Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
SB (58), my husband
Chris (29), my son
Amanda (26), my daughter-in-law
Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
Dates: October 22 - 29, 2015
Resort: Disneys Beach Club Villas Resort
Experience: Very Experienced 36th stay at this resort
INTRODUCTION:
At last, its time for the main/real Food & Wine trip! This time our friends Pete & Judy will be there, well be in a 1-bedroom villa rather than a studio, and the villa is booked for 7 nights instead of just a weekend! Typically the later in October you go the better the weather is, but this year has been a bit unusual. My weekend in early October had unseasonably nice weather (after the first day), and it looks like this whole trip will be warmer than it was last trip. Thats not good, but at least the humidity should be lower.
Pete & Judy have been at WDW since last Saturday, along with some of their kids and grandkids. The kids/grandkids go home this Saturday, and Pete/Judy are sticking around for our trip until Tuesday. I get in on Thursday, followed by SB, Chris & Amanda on Friday. Well all get to meet Pete & Judys family sometime Friday night at Food & Wine. Chris & Amanda go home Sunday, Pete/Judy & SB go home Tuesday, and I go home Thursday.
Originally I had a studio booked for Chris & Amanda (at 11 months) at Beach Club Villas, but when her stepsister announced her wedding for that weekend in NC, they had to cancel. Later the wedding became questionable, and as far as we know its not happening, but by then there werent any studios anywhere. I did book them a room at Baymont Suites outside the Animal Kingdom area, but they didnt want to deal with driving after enjoying Food & Wine, and preferred using our sleep sofa in the living room. Ordinarily I would not want 4 adults sharing a 1-bedroom villa, but its only for 2 nights so we should be able to suffer through it with minimal damage.
There are a few other Disney friends I hope to see towards the beginning of the trip, and Im also looking forward to my short solo stay at the end. We booked a few meals, to make use of the Tables in Wonderland card while we still have those <g>. Hopefully well get some pool time thrown in there as well. Im mainly interested in enjoying Food & Wine Festival and relaxing. Unfortunately none of the concert groups were huge attractions this time, but well at least check them out at some point.
The plans so far are:
Thursday 10/22: Drive to WDW, Outlets, Food & Wine
Friday 10/23: Food & Wine, Others Arrive, More Food & Wine
Saturday 10/24: Trails End lunch, Epcot
Sunday 10/25: Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian Caf lunch, Food & Wine
Monday 10/26: Epcot, Food & Wine
Tuesday 10/27: Captains Grille, Hollywood Studios, Pool, Food & Wine
Wednesday 10/28: Beach or Pool, Food & Wine
Thursday 10/29: Epcot, Food & Wine, Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Thursday 10/22/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Plan: Drive to WDW, Outlets, Food & Wine
Actual: Yesterday I drove to Ft Myers, planning to start my Food & Wine trip the old way following a dental appointment <g>. However, as I pulled into the driveway I got a call from my dental hygienist letting me know their compressor had stopped working and they wouldnt have a new one installed until this afternoon some time. The compressor operates the suction machine. I wasnt willing to give up a day of Food & Wine especially not a solo day, lol so we rescheduled the appointment. The next WDW trip starts November 13th, so shell come in before the office opens to do my appointment that morning.
This morning I was able to putter around at my leisure, knowing if I got to WDW too soon I wouldnt have a room. Id picked up groceries for the week yesterday, and have the perishable items in 2 coolers. This way when SB goes home he can take one of the coolers, leaving me with the smaller one to take home any remaining stuff next Thursday.
Before continuing with the report last trip wed gotten word that his sister and her significant other were in a bad car accident (hit head-on). Since then his sister has come out of her coma and will survive. She had surgery to repair one of her legs, and also had a broken arm, and shell be in rehab for a couple months or so. Her SO still has not woken from his coma, and a couple weeks ago they had to amputate one of his legs. The driver who caused all this mess is also still in a coma at least he was as of about a week or so ago.
Around 9 I packed my stuff (mainly the coolers), loaded the car and made a stop at Total Wine. We dont have one in Gainesville, so I bought some stuff to bring back to Gainesville after the trip. I was on the road for the WDW area by 9:30. Just before 11 I got a text that my room was not quite ready. I kept driving, and since I hadnt gotten the ready text I went to the outlets. There wasnt anything in there that I really wanted certainly nothing worth standing in the crazy line to check out! Outside I wandered around, sat on a bench, wandered some more, and finally around 1:30 I got the text that the room was ready so I got the car and drove over to Beach Club Villas.
Theyre still not issuing paper parking passes here, which surprises me that the other resorts still do. I parked and took the first load of stuff up to the villa. My location is not bad 2nd floor and down that short hallway near the ice machine and trash room. Ive got a long balcony that runs the width of the living room and master bedroom. There are 4 chairs and 2 cocktail tables out there. The villa looks perfectly fine, and I took several pictures since next time it should be all refurbished and will look different. Itll be nice to have a bigger tv, but Ill bet we lose drawer storage space.
I made another trip to the car, then unpacked while watching General Hospital. This villa is perfect for us as a couple, and luxurious for me as a solo. It wont be bad with Chris & Amanda for those 2 nights, except having a 2nd bathroom would make a huge difference! Once I got settled I realized my Soarin fastpass was an hour earlier than Id remembered, and it was about to expire. There were no more times available today, so I just let it lapse. That was a dumb move on my part, when I unpacked rather than waiting until later.
I texted back & forth with Pete, who was at the Boardwalk pool with a bunch of screaming kids. He said to come on over, but Ill take a pass on screaming kids. He said the music was so loud his chest was vibrating, lol! We were going to meet up later, but he remembered he & Judy were babysitting the grandkids so the parents could go out alone tonight. Oh well, Ill see them tomorrow for sure.
Just before 3:30 I walked over to Epcot, talking to SB on the phone on my way over. I arrived just after the Friendship unloaded, but they kept things moving quickly through bag check and the entry. Its amazing to see people who dont have a clue what to do at the entry still. Once in the park I turned left towards United Kingdom in search of food. I ended up getting a pork slider at Hawaii. It was good, but not great. There are definitely better choices out there, so I dont need to repeat this.
I headed into Future World and got SBs port wine glass (he got 2 stamps last trip), then went to the Festival Center. I got my Ghiradelli sample and then bought a glass of prosecco, taking it into the theater in the center of the building. They show a continuous loop movie about the making of the Food & Wine Festival, and it was pretty interesting! I didnt stay for the entire thing, but maybe Ill catch the rest another day.
After that I walked back towards World Showcase, stopping to talk with Michael at work for a little while. By now it was almost 5:15, so I got a glass of pinot grigio at the Wine Studio, then walked towards America. The band tonight & tomorrow is Fuel, who I had never heard of. I looked them up online and it mentioned the word grunge, so I assumed they were NOT my cup of tea at all! But, since I had time I decided to check them out, taking a seat on one of the white benches at the very rear of the theater so I could leave if they were as horrible as I expected. To my surprise, they werent bad at all! I didnt recognize any of the songs but I enjoyed hearing them as background music as I read email and played suduko on my phone.
I left during the last song, to beat the crowd. It was odd to see only about 4 people in line for the next show quite often theres a long line waiting while the previous concert is going on. I walked towards Italy and when I got to Africa stopped there for the buttered chicken on naan bread. This was very good Im glad I tried it! My last stop was at desserts & champagne, where I got the cherry explosion for later in the room. It looks like chocolate mousse with a cherry on top, and Id asked someone last trip how it was. They said it was good not very cherry-ish.
I decided to go ahead and leave the park, and walked back to Beach Club Villas. Before I went up to the room I stopped at Beach Club Marketplace and bought a coconut bar for the room. I also got some mayo packets for SBs sandwiches and a few pepper packets for the eggs in the morning.
Back in the room I looked around for extra blankets and there didnt seem to be any, so I called housekeeping and they brought a couple up. Id checked the sleep sofa and didnt notice one on there, so the 2nd one is for Chris & Amanda. Im in for the night planning to enjoy my villa while catching up on some stuff online and watching HGTV.
Today was a nice day its great to be back here, and especially great to be in the 1-bedroom villa instead of a studio! Its warm outside but there was a nice breeze making it gorgeous by late afternoon and early evening. Crowds werent too heavy, at least compared to what well see tomorrow night and especially Saturday!
Tomorrow Im going to relax around the resort (beach or pool) and am looking forward to everyone being together for Food & Wine Festival tomorrow evening!
DAY 2 Friday 10/23/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
SB (58), my husband
Chris (29), my son
Amanda (26), my daughter-in-law
Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
Plan: Food & Wine, Others Arrive, More Food & Wine
Actual: It is so nice having a 1-bedroom villa! If SB ever hits Powerball Ill have to buy enough points to only do 1-bedroom villas, even for solo trips <g>. Around 9:30 I left the living room and watched a little tv in bed, then it was lights out by 10:30. Theres no door from the bedroom to the hallway, so theres no noise from any passing guests (although, were near the end of the hall so any noise would come from a handful of rooms). The road is on the other side of the trees off our balcony, but the trees are so thick it blocks the noise and road view. Last night when Illuminations started I stepped out onto the balcony and could see some through the dense foliage to my right. From the 4th floor there would probably be a fairly decent view.
This morning I woke up around 5, but fell back asleep and didnt get up until just after 6. I love not having a reason to set an alarm! I brought the laptop to bed and watched some morning news, getting up at some point to make my cappuccino and bring it back to bed as well. When SB called around 8 I got up and went out to the living room. After talking with him, taking care of some work emails & talking to Michael, I made my breakfast. Today (like most days) its an egg and slice of bacon. The burner on the stove didnt heat up, so I switched to a different one and then noticed the faulty one just wasnt inserted into the slot. Once I did that, it worked good news, since now I wont have to call maintenance.
Just before 9 I put on a swimsuit and cover-up, and went down to Beach Club Marketplace to pick up some butter packets. It was pretty busy down there, although Im sure nowhere near as obnoxious as any of the food courts. Still, I was happy to have my own kitchen, and would be coming earlier if buying breakfast here. I thought about a multi-grain croissant but wasnt hungry enough, and theyre best when fresh.
I left the room around 9:20, grabbed a few pool towels from the quiet pool, and then walked out to the beach. The chairs are all set up together at the end near Stormalong Bay so I knew to go out that door. I dragged a chaise lounge away from the pack, near the edge of the water, and then got a small sitting chair so my bag wouldnt have to be on the sand. There was a nice breeze and it was absolutely delightful out there! It was never overly hot, and although several people came and sat for a while, the only annoying one was the smoker who was close enough for the stench to drift my way. I thought she had ear buds in when I said something about it to Pete on the phone, but maybe she didnt she got up and left after her cigarette. I would have moved my chair once I got off the phone, as there was more than enough room for everyone (but honestly no room for smoking except in designated areas).
At noon I gathered up my stuff and went back inside to shower. I take the pool towels with me, and they can be used again. They dont have any towel bins on the beach, so if a towel gets all sweaty I take it to a bin near Stormalong Bay. Today I just put them on one of the chairs on my balcony. Id declined an invitation to join Pete & Judy for a brief walk in Epcot, since it conflicted with General Hospital. Once back in the villa I decided I could watch GH online some other time, so I texted them to see if they were still planning to go over.
I took my shower and dressed, but not before eating the chicken finger Id brought from Ft Myers (leftover from dinner out w/Chris & Amanda) and a bite of the coconut bar. Pete & Judy texted at 1:20 to say they were leaving their room (Boardwalk), so I headed out then as well.
Chris texted to say he & Amanda were on the road, so they should be here around 4:30. I met Pete & Judy at the top of the bridge, and we walked into Epcot. It was feeling really hot by now, and the crowds were getting intense. Lines were long at the kiosks, and I am not standing in that sun! We headed towards Future World and stopped at the Wine Studio for pinot grigio for Judy and me. After that we went to Innoventions and got our passholder stamps for today. Ill have to come back later for Chris, Amanda & SB, but thats ok. It should be cooler by then, lol!
We really enjoyed the a/c inside Innoventions, but then had to go back outside. Things were so crowded Pete gave up on the mens room because the line was so long! Thats common in the ladies room, but its a bad sign if the mens room is like that too. We left via International Gateway, agreeing to meet up later. I went back to the villa to cool down, and caught the last half of General Hospital.
After that I puttered around the villa, and spent some time out on the balcony. Chris & Amanda arrived shortly after 4, and after dropping off their stuff we headed over to Epcot. It was even busier than before, and I knew it would get worse as the night wore on not as bad as tomorrow would be, though. People with scooters and strollers definitely have a challenging time of it when its this crowded.
We turned right towards France and made a loop around the countries. Amanda remembered the mahi mahi she always got at Singapore, and I realized I didnt remember seeing that country this year. I checked the passport and confirmed they are not back again. In Morocco Chris got the casa beer, and then in America Amanda got the slider. She gets it plain, then adds mustard from the counter service place.
In Germany Chris got another beer, but Im not sure which one. We continued on, stopping in Mexico. They shared the thing with soggy corn chips & chicken, and each got the sweet corn cheesecake. They loved that last year, and really liked it this year too. In Scotland Chris got some beer with honey and citrus Amanda tried it and said it was awful! From there we went to the Wine Studio, where I got the pinot grigio. Amanda is a big fan of cheese, but at this point was too full to get anything at the Cheese Studio next door.
Since we were in the area we continued to the Chew Lab and Sustainable Chew area. Amanda & I secured a table while Chris stood in the slow line to get the chocolate almond truffle (blasted with liquid nitrogen). He thought that was kind of weird, but ok. By now SB was on the property, but had taken a wrong turn and ended up by the Magic Kingdom. We headed over towards the International Gateway to wait for him. He managed to find his way to the resort, and to the villa. After dropping his stuff and changing into his sneakers (NO repeat of last trip, please) he headed into the park and called me once he got past the entry. Amanda saw him just as my phone rang.
The 4 of us decided to get our stamps in our passports, and I gave SB the option of keeping or skipping our Soarin fastpasses that would end in about 10-15 minutes. Chris & Amanda had fastpasses for the concert, so they werent eligible for Soarin. He chose to skip it, so we walked towards Innoventions. Along the way Bryan Walton texted me to say he & Elizabeth were in the park they were just leaving Starbucks. I texted back and we met up at the entrance to Innoventions.
We made introductions for Chris & Amanda, then went inside to find crazy long lines! But, I noticed the long lines were only for the 2nd and 3rd visits the line for the 1st stamp was empty. Thats what we all were, so we were in & out of there in no time! Bryan and Elizabeth got their first stamp too. Even though they dont drink, they can enjoy the glass as a keepsake of the festival.
Once the stamps were obtained we headed back out to World Showcase. As we approached Canada Judy called to say theyd left dinner in Morrocco and were headed towards Germany and then China. We decided to change our direction in the hopes of running into them, but I wasnt able to reach her once we made that decision. It was really crowded, pretty noisy, and not very pleasant being in Epcot in those conditions. Bryan & Elizabeth got into the queue at Dominican Republic to get food, and we waited until he texted to suggest if SB wanted to get something wed meet further up. SB had been talking about a margarita so we decided to go to Mexico and let them meet up with us there. We joined the long line at the margarita stand, along with lots of other people.
Eventually SB got his margarita and we stood over by the railing until Bryan & Elizabeth caught up to us. SB wasnt really hungry for some reason, and almost every kiosk had long lines, so we just walked and talked, enjoying each others company. In America the 8pm Fuel concert was starting, and when they did we were all turned off by the godawful noise coming from that stage! It was nothing like the early concert last night, lol this was just noise. We all looked at each other and agreed we had NO interesting in stopping to listen to it.
I did need something to eat, and a slider sounded good, so we went to Hops & Barley and got 4 sliders. We took them to an empty picnic table as far from the music as we could get, lol! The sliders were good, but could have been hotter (temp). Our next stop was France, where Bryan & Elizabeth shared the beef and the escargot, loving both.
At this point it we were all ready to call it quits. Theyd been up in the parks since 9 this morning, SB had worked a full day before getting here, and I knew after tomorrow wed have a much easier time enjoying Epcot at night due to less crowds. So, we said our goodbyes and headed to our respective exits.
Back at the villa SB took a quick shower and channel surfed while I finished up the report and relaxed. We never did end up finding Judy, but we had to have walked right past them without seeing her. Pete had fallen asleep after the pool and never made it back to Epcot. I guess thats what grandkids do to a person yikes!
Today was a really nice day I loved relaxing on the beach this morning, and it was great seeing Bryan & Elizabeth again. The weather was great this morning and evening, but the afternoon was too hot in the sun. Pete said this was the first afternoon all week that its been uncomfortable lucky me <g>.
Tomorrow the 6 of us have a noon lunch at Trails End, and will meet over there since we wont fit in 1 car. Pete & Judy move from their 2-bedroom villa to a studio, too. Chris has a sunrise golf thing booked, where he gets breakfast, golfs 7 holes and then gets beer over at the Lake Buena Vista course starting at 7 or 7:30 a.m. Hes looking forward to it! Amandas looking forward to sleeping in!
DAY 3 Saturday 10/24/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
SB (58), my husband
Chris (29), my son
Amanda (26), my daughter-in-law
Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
Plan: Trails End lunch, Epcot
Actual: Chris & Amanda got back before 10 last night, and everyone turned in. SB was fading by 10 so he turned over the remote control and I switched it to HGTV (from ESPN) while he went to sleep. I turned it off at 10:30, and was asleep pretty quickly. Id used ear plugs so I heard nothing it was great! Today my right ear is sore, which is why I hate to use them. I think that ear canal is narrower than the left one.
I got up just after 6 and he was awake by 7:30. Chris had left sometime before 7, wanting to be at the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course by 7 for his activity. Eventually I made my cappuccino, having brought the coffee maker, mug & cappuccino powder into our side of the bathroom so it wouldnt disturb Amanda sleeping in the living room. Somewhere after 8 I got up to take my shower, but first agreed to make breakfast for SB. He remembered the great potato casserole here, so he went down to the Beach Club Marketplace while I cooked him an egg, a sausage patty, a slice of bacon, 2 pieces of toast and a packet of grits.
He came back with 2 scoops of the potatoes, along with a few bottles of beverages. His timing was perfect, so I fixed his plate and kept half of a scoop of potatoes for myself. I took my shower, dressed & dried my hair. Chris had just gotten back, and enjoyed the golf. Breakfast was breakfast sandwiches, and he ended up being the only golfer at his tee time so he was finished in an hour. SB wishes hed known about it, so if Chris does it again next year well sign SB up as well.
Chris took his shower, and I ate one of my greek yogurts. SB was watching some Robin Williams show on his laptop, and laughing his *** off <g>. I dont think well ever see another Robin Williams. We had no plans until lunch at noon, so it was a lazy kind of morning. We headed out at 11:15, with Chris driving us over to Fort Wilderness. For some reason the parking lot was jammed, with cars parked on the grass too. This didnt make any sense to me, so I told Chris to try some more rows, thinking surely wed find a spot!
Just then I noticed a text from Pete they had already arrived, and had to park on the grass, lol! So, we did the same, and hopped on the waiting bus for our private ride to the other end of the campground where Trails End is located. We found Pete and Judy sitting in the shade across from the restaurant. We checked in at the podium and learned our usual waiter wasnt working today, but thats not a big deal. We were seated at a table for 6 over on the bar side, being the first party seated over there. Soon others were seated, and the table next to us had 4 kids plus she was pregnant with the 5th!! A few of the kids were nice & quiet, but a couple felt it was fine to wander around the restaurant barefoot. What is wrong with people these days??? If you bring kids to a restaurant, they should be able to remain seated for the duration, and not be screeching for no reason.
For lunch choices we had 5 different choices, so I got several food porn pictures I wouldnt have had on a solo trip <g>. I had a glass of wine and the BLT flatbread (got this before). SB had pomegranate lemonade and the country fried steak he loved both! Chris had tea and the shrimp & grits, which he said were ok. Amanda had coke, and both she & Pete ordered the chicken and waffles. They both seemed to like them. Judy had wine and the pulled pork sandwich, which shes had before so it must be good. Chris then got the small pecan pie dessert to go.
Pete & Judy moved this morning, and as of 9am they were expedited for an early ready room yet they still hadnt received the text when we left the restaurant at 1pm! The Boardwalk is generally horrible about getting you into a room and everyone with half a brain can figure out that rooms become ready throughout the day, as early as 9am! They dont magically all become ready at 4pm and are filthy up until 3:59.
We left the restaurant for the 4 of us (excluding Pete & Judy) the check was just under $91 after Tables in Wonderland. Those non-alcoholic drinks really add up at $3 or so for each person! The bus was at the bus stop when we arrived, and we were the only riders again. We agreed to meet up later in Epcot, and headed off to our respective destinations. I think they may have headed to the outlets, since they might still be homeless. We drove back to Beach Club Villas and relaxed for about 1.5 hours or so.
Our Epcot fastpasses start at 3:45, so we headed out around 3 and walked into Epcot via International Gateway. I should have texted Pete & Judy earlier to let them know we were leaving at 3, but I didnt think of it until we were walking down the hall. They texted back once we were in Epcot saying they were walking over. Once in the park it was crazy busy, as I expected. SB was going on about getting a turkey leg or getting this or getting that, and I was saying to myself not today, with these lines. I let him make the effort, and every spot we came to had ridiculous lines (as expected). I thought we were going in to do our fastpasses and would get something to eat/drink later, after we left! After all, wed just had lunch 3 hours ago.
As wed go to a spot Id text Pete & Judy, then as that one wouldnt work & wed head to another Id text them again. Finally Chris & Amanda decided to stand in the ridiculous line outside the Craft Beer place at Odyssey, while SB wanted something from the cantina at Mexico (shorter lines than the Food & Wine kiosk). I secured a table, but unfortunately half of it was in the sun.
Soon Pete & Judy found us, right about the time SB arrived with his tacos and mango margarita. Im not sure where he put them 3 hours after lunch I was too full to think about food yet. We sat there in the cantina while SB ate, and it got pretty toasty in the sun! Chris had texted to say they were almost inside the building at Odyssey. Once SB finished we left to find Chris & Amanda at Odyssey, and I texted them with no response. We went to the other side and found a much shorter line too bad they couldnt have known about that! The others stayed outside in the shade while I went inside looking for them. I never found them, so I texted to let them know we were going to get our passport stamps.
The lines at the passport place were non-existent, so SB & I got in the 2nd stamp line while Pete went to get his glass. While we were in there Chris & Amanda showed up, saying theyd gone to Mexico to look for us but had no free hands to answer the phone. They got their 2nd stamps and then we headed to the Seas since we were in our fastpass window.
At the Seas we were in our clams in no time at all, and then spent a while looking at the creatures in the aquariums. There was a spotted stingray that had a huge school of fish following everywhere he went very strange! Next we walked over to Spaceship Earth to use that fastpass, and for the first time in my life my picture turned out nice. Usually it looks awful!
We had some time before the final fastpass, so we went to the Festival Center. A few of us got something to drink, then we gathered to watch the movie about the making of the Food & Wine Festival. Id seen most of it yesterday, but it was new to everyone else and they all seemed to enjoy it. After the movie we got our ghiradelli samples and headed over to Test Track.
Pete & Judy decided to skip it, so the kids & I entered the fastpass line. It was backed WAY up, and I knew it was going to be a long experience. SB asked if I wanted to wait, and I said no. The point of fastpass is to get on quickly Im not interested if I have to spend 20-30 minutes waiting to get to the attraction! We exited the line and looked for Pete & Judy but couldnt find or reach them. Eventually they saw our missed text & call, and called us back. They were headed out of the park, so we said wed meet them at our resort.
The crowd to get into Epcot was insane ridiculously long! You would think anyone coming in through International Gateway would have the experience and sense to not be arriving at such a peak time, but evidently many people dont have a clue. Or, maybe they just like standing in line to get into the park, then standing in line at least 30 minutes for each food/beverage item they want to try makes no sense to me!
SB wanted a chocolate chip cookie and milk for later, so we headed to the Beach Club Marketplace. We found Pete sitting outside, finishing a bottle of milk. Inside we got a chocolate chip cookie and an oatmeal raisin cookie, and SB got a bottle of lemonade (what happened to the milk??). Outside we met up with Pete and went up to our villa. SB made a turkey sandwich (hungry again, omigod, lol) and I prepared some crackers and cheese. Judy arrived with some nice salami theyd bought at Publix, so I added that and made a plate for Pete and a plate for Judy and me. The men were on the couch watching football games, while Judy & I sat at the table planning next years dates. Judy & I had some wine with our food, while Pete stuck with a bottle of water. The salami was a really nice addition to the cheese & crackers!
They left around 8, as were all too old to be party animals. We moved into the bedroom, where SB was falling asleep by 8:30 <g>. Chris texted to say Epcot was too busy and they were headed back too. Tomorrow we have an earlier day, so it doesnt hurt to be in early tonight.
Today was another terrific day although Epcot truly is not enjoyable around World Showcase on Saturdays during Food & Wine Festival! It wasnt bad in Future World, though. Tomorrow we are headed to Magic Kingdom for opening, which means we need to get moving early with 4 adults sharing a single bathroom! We also have lunch at Grand Floridian Caf, and may get some pool time after that followed by Food & Wine after the weekend crowd goes home.
DAY 4 Sunday 10/25/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
SB (58), my husband
Chris (29), my son
Amanda (26), my daughter-in-law
Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
Plan: Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian Caf lunch, Food & Wine
Actual: We slept really well again its so comfortable and quiet in the 1-bedroom villas! Id set the alarm for 5:30 but was awake before then. I got up when the alarm when off, and took my shower. SB was awake by the time I finished, so we watched some tv. Id asked if he wanted breakfast, and he said no. But, I knew hed change his mind. Sure enough, around 7:20 he asked if I was going to get the potatoes this morning <g>.
Since Chris & Amanda were asleep in the living room, I just bought SB a breakfast platter from Beach Club Marketplace rather than cooking breakfast. I did zap a sausage in the microwave to supplement his platter. I brought the toaster into our bathroom and made myself an English muffin, and also ate the last couple bites of SBs breakfast. He took his shower next, and shortly after 8 Chris & Amanda were up. We left the villa around 8:30, headed to the bus stops. Today we should get full housekeeping service, so we didnt bother making up the beds.
Chris wanted something to eat, so we sent him to Beach Club Marketplace while the rest of us went to the bus stops, figuring he wouldnt make it onto our bus. We were wrong, since it took so damn long for the bus to arrive!! There were lots of people waiting, and it was mobbed by the time a bus finally did arrive. I managed to get on, standing up, but they were left in the mob at the curb. They were near the front, and we had room on my bus but there were so many people with those big strollers with huge rubber wheels they had trouble maneuvering them down the aisle! Perhaps those things should be banned if you absolutely must have one, then rent a car. The guy in front of me kept trying to pick his up to move it, but each time he grabbed it by the food tray, which just snapped off and left him holding everyone up while he tried to snap it back on this was repeated several times. Arrgh.
Another bus pulled in right after mine, so Chris, Amanda & SB got on that bus but said there were still quite a few people left behind. Pete & Judy were already at Magic Kingdom, so I let them know our status, and we met up with them close to 9:30. They did Peter Pan as a standby guest even though we have a fastpass for 10:15. Its a good thing they did, since it went down right after that.
We met them outside the store by Haunted Mansion and did that with a wait!! Ive never seen it so crowded just 30 minutes after the park opened. The stretch room was full, and our group ended up on opposite sides of the room, so we didnt all ride in a row (not a big deal). We met up again outside. The ending with the hitchhiking ghosts has changed, and you no longer see yourself. That was disappointing. Now its just a picture of a ghost with his thumb sticking out.
We walked into Fantasyland, noticing that Peter Pan was not operating. We had 15 minutes left in our Mine Train window, where we had 4 fastpasses. Pete, Judy & SB decided they didnt want to ride so Amanda & I took their magic bands and she & I rode twice in that short timeframe. The first time we got the front row, and the next time we had the very last row. We liked the back row better!
SB had been on the hunt for popcorn since entering the park, and while Amanda & I were on Mine Train the 2nd time hed gone to the popcorn wagon outside Gastons Tavern. They were just opening so he was sitting on the bench waiting for the popcorn to pop. Amanda & I could smell it on our 2nd ride, lol. Wed also gotten the email that Peter Pan was down and we had a list of attractions we could substitute. We chose Mermaid, since its right there. SB opted to sit out and wait for his popcorn, but the rest of us did the attraction.
When we came out SB was at the exit finishing his popcorn. That left us with 1 fastpass, so Chris took SBs magic band and used it at Barnstormer while the rest of us waited near the exit. From there we walked over to Tomorrowland and rode the People Mover with no wait. After that it was time to head out of the park, so we walked down Main Street trying to ignore the very LOUD dance parade thing that was running. Chris & Amanda bought some rice krispie balls in the Confectionary, and SB got a caramel apple with nuts for later. Once that was done we left the park and waited for the small boat to Grand Floridian.
Once again our transportation luck sucked. It took a while for a boat to come, and then when it did it was full. Everyone disembarked, but this one family took forever. I dont know what they were doing, but it was getting ridiculous (no wheelchairs, scooters, canes or anything). I guess they didnt see the long line of people waiting to board?? Finally we got on the boat and sat in the back since we were a big party. We joked that with the men the aft was going to sink to the point the captain wouldnt be able to see water over the bow of the boat <g>.
Grand Floridian was the first stop, and it was a nice ride its a perfect weather day this afternoon, after a humid & cloudy morning. We arrived at GF Caf around 11:40 and were told we could check in 15 minutes before our noon reservation. Ok heaven forbid we check in 5 minutes before that time <g>. I sat back down for 5 minutes, then went up & checked in.
While we were waiting I noticed a young woman pushing a stroller of an unfamiliar brand. It looked like it would be an expensive, overpriced thing somehow. Amanda noticed it too and pulled it up on her smartphone only to find out its $1300!! Honestly, it doesnt have any features you cant get for 10% of that price, but I guess status comes at a price. For me the $19 umbrella stroller was good enough Chris survived just fine. We were called to our table just before noon.
The food was good but service was SLOW. Our server was slow to notice empty glasses and provide refills, and then wed have both Chris & SB with empty glasses and hed only notice one of them. It was a bit challenging. Amanda & I shared the chicken pasta but without any extra ingredients besides the asiago cream sauce. SB had the Rueben, Chris had the burger with lobster on top, Judy had the chicken wrap and Pete got falafel fritters. Chris medium burger looked more well done, and he received chips instead of the fries he wanted. The server did bring the fries, after Chris finished the burger. Overall the experience was not up to the usual standards for this place. Im not sure what time we finally got out of there, but it was fairly late. Pete & Judy bought us all lunch, which was very nice of them.
After lunch we went our separate ways. Chris & Amanda took the monorail to Epcot and picked up their wine glasses on their way back to the resort. We didnt want to deal with the front of Epcot, so we went to the boat dock and had a leisurely ride to the Polynesian and then Magic Kingdom. From there we walked to the bus stops. Our bus came first, but Pete & Judys bus left first (we had a scooter and a driver change). By the time we did leave people were having to stand on the bus.
Back at the resort housekeeping had not been in yet, but I realize (and agree with) them doing the rooms receiving new guests first. She actually showed up just after 3:30 to do our trash & towel service. SB was in the bedroom watching a football game and I was updating the report out at the dining table.
Around 4 I ran over to Epcot but it was still too hot in the sun, so I didnt last long. I walked into Future World, then turned around and walked back out, figuring Id head over to enjoy Food & Wine later when it was more comfortable. Pete & Judy headed over somewhere after 5, so I met them on the bridge and we walked into Epcot together.
We headed to Future World, to the passholder wine glass center. From there we went to MouseGear to look for something their daughter had seen but failed to purchase while down here last week. We couldnt find it, and the oh-so helpful cast member told us what you see is what we have. Ok then. I guess daughter should have bought it when she saw it, but she can always check online now that shes home.
SB called to see where we were, as hed just come into the park. We told him to meet us at Germany, since Pete & Judy were hoping to get something from Sommerfest. SB beat us over there, but we eventually found each other. Pete & Judy came back empty-handed when Sommerfest informed them they dont have any to go containers. We were planning to take it to America and sit in the back for the Tiffany concert, and they didnt feel like carrying a big messy hot dog or brat with toppings unless they had a carryout container.
We joined the Food & Wine kiosk line in Germany, which moved really quickly. They got a bratwurst in pretzel roll and the schinkenudlen. We got the bratwurst and the pretzel roll was really nice today! Sometimes its too hard or overcooked, but it was perfect today. I ran next door to Africa and got the buttered chicken, bringing it back to our table. I got the 2nd to last one, and then people would have to wait for more to be brought over. It was good once again!
We had about 5 minutes until the 6:45 Tiffany concert started so we decided to head over there, figuring wed sit in the back. Along the way we stopped in Italy and I used a couple of our Sampler Package tabs from last trip to buy 2 of the limoncello margaritas. They werent quite as frozen as they should be, and the cast member apologized for that, but they still tasted the same.
When we got to America we entered the theater and were headed to the white benches at the very back when a cast member waved me over and sent us down to be seated by Walt. Walt seated us in a reserved section in the 2nd row of the 2nd section, but dead center to the stage! We didnt know which one of us was so special to get these seats. The concert was pretty good, although we werent really sure who she was or what she did. It seems like her songs were all done by other artists, as opposed to being her originals. She was very good posing for lots of photos with her fans, which Im sure caused the cast members some heartburn. Afterwards Pete said he would have preferred our seats in the back, since the speakers were above us (it was loud).
After the concert we left the park, agreeing to meet up around 9 at the top of the bridge. SB wanted to go have a drink, so we went to Marthas Vineyard Lounge in our resort. They now have a server working, and a guitar player started at 8pm. He was really good, too! We stayed until about 8:30 and then returned to the villa. I threw in a load of laundry and cut up his caramel apple. The apple was very good not fancy, but good. Hes in the bedroom watching football and Im out in the living room semi-watching HGTV while finishing up the report & doing stuff online.
Today was an odd day in the sense that we hardly did anything, but it took all day to do it, lol! The day flew by, too. Im really glad the horrible Food & Wine crowds are gone, and I am determined to get the pool early tomorrow afternoon!
DAY 5 Monday 10/26/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
SB (58), my husband
Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
Plan: Epcot, Food & Wine
Actual: Once again Id set the alarm for 5:30 but woke up before then. At home I get up at 5:15 on work days, so this isnt an unusually early time for me. I really enjoy the quiet morning time to relax online, doing some jigsaw puzzles, catching up on the overnight email, etc. I made my cappuccino and then got back up around 6:50 to take my shower and get dressed. SB was still asleep when I went out to the other room since hed pulled the drapes closed it was still dark. He slept on the sleep sofa so I didnt have to use the ear plugs a 3rd night in a row, and I went out about 12:40 this morning to turn off his tv (he was sound asleep, snoring away). Today its supposed to be warm & humid not a good combination.
SB was awake by 7:45 and I started breakfast egg, sausage, grits and English muffin for him; egg, slice of bacon and English muffin for me. We skipped the potatoes today since lunch should be early.
Tomorrow is my 7 month window to book Bay Lake Tower for Memorial Day weekend, and since I wouldnt be online at 8am (due to an 8:05 breakfast ADR) I went ahead and booked 4 nights arriving 5/26. Later in the week Ill call and drop that first night.
We left the room at 8:50 and waited for Pete & Judy at the top of the bridge. They texted when they were on the way over, and when we all got down to International Gateway there was no wait at bag check or entry. We walked directly to Future World, stopping at the passholder wine glass center, and from there went to the Land.
We were within our Soarin window but decided to ride Living with the Land first since there was hardly any wait. We got on the next boat that arrived, and when that was finished we went to Soarin. We noticed the standby line looked pretty long, so I checked my phone and saw it was 75 minutes. Yikes! This will be the last time for Pete, Judy & SB next time they do this itll be the new version.
As we left the Land it our next fastpass window was just opening over at Spaceship Earth. SB wasnt thrilled that we were doing this again, so he chose to sit out and wait for the rest of us. The standby queue was posted as 20 minutes but it looked longer than that, thanks to all the arriving people stopping there on the way in without giving any thought to it. We were on very quickly, thank goodness. Unfortunately the ride slowed several times its gotten to the point where its impossible to go the 10-12 minutes this ride takes without them having to slow it or stop it completely. Im completely in favor of being accessible for guests with disabilities, but it just seems like a disproportionate number of people here seem to fall into that category (more and more each year).
We met up with SB after Spaceship Earth and had about 20 minutes before World Showcase opened so we walked towards Canada and spent a little time on a shady bench across from the Desserts & Champagne kiosk. Canada opened a little before 11 so we got up and went over there. SB secured a shady table for us by Greece and the rest of us joined the queue. We each had the mushroom filet (I gave my mushrooms to SB) and I got him the Moosehead lager as well. The cast member handed it to me with about an inch of foam on top, so I asked him if I could please have more lager and less foam. He complied. Pete & Judy each got a filet as well, and an ice wine for Judy. The steaks were terrific melt in your mouth good! SB loved the lager as well.
Our next stop was France, which had only a couple people in line. The others found a shady bench while I got in line and got the beef bourguignon (beef & gravy over mashed potatoes) for SB and the chocolate/vanilla crme brulee for me. I also got him a kronenbourg (beer) even though we have a full bottle of it in the fridge at the villa. He loved the beef, as I expected he would. Its really a great dish, but rather filling. The crme brulee was excellent and it was a struggle to finish it but nobody wanted to help. Once the food was gone we started walking again. Id thought about the chilled coffee with godiva liqueur from Belgium, but was too full at that moment so we passed by.
In Morocco SB got a beer (El something that begins with the letter M) from the regular beer stand (not a tiny cup) and then we all went to America to the Chase Lounge. Upstairs there was a line of people getting wrist bands for the Dennis DeYoung concerts tonight, and it seemed to take forever because nobody seemed to give any thought to anything until they were standing at the cast member. Its like Pete notices at counter service the menus are clearly posted overhead but without fail hes behind parties who stand in line and then when the cast member asks for their order they start asking what the choices are, then asking their group what should we get? instead of deciding that while standing in line for 20 minutes!
Finally it was our turn and we said 5:30 show, 4 people simple as that. We got our wrist bands and got the heck out of there! Over at Hops & Barley I secured a shady picnic table while SB got himself a lobster roll. Pete & Judy also got one to share, along with a chardonnay for Judy. It looked like a lot of lobster in the roll, but the addition of celery and onion made it lobster salad roll rather than lobster roll. The roll itself was excellent I ate a piece of that.
At this point we split up Pete & Judy were going to get a crme brulee from France and go back to Boardwalk. We detoured to Italy for SB to get a limoncello margarita, and then headed for our resort. We used leftover tabs from our Sampler Package (last trip) for the 2 mushroom filet mignons, his lobster roll and the margarita, since they all cost more than $7.38. As we were walking back towards the International Gateway we ran into Jack Marshall, who was enjoying a solo day and going to some of the concerts tonight. We stopped to chat for a bit, and he met SB for the first time.
We made one more stop, in Morocco, where I got a piece of baklava for the room. We went back to Beach Club Villas and I changed into a swimsuit and went down to the quiet pool while SB laid down and watched some tv. I was down there by 12:30 and figured Id go back up at 2 for General Hospital. So, about 10 minutes to 2 SB shows up in his swimsuit to enjoy the pool. A little after 2 I told him I was going upstairs but he could certainly stay and enjoy himself. He opted to go up with me, but did enjoy his brief time in the pool.
We watched General Hospital and I worked on the trip report off an on until 3:30 or so. I also downloaded the photos from the camera and deleted the ones not worth keeping. Hopefully Ill get them uploaded to Shutterfly by the time we head back out later. A little after 4 we went down to the Beach Club Marketplace and got SB some turkey for a sandwich, a cup of clam chowder, and a couple chocolate chip cookies & milk for later tonight. Id had some wine and a few crackers with cheese & salami, so I didnt get anything there.
When we returned we had a text from Pete & Judy asking about what time we should head over. He may skip it, since his legs are bothering him. We agreed on 4:45 at the top of the bridge. Only Judy met us, and we went straight to America after entering Epcot. We got there about 5pm, and they were just letting the long fastpass line into the theater. We found the entry for Disney visa people, and were among the first dozen or so to arrive, so we got excellent seats close to the center of the stage down in the front section.
Dennis DeYoung is 68 years old and jumps around like a pre-teen on stage, lol! It helps that hes slender, no doubt. He does 3 concerts per night and doesnt repeat any of the songs, so each show is completely different. We all enjoyed the concert, but I liked Starship better. Hopefully Ill check out the 2nd show tomorrow or the next day.
After the concert we headed towards Italy, walking around towards the front of World Showcase. SB was going to try venison, but only if I tried it too. So, in New Zealand we got the venison loin and I added the sauvignon blanc. Judy also got the venison. SB found us a trash can table, and we really liked the venison. It tasted a lot like pot roast. Deer are so pretty its sad to think about eating them, though. Judy loses lots of bushes and flowers (in her yard) to them every year, so she had an easier time eating one of them <g>!
With the venison a big hit, the next stop was Farm Fresh. SB loved the griddled yard bird with braised greens last year, and hadnt had it yet this year. He & Judy secured a table and I got him the yard bird (whole boneless chicken breast) and the loaded mac & cheese. He loved both! At the stand they ask if you want hot sauce on the chicken, and I said yes since he likes that stuff. I tried a bite of the chicken and some of the mac & cheese and agreed it was all good. I couldnt get over the large portion for $4.50 too.
At this point he was full and ready to head back to the villa, so we parted ways. Judy and I continued into Future World to the passholder glass area, then went to the Wine Studio and Cheese Studio. I got the pinot grigio, then we got in line for cheese. I had the cheese fondue and she got the artisan cheese plate (3 different cheeses). She enjoyed her plate, and I liked the fondue but once was enough. The cheese had a nice flavor, but the breadstick was nothing special.
At this point we were both ready to call it a night. Judy had more packing to do, and I wanted to get the trip report done before too late so I could relax without anything hanging over my head. SB was watching tv when I got back, and he had his chocolate chip cookie and milk. I packed up a bag for him to take home tomorrow, captioned the photos Id sent to Shutterfly, and then worked on the report. SB is now wishing he could stay through Wednesday, but he is on the schedule to work. Last trip he decided he wanted to go home on Monday this trip instead of Wednesday as planned but I convinced him to go home Tuesday instead. If hed just left it alone he would have been staying here until Wednesday night. Next year Im planning for him to be here 5-6 nights, so well see what he ends up doing.
Today was another nice day that passed at lightning speed again! We had great experiences at Food & Wine both times today, and this evening in particular had perfect weather for visiting the food kiosks. Waits were short to none, too. Im looking forward to 2 more wonderful nights like this, although Ill miss having someone to eat most of the food so I can just have a couple bites of several things! Tomorrow were meeting Pete & Judy for breakfast, then were all headed to the Studios to do Toy Story. Well see if SB beats me for the very first time, or if I wipe the floor with him again <g>.
DAY 6 Tuesday 10/27/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
SB (58), my husband
Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
Plan: Captains Grille, Hollywood Studios, Pool, Food & Wine
Actual: Once again I slept great and woke up just before the 5:30 alarm. I made my cappuccino and did some online stuff until almost 7, when I got up and took my shower. SB was up right after that. He took his shower and packed up the rest of his stuff, and we were out the door by 7:50. We walked over to Yacht Club and found Pete & Judy waiting for us in the lobby. We were a few minutes early for our 8:05 breakfast reservation at Captains Grille, but I was able to check in and we were seated in a minute or two.
Judy had a box of pinot grigio left over and cant take it on the plane so she brought it to breakfast. Once I identified my order I took the wine and rushed back to Beach Club Villas to put it in our entry way with some of the other stuff going home with SB today. When I got back to Captains Grille theyd placed our orders, had their beverages and both Pete & SB had gotten a plate from the buffet. Judy and I had ordered from the menu, and that took a bit longer to come. She got the seasonal fruit with homemade granola bars and yogurt drizzle. It was pretty, but Im so glad I didnt order it there was literally nothing on it Id eat. The fruit was all types of citrus, and Judy said the granola bars were weird. I got the 2 eggs, with hash browns, bacon & a biscuit. The bacon is excellent here thick and crispy!
We enjoyed breakfast, although SB said he ate too much and was uncomfortable <g>. We bought breakfast, which was around $68 after Tables in Wonderland (the buffet was $21.99/person). After settling the check we went out to the dock to catch the boat to Hollywood Studios. Both boats were at the Boardwalk docks, but when we were about halfway down the dock we realized we should just drive over, since Pete & Judys car is in the Yacht Club parking lot! We turned around and got the car, putting up the umbrella since it had started to rain lightly.
Along the way we stopped at Boardwalk so Judy could go to their room and get a couple umbrellas. It pretty much rained lightly off and on all morning just enough to be annoying. We drove to the studios and rode the tram up to the entrance. I expected it would be a pain going through bag check & entry with everyone from the tram, but it was amazingly quick! It was about 15-20 minutes after 9 at this point. We went straight to Toy Story, which had a 65 or 75 minute wait. We had no wait, except for a brief delay at the top of the stairs, thanks to fastpass! SB went through all kinds of motions warming up, getting his focus, etc so he could beat me at this finally. After the first screen, he was ahead 9800 to my 9100. I beat him by 10,000 or so each of the other screens, lol so we ended up with him 87k and me 127k! Pete was the overall winner with 132,200.
We had 30 minutes until our Star Tours fastpass, and SB was too full to ride it, so the 3 of us rode it standby and SB met us at the exit. The standby was listed as 10 minutes, but it was less than that we walked right into the loading area, and our pod wasnt even half full. We got the snow scene, followed by Saturn. It was fun, and that wrapped up this park for all of us. We said goodbye to Pete & Judy, and they headed to their rental car. SB & I did some shopping for a vacation wallet for me, and found one in the Disney couture store along Sunset Boulevard. With that done, we left the park and had a short wait for the boat to arrive.
We rode to the Yacht Club and walked back to our villa. I helped SB carry everything down to his car, and then checked mine both front carpet area are sopping wet, to the point water squishes up when I touch it. This is so gross! I called the car place and made arrangements to drop it off Thursday after work, and theyll lock it up inside and fix it Friday morning. SB gets off work at 3:30 Thursday and doesnt go in Friday until 3:00, so the timing works out great.
Once SB drove away I walked over to Epcot. I turned right and stopped in Belgium (no line at all) for the chilled coffee w/godiva liqueur. I used a tab from the Sampler Package to pay for it, since its $9.00. This was delicious!!! Its so smooth and tasty, not alcoholic tasting at all. I figured it probably has caffeine in it, so I wouldnt have risked getting it at night. I took my coffee with me to America and went up to the Chase Lounge. Up there I got a wrist band for the 6:45 concert, then stopped to chat with could women from Massachusetts who read my reports.
I went back downstairs and continued around World Showcase, noticing that none of the kiosks had any lines yet. If only I wasnt full from breakfast this would be the perfect time to try stuff! It was still raining off and on, and the humidity was a killer! The air temp wasnt bad, but I was sweating from the humidity. I cut through Craft Beers to enter Future World and browsed through Mouse Gear before getting a stamp at the passholder wine glass spot. From there I walked back to the International Gateway and returned to Beach Club Villas to cool off for a while!
I spent the first half of the afternoon working on the report, watching some tv, doing things online, etc. I wish I would have been lounging out by the pool, but the weather just wont cooperate. Tomorrow doesnt look any better. I went back over to Epcot a little after 4, hoping the weather forecast of 90% rain by 6pm wouldnt hold true.
It was raining lightly enough that I needed the umbrella. Many others were using umbrellas, some wore ponchos, but several people just got damp. The temperature and the humidity were both high enough they werent cool/cold at all. I went left through United Kingdom and saw very short lines in Ireland and Canada (both popular), and nobody at Greece. I couldnt see myself holding an umbrella and cutting a filet mignon, so I passed on by.
I turned into Future World and went to Sustainable Chew for the pork spareribs with red wine, fennel & cheesy mascarpone grits. When I ordered it I didnt realize what it came with, so Im quite shocked now to learn I ate grits!! They did not taste like grits at all, and were definitely not gritty. They were smooth a cross between mashed potato and polenta. The spare ribs were ok not something Id order again, but not a failure. I was able to stand at a table and hold my umbrella with one hand while I used a fork in the other hand to eat the food.
After that I browsed through Mouse Gear for a while, then went over to the Festival Center. I got a glass of prosecco and sat across from the cooking demonstration. I listened to that while playing games on my kindle to pass the time while it was raining. I went back outside around 5:15 and was pleased to see it wasnt raining! I cut around Test Track (which was not running for some reason) and through Craft Beers to Mexico. There were 1-2 other people in line at the Mexico kiosk so I joined them and got the sweet corn cheesecake. This was delicious, and a pretty big portion. I ate it as I walked, and soon it started raining again. I ended up seeking shelter in Germany, outside one of the shops (under a roof) while I finished the cheesecake.
With the cheesecake gone, I opened the umbrella and walked over to America and caught the end of the 5:30 Dennis DeYoung concert from outside the theater. I stood near the Disney Visa entry, so after the concert ended and they finally got everyone to leave, the cast members cleaned up the trash left behind and then I was in the first 10 people to be let in for the 6:45 concert.
This concert was better than last nights, as they did more of the songs I know. Both were great, though! The crowd really loves him, and he seems to have a great sense of humor. The reserved seats are under the roof, so I had no idea it was still raining (or raining again) until I headed for the exit. Up went the umbrella again, lol! I wasnt really hungry for anything else, which is a shame with all the short (or NO) lines. France was the exception they had a pretty good line, but only on one side.
When I got to the International Gateway exit I decided I might as well do another loop since it wasnt raining too hard and it wasnt too crowded. But, once I got into UK I found the crowds passing to Canada it got really jammed, and I figured it would be like that at least to Norway so I turned around and left via International Gateway. If it hadnt been raining I probably would have stayed, but its just a pain with crowds and an umbrella.
I walked back to Beach Club Villas and was in the room not long after 7:30, in for the night. I still have the baklava if I want something later, and theres wine, crackers & cheese in the fridge.
Today the weather was a huge disappointment! Now that I live in Gainesville I appreciate time by a pool or on a beach because we dont have that there (tell me again how it claims to be in Florida???). So, I planned to spend part of today and tomorrow that way, but it looks like those plans are all shot to hell by the weather. We did enjoy breakfast, and I remain unbeaten (by SB) on Toy Story, lol! Its a shame Pete, Judy & SB arent still here, but I know none of them want 2 days of rain here!
Tomorrow I have fastpasses in the late afternoon, since Ill be spending the morning on the beach (in my dreams I guess). Well see what the day brings maybe it wont rain all day long again <g>.
DAY 7 Wednesday 10/28/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Plan: Beach or Pool, Food & Wine
Actual: Before going to bed last night I was able to move my fastpasses. It looks like the morning will be cloudy but mostly rain-free, with most of the rain coming during the afternoon (General Hospital). So, I moved Soarin up to 9:55 and will do stuff around that and have lunch at Food & Wine Festival. I may or may not use any of the other fastpasses, and should be able to return to Epcot for the early evening.
I was up again at 5:30 and had my cappuccino while relaxing online. Eventually I had breakfast (egg and slice of bacon) and then took my shower and dressed for the day. I left the villa around 9, stopping by the quiet pool to drop the pool towels in the bin since I wont be going out to the beach today. From there I walked over to Epcot, arriving to no wait at either bag check or entry. It wasnt raining, but it was very humid and of course I had my umbrella (Im no fool)!
I walked into Future World and headed to the Land. There was no wait at Living with the Land, so I rode that getting the front row to myself. Yesterday a cast member was inside the bass tank cleaning it (standing with the fish) and today they had most of the water gone from the alligator enclosure. The gators had a little water at the bottom, but not enough to get up onto the platform. I assume somebody will be cleaning that today.
After the boat ride I had about 15 minutes to kill, so I found a seat where I could keep an eye on the Soarin fastpass time. All was good until a family with a frustrated screechy toddler or preschooler and a baby settled down next to me. I could ignore it (the preschooler) but eventually enough was enough. He was a handful, and I dont know why they didnt just take him for a walk or something. I got up and moved out of the area, for the sake of my sanity. Once it was 9:50 I walked to the fastpass queue and entered (my time was 9:55, so it works 5 minutes prior).
This time I ended up in the 2nd row, on one of the sides. Ill miss this when it closes, but Im definitely looking forward to the new version next year. When I finished Soarin and walked out I noticed a lady folding up a yellow poncho as she was in the standby line. Uh-oh, that is not a good sign. I was hoping the rain would hold off until after noon.
Once I got upstairs and went outside, I could see puddles everywhere but it was not raining. Pleased, I got halfway down the hill before it started raining light at first, but then it turned to a steady rain almost instantly. I had my umbrella up, so I didnt have to start sprinting like the hordes of other people outside around me <g>. I ducked into the passholder wine glass area and got my final glass, and in the short time that took it went back to raining lightly.
I walked out to World Showcase and killed time there. I browsed through both of the shops, and then walked over to Mexico before turning around to walk back to France. The rain ended up stopping again, but I kept my umbrella in my hand. In France I had about 10 minutes before the kiosks would open, and of course it started raining again right before everything opened.
At the France kiosk I got the beef bourguignon, which was excellent. Since it was raining steadily I grabbed a fork and stood under the pavilion where they do character greets (some white cat). It was nice & dry under there, and I was the only person, so I was able to put the umbrella on the ground and eat my food.
The rain got lighter, so I continued walking, this time stopping in Brazil. I noticed the cast members had all of the cash registers covered, including the equipment where people tap their magic bands. I ordered the cheese bread, and as soon as I got that the rain picked up again. The sky looked fairly bright in one direction, but increasingly dark/gloomy everywhere else.
Theres shelter over the emergency exit at Chefs de France so I went there to stay dry while eating the cheese bread. It was ok pretty good. I wouldnt have minded some marinara sauce, but then I guess that would be Italian rather than Brazilian <g>. I was undecided whether I wanted to risk getting caught halfway around World Showcase if more heavy rain came in and didnt quit quickly. I ventured out, and got a text, so I stepped under the awning on the crepe kiosk to do that. While over there I started hearing what sounded like thunder, and figured the afternoon thunderstorms were arriving early. So, I bailed out on going any further, hoping that since it started earlier than forecast it might end earlier.
I dodged puddles as much as possible, and left via International Gateway. The Friendship had just arrived and the rain had turned into pouring so I decided to ride back to Yacht Club. However, theyd just canceled service on the Friendships, due to lightning in the area. Those of us waiting were welcome to sit inside the boat to ride it out, and thats what everyone did. After being there for quite a while, I overheard a couple cast members commenting that this is going to be a while. A guest asked the captain if he had any idea how long it would be, and his answer was could be a half hour, could be 4 hours we dont know. Ok, thats real helpful <g>.
We had returned to light/steady rain so I (and a couple others) got off the boat and walked back to the resort. After I got inside the villa I could hear more thunder. The noon news showed the line of storms, and they dont look like theyll last too long but the weather guy didnt seem to see it the way I did <g>. I threw my socks in the dryer and sat down to update the report. Looks like itll be a relaxing afternoon in the villa, but I should get back over to Epcot later.
By 2:30 or 3pm the sun was shining! As Id hoped, the rain ended earlier than the 4pm the forecasters projected. Unfortunately, the humidity is sky-high, with the feels like temp being 90. That sucks! Theres also more rain possible at 5pm, then a clearing before another chance at 7. Ive decided to scrap my original plans to spend tomorrow morning in Epcot. Ive tried everything I wanted to try, and Im ready to return to work especially since I have the car to deal with and am taking most of Friday afternoon off for a hair appointment <g>.
I jumped on My Disney Experience and redid my remaining fastpasses for today, and canceled those for tomorrow. Around 3:40 I brought a bag out to the car and then walked over to Epcot. It was hot in the sun but not bad in the shade. If the humidity had been lower it would have been beautiful!
I turned right towards France and walked through the countries since I wanted to time my arrival at Spaceship Earth to hit it at the end of the fastpass window so I could go directly to my other fastpass (Imagination). It wasnt too busy, and lines were nonexistent at the Food & Wine kiosks. Instead of walking through Craft Beers I went the long way, and headed for Spaceship Earth. The standby wait was only 5 minutes, but I still used my fastpass. This time it only slowed once, which is amazing! Thats a huge improvement over the last several experiences.
From there I went to Imagination, where I used my other unnecessary fastpass to ride along with Figment. This ride is so lame, but I actually liked the original version. Its a shame well never see that (or something better) again. After the ride it was getting close to 5 so I headed towards World Showcase. Along the way I ran into Bryan and Elizabeth, and finally got to meet their friends Ira and Ann! We chatted briefly, then went our separate ways.
I stopped in Canada, where only 1 side was open, they had 3-4 cash registers open and there was no line! This is amazing here! I got the cheese soup and ate it in the shade over near Greece. The soup was good, and very thick. I noticed on the LeCellier menu its now $11. It wasnt too long ago I used to pay $7.95.
After my soup was gone I went back to the Wine Studio for a pinot grigio, then walked over to America. Theyd let everyone in for the 5:30 Dennis DeYoung concert, so I entered the theater and took one of the white benches in the back. I didnt need to see the concert, but I did have an unobstructed view (other than people walking by amazingly, people were still arriving 25 minutes into a 30-minute concert).
After the concert I made another loop of the countries, making a minor detour to Wine Studio for another pinot grigio. Once again I took it with me to America and found a different white bench in the back of the theater for the 6:45 concert. This one is my favorite of the first two I never did stick around to see the 3rd show. Being in the back, it was easy to make a quick exit as soon as the last song ended, and I went straight back to Hops & Barley.
There was 1 person in line ahead of me, and someone at each of the registers. Once the theater emptied out, the queue filled! I ordered the slider and had to wait a minute for them to finish preparing the latest batch this is a good thing, because theyre fresh! I took it to a picnic table and enjoyed my last Food & Wine item of this trip. After that I left the park and headed back to Beach Club Villas. After a stop at Beach Club Marketplace for an oatmeal raisin cookie (SB) and coconut bar (me) to take home, I went up to the villa for the rest of the evening. Id pretty much packed up this afternoon, and uploaded/captioned the remaining photos, so theres nothing I have to do tonight.
Tonight was another very disappointing weather day, which did put a damper on the trip. Had I known 11 months ago it would be like this, I wouldnt have stayed these last 2 nights my time up to that point would have been enough. But, I did enjoy the evening, and once the sun went down it felt a lot nicer. I also enjoyed the concerts again he really does put on a good show.
Tomorrow Im going to skip Epcot and just head back home, getting into work earlier than originally planned. Ill enjoy a leisurely (boring, lol) morning here before heading out, and will post the recap/final thoughts along with the photo link tomorrow after work.
DAY 8 Thursday 10/29/15
Who: Sue (56), DVC Member
Plan: Epcot, Food & Wine, Drive to Gainesville
Actual: Last night it was lights out around 10:30, and I was up this morning with the 5:30 alarm. As has been the routine, I made my cappuccino and spent time online, then took my shower around 7:30 or so. Id eaten the last egg the day before, so I just had a greek yogurt for breakfast. Once I was all ready, I packed up the rest of my stuff, moved the leftover food from the fridge to the cooler, and made the sad march to the parking lot. It was very humid outside, and combined with the sopping wet carpet inside my car, it was really difficult getting the windshield defogged enough to drive safely.
I filled up the gas tank at the station across from Boardwalk, and was thrilled to only pay $1.939/gallon! Its still about $.15 or so higher in Gainesville. Other than some fog, it was an easy drive home. I actually dropped the car off at Goodyear and had SB pick me up and bring me in from there. So, now my car is fixed (no charge) and they noticed the alignment was out of whack so they did that too (I have a 3-year plan, so no charge).
The photos from this trip are on Shutterfly at share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZNGTdm2bMWjMgA
I did take several of the villa, since itll look different next time I stay there (refurbishment happening in 2016), and of course theres plenty of food porn.
Overall this was a very nice trip, and we both had a great time! That said, not everything was perfect or exactly as Id hoped, but thats life. It was great spending time with Pete & Judy, and having Chris & Amanda there for the weekend. It was also nice seeing Bryan & Elizabeth that evening.
Among the great things I really love having a 1-bedroom villa, even when its just me! I love Beach Club Villas in particular love the rooms, love the location, love the beach area, love Beach Club Marketplace, etc. SB loves it too. Next year well stay at Boardwalk Villas but will return to the 1-bedroom at BCV in 2017. Food & Wine Festival continues to be our favorite event, and for the most part the food is excellent given the mass production. I continue to love magic bands and Fastpass+ - both make life so much easier for us (me).
The not-so-great things include the increasingly large crowds overall. Food & Wine Festival on Saturday is just insane, as is the Magic Kingdom almost every day once you get past 11am or so. Having so many of these separately-ticketed Halloween and Christmas parties is a huge money maker for Disney, but it sucks for regular guests. The rain towards the end of my trip (when I was looking forward to a couple solo days by the pool/beach) was a huge disappointment. Obviously, thats not Disneys fault. The prices of some/several items seem too high for what you get. Food & Wine Festival is not for those who have to watch their budget! We dont even do the special events, and still spend more than we do on other trips. But, we love it and will continue even though well grumble about some of the prices.
After having so many shorter trips, this one felt a little funny being a full week. I was ready to come home by the end of the trip, although if the weather had cooperated towards the end I likely wouldnt have felt that way! I had gotten to the point that I was somewhat just going through the motions at Food & Wine that last day.
We only did 3 table service meals, and surprisingly Grand Floridian Caf was the most disappointing. Theyve always been great in the past. A new find was Marthas Vineyard Lounge its improved significantly with the addition of the entertainment and a server.
I still have one more Food & Wine trip to go, coming up in just 2 weeks. I actually booked it thinking Food & Wine might have been over, and my priority was using my birthday credits (Landry Select and Levy Restaurants) and seeing Osborne Lights. Having Food & Wine still going on is a bonus. Chris & Amanda will be there as well, and we have reservations for the Merry & Bright Dessert Party (Osborne Lights) on Saturday night. After that Ill be back less than 2 weeks later, but only for 1 night (more Osborne Lights) the night before my next HAL cruise.
Thanks for reading along and also for letting me know the white cat in France is Marie from Aristocats <g>. I never would have figured that one out!
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Sue (Holland) Rayford, Beach Club Villas, October 22-29
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