Having eaten breakfast in the ASSP food court, I decided to go for lunch there, too, since it was late afternoon (near 2pm) and the resort was deserted. I got my lunch, a made-to-order chicken quesadilla & fries, without waiting in any line, and had my choice of seats in the eating area. My lunch was excellent (I really love the All-Star food courts), and I was soon back on the road.

Rain oughta be illegal

Before going back to Epcot, however, I made a brief trip off-property to pick up the pictures I had dropped off the night before. Then it was back to Amaze, Row 32, and once more into Epcot. I walked through Mouse Gear a little, not really wanting to buy anything, and when I got out, it had finally started raining, so I went back to the front of the park and put my camera in the locker, pulling out my rain jacket. It may have been raining, but it was still very hot, and those ponchos can be like saunas. My first stop was Ice Station Cool, where I sipped some of the better sodas from around the world (and for once resisted the temptation to try the awful Beverly, from Italy!) The rain was coming down pretty hard when I left, so I put my hood on and trudged across to the Universe of Energy, where I walked right into Ellen's Energy Adventure about ten seconds before the pre-show started. Perfect timing!

Ellen was a hoot, as always, but hers was the last major attraction I wanted to visit in Future World, so I directed my steps toward the World Showcase. I visited Mexico first, taking the time to listen to a great mariachi band that sometimes plays in the Plaza de Los Amigos, and browsed the shops a bit. I should have ridden El Rio de Tiempe (The River of Time), but I wasn't in the mood right then. I wanted to just stroll, so I did... all the way around the World Showcase. I paused only twice: once in the Outpost, to write out some trip notes, and once in Italy, to visit the spot where I had posed, many years ago, leaning against Spaceship Earth.

Sweet stuff

By now I was getting thirsty for a treat, so I headed back to the Wonders of Life pavilion, intending to get a root-beer float from Pure & Simple; alas, when I reached Pure & Simple they had just closed, and were serving their final customers.

This left me high and dry. Most of Future World was closing now, as it was almost 7pm, but the food places were still open, at least for a while. I wandered around, trying to decide what I wanted, and finally settled on getting a treat from the Fountainview Express Bakery. As with everything else that day, and indeed, that trip, there was no line at Fountainview, and I was soon sitting at a table with a fountain view (hence the name of the place) eating a fabulous chocolate mousse cup. As I ate, I gave some thought to how I wanted to spend the balance of my evening. Illuminations? The rain had stopped, and with the light crowds in the park today, I could probably get a great spot only a few minutes before it began. But I had another idea, instead.

This is MY dream!

When I finished my chocolate mousse (not mouse), I grabbed my stuff from the locker, turned in the key, and left Epcot. I drove over to MGM, re-parked, and went in. My aim: to see Fantasmic!

Fantasmic! is a great show, but I had not seen it in over two years (although I had seen Illuminations twice this year already, on previous trips.) I wanted to see the show, and I figured that with the low crowds, and with the days rain finally gone, today was as good a time as ever. But the drive from Epcot had only taken ten minutes, and I was in the gates at 7:00, so I still had plenty of time before I needed to stake out a seat.

What do I do to kill time at MGM? Star Tours, of course. I walked right on in, making some trip notes as I stood outside the doors (waiting for the current ride cycle to end), and when the ride was over, I browsed through the gift shop outside. Then I went over to the front of the park and browsed some shops there, looking for a snack to take into Fantasmic! with me. I found some oatmeal-raisin cookies (putting up with that darn credit card authorization again!) and made my way into the Fantasmic! arena at about 7:35.

The arena was about 1/3 full by this point; I got seated in near the left aisle of the second or third section from the exit, about half-way down, where I sat for about ten minutes. But when the CMs began taking the arriving crowd and seating them in the next section over, I moved, securing a seat on the right aisle, two rows from the back. I figured the closer I was to the exit, the faster I could get out when the show was over!

I was seated next to a very nice family (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and two or three kids) from Pittsburgh, and had a pleasant conversation with the grandpa while we waited for the show to start. Once it started, however, we were all engrossed in it and our conversation was over.

One small complaint

I love Fantasmic!, but there are some things about it that have needed improvement since the day it opened. First, the bench seats are very uncomfortable, and when you have to sit on them for upwards of 1-1/2 to 2 hours, they are a killer for folks with back problems. Second, when the show ends, there are several thousand people in that arena, all trying to get out through only one exit! What kind of a disaster is it going to take for WDW management to build some more exits into that arena? Is someone going to have to get trampled? Anyway, keeping this in mind, I got up, said good-bye to the Pittsburgh folks, and left the seating bowl about 90 seconds before the finale of the show. The finale came just as I was getting to the exit, so I didn't miss any of the show, and I got out without having to fight the awful, and dangerous, crush of people that happens when two-thousand or more folks all want to get out of a show at once.

Of course, there were some other folks with the same idea; some of those who were sitting closest to the exit got up and bolted, nearly running me down in their urgency to get out. I just dodged, figuring I should let them go instead of causing any friction. I was walking pretty fast, myself, but I have always considered it rude to barge past someone, even those inconsiderate louts who string their family out clothesline style across a pubic walkway and block everyone elses way.

Tonight, however, I made it out ahead of just about everybody, caught the first parking lot tram, which left just before the big crowd got there, and got my rental car out of the MGM lot in plenty of time to avoid the park-closing traffic jam.

I went back to ASSP, where I spent the rest of the evening watching CSI (the best show on TV at the time) and typing my trip noted into my laptop.

Tomorrow, I decided, would be a full day at MGM.

Journey 7
Amaze 32
Stage 38

Walk miles: 12.19
Drive miles: 32.3
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