Obrins At WDW December 2009 Day 1

Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Travel Day And The Magic Kingdom

This is not the best trip report I have ever done, but I simply had to get something finally finished and posted. Enjoy! We left two feet of snow on the ground in Denver to fly to the warmth of Florida. Nick was a senior in high school this year, so the future of our nearly annual family excursions to Diseny World was a little foggy. But, we had a lot to look forward to this trip. We would once again be ringing in the New Year at the Magic Kingdom, and that is always special. We would also be staying for the first time at the Wilderness Lodge Villas, although that is our home resort in DVC. We were excited about enjoying this beautiful location, novel to us.
	Flight uneventful, but crowded. Debbie reading a book, Nick watching movies on his iphone, me listening to music, napping, making some notes with my iPod. We arrived at the Wilderness Lodge kind of late in the day. We had burgers at Roaring Forks, because we could not get into Whispering Canyons. Came straight from airport into Wilderness Lodge, and managed a few hours at MK, because annual pass anyway. Worked out nicely.
Nick and I then went over to MK on the boat. We would grow to love this neat little on this trip.
	Room smaller then OKW, but beautifully appointed. But, hot tub does not work, missing stopper in kitchen sink, frying pan, dishwasher soap, Ethernet cable, salt, pepper, cream, sugar, and only 4 towels total. Nice overllok of pine lined path from small balcony. Same model as Boardwalk. Not sure about net access. No WiFi in room, but Ethernet jack. Claims costs $10 a day, but last two times did not pay. Think it does not apply to owners in DVC properties. Big, tasty bacon double cheeseburgers at Roaring Forks. Could not get into Whispering Canyon. Nick has really good iPhone coverage here.
The crowds were rather light tonight. Perhaps because of the chill in the air, and perhaps because families that had been there early had gone home. We got to the park about 6 PM.
	When we firt arroved, we went on th Disneyland Rail Road, staying on for a complete trip, plus a ride to Fromtierland. It is a fun way to say hello to the park. We went on Splash Mountain. There was well less than a half hour wait, because it was a little chilly. I noticed that the watar level was a little low. I realized that they are able to modulate it, and must have been running it low because of the cold. Also, there are clearly places where jets are used to spray water, making the splashing look bigger. These wet off as well, and were on later in the week.
The wait for BTMR was about half an hour. This ride Is extra fun in the dark, although I enjoy both experiences. POTC was a walk on. It really seems like people have forgotten about this ride. Is everyone just suffering from pirate saturation? I still find it very enjoyable.
	We enjoyed some cinnamon roasted almonds from a little sidewalk stand. They smelled great, and tasted better. This would become the snack of choice this trip. Alladin was a walk on. We have not done this in a very long time. It is surprisingly fun, even though we are both older.
While passing through the hub on our way to Tomorrowland, we happened to run into the Spectramagic parade. We saw pretty much the whole thing. It is fabulous. I have not seen this much, and really enjoyed it. The holiday lights on the castle are also really special. We went to The Laugh Floor. This silly little show is a great deal of fun. Nick said he could sit there over and over again. It is cool how it always manages to be a little different.
	We left the park about 10:30. We were lucky enough to catch the water paegent while waiting for the boat. That's a cute show.
End of Day 1