Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
SB (57), my husband
Dates: December 3 7, 2014
Resort: Disneys Beach Club Villas Resort
Experience: Very Experienced 32nd stay at this resort
INTRODUCTION:
This will be a combination couple trip and solo trip, with the primary focus being the holiday decorations/events in the parks. Osborne Lights is my favorite, so were booked at Beach Club Villas in order to be able to walk there and back. I also like the castle lights at Magic Kingdom, but since I had such a great view of them for 2 nights in the Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower last month I really dont feel the need to deal with the crowds to see it from inside the park. Candlelight Processional I could care less about, although Ill normally stop for a song or 2 if Im passing by while its running.
Since SBs days off are Thursday/Friday, hell drive down and join me after work Wednesday night, and stay through sometime Friday. I booked some things I wouldnt necessarily bother with during this portion of the trip, knowing theyre things hed like. The first is dinner at Sci Fi on Wednesday night. He enjoys it there and we havent been in a while, so we have Toy Story fastpasses during the time hell be arriving, followed by dinner and then we can catch Osborne Lights before heading to the resort. Ill arrive earlier that afternoon and get settled in.
On Thursday we have something new planned, plus well be meeting up with my friend Lori. Ive always wanted to check out the holiday decorations at the campground (guests decorate to the hilt in many cases), but not enough to actually stay there. I booked a golf cart, so well pick that up and park it in a convenient spot by the dock, then return at dusk to ride around seeing the different sites. In between we have fastpasses at Magic Kingdom, including one for the holiday version of the Jungle Cruise. Lori will join us for some of the fastpasses, a late lunch at Plaza, and the campground touring.
Friday the trip changes to a solo trip, with SB returning home at some point. Ill spend time by the pool, and wander around between Osborne Lights and Epcot during the evening. Saturday I booked late afternoon fastpasses at Magic Kingdom thinking Id want to see the castle ice lights, but Im not entirely sure what my plans will be now. Sunday I head home, so Ive got half the day to relax before returning to work Monday morning. It should be a nice four nights, and a nice balance of a trip for the 2 of us and a solo trip. Best of all, the weather looks really good warm but not hot, and still very comfortable at night. Next year I wont have a WDW trip at this time of year, due to a HAL cruise, so this is my last chance to take it all in until 2016!
The plans so far are:
Wednesday 12/3: Work, Drive to WDW, Studios, Sci Fi dinner, Osborne Lights
Thursday 12/4: Magic Kingdom, Plaza Restaurant, Ft Wilderness touring
Friday 12/5: Epcot, Pool, Osborne Lights
Saturday 12/6: Pool, Magic Kingdom
Sunday 11/16: Breakfast, Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Wednesday 12/3/14
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
SB (57), my husband
Plan: Work, Drive to WDW, Studios, Sci Fi dinner, Osborne Lights
Actual: I worked until 11:30, and was changed & on the road by 11:45. When planning the trip I thought I might leave at 11 and swing by the DVC Welcome Home Wednesday thing at 2pm at the Boardwalk but after experiencing that last month with SB, Pete & Judy I dont care if I ever set foot in one of those again. It was THAT bad. So, until they change the hat given away at the end, theres no need to subject myself to that unless a friend who has dvc as a client takes over & changes that show. Hes changed the one on the Disney Cruise Line, and its a million times better.
Since it was very overcast and later in the week the weather looked nicer I decided to swing by the outlets on my way in. I was there by 1:45, and only went to Character Premiere. Sadly they had nothing I wanted. I was hoping maybe the leftover Food & Wine Festival merchandise would be there, but they had nothing. Security was significantly increased inside the store and in the garage. Its sad that they obviously have reason to believe that many criminals are there. I browsed through the store and was back in my car, arriving at Beach Club Villas shortly after 2:15.
The security cast member at the resort entrance was funny I told him I was checking in, and when he saw my parking pass he commented that oh, you got the VILLAS and had a huge smile. He did say Welcome Home at that point. I parked the car and dragged my bag into the BCV lobby, where I had to wait in a line. There were 2 cast members and each was helping a guest, but I was next. Somehow I had failed to check in online, which is not like me. However, there were 3 studios ready so the cast member asked what I would have requested and we picked the best one based on that. I really dont care to wait for a ready room, when the location is not a deal breaker for me.
I moved into the room by 2:30 and by 2:35 I headed down to Beach Club Marketplace in search of some lunch, since dinner was booked for 6:55 tonight! I got the kids cheese pizza meal, which comes with a small bottle of water and a package of grapes for $5.99. Its plenty for me, and surprisingly good (if youre not a pizza gourmet). I also picked up a coconut bar and an oatmeal raisin cookie ($2.59 here not $3.99) for us to share later.
I got online while eating the pizza, and left just after 3:30 to walk over to Hollywood Studios. My first fastpass was for Star Tours from 3:30-4:30 and then my next one was for the Frozen Singalong from 4:30-4:45. Initially I thought Id swing by Boardwalk to see their holiday decorations but there simply wasnt time. I passed quickly through the Beach Club lobby, figuring Id come back to photograph the gingerbread carousel when there werent people standing all around it. I walked over to Yacht Club and took a few pictures over there, then went outside. The boat was just pulling into Boardwalk, so it would be quite a while before it got over here. Id planned on walking, but figured if the boat was at the dock or at the Swan/Dolphin dock I would have probably gotten on. Instead, I stuck with the original plan and had a nice walk over to Hollywood Studios.
It wasnt busy at bag check or entry, which was very nice! I picked up a guide map inside the park to see where this Frozen Singalong show was held, and I was surprised to see its in the venue they used for Comedy Warehouse the past 2 years. Now Im wondering where theyre going to put that this year (rehearsals have started)! The old theater where the Drew Carey sound effects thing seems too small, and the theater where Idol was done seems too big, but Im sure Disney figures they know better than me <g>.
I was in my fastpass window for Star Tours so I walked over there first, and walked right into the loading area. The standby queue did the same, and our pod was not even full. It was a waste of a fastpass, but I didnt have anything else I would have tried to get. After Star Tours I wandered around the Osborne Lights area looking to see if I could spot the hidden cat before the lights were turned on. I never found it, but I didnt search the entire area. Once my fastpass window for Frozen opened I joined that queue, and waited about 5-10 minutes until they opened the doors. They give out lots of fastpasses, and have the front seating sectioned off for the people who pay extra for a premium package, so the standby queue basically sits in the very back of the theater.
Today both Steve & Lisa (formerly of Comedy Warehouse) were working in the show, and both were very funny. Its basically a show that appeals to kids/families but the adults will appreciate some of the quips/humor that the kids might not pick up on. After the show it was 5:30 so I called SB to learn his location, and he was about 30 or so minutes away. I thought about having a glass of wine at the outside lounge at the Brown Derby but all of the tables were occupied. Instead, I wandered around through the shops and took a few photos outside, then sat on a bench and played on my phone until SB called to say he was near the big hat.
I met him and we went to Toy Story, where our fastpass window had opened up about 10 minutes prior. We got on the attraction quickly, and once again I beat him, lol! My accuracy was significantly higher than his, which seems odd since hes always had guns (and gone to shooting ranges) and Ive never shot one in my life. I think they key is I purposely go for the big points targets why shoot something for 100 when I can shoot something for 1000 or 2000??? But, well let him figure that out on his own time <g>.
After Toy Story we went to Osborne Lights and enjoyed spending time on the main street there. We stayed through the lights dancing 2-3 times, and took a few photos. It wasnt nearly as crowded as it will be on weekend nights, which is the main reason I chose it for this night. Its always beautiful, and they had so much snow going it actually accumulated on the street somewhat!
Sci Fi is right around the corner from the Osborne Lights, and we checked in for our reservation about 5-10 minutes early. We were given a beeper and it went off a few minutes later. For the first time we were seated on the left side rather than the right. We were in the back seat of a car that seated 6. The first 2 rows had a family with 2 young children, and both kids behaved great. Of course, both kids had a parent who paid attention to them and taught them how to act. It was such a nice change from when I was checking into the resort and a bunch of heathen hellion children went tearing into the Drawing Room like banshees, playing pool at the pool table. One kid didnt even have shoes on. When they finished they left a cue stick on the floor, and the other 2 propped messily against the table just total disregard/respect for anything and no supervision whatsoever. Thats my kid rant for today <g>.
SB remembered a chili dog at Sci Fi years ago, but if it really existed, its no longer on the menu. Hed seen the menu last night at home, so this wasnt a surprise. I ordered a glass of pinot grigio and he got a chocolate milkshake . He said the milkshake was alright, but not as good as at 50s Prime Time Caf. For dinner I ordered the appetizer Sci Fi salad and he ordered the ribs & we shared somewhat. He was taken aback at first when the $23.99 ribs was a half rack, lol but then he remembered where we were. The ribs were very good, with lots of meat, and honestly theyre more than any single person needs to eat! He said the cole slaw and beans were also very good. My salad was quite large, especially for an appetizer. We enjoyed the food and were too full for dessert. After Tables in Wonderland and 18% gratuity it was just under $47.
After dinner we took another stroll through Osborne Lights, this time walking down the San Francisco street. It felt busier than it had earlier, which surprised me. We decided to head out and as we approached the Echo Lake area the announcement came on that the park was now closed so thanks but get out <g>. We hopped on the tram and began the adventure of finding the car. When Id spoke with SB on the phone earlier Id suggested he pay attention to the section name and row number when he parked this year! Last year we were wandering the parking lot looking for his car. He did much better this year got the section right but was off by a couple of rows, lol!
We drove back to Beach Club Villas and settled in for the night. He watched a basketball game while I worked on the report, and eventually I made some tea (him) and cappuccino (me). We drank that while eating the cookie and half of the coconut bar. Today was a great start to the trip, and Im very happy to be back here seeing Osborne Lights again.
Tomorrow were going to have a relaxing morning, most likely down at the pool. After that well pick up our golf cart and meet up with Lori at the Magic Kingdom for a late lunch and some fastpasses before returning to Ft Wilderness to tour the campsites on the golf cart. Should be a fun day!
DAY 2 Thursday 12/4/14
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
SB (57), my husband
Plan: Magic Kingdom, Plaza Restaurant, Ft Wilderness touring
Actual: I watched General Hospital online last night, and while SB planned to do the same he was asleep within 30 seconds <g>. We were up just after 6:30, and puttered around the studio. I made my cappuccino and while we were watching tv he realized he forgot to bring his medicine (diabetes mainly). Sometimes men are so aggravating. At least were just at WDW, as opposed to being on a cruise ship, as he can go home later tonight so hell only be skipping 1 day of the meds.
Around 9:30 we went down to the Villas pool and played a game of pool at the outdoor pool table. As expected, he beat me easily! Evidently Toy Story is my only game, lol! After that we relaxed on lounge chairs, and he spent some time in the pool. Wed had enough by 11:15 so we stopped by Beach Club Marketplace for a little snack. The soup of the day was tomato, so I got that and he had the New England clam chowder. We ate it at a table outside, and it was really good!
Finished with our snack, we went upstairs to the studio. He watched ESPN and took a nap, while I took my shower and got dressed. Around 12:15 he took a quick shower and we were out the door around 12:30 to drive over to Ft Wilderness to pick up the golf cart. After we passed through the MK parking gates and turned right onto the road to Ft Wilderness we noticed SB wasnt wearing his magic band. I asked where it was, and he thought I had it. I reminded him that in the room Id pointed out his magic band on the bed when he was getting dressed. It was right next to his clothes. I dont carry his magic band he wears it. We pulled over when I didnt find it in my bag, and it was nowhere to be found in the car or his bag hed put in the trunk. So, we drove back to Beach Club Villas.
He waited in the parking lot while I ran upstairs and jogged to the studio. There was no magic band on the bed, so I knew he had to have picked it up. I grabbed his other one off the table, then retraced his original steps (when we left the first time we Id hesitated to grab some water and told him Id meet him at the elevator he went to the ones by the lobby and I went to the one at the other end) to the lobby, then across the pool area but did not see it. The cast member in the lobby was checking someone in and I didnt feel like waiting to see if anyone had found it and turned it in there. I got back to the car and told SB it was nowhere to be found, but I also noticed our parking space was still empty and there were a few things on the ground there. From a distance I couldnt tell if they were leaves, pinecones, or whatever. I suggested he back up and lets just drive past the spot, just in case.
He did, and one of the items on the ground was his magic band, lol! Im not sure if this was when I declared him King of the doofuses or if that had happened earlier. I think at this point I recognized his doctorate in doofus-ness <g>. We then drove back to Ft Wilderness, lol! We parked in the parking lot and I thought we should head into the building (like the parking cast member told us) but SB saw people working at a golf cart stand so we walked over there. They told us we needed to go inside <g>. We went into the lobby to sign our contract. The golf cart rental was $59 plus tax and was charged to my credit card the day before. When you book theres a 48-hour cancellation policy. On the way over SB was grumbling about us using a golf cart for a couple hours and its costing HOW MUCH???? The 48 hour cancellation thing came in handy to shut him up, lol.
We brought the contract to the podium outside and they went over all the rules, and had someone bring up our golf cart. SB drove, and he drives the golf carts at work all the time. Our golf carts (like our vehicles) are crap. Disneys work like a golf cart should, including the brakes. So, every time SB needed to slow down or stop we usually came to a screeching stop. Eventually he got used to it, though.
We rode down the main road and soon saw a couple loops with tons of those inflatable displays. It was still daylight but I had him turn down those loops and he was shocked at how elaborate the lights & displays would be. I think he was expecting some pop-up campers with a string of lights across the awning or something. At that point he was on board, although I knew his interest would wane before mine later.
We continued down towards Pioneer Hall and had a couple wrong turns before we finally made it to the marina area. We were lucky to find a really close parking spot close to the boat dock. Lori had gall bladder surgery 4 weeks ago, so I was hoping to minimize the distance shed have to walk. As we approached the dock the Magic Kingdom boat was just pulling away, but the smaller boat was pulling in on the other side. We took that boat, stopping at Wilderness Lodge before continuing on to the Contemporary. We got off there and went upstairs to catch the monorail that arrived just as we got up there.
We had to stand until the next stop, then rode the rest of the way getting off at the Magic Kingdom. It wasnt too terribly crowded at bag check or at entry, and once we got past the train station I remembered the 3pm parade. People were staking out their spots on the curb and once we got to the Confectionary cast members were forcing people onto the sidewalks. We cut through the stores on that side, and at the store where they sell watches and the nice purses we found a bracelet SB got me for Christmas.
When we came outside theyd just announced some visiting group who was the pre-show for the parade, and it turned out be a huge group of girls dancing holding snowflakes. They were really good, and I couldnt get over how many of them there were it went on forever! There must be no girls left in that town theyre all here, lol. We continued down to the Plaza Restaurant and checked in. Lori saw us at the podium & came over, and we went to sit at a table outside with our beeper. We checked in about 10 minutes early and were seated about 5 minutes after our reservation time. Service overall was a bit slow. Its a very small restaurant, so youd think the food would come out fairly quickly, but it didnt.
This was the first time SB or I had eaten here, which surprised Lori. She eats here a lot, but Im typically not in MK long enough for it to be meal time. Now with FP+ I can come in later in the day and I can do a meal, although it is a turnoff that you cant order a glass of wine with your meal here (not interested in overpriced Be Our Guest). SB ordered a chocolate shake and the cheeseburger with mushrooms. His shake was much better than the one at Sci Fi I helped eat part of the extra portion (in the metal cup) and I liked it too. The soup of the day was tomato bisque, so I ordered that even though Id had tomato soup earlier. This one came with croutons and it was really good. I was expecting it to be bigger, but I had a bit of SBs burger and a few of his fries. Lori ordered the adult grilled cheese and fries (not on the menu). By adult, it simply has 3 pieces of bread, with cheese in between. She also has Tables in Wonderland, so she got her own check. Ours was just under $27.
We were in our fastpass window for the Jingle (Jungle) Cruise, so we fought our way through the crowds over there. The standby line looked really long, but with FP+ we pretty much waltzed to the front of the line. They crammed a LOT of people onto the boat. Im thinking they have a set # of people they load per boat, and thats probably exactly what they did. But, this group had very few kids (little bodies) and several extremely large people. A few times they had to rearrange people because too many really huge people were on the same side and the boat was listing to one side. They also kept asking people to push further down, as the last person wasnt able to board initially. Finally we were underway, probably close to scraping bottom, lol!
There was a big group on the boat, and we noticed they all had finger puppets for some reason. They were all ages, too. After EVERY damn pun/joke the skipper did, these people all waved their finger puppets (or tapped them on their ears) and did a loud exaggerated laugh. It almost sounded like a bad laugh track from a 70s tv sitcom. It was so bizarre, and humorous at first but it never stopped for the entire ride. It ended up becoming just plain annoying, and at times you couldnt hear the skipper because of this loud fake laughter (and we were seated about 4 people away from the skipper). I dont think any of us minded when we got back to the dock. SB said something about it being 15 minutes of his life he can never get back, lol!
We had a little time left before our next FP+ so we decided People Mover would be a good choice. We walked across the hub and were pleased to see no line for this attraction. A party with a couple weird guys passed Lori & I as we were waiting for SB and she noticed they had extremely bad body odor. She didnt want to be downwind of them. I hadnt noticed it, but I can be clueless. As we got to the top of the ramp thing they passed us in the snaking queue and SB noticed the stench too. We stood back to the side and let several other parties go ahead of us to ensure we would not be in the same group of cars as the smelly people.
Our strategy worked, and we had a pleasant ride. By the time we finished we were in our next FP+ window so we walked over to Fantasyland and bypassed a huge wait to ride Peter Pans Flight. SB suggested Lori & I ride together, so we did and he got to ride by himself for a change. Lori & I were talking on the ride not really sure why we both enjoy it so much, since its really a pretty basic attraction.
After Peter Pan we decided to leave the park, so we headed down Main Street and went to the boat docks. There was a boat there for Wilderness Lodge and on the other side was a HUGE line for a boat to Ft Wilderness. We decided to get on the waiting boat, and then we could always transfer to a smaller boat to Ft Wilderness. As it turned out, our boat was going to Ft Wilderness after the lodge, so we just stayed on board. We found our golf cart very easily, then headed out to tour some of the camping loops.
SB drove, and we did the loops closest to the marina area, stopping several times for pictures. Quite a few other people were out on golf carts looking at the decorations, and on some loops campers were sitting outside their campers having drinks or in some cases groups were having dinner. We continued on to some more loops, and as expected SB was ready to hit the road and leave the rest to us so we found out way back to the parking lot and dropped him off. I took over driving and Lori and I headed back into the campground. We saw several deer, and hit all the rest of the camping loops.
The most elaborate display was at a loop on a corner, where they had an entire walk-through exhibit going almost 360 degrees around their huge RV and storage shed. Many of the illuminated inflatable items were much taller than either of us, and they had a whole section of carnival rides (ferris wheel, bumper cars, swings, etc) with Disney characters. Further along they had tables set with carnival ride miniatures. They also had a more traditional lighted nativity scene, characters from Star Wars, and illuminated walk ways. It was impressive! Several people had animated illuminated displays, and one was Santa in an out house (opening the door, holding up his pants).
Several people also had their own decorated golf carts, with lots of lights and usually a host of Christmas characters mounted on the roof. Renting the golf cart to do this isnt something Ill do every year, but Im really glad we did it and I could see doing it again at some point in the future especially if I find myself here closer to Christmas some year. Someone who doesnt mind walking can also see a lot of the sites on foot, so the golf cart isnt absolutely necessary. There were some really pretty displays very close to Pioneer Hall and the marina.
Once wed hit all the loops we returned to the golf cart drop off area and after parking the golf cart we put the key in the drop box. There was an Epcot bus at the bus stop and since it was loading a scooter (we could hear the beep beep beep) we had time to get there before it left. We even had seats! At Epcot Lori headed to the Old Key West bus stop and I entered the park. Spaceship Earth wasnt busy at all, but I didnt feel like taking the time for it right now. I walked back to Future World and made a loop, starting with Mexico.
I thought about picking up the side mac & cheese at Somerfest in Germany but the line was longer than I was willing to wait. In some countries their version of Santa was doing a presentation. I checked the menu at the various food/beverage stands set up for the holidays, but nothing really appealed. In America they were just letting people in for a Candlelight Processional, so nothing was happening there. I would have paused for a song if it had been in progress. When I got to International Gateway I left the park and walked back to Beach Club. Since I hadnt taken pictures of the gingerbread carousel yesterday I did that, then went into Beach Club Marketplace. I wanted something, but not anything too big. I thought about the kids pizza but the line just wasnt really moving so I skipped that. Plus, it was 8:30, which is late for something so heavy.
At the coolers I saw a couple cheese plates so I bought one of those (cubes of cheese, crackers, grapes & a strawberry) so I bought one of those ($6.99 plus tax) and took it back to the studio. I took part of the cheese & crackers along with some wine over to the sofa and settled in to work on the trip report and download the photos. The cheese & crackers was actually very good. I also finished up the coconut bar from yesterday, which is always delicious! SB had gotten home safely, so I talked with him a couple times. He enjoyed his trip, even though it was cut short. Hell enjoy having tomorrow off at home, and wont mind that his wife is out of the picture <g>.
Today was a really nice day perfect weather and a good mix of relaxing and doing stuff. Its hard to believe as often as Im here that there are still things that are new to me, but so far this trip Ive had at least 3 firsts Frozen Sing Along, Plaza Restaurant, Jingle Cruise, and the Ft Wilderness holiday dcor. Oops, guess thats 4 things. Not bad, considering Ive been here less than 36 hours.
Tomorrow Ive got FP+ booked in Epcot, but might make time for a conference call. Im also planning to relax by the pool and see Osborne Lights again. I know where the elusive cat is located, so I should be able to see it this time!
DAY 3 Friday 12/5/14
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Plan: Epcot, Pool, Osborne Lights
Actual: It took a while to get everything done last night, so it was almost 11:30 before I turned in. I woke up just after 4:45 and figured Id doze a bit and get up by 6. I didnt wake up again until almost 7 oh well. I got up and took a shower, then made cappuccino. When I got up I saw that the Orion launch that got canceled yesterday would be blasting off in less than 5 minutes, so I watched that before getting in the shower. I got online while drinking my cappuccino, but didnt bother with breakfast since I had Seasons as an option. I also uploaded the photos from Ft Wilderness yesterday. Theyre on Shutterfly at
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZNGTdm2bMWjJeg
I posted a link on facebook too, so if you saw them there, the link above takes you to the same photos. I decided to not bother with the conference call today its just too hard finding a quiet spot in the parks, and it wasnt something that really needed my personal attention (or was worth interrupting my time off). I contacted the person I left in charge and arranged for her to participate instead. I was out the door just after 8:45 and walked over to Epcot.
It was completely overcast but I was hoping it would burn off since my plans including spending the afternoon at the pool. As I approached International Gateway they had just let people in, so by the time I arrived I had no wait at bag check or entry. Its so nice walking through an empty World Showcase while hearing Christmas carols and wearing shorts & a tank top! Living in Gainesville Ive come to appreciate the warm weather more, since we have so little of it (compared to Ft Myers or WDW). I went straight to the Land and was able to ride Living with the Land with no wait. I think mine was only the second set of boats used. The only other guests on my boat was a man and his young son no doubt mom was riding Soarin with the older siblings.
After the boat ride I went to Seasons for a cup of water and the berry croissant bread pudding. When I paid at the cash register I noticed the receipt was longer than usual, so that meant a 20% off merchandise coupon was on there. Sure enough, when I sat down to eat I read the coupon. At Epcot its only good at Mouse Gear, but its good at the big store at each park, plus World of Disney over at Downtown Disney. There are restrictions, and it has to be used between 9am and 1pm, and it expires 1/5/15.
The bread pudding was excellent, but filling. When I finished I used my fastpass to ride Soarin and ended up in the 3rd row. For whatever reason all the feet dangling from row 2 were more noticeable. I ride often enough that its not a big deal, but for someone who rarely gets to ride it would sort of suck. I left the building after Soarin and was happy to see a little bit of sunshine. I hoped it was the start of a bright sunny day, but I might as well have been hoping for a million dollars to drop down from the sky, because it was not going to happen today.
I was in the window for my Nemo fastpass but knew I wasnt going to bother with it. I used the app to move that back to a later time and tried to move my Spaceship Earth fastpass a little earlier, but nothing earlier was available. It wasnt a big deal, as my window started in about 40 minutes. Since I had the coupon I spent time browsing in Mouse Gear but didnt see much of interest. I did see something I thought about getting for Chris & Amanda but didnt want to carry it around, so I figured Id stop back on my out. Then of course I promptly forgot until I was already out of the park!
With about 10 minutes remaining until my window opened I sat on a bench outside and listened to the construction workers who play music. Once their set ended I walked over to Spaceship Earth and was happy to skip the standby line! By 10:50 the standby wait at Soarin was listed as 85 minutes, so things were pretty busy. After Spaceship Earth I headed for the exit, and since the boat was just starting to board and I was headed to Boardwalk anyway, I got on board. I was at the end of the line but I was still able to get a seat outside not sure why everyone was going inside when outside is so much nicer, but it worked for me!
At Boardwalk I took some photos of their holiday dcor, then walked over to the Swan to see their chocolate display before walking back to Beach Club Villas. I was back in the studio but just after noon, and learned the 10am conference call was still going on! My staff person called me when it finally ended, and I was definitely glad I didnt waste my time, as it would have been very frustrating (it was a huge waste of time)!
I pulled up yesterdays General Hospital episode to get that out of the way, and was able to make my Word window small enough that I could work on the trip report while watching (and eating the rest of the grapes from the cheese plate). I was also able to upload and caption the photos I downloaded yesterday, so it was a good chance to get caught up. I realized yesterday that the Disney gift cards left over from the Food & Wine trip were safely at home in Gainesville, so this trip I finished up the partial gift card I had in my Disney wallet, and used most of the rewards on my Disney Visa rewards card. That was now down below $15, so since it didnt expire until December 2015 I transferred more rewards online.
After General Hospital I walked over to Beach Club Marketplace and noticed it had been raining outside. I ordered the kids cheese pizza again, and bought another coconut bar for the rest of the trip. This time when I checked out the cast member told me I was entitled to 2 side items (I had a small bottle of water as the beverage and a package of grapes) so I went back and got a second pack of grapes. The other choices were baby carrots or applesauce, and I knew I wouldnt eat either of those. Payment was made with the Disney rewards, about 10 minutes after I made the transfer gotta love technology!
Back in the room I put the grapes in the fridge with the package from Wednesday and ate the pizza. It was very good. They had some of the delicious multi-grain croissants at the BC Marketplace, so I may run down there tomorrow morning to get one to have with my egg and bacon tomorrow. I didnt want to buy it now and have it be old tomorrow morning. My plan for tonight is Osborne Lights, but I really wanted to avoid rain. At 4 I turned on the local news to watch for a weather update so I could get my timing right.
I left the studio at 4:45 and walked over to Hollywood Studios. Along the way I played with my camera a bit. From the boardwalk (not the dock) at Yacht Club I zoomed in to Seashore Sweets at the Boardwalk across the lake and could clearly see the people sitting or walking by. Then I took a photo of the Swan Hotel in the distance, and zoomed in to the eye on the statue of a swan near the top of the building. It was amazing! After that I stopped playing and walked to Hollywood Studios.
Once I got in the park I looked in the 2 shops where the 20% coupon will be accepted, but the item I had in mind is not sold there. Too bad, as Ill be here early tomorrow and could have gotten that out of the way. I had time to kill but wasnt going to try to ride any attractions, so I walked back to the Osborne Lights to find the cat. A friend had told me where it was (at my request) and sent me a photo that included the cat, so I knew exactly where it was. The key word here is WAS, because it had been moved, lol! Id heard cast members sometimes move it but I wasnt sure I believed it, until now.
I found an out of the way spot to sit and play on my phone while waiting for the lights to come on. The announcement started about 5 minutes before 6pm, so I got up and walked out to the street then. I was under the canopy on that street resembling San Francisco and once the lights were on and the first song ended I walked back to the cats location to see if maybe he got taken in during the day and would be put back out right before the lights came on. That turned out to be an incorrect theory.
The main street was mobbed but it wasnt too bad on the side street for a while, so I stayed there looking at the many details until it also got really crowded. Then I moved out and joined the crowd of arriving guests to start at the end down by the motor stunt show. To my surprise, I found the silly cat! I wont divulge the location here, but if anyone wants it just email or message me. Theres no guarantee thats where itll be on your night though!
I wanted to record the lights dancing to Barbra Streisands Jingle Bells, so I hung out on the main street until that happened around 6:40 or so. After that I left the area and headed out of the park very happy with my time there. As expected the line for the boat was ridiculously long, as it had been when I arrived. I hadnt ever considered taking the boat, as Id much rather walk, but its amazing to see that so many people are willing to stand in line forever, and many will stand on the slow boat, when they could just walk and get where theyre going faster. Maybe some of them dont realize walking is an option, but the path is no secret!
As I was walking I watched the couple videos I shot at Osborne Lights, then cut through the Boardwalk Villas clown pool and walked over to the International Gateway to enter Epcot. Unfortunately a boat full of people unloaded before I got there, so it was all backed up entering the park. It would help if they didnt have half the entry machines shut down! Once I finally got inside the park I turned right towards France and headed for America. I was hoping Id catch the Candlelight Processional going on and see how the camera did taking a picture of Whoopi Goldberg from outside the theater.
The line for the next show extended into Morocco again these are the people who paid a premium to stand in this line. The standby line is on the Italy side. As I passed through Japan and then reached America I was happy to see the previous show was still happening. As expected, the entire back of the outside of the theater was several people deep. I saw a spot at the far edge near Japan that was partly behind the big sign at that entry point so I stood there to take a few photos. A nice older couple was next to me and eventually they noticed my cameras screen and started watching that way since they could see Whoopis face that way, lol! With the naked eye you assumed it was her, but thats about it. I stayed for a song, then since it seemed like it might be nearly over I got the heck out of there before hordes of people were dumped out into World Showcase! It was crowded enough without emptying that theater.
I walked back to International Gateway and went back to Beach Club Villas. I had more of the cheese plate and some wine for dinner while I worked on the trip report. Later I might work on more of the photos when I get home I want minimal work remaining!
Today the weather was a huge disappointment, but it did give me the chance to get caught up with stuff. I really hope tomorrow is sunnier. Except for the weather it was a terrific day, and I really loved hanging out at Osborne Lights again.
Tomorrow my friend Mary is in some of the morning Frozen shows at Hollywood Studios, so I plan to head there for the first one and then return to HOPEFULLY relax by the pool at the resort. If the weather sucks again I guess Ill go back to Mouse Gear and make that purchase. Tomorrow late afternoon itll be Magic Kingdom, but Im undecided on whether Ill stay for the lights on the castle well see.
DAY 4 Saturday 12/6/14
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Plan: Pool, Magic Kingdom
Actual: I was asleep before 11 last night, and woke up around 5. Id set the alarm for 5:45 so I dozed off again until then. The local weather person was talking about some fog in the area, and hopefully sun by late morning or afternoon. Up in Gainesville theres zero percent visibility (heavy fog), but it doesnt seem anywhere near that bad down here. I showered and relaxed online with my cappuccino, then around 7:30 went down to Beach Club Marketplace for a multi-grain croissant. Its completely overcast and humid again this is getting old.
There were several several people eating breakfast outside and at the indoor tables in the hall, but surprisingly it wasnt busy inside. I must have gotten there after the initial rush! The croissants seemed a bit hard, like theyd been cooked too long, but in the end I still bought one. I picked up some margarine packets, paid for the croissant, and went back to the studio to fix my egg and slice of bacon. As expected, the crispy croissant made a huge mess with all the crumbs & flakes, so I ate standing up at the kitchenette counter/sink. It tasted good, but next time Ill wait for a day when theyre softer. I was pretty full, so hopefully Im set for a while since I dont have any meal plans today & with the weather Im not entirely sure what Ill be doing mid-day.
By 8:30 the sun was out and the sky (the portion I could see) was blue, so I got up and headed out of the studio to walk over to Hollywood Studios. Id texted Mary to let her know I would be at the first show, and she texted back asking me to stay after the audience left. Unlike Comedy Warehouse shows, the actors dont come out after the show theyd never get the next show started, since people would be treating it like a character meet & greet.
It was a nice walk to the park, and as expected it was quite busy at bag check and entry. I had the misfortune of choosing a line with a security guy who checked all the bags very thoroughly, so I was a bit impatient. I was able to select an entry area with few people (bypassing the ones in the center with hordes of people waiting in line) and was in the park right at 9am. It had opened at 8am for resort guests, but since I wasnt planning to hit any attractions there was no reason for me to come over early.
I walked straight back to the Frozen Sing Along show and was happy to see that they dont do fastpass+ for the first show! Its all standby, so I wasnt relegated to the very back of the theater! I ended up about halfway back in the center section, but I saw a single row on the aisle a few rows further down and moved there. It was perfect, because there was no seat in front of mine, so no coneheads or NFL/NBA athletes blocking my view. Its tough being short!
This is a really nice show, and as expected Mary did a great job in her role. I would have sat through it to see her even if Id hated the show, but I actually like it. Before this trip Id assumed it was really just for the preschool set, but the music is great and I love the humor they interject. When the show ended I lingered in my seat, then stood by a thick pole so other guests wouldnt see me lingering and do the same. Several did stop down front to take photos of their kids, but then they left. Once everyone was gone, Mary swooped in from a side door I say swooped because when the door opened the sun (yes, there was actual SUN for a change) was so bright I just saw an outline of a woman in a floaty ball gown coming down the ramp, lol! I knew that had to be Mary <g>. We got to spend a little time together, and I met her stage manager, but then they had to get her backstage and get my butt back outside. Actually, they didnt throw me out so in hindsight they probably would have let me stay for the next show but I didnt want to be rude.
I exited the building and walked down the unlit Osborne Lights one last time. I should have checked to see if the cat was still in the same spot, lol! I left the park and walked back to Beach Club Villas, then changed into a swimsuit and went down to the Villas pool. It was really nice out there, and quiet too!
Initially Id taken a chaise lounge at the end of the row near the smoking area, which I knew was risky. But, other people were at the other end. Eventually they left but I didnt bother to move, then others came to that spot. Of course, not 5 minutes later I smelled the stench of cigarette smoke and saw some guy back there smoking (in the smoking area). It was good while it lasted, but it was me who needed to move. I gathered up my stuff and moved over by the hot tub, which is far enough away to smell any smoke.
I had a relatively short book on my kindle so I read that while I was out there. At one point a couple young kids came to use the hot tub, but they were well behaved and not disruptive at all. I heard some people walking by comment on the turtles and when I got up to come inside I noticed several turtles were sunning themselves on the grass. Ive only seen them in the water before, so this was pretty cool. My camera was in the room, or I would have taken a picture.
When I finished my book I went back upstairs to the studio it was around 1:15 or so. I was hungry but not in the mood for yet another kids pizza, so I took a quick shower and finished the cheese & crackers from the cheese plate while I updated the report. My fastpasses at the Magic Kingdom begin at 3:05, which means I just need to be at my first attraction by 4:10 or 4:15. I was ready to leave the studio just after 2:15 I cut a small piece of the coconut bar and walked over to the Beach Club bus stops. There was a family waiting at the Magic Kingdom bus stop and the others were empty, so I took that as a sign my bus would be here pretty quick. I was sadly mistaken the bus took forever! At least I still got a seat, but I think it was around 3:10 by the time we got to the Magic Kingdom!
I decided to take a chance and detour to the Grand Floridian first, knowing if I ran late I could probably move my first fastpass back to right after my third one. At least when I checked this morning that was a possibility. The small boat was arriving, but there was a long line of people at the dock. I got in line figuring if I didnt make this boat then Id just skip Grand Floridian and go into the park. The skipper cut the line off after the couple right behind me, so all was good! The boat went straight to Grand Floridian (next stop would be Polynesian), so it didnt take long as all plus it was a beautiful day for a boat ride.
I walked to the main building and took a few pictures of the gingerbread house and the Christmas tree. Theyre both always so pretty! I was amazed by the line of people waiting to buy gingerbread here youd have thought they were giving it away, but not at Disney <g>. Once I took my pictures I headed for the exit and was pleased to see a monorail at the station. It was unloading, so I had time to get out there and board before it left. I stepped into the car in front of me, since it didnt make sense to go searching for a seat when I was getting off at the next stop.
My strategy paid off, because when the monorail doors opened I was right at the top of the exit ramp. I was halfway down the ramp before the other passengers started stepping away from the monorail. The bag check area was very crowded, and I was disappointed to see only 1 side was open. The entry was pretty busy too, but it didnt take that long. I went to the right in front of the castle and entered Fantasyland over by the Tea Cups and Pooh. Seven Dwarves Mine Train had an 80 or 85 minute wait, so I was glad to have a fastpass for later. My first fastpass was for the Mermaid attraction so I went straight there and entered the FP+ queue. Today was the first time I saw the standby queue snaked around outside!
When I got back outside I was almost to my next fastpass window, so I continued walking past Barnstormer and took the path over to Space Mountain. This path now has 2 smoking areas one in the middle and one at the Space Mountain end. Those parts were disgusting, as they both had several smokers sitting there. I guess back here fewer people are exposed to them. At Space Mountain the standby queue was posted as 65 minutes and it extended outside. I zipped right into the fastpass queue and was in my rocket with a very short wait. They gave me the front seat, which was fun! I didnt see the photos from the ride on the wall I think they now have them on computer screens at a kiosk in the arcade where you can buy them.
Now I had most of an hour before my final fastpass window, so I decided to ride the People Mover. I was not expecting a long line snaked through the queue but extending out of the queue by 50 or more people! The attraction had stopped, most likely due to some guest doing something stupid. Pretty soon it got started again, and not long after that they let guests resume boarding. While riding I heard my phone ring and missed a call from Mary. I wouldnt have been able to hear her anyway, as noisy as the park and the attractions are. Once I finished the ride I walked over to a quiet corner to call her back, and oh joy this area is another smoking area, lol! Its between Space Mountain and the restrooms, and its a good spot for smokers because its out of the way.
I was able to stand away from the smokers and called Mary back, but this time I missed her. I started walking over towards Mine Train when she called me back, so I returned to outside the smoking area where it was quiet enough for a phone call. When we finished my final fastpass window had just opened, so I walked over to Mine Train. The standby queue didnt seem to be moving at all, and when I got to the fastpass entrance people were lined up there as well. Then I noticed no trains were running. I swear every time I book a fastpass for this attraction it goes down, and I get an email telling me its down and I can either ride it when it comes back up or ride any attraction on the list they provide. I checked my email, and sure enough I had one again today. Usually the attraction is back up in no time, so I waited and sure enough within 5-10 minutes it was ready for passengers again. This is a fun ride, but its so short I wont do it unless Ive got a fastpass.
By now the sun was setting and things were starting to get pretty. I walked around to the front of the castle, which was mobbed with people waiting for the Frozen lighting show at 6:15 (about 30 minutes away). I seriously thought Id just skip the whole thing and leave the park now, but as I left the hub I stumbled upon what appeared to be an ideal spot to watch it. There would be nobody directly in front of me, as nobody could stand in front of the tape on the ground at my feet. The only negative aspect of that location was little Noah one of the biggest brats mankind has ever had the misfortune to experience.
He was wild and out of control, getting his little brother riled up, while his sister mostly ignored him. His mother kept yelling at the kids, but it was pretty clear she was at the end of her patience and Noah was used to being disrespectful. At one point she told the daughter to sit your *** down, but it really seemed like she was just fed up (lord knows I was fed up with those kids) as opposed to someone who talks like that to her kids every day. My biggest shock is when a cast member told her she needed to control her kids, lol!!! You know its bad when Disney says something! The kids were a safety hazard, as the spot we were in was bordering a walkway and the kids were running wild and wrestling where people were trying to walk.
Once the show started the kids were fine, and while we couldnt see anything on the stage I only cared about the lights on the castle. They projected different lights/images on the castle before the ice lights came on, and they were beautiful as always. I took a few photos, then turned around to get down Main Street and leave the park. I was hungry at this point and figured Id go to Epcot. But, the monorail looked like it had a LOT of people heading up the ramp, and I knew Id have to transfer to another monorail and then deal with the crappy front entrance of Epcot, so I turned and walked to the bus stops.
There were a few people in the Boardwalk/Swan/Dolphin bus stop and nobody at the Yacht/Beach bus stop, so I thought the Boardwalk bus might come first. I joined that queue but kept my eye on the other stop too. Once again the wait for the bus was ridiculous!! Finally the Yacht/Beach bus came first, so I moved over to the end of that very long line. Id arrived at the bus stop about 30 minutes prior. While we were boarding the bus, the one for Boardwalk arrived but we still left before they finished boarding. It was a full bus, and I had to stand, but at least I was on a damn bus finally!
I got off at Yacht Club and walked past Crews Cup lounge but it was too crowded. At Beach Club I stopped at Marthas Vineyard to see what food items they served but that page was missing in the menu book I picked up. Ok, I can take a hint. I ended up walking to Epcot, which had no wait at all at bag check or the entry and they had ALL of the magic band readers open! World Showcase wasnt nearly as busy as it had been last night, and then I realized it was probably because last night was extra magic hours. I turned right towards France and as I passed America they were doing the same song they were doing when I left last night, lol!
I was headed to Germany, and decided to get the nudel gratin (mac & cheese) from Sommerfest even if the line was long. I was pleased to see it wasnt terribly long, and they had 2 cashiers and 2 pickup windows to keep things moving. However, when it was my turn to order the cast member told me they were out of nudel gratin, lol! He said they ran out about 45 minutes ago, so it shouldnt be too much longer. I asked about ordering & paying for it now, to avoid another line, but he said to just come back to him and hed take me right away.
I sat on a bench in the courtyard and texted with Chris dad he was telling me Barbra Streisand will be on tv Wednesday night, so thats something to look forward too! When we finished the line was practically nothing so I went back inside and the cast member told me got more about 2 minutes after I left. I ordered it and took it out to a bench along the main walkway. It was very good, but kind of sits like a brick in my stomach! After eating I got up and headed for the International Gateway. They were already letting guests in for the final Candlelight Processional, and the theater had a lot of people already seated. Despite that, the remaining line of people who PAID to see it ended inside France!! I wonder if any of the standby people got in tonight there were a lot of them, too.
When I got back to the studio I packed up the clothes, uploaded and captioned todays photos, and worked on the trip report. Today was a terrific day, except for the terrible bus waits. Im so glad Mary happened to be doing the Frozen show today, and even though spending 30 minutes near Noah & his siblings wasnt fun (it reinforced my decision to have ONE child) Im glad I stayed to see the castle lights <g>.
Tomorrow Ill head over to Epcot to use that 20% coupon at Mouse Gear, and then will probably hit the road for Gainesville.
DAY 5 Sunday 12/7/14
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Plan: Breakfast, Drive to Gainesville
Actual: I slept well again last night, getting up just after 6 this morning. I had the last egg and slice of bacon for breakfast, along with cappuccino. Its very overcast and/or foggy out this morning, so Im glad Im not driving back too early. A cold front is moving through, but the colder temps (40s for lows) wont be here for another couple days.
Although I dont have to be out of the room until 11, since it was cloudy & not hot outside I decided to put my stuff in the trunk and let them have the room to get ready for the next guest while I ran over to Epcot. I did all that around 8:45, then walked to International Gateway to enter Epcot. My destination was Mouse Gear, and I arrived at the doorway just a couple minutes after 9. I was happy when the doors opened, as I would have been disappointed if the shop opened after the park did! It was nice to shop in there without any crowds there were more cast members than customers! I got the item I had in mind, then also picked up a couple pair of cheap Mickey earrings for myself. At the register I realized I qualified to buy the Disney throw, so I asked to see it up close and decided to buy that as well.
With my purchases in hand I walked back to Beach Club Villas and went straight to my car to start the drive home. At the Hess station I bought a small amount of $2.69 gas to tide me over until I stopped halfway home and filled up with $2.59 gas. That should hopefully last me until the next trip. I also had some Kohls cash about to expire so I stopped there, and was home between 12:30 and 1pm.
The rest of the photos (not the Ft Wilderness campsites) are on Shutterfly at
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZNGTdm2bMWjJlA
This was a really nice trip, in so many ways! The only negatives were the weather part of the time, the terrible buses yesterday, and to some degree the crowds. The positives more than made up for all of that, though. Renting the golf cart and touring the campsites was a great idea (thanks Jodi) and Im really glad we did that. The Frozen show was a very pleasant surprise, and Im especially thankful Mary got called in to work there on a day I was down there. We enjoyed our meals at Sci Fi and the Plaza, and it was nice seeing Lori again. I never tire of Osborne Lights, and hope that never goes away! Same thing with the ice lights on the castle I guess now with Frozen being so popular that should lock in the castles icy future for quite some time, lol!
My next trip will just a couple nights in early January catch the end of the Comedy Warehouse holiday shows. With a FL Resident Seasonal Pass, my pass is blocked out for most of the Comedy Warehouse dates, but I should be good for a day at the end. Itll also let me see Osborne Lights again wonder where that cat will be that night! After that, I have a HAL cruise to look forward to, starting on January 11th.
Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season & happy/healthy new year!
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Sue (Holland) Rayford, Beach Club Villas, Dec 3-7 2014
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