Kelli was not feeling well in the morning. But she was a trooper and made it to the plane.

Our 1:26 PM flight out of Westchester on AirTrans was delayed to 2:31 then furthered delayed by a local thunderstorm. Boy did it get crowded in the waiting area! We finally boarded the plane at 3:16 and arrived at 5:55 PM. The flight was not bumpy at all. The pilots did a good job going around T-storms in the Virginias.

We tried to guess what bird we would first see – Kelli guessed Great Egret and I guessed Sandhill Crane. I t was a Cattle Egret off the runway. We had four suitcases but lucked out with a very helpful porter who took our luggage all the way to the rental car (Budget- Ford Taurus).

There was no wait to check in at Port Orleans’s Riverside. We had our first surprise when Disney gave us a certificate congratulating us on our marriage. We were staying in the Acadia House and drove over and looked for our room, #8224. We ended up walking completely around and through Acadia House only to find our room overlooking our parked car!

Three gift baskets were waiting for Kelli in our room. The first was Mickey and Minnie Bride and groom 'ears' ( His, a top hat, hers a sequined headband with veil) from Joan and Rich. I had sent her a “Romance Your Beauty” a unique Disney Florist arrangement of red roses in a Beauty and the Beast vase (Etched with the beast giving Belle a single rose).

The other basket was called Healthy and Happy – a Mickey Head Basket filled with fruit, crackers, cheese, mixed dried fruit box, pretzels, dipping mustard, power bars and water.

We had a late dinner at the Riverside Mills Food Court - Carved Turkey, Bacon double cheeseburger, two drinks, milk shake, and ice-cream.

We used the Disney Dining Plan. This gave us two counter services, two sit down dinners and two snacks for each nights stay. Cost was 29.99 plus tax per person per night - a great deal. We ended up eating $900 worth of food for $575.

Kelli the day after

Wearing our ears!

We woke up early and headed for breakfast. A very tame Northern Cardinal, Fish Crow and Eastern Towhee greeted us as we walked to the food court from our room. It was about a five minute walk crossing two bridges on and off Ol’ Man Island where the main pool was.

Breakfast consisted of pancakes with sausage, bacon and fruit; french toast with sausage, bacon and fruit, coffee, 2 milks, and OJ. The dinning plan is feeding us well.

      We ate in the turning shadows of the paddle wheel from the morning sun. Our plan was to enjoy Disney in a more relaxing pace and to try new things.

Our first stop, wearing our ears, was Magic Kingdom (MK), by bus. Security had everyone applaud the newlyweds (us) at the check site. Then we received our "Just Married" buttons from City Hall on Main Street.(These free buttons are also available for "First Visit", "Anniversary" and "Birthday."

We caught the “Dream-Along with Mickey” show in front of the Magic Castle- a nice way to start our Disney experience.

Our first Disney ride as a married couple was “It’s a Small World”. It was a walk on. They gave us our own boat. We noticed that the park was empty for first hour and a half.

We had a 5 minute wait for Peter Pan’s Flight, and then did Mickey's PhilharMagic; Tomorrowland® Transit Authority; Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress and then Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (we had lousy scores with Mike 59,400, Kelli 54,800)

We left the park at 12:45 to avoid the heat and crowds for quick rest.

We left for the Contemporary Hotel at 3:45 for our Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) at Chef Mickey’s at 5. We first took bus to MK then the monorail to the Contemporary. The monorail stops inside the hotel and it only took us only 30 minutes so we shopped in their gift shop.

Chef Mickey’s is Character Dinner Buffet for $69.70/for two. Chef Mickey, Goofy, Minnie, Donald Duck, and Pluto visited us at our table.

Great buffet food. The Tamarind Glazed Salmon, Mandarin Orange Glazed Baby Carrots, Parmesan Mashed Potatoes were awesome. Desserts were varied and good.

During the meal waiters brought out decorated cupcakes to tables celebrating events like our honeymoon and after making everyone wave their napkins with music playing -Chef Mickey personally came by to each table with the cupcake to mark the event. The characters were great and helped us pose for some great pictures.

After dinner we took the monorail all the way around back to the MK and did the new Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, both us enjoyed this new attraction. After that it was The Enchanted Tiki Room; Pirates of the Caribbean -all with short waits.

We saw Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks from the bridge from Tomorrow Land to the Castle with Tinkerbelle flying right over us. This positioned us to jump on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin before the lines formed again. We had almost no wait (we did better with Mike 125,100, Kelli 149,800, yes she beat me!)

 
Hanging out with Goofy 

 
  Minnie flirts with Mike

Ol' Man Island

Our Disney buttons

Kelli in the Magic Kingdom

“Dream-Along with Mickey” 

Chef Mickey with Michael

Goofy gets cozy with Kelli

(Hidden Mickey) Dessert at Chef Mickey's

Breakfast - Bounty Platter and Waffle with sausage bacon and fruit.

      We headed by car to Kissimmee to Lake Tohopekaliga Waterfront Park on Neptune Road for some birding. We had three adults Snail Kites and one juvenile, and two Limpkins. Both of these species were life birds for Kelli. We also had two Wood Storks ( which I tried to feed but he just slowly walked away), Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared Dove, Osprey, White Ibis, Boat-tailed Grackle, Snowy and Great Egrets; Little Blue, Tri-colored and Black-crowned Night Herons.

The skies opened up just after we just got back into the car. We shopped in the rain at Target and the two Disney Outlets nearby.

      After resting back at Port Orleans we took the bus to MK, shopped in the Christmas Store in Liberty Square and had dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern at 6 PM. “Goofy's Liberate Your Appetite Adult Character Dinner” featured Minnie, Pluto, Chip and Dale, and of course, Goofy. Food was very good and included - Declaration Salad: tossed mixed greens, served with strawberry vinaigrette dressing. Patriot's Platter: roasted turkey breast, carved beef, and smoked pork loin, with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, herb bread stuffing, and Stouffer's macaroni & cheese.  ($67.70 for two.)

Waiting on our table at the Liberty Tree Tavern

We then did the Country Bear Jamboree (Mike had never seen it!). In the path way outside, Great Egrets were surprisingly tame and were on top of the food carts looking for turkey leg scraps.

We left MK and took the two monorails to Epcot. (Now we can say we were on all three monorail lines). We received our bracelets for extra magic hours and headed to The Seas with Nemo & Friends and rode a clam-mobile - very cute new ride. Instead of seeing IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth we did Soarin’ while the lines were low. The wait said 60 but we waited 30. We got front row seats, great ride! As we left, the line was much longer after IllumiNations and now was listed at 70 minutes and growing fast!

We did Living with the Land and "Honey, I Shrunk The Audience". I saw one lady pull her feet up onto her chair after the mice incident. At this point we were too tired and after a long wait for the bus got back at midnight.

  
Immature Snail Kite 

                 Wood Stork

Mike with Chip     Dale with Kelli

Great Egret

Nice late start! We needed the rest. We headed for breakfast at 9:15. I had the made to order omelet, excellent; Kelli had cereal and danish but paid cash for that.

We walked around the Alligator Bayou part of the resort and we fed some bread to some White Ibis and Common Moorhens with their chicks.

Common Moorhen

We played mini golf on the summer course at Winterland Summerland next to Blizzard Beach. Scores; Mike 46, Kelli 51; but I only had one hole-in-one while Kelli had three! I also just missed another one.

We did lunch back at the food court and split a Double cheeseburger and chocolate cake.

We headed for Animal Kingdom and found a bench to watch Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade which neither of us has seen. It was very hot and we bought a fan/water sprayer. Then it was off to Its Tough to be a Bug. It was fun to watch people who were experiencing it for the first time.

Afterward we headed to Animal Kingdom Lodge by bus. I had my picture taken with the lodge greeter, Willi from Namibia, dressed in traditional robes. He asked me to e-mail the picture back to him along with a note on how our trip was. We walked around and relaxed in rocking chairs looking at the zebras, giraffes and other animals outside the rooms.

Then it was time for Jiko-The Cooking Place- a very fancy restaurant, costing us two dining credits each. It was well worth it.

Kelli enjoyed
        An African wine
        Maize & Sweet Potato "Tamales" - Herbed maize pudding and truffled sweet potato mash with shredded goat cheese in corn husk boat.
        Cucumber, Red Onion, and Tomato Salad - Made with organic arugula, cottage cheese, and watermelon vinaigrette.
        Tamarind-Braised Beef Short Ribs - Served with Idaho and sweet potato gratin and onion-garlic sauce.
        Flourless Chocolate-Mocha Cake Stack - Served with lavender-vanilla bean ice cream, and chocolate caramel sauce.

Mike enjoyed
        Taste of Africa - Kalamata olive hummus, Durban Tikka Masala, and Malay spinach-lentil dip, with Lentil papadam, whole wheal lavosh, and Flax seed Naan bread. 
        Corn Soup
        Pan-roasted Jumbo Scallops - Served with golden brown mealie "Pap", and spicy tomato-onion "Chaka-Laka." 
        Inspired by "The Year of a Million Dreams" - White chocolate mousse pyramid with roasted banana and pineapple, banana-pineapple salad, and tropical fruit salad.

The wait and kitchen staff gave us a card with wishes written in African languages. (One day we’ll get them translated.)

    After diner we took the bus to Downtown Disney. The rain prevented us from taking the boat back so after looking around Goofy's Candy Co and Disney's Days Of Christmas we took the bus back to Port Orleans.

 
Moorhen and chicks

White Ibis

Carving at the entrance to
"It's Tough to be a Bug"

Willi from Namibia

Outside the rooms at the Animal Kingdom Lodge

    The Great Movie Ride had a very short wait, another first for Mike. There was a light rain now and we headed over to wait for Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage. We got there 40 minutes early and grabbed center row seats. The Dapper Dans Barbershop Quartet did a funny pre-show pretending to be maintenance people. The show was a nice Broadway type play.

    After the beast I rode Star Tours while Kelli shopped. We then saw Muppet Vision 3-D; brought a Beaker plush toy for a friend at work; and viewed the museum on Walt Disney: One Man's Dream. We ate a snack for lunch, bagel and a cookie $4.33. It was still raining so we did some shopping on Hollywood Boulevard and more shopping back at Port Orleans. We then rested back in our room. Mouse keeping hadn't come yet so when the maid came by we just asked for towels.

    Our dinner tonight was at the Coral Reef in Epcot. This was the best meal of the trip and easily the best dessert. They sat us on the lowest level next to the glass aquarium. Sharks, sea turtles, numerous fish and a few scuba divers sailed past us as we ate. Two of the divers signaled to us with thumbs up, congratulating us on our marriage.

    We ordered drinks for the first time; The Abyss, and Reef Runner. Kelli had recovered from the wedding after party and was able to drink again!

    Kelli enjoyed

        Mixed Greens Salad - Topped with Key lime-herb vinaigrette.
(pictured above) 
        Grilled Pork Chop - served with roasted vegetables and peppercorn-brandy sauce 
        The Chocolate Wave - Warm Dark Chocolate Cake with a White Chocolate Grand Marnier center with Chocolate Canache and White         Chocolate Ice Cream (Awesome!)

    Mike enjoyed
        Creamy Lobster Soup - Made with Chervil and Brandy (Excellent!)
        Seared Sterling Salmon with ratatouille
        Bavarian Cheesecake with berry sauce

    The Disney dining plan covered $93.33

    The Reef gave us complementary champagne (but not as good as the Polish Center at our Wedding) and a certificate. The desserts also had a congratulatory message.

    We walked to some of the counties and enjoyed the end of the Canadian Band "Off Kilter" Then listened to the first few songs of "The British Invasion" in the English Garden area and passed through Morocco and France and then listened to the Matsuriza in Japan. They said this art form - "Taiko drumming shows the spirit of the Japanese people and reflects the essence of their soul."

    We toured the rock gardens, the koi-filled pools and the stream with the Japanese Deer Chaser. It's a simple contraption where the bamboo tube fills with water till the weight makes it see-saw up and the water pours back out. It see-saws back down and hits a rock making a loud hollow "Tonk." The sound scares away the deer to keep them from eating the plants. In the stores, we brought some beautiful chopsticks that will go with our sushi plates back home.

    We refreshed ourselves with some shaved ice and watched Captain Fantastic (Elton John music) in the America Gardens Theatre. Part of the "Sounds Like Summer" concert series at Epcot. 

    We headed back to Japan to save our positions on the second floor of the pavilion to view IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. This is a great viewing spot.

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

    We got our extra magic hours bracelets at the International Gateway. We did the new Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros in Mexico. This updated ride was a much needed improvement. The Maelstrom was closed in Norway so we headed over Mission: SPACE. Kelli rested while I did the Orange ticket. I love the G-forces while blasting off from earth. I met Kelli outside where she had met a family from Yonkers! The dad was riding Mission: SPACE as well. It's a Small world after all. This rest gave both of us a second wind. So we did Journey into Imagination with Figment. The interactive area after the ride was empty. The Kodak guy took a picture of us with his giant digital camera and gave us a free print. We also sent an e-mail with photo with our ears on to family back home.

Disney MGM Studios

Its hard to find a good mechanic

The Abyss and Reef Runner at the Coral Reef

The Chocolate Wave

shaved ice, a great way to cool off

Slept late, 9:15! – Yeah! We needed the rest. We took it easy for the day. After Breakfast we picked up our Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue tickets at the concierge in the lobby and checked out the old type toilets in the restroom off the Riverside Mill.

We waited for the first boat at 11 AM to Downtown Disney. Our captain asked trivia questions on the way down, such as who are Daisy Duck’s nieces - April, May and June; Donald Duck’s middle name - Fauntleroy; Minnie Mouse’s niece - Molly; Donald's sister – Dumbella.

Did lots of shopping and took lots of photographs. We stopped in Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop for our free chocolate and had lunch there which consisted of two hot fudge sundaes. I chose the milk chocolate topping while Kelli had the dark chocolate topping. YUM.

Tigger Birder

We got back to our room but it wasn’t cleaned.  We decided to put in a wash and relaxed at the pool next to the laundry and to give mousekeeping time to do our room. Kelli spots an adult Bald Eagle flying overhead. It disappeared behind some trees and I missed it. A minute later it came back and we pointed it out to everyone at the pool. We needed a rest before dinner, but our room still wasn’t cleaned, so up went the “do not disturb” sign so we missed maid service for the second straight day. 

Left at 3:25 PM to make it over to Fort Wilderness for the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. Took bus to Magic Kingdom, then a boat to the resort. Saw a Brown Pelican on the lake. As usual they tell you to get there early so they can take pictures. It was too hot so we passed on the pictures and stayed in the shade near the rest rooms which were air conditioned. It was a good lively, corny show with lots of food. Bud Light was included so three of them made the show funnier for me. The fried chicken was very moist. The ribs were OK but not good enough to order more. The potatoes and the baked beans were very good.

The newlyweds and anniversary couples were highlighted and then asked to dance to “Let Me Call You Sweet Heart” We were the best dancers! Dessert was Strawberry Shortcake.

We took the boat back to the Magic Kingdom. We sat through the Hall of Presidents which we haven’t seen in years. I noticed that all the presidents turn their heads to the president that was being announced.

With a little less than an hour till the "SpectroMagic" Parade, we looked for a good viewing location.  We found a great spot, although we had to wait 45 minutes before it started and needed to sit/kneel for the parade. While waiting I went to get a Dolewhip, a pineapple ice-cream concoction I had heard so much about. It was good, especially if you like pineapple. Kelli made friends with a family from Mexico. The lady even gave Kelli a back rub and offered me something to kneel on. We were in front of the castle where the parade goes ¾ away around the circle then turns toward Liberty Square. We had the parade come towards us then turn right in front of us so we could see the front and full sides of the floats without turning our heads. The castle was also in the background.

Later back at Port Orleans we had our usual chocolate cake snack before heading to our room.

Ghirardelli Sundaes for lunch!

Hoop-dee-doo Review

Pooh and friends

Spud Buds