Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Tiana (46), friend from work
Dates: January 2 4, 2015
Resort: Disneys Beach Club Villas Resort
Experience: Very Experienced 33rd stay at this resort
INTRODUCTION:
This a short trip, with one main purpose, and one secondary agenda. First and foremost is the Comedy Warehouse holiday show! This runs for approximately 2 weeks, but most of those dates occur during my passs block out dates. My pass is good again starting Saturday, so I booked Friday and Saturday night in order to see the shows on Saturday. I would have stayed for part of Sunday (the final day) as well, except I need to get home to pack/prepare for a trip to Ft Myers on Thursday, followed by a HAL cruise. So, while having only a single day sucks, its better than nothing which is what Ill have next year. It looks like the block out dates will extend past the end of the show next year, thanks to New Years falling on a Friday. So, after this year it may be 2017 before I get to see these talented people perform together again. The secondary agenda is simply another opportunity to see Osborne Lights which is always impressive!
Id given SB the option to request his schedule be changed in order to come along on the trip (or part of it), and he decided to sit this one out. Hes got a week off in late January to do a baseball clinic in Ft Myers, so I think he didnt want to ask for more time. A couple weeks ago Tiana & I were out having lunch and I asked her if she wanted to join me. Shes never seen (or heard of) Comedy Warehouse, and has never seen Osborne Lights. How she got to be an adult living 2 hours away but having no clue about these things is beyond me but actually its very common. It seems most of the people Ive known through work since moving to Florida never go to WDW or if they do, they do it all wrong by making a very expensive and disappointing day trip (driving 2-3 hours at each end of the day). Of course, many people who work in Florida cant afford Disney, but thats a whole separate issue. Its affordable if its a priority, but if youre working for $10/hour and trying to support a family it probably IS out of reach for most people.
So anyway, this year Tiana and her family have annual passes, so she has park access. We agreed that since Im providing the resort room shell drive us there and back. She has a newer/nicer car than me, so that works, lol! Were staying at Beach Club Villas for this trip it was either there or Boardwalk, since those are the 2 resorts where I can walk to Hollywood Studios. Ive really tired of Disney bus transportation, so I welcome the opportunity to avoid that if possible.
Since Tiana is coming, I modified my plans slightly in order to show her more things she otherwise wouldnt be able (or think) to do. Id planned on eating at T-Rex after arriving on Friday, and obtained a gift card through mypoints.com. Shes never eaten there, so Ill stick with that plan. Since I have a Landrys Select card I dont need to make a reservation I can just walk up to the front of the line and get seated. This works, since I dont have to try to guess what time wed be arriving there. Later well take a bus to Magic Kingom and walk over to Bay Lake Tower. This will serve 2 purposes well get a little walking exercise going to BLT and then returning to MK later, and shell get to experience the Top of the World lounge. We can have a drink and then enjoy Wishes from the comfort of our table by the window. Wishes is at 9, so Im not sure if well stick around for the Electric Water Pageant at 10:15 well see.
Saturday is all about Comedy Warehouse, and well probably see all 6 shows. We also booked a couple other fastpasses (Star Tours and Toy Story Midway Mania). Since the first show isnt until 12:45, our first fastpass is Star Tours from 11-12. We just need to be in the park by noon, which means we dont have to get up early or necessarily be anywhere that morning. Im planning for us to walk to/from the Studios, since that gives us a bit of walking. After the last show well enjoy Osborne Lights, which Im sure shell love.
Sunday I need to get home, so well be driving back in the morning. Id love to see more Comedy Warehouse shows, but they just start too late Id lose the whole day, and I need to pack for the Ft Myers/HAL cruise trip that begins just 4 days later. Itll be a quick trip, but in this particular case quick is better than nothing!
The plans so far are:
Friday 12/5: Work, Drive to WDW, T-Rex?, Top of World at BLT
Saturday 12/6: Studios, Comedy Warehouse, Osborne Lights
Sunday 11/16: Breakfast, Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Friday 1/2/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Tiana (46), friend from work
Plan: Work, Drive to WDW, T-Rex, Top of World at BLT
Actual: I left work just before noon and was changed & ready to go by 12:05. Tiana called around 12:10 or so to say she was heading around now which should mean she was in her car, rounding the corner to get from her house to mine. SB & I went outside and waited, and waited, and waited, lol! She did finally get there, having called me before she even left the house! He gave her grief about being on time vs not being on time <g>. We made a quick stop at a McDonalds drive through since she hadnt eaten anything today and wanted a caramel frappe, then were on the road to WDW. I was shocked by the traffic headed north this is snowbird season in Florida, so Im not sure why people were headed north. The turnpike was all backed up, as was 75 leading up to the turnpike we may need to rethink our Sunday plans and get on the road earlier than originally planned since that could be an even heavier traffic day.
Tiana stuck to the speed limit, so we didnt arrive until after 2:30. We checked in at the Villas lobby and unfortunately things didnt go smoothly like they should. Once again despite doing online check in my credit card information wasnt saved (minor annoyance). They also said there was a box for me, and called to have it sent over from the main resort. Studios were ready and I was asked if I had any requests (they had been added by phone after making the reservation several months ago but evidently the cast member couldnt see them). Then, despite the reservation showing Susan and Floyd in the room, the mystery box was a single gray magic band for Susan. That was odd, because Id customized and received magic bands weeks ago. I was given our studio number and I knew it was exactly in a location that was ideal for me.
We went up there and my magic band did not work I got a red light at the door. I tried the new gray one and got the same thing. So, we trudged back downstairs and let the cast member know. I think somehow we werent fully checked into the room, as Ive never had magic band issues with any of my many reservations. He tapped away at the keyboard and said it should work now, and when we got back upstairs everything was fine. Were only 2 rooms from the elevator, so at least the extra trip wasnt that big of a deal.
We quickly threw our stuff down in the room and I set up the laptop before we left the room. We were headed to T-Rex and since it was so nice outside sunny and warm, as compared to foggy damp and miserable in Gainesville, we decided to skip the bus to Downtown Disney and instead drive to Old Key West and take the boat. It was an easy drive over there and we managed to get the last spot in the parking lot it was busy! The boat arrived about 15 minutes later and wasnt crowded at all I think there were 7 of us in total. Its a pleasant ride, but I miss the days when we had a nice comfortable pontoon boat instead of these ugly cheap-looking boats they use now (like the ones at Port Orleans).
The boat from OKW goes to the West Side dock, and the lines of people waiting for boats there were extending beyond the dock area on both sides! Some were going to OKW or Port Orleans, but one whole long line was just going to the other boat docks within Downtown Disney. Why not walk???? Standing waiting for a crowded boat made no sense to me. We walked over to T-Rex, avoiding the bad crowds while walking along the water. Once we left the edge of the water it got a lot more congested.
We bypassed the line at T-Rex and showed the employee my Landry Select Card, so we were given a ticket immediately and told to stand in the middle line inside. It seems there are a lot of big tables here, as larger parties who came after us were seated before us (parties of 7, 8, etc). We were seated within 15 minutes, so thats not too bad for such a busy place when we dont have reservations. I didnt find out what the standby wait was for people without the Landry card.
I ordered the Footprints Flatbread, which is what I had in November. Its a thin flatbread with chicken, goat cheese, other cheese, basil, balsamic glaze, red onions, etc its very good. Tiana was hungry, so she ordered one of the special menu items sirloin steak with crab macaroni & cheese, onion rings & vegetables. We both just had water to drink, since we were going to Top of the World later. She loved her meal and said everything was excellent. Our waiter mentioned saving room for key lime pie, so she ordered a piece to take with her. It was a good lunch, although it took a long time with the travel time!
Before we left we decided to skip the boat since the line might still be ridiculous. It was already almost 5 and I had been hoping wed be at Top of the World at 6 that was not going to happen. We walked quickly through the Marketplace to catch a bus to OKW and arrived in time to see the OKW bus looping around to the exit. Luckily the next one didnt take a full 20 minutes to arrive, and OKW was the next stop. With all the construction, theyre using the road that runs past the entrance to Saratoga Springs and OKW, so its a faster trip. We got the car and drove back to Beach Club Villas, where I ran up to the studio while Tiana waited in the car. I put her pie and my leftover flatbread in the fridge, grabbed a light jacket, and went back down to join her.
We drove to the Contemporary and parked at Bay Lake Tower, arriving not too long after 6. We checked in at the dvc desk in the lobby and were taken upstairs to the Top of the World lounge. Four of the 5 tables by the window were already taken, so we grabbed the last one. Our server was new to me but he did a good job and we enjoyed our evening. She had a couple mai tais and I had a couple glasses of pinot grigio and we also shared the soft pretzels. Everything was great. We were surprised to see young children sitting AT the bar, as we both thought that wasnt allowed (under age 21). Nothing like strollers in a bar and preschoolers sitting on barstools.
I was very happy to see the castle show start shortly after we were seated and when it finished the ice lights were lit up! I wasnt sure if that had ended, and I was hoping theyd be on since Tiana has never seen them. She thought they were beautiful! Wed settled the check before Wishes, so when that started at 9pm and we were having difficulty hearing the soundtrack over a screeching child with parents who felt no need to remove him/her from the area we were able to just go outside where it was quieter. Amazing how being outside with fireworks blasting and music playing would feel quieter than being inside a bar with a noisy tired toddler. Wishes was great another first for Tiana. There were quite a few people out on the observation deck, but it wasnt full.
After Wishes we went downstairs to the 5th floor and walked over to the Contemporary. At Contempo Caf we bought a couple cookies and she got a hot chocolate to warm herself up. We had about 45 minutes to kill so she suggested riding the monorail. It was busy, but we got seats and had planned to get off at Grand Floridian so she could see the gingerbread house and Christmas tree, but the line at the station was so long we decided to not risk getting off the monorail! At Magic Kingdom it was a zoo, with lots of people arriving but even more trying to get out. Back at the Contemporary we disembarked and walked out to what has always been the quiet pool. Tonight it was overrun with shrieking children (their parents were standing around watching). This resort has been here since 1971, Ive been coming to this resort since 1976 and Ive never seen kids playing like wild banshees in here thats what the feature pool is for!!
We sat on chairs by the water, and when the Electric Water Pageant it was very distracting to have the kids carrying on in the pool behind us. Finally we just got up and walked over to the boat dock, where we had a perfect view and couldnt hear the kids. Shed never seen this either, and enjoyed it. I never tire of seeing it, although honestly if this was a solo trip I would not have made the trip over here at this time of night!
Once the pageant ended we walked back to the car and drove home to Beach Club Villas. Tiana took a bath while I worked on the trip report, then she got settled on the sleep sofa and played games on her phone while I finished up. We had the lights out by midnight, but not too much before that! Its tough not having some down time during the day to get part of the report done!
Today was a great start to the trip, and its nice showing WDW to someone who really appreciates it & loves what shes seeing. We had a great lunch, Top of the World is always very nice, and we both enjoyed Wishes and the Electric Water Pageant. This is all stuff thats hard (or impossible) to do on a day trip from Gainesville! Tomorrow is the Comedy Warehouse day, which Im looking forward to!
DAY 2 Saturday 1/3/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Tiana (46), friend from work
Plan: Studios, Comedy Warehouse, Osborne Lights
Actual: I woke up just after 5:30, but since Im not solo I didnt get up that early. I really didnt mind, as it is always nice to be able to lay in bed and not have to get up whether it be for work or to get to my first fastpass or whatever. I figured Id get up a little after 6, but next time I checked the time it was nearly 7! I took my shower & got dressed, and Tiana was awake when I came out of the bathroom. I made cappuccino for us both, and we hung out in the studio playing with our electronic devices until it was time to leave for breakfast at Captains Grille. Wed booked this breakfast while at T-Rex yesterday, figuring a good sit-down breakfast would make sense given that we really didnt have any meal time once we get to the Studios.
We left the studio about 10 minutes before 9 and walked next door to Captains Grille. There was hardly anyone inside and we were seated immediately. It got busier while we were there, with perhaps half the tables filling up. They have a buffet here for $18.99 but we both opted for the a la carte menu. Tiana had a sprite and the lobster omelet with a side of wheat toast. The omelet was full of lobster meat and asparagus, and she loved it. It came with hash browns as well. I had the basic breakfast 2 eggs, crispy bacon, hash browns and a biscuit, along with a glass of water. I thought the hash browns were just ok, but everything else was excellent. Since this is the main meal of the day, I finished everything except the hash browns. Tiana has been paying for all of our meals this trip, in appreciation for taking her along here and on the Dream cruise last November. I was ready to get the breakfast check, but when she explained her reasons and wanted to do it, I stepped back and thanked her. Its nice to be treated although I didnt want her to feel like she had to.
After breakfast we walked back to the studio and had about 30 minutes to chill out before heading out again. This time we changed to sneakers and each grabbed a very light jacket for after the sun goes down. We wanted to get some exercise, so we walked over to Boardwalk first, then cut back to the walking path to Hollywood Studios. Tiana wanted to find a pair of Disney earrings, so we stopped in the big store first, since we had plenty of time before our first fastpass (Star Tours) expired at noon. She not only found a pretty pair of earrings, but an initial necklace as well. Once those were purchased we walked over to Star Tours and entered the fastpass queue. It was quite busy today, so we had a short wait, but much shorter than those in the standby line.
We were seated at the end of the front row, so not the ideal seats but it was still fine. The version we got had the rocks at the end, which Tiana remembered from the only time shed done this before, but I dont remember ever seeing it. I may have had it once, as I remember the people in the station applauding our landing. It was fun, and fastpass is definitely the way to go!
We had time to kill, and the regular attractions all had fairly long waits, so we walked through One Mans Dream (the Walt Disney story). It wasnt long ago that Tiana had no idea there was actually a person named Walt Disney, and she knew nothing of the history so I thought this would help her. We browsed the exhibits and stayed for the movie at the end. She was surprised that Walts name was really Disney, lol! Shed also asked about the Great Movie Ride, having never done that. It had a 25-minute wait, plus its a long ride, so we didnt have time for it at this point. After One Mans Dream we went over and entered the queue for the first (12:45) Comedy Warehouse Holiday Show.
I saw Comedy Warehouse regular Virginia in line and we waved to each other. Unfortunately her husband Bob is no longer able to come to the shows. Pretty soon they let us in to wait in the covered area, then eventually opened the doors to the theater (the former American Idol and Superstar Television location). We sat near the front, and the cast for all shows today was Jake, John, Lisa, Robbie & Jeanette. John DeHaas was on the keys. I brought a pad of paper and a pen with me, intending to take notes and provide a fairly decent recap later, but sadly I never took them out of my bag.
The shows were great, and it was such a pleasure/thrill to see them working together again. I was sorry to have missed Mary & Krista, but I knew beforehand that Mary wasnt scheduled today. Wish Id known that 11 months ago <g> but I guess it wouldnt have mattered since this was the only day I could attend. These shows are shorter than the old ones, and positively fly by! We saw the first 5 shows, and among the games/structures they did were Up Your Alley, Schmeopardy, blues song, opening poem, Should Have Said (ringing the bell) and the audience as the director.
Tiana really enjoyed the shows, and had never seen shows like this. She was amazed at how quick they thought of stuff and how funny they are Lisa became her favorite pretty quickly! After the first show we stopped to greet some of the cast, and as always it was nice to be remembered and catch up with each other. These people brought me so much joy over the years when Id watch them perform, and theyre all nice people. I hate that some of this talent is going to waste and Disney hasnt found a place for them on a full time basis.
We saw the second show with fellow dvc members Dawn & Brian, then lined right back up for the third show. After that was a longer break, with the next three shows starting at 5pm. Id brought the leftover Footprints Flatbread in my backpack, so we shared that to satisfy our need for food. I knew Tiana wanted to do the Great Movie Ride, and our Toy Story fastpasses were good between 3:40 and 4:20 (our windows overlapped but were different), so I suggested we check out the wait time. The time at the door was 15 minutes but the sign behind the cast member said 25 minutes. I asked the cast member what the realistic wait time was and she said 15-20 minutes so we decided to give it a try.
The queue moved pretty quickly and once we got into the preshow room since we were a party of 2 we were directed down to the front, bypassing the snaking queue. However, once down there we learned it was like a party of 2 single rider line. They took people from the regular queue, then used us to fill in the rows as needed which wasnt very often. We were only the 3rd party of 2 yet we did not make it into the next seating. In hindsight had we stayed in the regular queue we would have gotten on just as fast or perhaps a little earlier (but in the same group).
Tiana got a kick out of this attraction, as Im sure I did the first time I rode it in 1998. When we finished we walked straight over to Toy Story Midway Mania and joined the fastpass queue. The standby wait was 85 minutes, so we were glad to have fastpasses! Shed never done this either, which is understandable given that she visits as a day guest. Without a fastpass theres no reasonable way to experience this. She thought it was a lot of fun, but hinted that I must have cheated somehow, lol! I beat her, just as I beat SB every single time weve ridden <g>.
After Toy Story it was time to return to Comedy Warehouse, where we say the 5 & 6pm shows. I think Tiana was ready to head to wine & appetizers after the 5pm show, so I said we could skip the 7pm show but wed be seeing the 6pm show and then Osborne Lights. She had no clue what Osborne Lights were omigod, lol! I told her she just had to trust me. When the 6pm show ended it was dark outside, and we walked towards Osborne Lights. I was careful to keep her along the back walkway but we had to pass the end of the side street and she couldnt miss those lights. Out came the cell phone to take a million pictures, lol!
Shed had no idea what to expect, and she loved all the lights! I gave her a brief recap of the Osborne story, since we werent there to hear the recording. It was surprisingly not crowded at all, and we were able to walk without being shoulder to shoulder with other people. We walked down one side of the street and back up the other side, including the side street. I never did see the cat tonight, as it wasnt in any of the places Ive seen it in the past. When we were ready to leave we walked down the center of the street one last time, then headed for the exit. Im really glad I had the chance to see it one more time this year, and it was nice being able to show it to Tiana. She said her son (high school) would love it, so hopefully theyll both see it next year now that she knows about it.
We walked back to Beach Club and cut through Stormalong Bay on our way to Marthas Vineyard Lounge. It wasnt very busy in there, and when I got the appetizer menu it was pretty much all seafood stuff. I dont eat seafood, and Tiana wasnt in the mood for it since shed had the lobster in her omelet this morning. She asked if there was anywhere else, so I suggested possibly Crews Cub Lounge next to Yachtsman Steakhouse next door. We walked over there and it was busy but we found an empty table for 2 next to the room where they cut the steaks. I posted a picture of the hanging slabs of beef on facebook <g>. They have a much wider selection of appetizers here, along with actually sandwiches and entrees, plus I think you can also order from the Yachtsman menu.
Tiana had the blue martini with glow cube and I stuck with pinot grigio. We shared the buffalo wings and the fried onion appetizers. The wings were huge, and each wing consisted of both pieces so it was a lot of food! The onion appetizer had a couple each of 5 different onions, all fried, with a spicy sauce. It was definitely more food than we needed, and we couldnt finish it all even though we hadnt really had much since breakfast. We chatted a bit with the couple at the table across from us, and just had a nice time there. We left about 9:10 and walked outside to see the Illuminations fireworks going off. I had no idea it was so late its not like me to leave the room at 10:30 and still be out 11 hours later!
We stopped in Beach Club Marketplace, where I bought a coconut bar to bring home. Tiana still has her key lime pie from T-Rex, and we both still have our cookies from Contempo Caf last night! When we got up to the studio she took her bath while I started working on the report. Tonight itll be lights out by 11 rather than midnight! We talked to our husbands, and she followed the end of her youngest sons baseketball game via text.
Today was a terrific day from start to finish! The Comedy Warehouse shows were definitely the highlight for me! I know Tiana also enjoyed them a great deal, and she was impressed by Osborne Lights. Tomorrow were heading back to Gainesville, so Ill work on the photo album once I get home.
DAY 3 Sunday 1/4/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Tiana (46), friend from work
Plan: Breakfast, Drive to Gainesville
Actual: This morning I woke up again after 5:30 but this time got up at 6. Tiana had assured me yesterday it wouldnt bother her at all if I was up early, as she was used to her husband getting up early. I took my shower, made a small cup of cappuccino, then spent time catching up on emails and then uploading photos to shutterfly. I figure whatever I can get done here will shorten the list of tasks I need to complete when I get home today.
Tiana slept later, but that was fine. I think she was up around 7:30. She was still stuffed from last nights food, so while she was getting ready I went down to Beach Club Marketplace to grab something for myself. I was thinking of the delicious potato casserole (sold as a side item), but once there I found the whole grain croissants were soft (last time they were hard) and the pan of potato casserole was nearly empty. So, I switched the plan and got a croissant instead. I brought it upstairs to the studio and had breakfast outside on the balcony.
By the time I finished eating, Tiana was also ready so we left the resort and were home around 10:30 or so. Luckily the heavy traffic we saw Friday afternoon hadnt built up yet today, as I think itll be bad later since its the end of a holiday weekend and week. When I got home I found that SB had done laundry and cleaned the bathroom very nice! He also had taken my car, because his wont start not so nice! Were waiting on AAA to get here, but its probably the alternator or starter, which means well have it towed to Goodyear this afternoon. We need it fixed so SB isnt without a car while Im away for 10 nights.
This was a great trip, even being so short. Normally Id never want to spend such a long time in the parks but it made sense for the Comedy Warehouse shows. I was thinking next year I wouldnt get to see them at all, because my pass will be blocked out, but if Disney runs the shows again I will have to upgrade to the full annual pass. I just get far too much enjoyment out of those people and their shows to skip it for any reason other than being deceased or in a coma! The album this time starts with the Comedy Warehouse photos, and then a few of the castle, Osborne Lights and food follow at the end (its not a big album). It can be found on shutterfly at
share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZNGTdm2bMWjJ0A
My next WDW trip will be another very short weekend (the next 2 trips are only 2 night weekend trips) in late January. I was able to snag a Friday and Saturday night at the new Grand Floridian Villas at the 7 month point, so this is a chance to give that resort a try. Im not interested in a longer stay there, but Im looking forward to this visit.
I have a HAL cruise starting next Sunday, and that report will go out to the people on the cruise trip report list (many of you are on both lists). Ill be sending out a test email soon, so if you dont get that by the end of the weekend and would like to be added to the list please let me know.
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Sue Holland Rayford, Beach Club Villas January 2-4, 2015
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