Sue Holland Rayford, Villas at Grand Floridian, Jan 30 - Feb 1, 2015

Who/When/Where:

Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Dates: January 30 February 1, 2015
Resort: Disneys Grand Floridian Villas Resort
Experience: Very Experienced 1st stay at this resort but nights 669 and 670 with DVC

INTRODUCTION:
This a short trip (2 nights) and generally speaking I usually dont bother with 2-night trips. That said, my last dvc trip was 2 nights (for Comedy Warehouse), this one is 2 nights, and the next one is 2 nights, so I guess I need to be taken with a big grain of salt! During 2015 Im taking 2 HAL cruises (7-night and 10-night), my son is getting married at a destination wedding, Im doing my usual Hilton Head trip, plus I didnt want to cancel any dvc trips, so I had to be mindful of not taking too much vacation time. At 7 months ago when I saw availability at Grand Floridian Villas (the newest dvc) I decided to grab this Friday & Saturday night to give a try, since theres nothing going on to cause me to need to be at an Epcot resort.

At the time I planned to invite my friend Linda for a girls no-parks weekend, but when I mentioned it she was starting another new job and her ability to get the time off for Hilton Head in May was in question, I abandoned any thought of having her come on this trip. She lives in a Boston suburb, which is currently buried under the blizzard so as it turns out she might not have made it down (she flies standby). When I booked I figured Id do a few fastpasses but otherwise spend my days at the pool that doesnt look very likely now given that the weather forecast is a high barely in the low 70s and lows in the upper 40s. I havent planned much park time other than doing a few fastpasses at the Magic Kingdom (due to my location) Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, but if it stays chilly Saturday afternoon I will probably head somewhere. Im so spoiled by Fastpass+ though - Im not willing to wait in line for anything! Sunday Ill probably head home fairly early, but I made some fastpasses in MK just in case I go over there for 2-3 attractions.

I didnt book any meals, since this is such a short trip. I figure 1 night Ill be at Top of the World Lounge, and can either eat up there or get something from Contempo Caf that night. However, after checking the menu at Gasparilla Island Grill (Grand Floridians counter service) there are more than enough choices to last me several days! The menu at Tambu Lounge at the Polynesian is also excellent, but that place can be a nightmare due to the hordes of people waiting for their table at Ohana. In any event, I wont lack for plentiful good food choices.

The plans so far are:
Friday 1/30: Work, Drive to WDW, Outlets, Magic Kingdom, Top of World at BLT
Saturday 1/31: Magic Kingdom, possibly Top of World
Sunday 2/1: Breakfast, Magic Kingdom, Drive to Gainesville


DAY 1 Friday 1/30/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member

Plan: Work, Drive to WDW, Outlets, Magic Kingdom, Top of World at BLT

Actual: Work went pretty well, and I was on the road just after 11:15. There were no issues with the drive, and I was shocked to find I-4 less crowded than Ive ever seen it. Usually I hate being on this road, but today it wasnt bad at all. My only reason for using I-4 was to make a stop at Character Premiere over at the Premium Outlets near wdw. They had a lot of 2014 and holiday stuff in stock, and I bought a light pretty sweatshirt for myself and a t-shirt for Amanda.

Once that was done I drove over to Grand Floridian Villas and everything went very smoothly until I got inside. Members check in at one of 3 desks inside the Villas lobby, which is very nice. Rather than standing in line like peasants, they have 2 comfortable chairs at each desk similar to checking in to a concierge room. The only problem was my room not being ready. It was almost 2:30 and Id said during the online check-in process that Id be arriving at 1:30, so I really wasnt happy that an hour after that my room still wasnt ready. The cast member checked and found NO studios ready right now.

My first fastpass is 2:30-3:30, and Id planned to do all 3 consecutively and then head straight to Bay Lake Tower from there, so this is not working for me. I left my stuff in their luggage room and walked around a bit, hoping for that text to tell me my room was ready. I found Gasparilla Island Grille and although the menu looked good to me online, for whatever reason when I was standing in there nothing was appealing. I left, and walked around taking some more photos before just returning to the villas lobby. I retrieved my bags and decided to just get online and if I missed my first fastpass, so be it. That was preferable to getting over there & receiving the text and I did NOT want to have to return from MK to get settled before going over to BLT. Since Wishes is at 8 tonight, Im figuring on my time at BLT/Top of the World to be early. So, Im not a happy camper at this moment its now 3pm and still no room.

Regarding the resort itself, the lobby is beautiful and it still has that new smell. I asked if the grand villas remain fully booked and learned that they do. Those are gorgeous, but a lot of points! As I was walking out of the building the first thing I saw was a member talking on her cell phone and walking her child on a leash. Its not the cell phone that bothered me, lol its just so disturbing to see people putting kids on leashes like dogs. If you cant supervise your child, then is it really the right time for this vacation/location??

Shortly after 3 the text came in, and I headed up to the 5th floor to check out my home for the next 2 nights. The studio is absolutely lovely, and definitely feels more upscale than the other resorts. The bathroom is huge, consisting of 2 separate rooms each one feels like its close to the size of a regular studio bathroom. Sliding doors can turn it into 1 big bathroom or 2 smaller ones. One side has a regular tub with shower and the toilet. The other has a single vanity sink and a huge shower stall with a regular detachable shower head plus a rainforest head. The mirror over the sink has a tv imbedded, although I think the room tv has to be on for it to work. The toiletries are different too nicer and there are more of them. The kitchenette is standard not as nice as the one at Bay Lake Tower but comparable to the other dvc resorts. The sleeping area is pretty, with a nice tray ceiling AND a ceiling fan something missing from the BLT studios. Its very comfortable for a solo or couple. I think with 4 (or gasp.5) people it gets too crowded, and it would feel like the Holiday Inn or Motel Six crowd, but thats just my opinion. If I had 2-3 kids, Im pretty sure my idea of vacation wouldnt include sharing 1 bathroom and having the kids sleeping in the same room as the parents! Yes, the Holiday Inn/Motel Six crowd thinks thats fine/normal, but thats not what dvc is about in my mind but to each his own. Thankfully the connecting door is far away from the sleeping area, so if there is a family next door I wont hear them.

I quickly unpacked a few things, but didnt really unpack everything since it was so late. I think it was around 3:30 when I walked over to the main resort and was happy to see a monorail waiting when I got upstairs. In no time at all I was inside the Magic Kingdom, even with a bit of a delay at the ridiculous bag check area. There was no delay at the entrance. I heard the train pulling into the station so I decided to ride it around to new Fantasyland and then walk to Tomorrowland to ride the People Mover. Unfortunately, the line was ridiculous!! I didnt even come close to being able to board this train, but it looked pretty good for the next one. But, the train sat in the station for a while, and I wasnt sure how long the next one would take so I decided it simply was not worth it plus even if I got on the train people would be packed in like sardines and thats not my idea of pleasant.

I excused myself through the crowd and exited, then walked up Main Street in much less time. The lines at Starbucks were very long, and the line at the ice cream parlor was completed filled in inside and extended a good ways outside the door. I turned into Tomorrowland and wasnt too thrilled to see so many people. This should be one of the quietest times of the year, but sadly there is no uncrowded time any more. While I was IN LINE for the People Mover (yes, you read that right) I checked the park wait times and they were all longer than Id even consider.

People Mover was great, and I was able to stay on for a second ride. Normally I wouldnt even consider asking when theres obviously a wait, but there were at least 2 cars of people riding a second time when I reached the loading area, so I figured it didnt hurt to ask. With the 2nd ride, it made the rest of my timing work much better. After People Mover I walked over to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which had a 105 minute wait. Thank goodness for fastpass, since this is about a 2-minute ride, lol! It was fun, but it stopped at the end (before the house), so someone must have been having difficulties inside. Eventually we moved again, so it probably was not a malfunction.

At this point I had 15 minutes before I could enter the queue for my last fastpass (Peter Pans Flight) so I sat on a bench outside Pinocchios and read emails. Small World had a 20-minute wait, Haunted Mansion was 30 minutes, so I was not going to attempt another attraction. Peter Pans standby wait was 65 minutes, but with fastpass I was off the ride in less than 15 minutes after entering the queue. Thats the way I like it!

I didnt bother rescheduling my missed fastpass, as it was time for me to get out of this very crowded park. I could have taken the monorail, but chose to walk over to the Contemporary. Walking is good people should do more of it (including me). I went up to the 4th floor concourse and had dinner at Contempo Caf very hungry since lunch was a protein bar at 11am! I had the steakhouse salad, and got an oatmeal raisin cookie for later. The salad was good, but its definitely smaller and not as good as it used to be. I ate most of it, but threw away the rest as it wasnt worth keeping. A good friend from work called to vent about something, so that delayed my departure for Bay Lake Tower we had something happen today that I briefed him on before I left but the full impact of it hit later today. He was right to be pissed too many people just plain acted stupid.

I went down to the BLT lobby and they scanned my magic band & brought me to the elevator to go up to the Top of the World lounge. Only a few other people were there, which was nice. I took a few pictures outside before going in and taking a table at the window. My server asked if I wanted to order any food, but I explained Id just come from dinner. I ordered a glass of pinot grigio and started reading a book on my kindle.

The guy at the table next to me was also solo, and spent his time on his netbook. He ordered the sliders and they looked really good. Id refused to consider them since its $11.49 for 2 sliders but these looked so good I was tempted. I heard him tell the server they were excellent, so theyre on my list for a future visit. Im pretty sure theyre real steak not burgers. Wishes was at 8pm tonight, so shortly after 7 more people started coming up to the lounge or the observation deck.

One party came in with a baby and a preschooler, and thankfully chose the sort of private table off to the side. The baby did NOT want to be there, and when he wasnt crawling around the entire lounge (mom was following him), he was crying. It was so obnoxious a lounge may be the place for well-behaved kids, but crying babies belong back in your room! There were a number of families who brought their kids, but the only inappropriate one was this poor baby. Maybe I should just be glad he wasnt on a leash <g>.

When I ordered another glass of wine I also settled the check, since I wanted to be free to go outside and then leave after Wishes without waiting for the server to take care of the check. With Tables in Wonderland sometimes it takes a manager to approve it. Wishes started promptly at 8, and there was a couple who came over and stood by my table to see out the window. They were polite, and didnt try to get between me and the glass wall or anything like that. I told them they were welcome to sit in the empty chairs, so she took me up on it and he stood next to her. After a short while I decided to watch the rest from outside, as the tv was reflecting on the glass wall. It was cool out there but not uncomfortable at all, since I was wearing a sweatshirt.

After wishes I made a restroom stop and that allowed the elevators to be uncrowded for my ride down to the 5th floor. I walked over to the Contemporary and boarded a waiting monorail had to stand, but thats ok. I was shocked that a woman asked me if Id like her seat I must look really old!!! I thanked her but declined I believe those who get there first get the seats, and being old or not having a penis doesnt make me more entitled to a seat than someone much younger or someone with a penis <g>. I never understood some of the chivalry stuff, and as long as I have 2 functioning legs I will stand if I dont get there in time to get a seat.

We stopped at TTC, then Poly, then Grand Floridian. Its so nice entering the lobby here its beautiful, it smells nice, the piano player adds a lot of ambiance. Its a busy lobby, but there didnt seem to be anyone acting loud or obnoxious it was very nice. I walked over to the villas and updated the report for a few minutes, then just before 9 went back outside. I was thinking the Electric Water Pageant started here, but as I watched the unlit floats sail by and start playing in front of the Poly I realized I was wrong. I got to see it, just from the other side. I then went back inside, thinking it would be here later but around 9:30 I checked the schedule online and realized that after Poly at 9 it does Grand Floridian at 9:15. Oops.

I was craving something sweet, so I went downstairs and walked over to Gasparilla Island Grille. I could hear the Electric Water Pageant over at Wilderness Lodge in the distance. Once again nothing appealed to me not sure why it would, since it was the same stuff I saw just hours ago <g>. I ended up going back to the studio, where I made a small cup of cappuccino and ate half the oatmeal raisin cookie.

Other than my room not being ready when I arrived, today has been a really nice day. Magic Kingdom was much more crowded than I expected, and it makes me not even want to be there. It should be much better tomorrow morning, since Ill be in and out as early as possible. I really like my studio both the room itself and the location/view. I look straight at the monorail track, which was my preference. I can definitely see myself staying here again, but it will have to be a resort trip rather than a trip where I spend much time in the parks. Its a good choice for a resort weekend, but not a longer trip (for me).

Tomorrow Ill spend time in the Magic Kingdom early, doing my 3 fastpasses, but then I plan to get the heck out of there and come back to enjoy this resort. Sitting on the balcony watching the monorails go by sounds very appealing, since it should be too cool for laying on the white sand beach. Tomorrow night I might repeat Top of the World well see.


DAY 2 Saturday 1/31/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member

Plan: Magic Kingdom, possibly Top of World

Actual: It was pretty late by the time I finished up probably getting close to midnight. I prefer not being up that late, but with being out of the room until 9pm I had stuff to do. I slept well, and the studio was very comfortable and absolutely silent. Having the connecting door and the door to the hallway so far away really makes a huge difference! This is so much better than OKW, and better than VWL and BWV in terms of the connecting door.

I got up with the alarm, at 6. I actually woke up about 10 minutes prior, but decided there wasnt any need to get up then. I used the shower stall but since I wasnt washing my hair this morning I didnt get to use the rainforest shower head too tomorrow for sure, though! The water pressure is great and its a nice shower. The bath products seem nicer than what we get at the other resorts the leftovers are definitely going home with me!

After dressing I made my egg, slice of bacon and cappuccino, and enjoyed breakfast while getting online. Magic Kingdom opens at 8am today (until midnight, and then with extra magic hours until 2am), so Im pretty sure they expect it to be busy! My fastpasses are consecutive, at 8, 9:05 and 10:05. After those I plan to get out of the park and stay out of it the rest of the day! I left the studio around 7:40 and SB called as I was walking down the hall. Someone had asked where the laundry room was, so I found that without even having to look. Its on the 4th floor, and you cannot miss it unless you are trying really hard not to see it! Theres nothing special about it its just a laundry room for members in studios to use, if they need/want to. Anyone in a 1br villa or larger has their own washer & dryer inside the villa which is standard for dvc.

While talking with SB I walked over to the Grand Floridian and entered the side door near the staircase to go upstairs and out to the monorail platform. It was cool but not bitterly cold. I wore thin long pants and a sweatshirt with a camisole underneath for a layer and I was comfortable. I did wear gloves and could have used a 2nd pair of socks, but overall I felt fine. There were some people in shorts, but they may have been from Canada or other parts north!

Soon the monorail arrived, and as expected it was pretty much full. This resort is the last stop before the Magic Kingdom, so I expect that during busy times. Surprisingly I did get a seat, as some people must have been going to breakfast someone at GF. In no time at all we were at the Magic Kingdom, and theyd just finished the opening show and were letting guests into the park. Bag check didnt take too long, but mainly because at one table everyone was lined up on one side with nobody on the other side. Cast members take someone from one side, then someone from the other side, and repeat. These people had all their bags lined up along 1 side, so I walked right up to the front of the other side with my bag. I figure if the cast member decided to do all of theirs before me, no big deal, but when he finished the bag he was checking he did mine next then did the next one in their row! Maybe theyll realize next time that they should split into both sides of the table (like every other table there).

Entry into the park was quick no wait. I walked down Main Street and some ridiculous guest decided she wanted to slap hands with all the cast members lining the street wearing Mickey gloves and waving good morning to guests. It was mildly funny at first, but this woman was loud, ridiculous, and carried on with this for the entire street both sides. She was running back and forth, darting in front of more normal people who were simply walking to their first destination. It got old fast, lol!

I turned left past Crystal Palace and once I cut through towards Frontierland they had cast members holding people back. There were hardly any guests, and the cast members started walking just before I got there. I guess since Mine Train opened and the princesses from Frozen arrived almost all the guests are in that area. I was the first guest in the queue for Big Thunder and I had the entire train to myself! When I returned to the station there was still nobody waiting, so I rode again. After this time there were guests in the front car, but nobody else other than me (I stayed on a 3rd time). I could have kept riding, but I did want to do a few other things before my first fastpass expired, so I disembarked and headed for the exit. It was great getting to ride repeatedly without getting off the train!

My next stop was Pirates of the Caribbean, but they were closed for some reason the cast member said to check back later. In my case later means some distant trip, as its not enough of a priority today. Instead, I did Haunted Mansion without any wait other than a couple minutes for the doors to open. It was not crowded at all, which was nice. The cast member working really looked the part he had the creepy look and voice down pat! I didnt catch his name but he was from Vero Beach.

On my way into Fantasyland I stopped at what used to be a kitchen store but now sells all Haunted Mansion logo merchandise pretty cool stuff, especially if youre a huge HM fan. The Peter Pan line was snaked around quite a bit, so I didnt even consider that! The Pooh attraction had a 5-minute standby wait posted so I joined that queue and it was pretty accurate. Once I finished that it was almost 9, and my first fastpass was 8-9 at the Mermaid attraction so I walked over there. The standby wait was posted as 20 minutes, and I thought to myself no way.

At the fastpass entry I was shocked to see the light turn blue instead of green! Blue means your fastpass is not valid, and I knew I was within the grace period. The cast member told me I was 5 minutes early but my fastpass was at Space Mountain. I do have Space Mountain for 9:05-10:05 but there was no record of my earlier one here. I double checked my paper and I definitely had Mermaid 8-9. She asked if I did it on the app, and I told her I used the website. The app runs so slow on my phone I wasnt going to bother trying to pull it up to show her it wasnt worth it. She said she could let me in, but it would delete my Space Mountain one (substituting this for that) and I said Oh NOOOOOOOO, lol! She then said the standby wait was only 5 minutes (remember the 20 minutes posted and my disbelief about that??) and I could ride that way so I did. The only reason the wait was 5 minutes was because it takes that long to walk through the never-ending queue, lol! There was no wait at all.

By now I was in my Space Mountain window, so I walked along the back path into Tomorrowland and decided to kill time riding Buzz Lightyear. It had a 5-minute wait posted, and that was pretty accurate. I really dont like this attraction, and did really poorly I think 46k points. Its just not fun Im much better with Toy Story and that one is enjoyable. Pressing the button on the shooters here is tedious, so I really need to remember to not bother with it again!

Next I rode People Mover twice, enjoying the pretty day. I couldnt help but wonder if that Mr. Tom Morrow is EVER going to answer his darn pages theyve been paging him since before my son Chris was born, lol! After People Mover x 2 I used my fastpass for Space Mountain, which is always fun! Ill have to give some thought to tomorrow, as my 3 fastpasses are Space Mountain, Mermaid and Haunted Mansion and I just did them all this morning.

My final fastpass was for Mine Train at 10:05 so I walked over there and arrived in time for the fastpass to be valid. The standby was 60 minutes at this point. Once again it was a fun ride, and today we didnt stop like it did yesterday. I cut around the castle and made my way back down Main Street to the exit, figuring Id take the resort monorail over to Polynesian Village. As I left the park though, I saw the little boat pulling up to the dock. Thats a much nicer choice on a beautiful day like today, so I entered that queue. We had perhaps a half-dozen people riding, and after a stop at the Grand Floridian the boat continued on to Poly. I took some pictures of the dvc bungalows, and then walked around. The beach and main pool area are a total mess just one big construction site.

I checked out the new lobby, and I really like that I think it looks so much better than that mess they had from 1971 until 2014! Not all changes are good, but to me this one definitely was, and long overdue. One not-great change is where the gallery used to be on the ground floor they now have a dvc desk in that space not the kiosk, but a place that looks more like an office. It just didnt work for me there. Outside, the construction has really ruined any sort of ambiance at this resort its ugly and you hear the noises. Im sure once its done it will look nice, but for right now I think its a big negative.

As I passed a building that was being converted to DVC studios they had some holes in the stuff covering the fence so I was able to peak through and take some pictures. One negative about the Poly is the 2nd floor rooms have no balconies. I was curious to see whether DVC had fixed that, as I cant imagine them having studios with no balcony! They have both 3rd and 2nd floor studios have balconies now, although they dont look particularly spacious. Most likely they didnt touch the 3rd floor and just added them to the 2nd floor, in the same dimensions. Down by the beach I took a couple more pictures of the bungalows from the land side, then walked back to the Great Ceremonial House.

It was just after 11, and I was hungry, so it was time for lunch. I ended up ordering the pulled pork sandwich, mainly because it came on pineapple coconut bread (bun)! I ordered it to go because I knew I wouldnt finish it in one sitting. For a side I got the island slaw, rather than fries or chips. They no longer have you order at monitors like in the past. You order at a kiosk, take your ticket and pay at the cash register, then someone brings your food to your table. The sandwich didnt look that appealing, but it tasted very good, and the pineapple coconut bread was a great addition! The slaw was just so-so. I ate a little more than half of the sandwich, and took the rest with me.

Rather than take the monorail I decided to see if I could walk back to the resort. Sure enough, theres a beautiful paved path that goes behind Luau Cove, to the Wedding Pavilion, and then to the Grand Floridian Villas. That is so convenient, and definitely a plus for staying here in the future! Im pretty sure it was fast then it would have been taking the monorail, since the Villas are on the Poly side of the GF monorail station.

I went up to the studio and updated the trip report, which ended up taking a good hour or so. I also downloaded the photos and then started uploading them. While the photos uploaded I took advantage of being here and sat out on the balcony to finish the book Id started last night. It was cool but not too cool to be out there and with the monorails passing by quietly it was delightful! I could hear some noise from the pool, and that would be distracting on a day the pool was very crowded (pool games), but Ive never been a big fan of all that noise. Most people love it and its fun if youre taking part but if I want to sit outside and read Id rather have it quieter.

Around 3 I came back inside and captioned the photos, to get that out of the way. As I was doing that I looked out the window (the entire wall is glass, except for a little bit on the end and about a foot up by the ceiling) and caught 2 monorails passing at the same time very cool. Up until this point Id only seen them one at a time. It doesnt take much to amuse me, lol! I also checked My Disney Experience, and saw my 8am-9am fastpass for Mermaid on there, so Im not sure what the problem was this morning. Its not a big deal to me, but I can imagine other guests being really upset if they lost one. I did change my second fastpass to Pirates of the Caribbean, but it remains to be seen whether Ill use it or maybe just head there earlier. I also vacuumed the entry and hall. When I checked in it was spotless in fact it was still drying from the housekeeper mopping it. Last night I walked across the beach several times, and I must have tracked sand in on the bottom of my sneakers because I could see white sand on the dark flooring. It only took a minute to vacuum it up, and now it looks nice again!

One thing about this studio (and others as they add the extra little bed) is since that kiddie bed takes up the space under the tv, there are no drawers there. Instead there are 2 big drawers under the real bed. They look like theyd hold a lot, but to me its awkard putting your stuff down there. There are 2 drawers in the nightstand, and then some shelves in the closet. Since this trip is only 2 nights I didnt bother to unpack my clothes instead, I left the open suitcase out of sight by the connecting door (just as you enter the studio). Thats tacky, but its just me here so I can live with it <g>.

The only other negative is in the kitchenette. They used nice granite, nice sink hardware, stainless steel microwave, and then they put in this ugly cheap-looking white refrigerator that doesnt even have a small freezer compartment! It looks totally out of place, like they either had a brain fart or ran out of money and had to cut corners here (not likely).

After the photos were captioned I went back out onto the balcony, which was getting a little more sun at this point. More people were playing in the pool, although there were no pool games or music going on. At 5:30 I gathered up my kindle, camera, put on a second pair of socks and grabbed my HAL sweat/jacket to get ready for the evening. It was after 5:40 when I left the studio, and I learned passing through the pool is a shorter walk into GF rather than taking the covered walkway! The piano player was not playing, but the band/orchestra up on the upper level was playing and it was so nice! I never had any desire to stay here, but this place is really growing on me. When I saw the monorail arrive I went out to the platform, and was at the Contemporary before 6pm.

With a little time to kill I browsed through the main shop, then went over to Bay Lake Tower. They brought me to the elevator to go up to Top of the World, and I was surprised to see quite a few people up there already. Maybe they open earlier than 6? In any event, it was not crowded and I had a wide choice of tables, so I chose the one on the end since I knew I wouldnt be staying for Wishes (at 9pm tonight) and didnt want to tie up a more prime spot. The sun was just setting as I arrived, and as the sky darkened I left the table to go out to the observation deck to take another photo.

My server tonight was the other one from last night, but he somehow knew I had pinot grigio and a glass of ice nice touch! I continued reading, and enjoyed being up there. At one point I asked if they did a half order of the sliders and he said no, but he also said they really werent very big. That would not be a selling point for SB when theyre $11.49, but it worked for me. I decided to go ahead and order them (around 7pm). By then my wine was running low, so I ordered another glass. When the sliders came they did not look nearly as good as they had at the next table last night. The buns looked kind of burnt. I didnt say anything, but when I tried to take a bite the buns were really hard. I tapped them with the fork, and it was like hitting a brick wall! When the server came back I picked up the fork and tapped the buns, and he immediately took them away and ordered a new set.

The new ones were perfect I couldnt believe how excellent they were! Everything worked so perfectly together focaccia, beef tenderloin, boursin cheese, caramelized onions, arugula, horseradish sauce on the side yum!! I cut each one in half to make it easier, and ate the entire thing! I would get these again but check to make sure the bread wasnt hard immediately <g>.

When the sliders came I also gave my server the Tables in Wonderland card to get the check out of the way. It was $30.44 for the sliders and 2 glasses of wine, which I guess is ok for Disney prices <g>. I left the lounge just after 8 and stopped in the store at the Contemporary to buy one of the Mickey-shaped pink macaroons with chocolate filling. Amanda loves these, so hopefully Ill like it too. I went up to the monorail and rode home to the Villas at Grand Floridian (its not GF Villas like Ive been saying). I went up to the studio until just before 9, then headed down to the beach to catch Wishes.

I soon realized the beach is NOT the place to be, because the many GF buildings block the view of the Magic Kingdom. From the quiet pool the high fireworks are visible, but the place to be is the dock by Narcoossees, so thats where I headed. I missed the beginning of Wishes but thats not a big deal given how often I get to see it. They pipe the soundtrack in to the porch of Narcoossees, but us peasants on the dock cant really hear it. We get a closer view, though. While the soundtrack is nice, the real attraction is the pretty fireworks, so its no big deal although I do understand that certain perks/privileges come to those spending bigger bucks than those of us standing on the dock <g>.

As soon as Wishes ended the Electric Water Pageant had come around and started for us, positioned between the GF dock and the Magic Kingdom. This means the GF guests see it from the backside, which is only an issue at the patriot end. The flag is backwards, with the stars in the upper right corner rather than the upper left. Its still a nice thing, though. When it ended I walked back to Villas at GF and went up to my studio. I heated up some water for a small cup of cappuccino, and once the report is posted Ill enjoy the cappuccino and macaroon (tried it its good but not a favorite for me). Tomorrow I might as well spend a short time at the Magic Kingdom before driving home, as long as the weather continues to be decent.

Today was absolutely divine, from start to finish! I got to do a lot of attractions in a short period of time, thanks to getting to MK on time and having fastpasses booked in advance. I really enjoyed my relaxing afternoon on the balcony watching the monorails! Tonight was another wonderful evening as well Ive really enjoyed being here at this resort more than I expected.


DAY 3 Sunday 2/1/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member

Plan: Breakfast, Magic Kingdom, Drive to Gainesville

Actual: I slept well again, this time waking just after 6 but not getting up until the alarm went off at 6:30. Its nice having the tv in the bathroom mirror, to keep up with the morning news while getting ready. For breakfast I finished the pulled pork sandwich and then had my cappuccino. Ill put some ice in the cooler to bring my leftover bacon & egg home.

At 8 I was able to book a few nights at Boardwalk Villas starting January 1 next year. Im assuming the Comedy Warehouse Holiday Shows will be back, and my pass should be good on the 2nd and 3rd (the final 2 days). If that turns out to not be true, I can always cancel. For today, I decided to make a quick (and short) visit to the Magic Kingdom, but before I did that I got everything out of the studio and stored in the trunk of the car. This way the studio was free for them to get ready for the next guest.

Once again the monorail was waiting, so I had no wait. Ive been very lucky with monorail transportation this trip! I arrived just as the pre-show ended, but today since the park opened at 9 it was a bit busier than yesterday when it opened at 8. I think so many people dont bother to do any basic research at all, assuming the park opens at 9 every day, so those who do check find out about the hours in advance have a real advantage on those days!

Id purposely chosen to not bring a bag, so I was able to skip the bag check area. I had my car keys in one pocket, my phone in the other, and I carried my camera over my shoulder. The entry areas had some long lines, but there were also stations with nobody at all Im sure you can guess whether I chose to stand in line mindlessly or enter with no wait <g>.

My first stop was Pirates of the Caribbean, which had no wait. Our boat had 2 other couples and me, so they seated us in rows 3, 4 & 5. Perhaps that balances the boat better. It was a nice ride, and amazing to think back to the 70s when this attraction opened. Just like the Haunted Mansion its very cool, but even more that they came up with it way back in 1971 when technology was so much more limited. After Pirates I walked through Frontierland and cut across the hub in front of the castle to enter Tomorrowland to use my Space Mountain fastpass. At this point the fastpass wasnt really necessary, as the standby queue had no wait either. This time I was given the back seat, which I like! After Spaced Mountain I couldnt leave without one more ride on the People Mover. When my grandmother was alive we rode this together all the time, when wed let Chris go to Grand Prix Raceway by himself. When hed finish hed come to People Mover and wait up top for us to come around, then join us for one last ride good memories!

I headed back down Main Street and left the park. It was 10am by now, and huge mobs were entering the park from every direction (buses, ferry, monorail). Cast members were out there yelling to guests to help keep things moving and direct the ones blindly joining the closest lines to shorter entry lines further down. The resort launch wasnt visible so I walked up the resort monorail ramp and could see it arriving from Grand Floridian by the time I reached the top. It was crammed full, but almost everyone got off here!

At the Contemporary a family of 4 boarded, including a cute little boy (toddler) in a stroller He had a Disney spinning toy (lights up) but he actually seemed to like playing with the stick (tree branch) he was carrying better, lol! All was good until he started SCREAMING Daddy Daddy Daddy at the top of his lungs. Mom was sitting in front of him tapping away on her smart phone with a dopey grin, ignoring him. Dad was sitting next to me, behind the stroller, and did absolutely nothing. Maybe its just me, but in a contained environment like a monorail car this noise was ridiculously inappropriate, and the parents should have shushed him or corrected his volume. He wasnt in distress or upset at all just felt like screaming at the top of his lungs!

I got off at the Polynesian, and took the pleasant walk along the beach back to my car, then drove back to Gainesville without incident.

This was a really nice, relaxing little weekend getaway, and I ended up liking this resort much more than expected. I still wouldnt consider it during Food & Wine, Flower & Garden, or Osborne Lights but for a quick trip when Im happy to do either no parks or just a little time in the Magic Kingdom, this is perfect. Its definitely beautiful, and I love the big bathroom and the monorail views. On a future trip Ill have to enjoy Tambu Lounge a wise friend pointed out that if I arrived there around 4pm Id get a seat ahead of the Ohana mob! Maybe once the Poly DVC opens (right now April 1, 2015) itll become a little easier to book here at 7 months well see. I did waitlist for Memorial Day weekend after I got home. Im booked at Bay Lake Tower, and probably dont have a snowballs chance in hell, but nothing ventured nothing gained. Ill be happy at either spot.

The photos from this trip are on shutterfly at

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...ZNGTdm2bMWjKaA


My next trip is another short 2-night the last weekend of February, but this time with the added feature of having to move mid-trip. Thats right I have two 1-night reservations! I arrive to a club level (concierge) room at Jambo House, when 1 night was available as I was fiddling around on the website at the 7-month point. There was a value studio at Jambo House available for the next night, so I grabbed that as well. Since my concierge lounge access wont end until midnight of the day I check out of the club level room, Ill get to enjoy the lounge both nights. The negative is being homeless for a good chunk of that 2nd day but if its cool Ill spend time in a park and if its warm Ill be out at the pool and theres always the concierge lounge for hanging out online while waiting for the new room! After this Ill be back to more normal trips, staying longer than 2 nights <g>.