VoIP & Gadget News – Disney World Vacation Trip Report

I was in Disney World for the last 8 days and just returned yesterday. While I was away I used a webcam, Yet Another Webcam software (YAWCAM), motion detection, Dropbox, and my iPhone to keep an eye on my house. But I’ll post my remote surveillance recipe at a later date. I have to research and write up the TMC Labs Innovation Awards for Internet Telephony Magazine.

For now here are some highlights from our trip to Orlando, Florida:
We really enjoyed the Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney MGM Studios). It’s a fantastic show with puppets, live actors, a projection screen, and superb singing. Here’s a photo from the show:

We got Fast Passes for Toy Story Mania!, but couldn’t ride it until the next day since our kids were tired and we left the park. Technically, you’re supposed to use the Fast Pass the same day, but we haven’t had problems in the past using a Fast Pass from a previous day. So we approach the ride and park our stroller which has 3 balloons attached to it. This sparks up a conversation with two Disney employees who admire one balloon in particular which has a LED inside that changes color. We talk for awhile and then head to the Fast Pass return line.

Well, the Disney employee manning the ride wouldn’t let us pass saying she couldn’t accept a Fast Pass from a previous day. I explain we hadn’t had a problem before and she says that this particular ride is very popular and she cannot accept it. Alas, the standby line was 65 minutes long. No thank you – not with 2 kids. We begrudgingly head back to our stroller when the two Disney employees see our sad faces and ask “What happened?” We told them our Fast Passes were not accepted since it was from yesterday. One of the Disney employees reaches into his pocket and says “How many Fast Passes do you need?” I look at my wife in disbelief and say “We need 4 please!”. He hands us the 4 Fast Passes and we head back to the entrance and this time she lets us in. Kudos to this Disney employee for saving the day! You rock!

We stayed at the Boardwalk for the first half of our trip and the kids loved the magicians, jugglers, and other performing artists on the boardwalk at night. It’s also a stone’s throw walk from EPCOT, which is convenient. No bus ride needed. Here’s a view of the Boardwalk while taking a ferry:

We also stayed at the Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is an amazing resort. The kids loved the view of the “savannah” from our room. They could step out onto the patio and view wildebeest, giraffes, zebras, ostrich, Ankole Cattle, Eland, Impala, Okapi, Pink-Backed Pelican, Spur Winged Geese, Guinea Fowl Ruppel’s Griffon Vulture and more.

Our 2-year old Hannah loved waking up in the morning and saying hello to the animals just outside. Our 5-year old, Megan loved dressing up in mom’s home-sewn Cinderella dress and getting her hair and makeup done at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique located in Cinderella’s Castle. She was all smiles for 2 days as she wore the dress and received tons of compliments from other Disney guests. All in all, a great vacation with not a single drop of rain during the day. Can’t wait to go back. I’m missing the Mickey Bars already!

Tags: cinderella castle, disney world, florida, orlando, report, trip, vacation
Related tags: disney employees, disney world, disney employee, disney, loved, passes