Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (57), DVC Member
Chris (29), my son
Amanda (27), my daughter-in-law
Dates: November 13 - 15, 2015
Resort: Disneys Boardwalk Villas Resort
Experience: Very Experienced 18th stay at this resort (Chris/Amanda at Old Key West)
INTRODUCTION:
Its time for one last Food & Wine trip, although that wasnt the original intent. 11 months ago when I booked this I expected Food & Wine would have just ended. I booked this trip to use the two $25 birthday credits I get from Landry Select and Levy Restaurants, since our main Food & Wine trip was in October this year. I also wanted to see Osborne Lights since I wont be taking my December WDW trip (due to a HAL cruise) and November is usually not crowded at the lights.
Those plans got a little messed up when they announced the F&W dates and the festival ends just after this trip! On top of that, they announced this is the final year for Osborne Lights, so now I expect every night is going to be insanely crowded. But, when life throws you lemons, make lemonade. Several months ago I was able to book a studio for Chris & Amanda for this weekend, but had to settle for Old Key West. I waitlisted for Boardwalk Villas (where Ill be staying), but it never came through for them. We figured this would be a Food & Wine weekend.
After the Osborne Lights announcement, I saw they added a special Merry & Bright Dessert Party, which included a roped off seating area for 1.5 hours during the evening. At $69 normally Id never consider doing a dessert party, but since this is the last year and because it will probably be mobbed beyond belief, I was willing to do it. Amanda wanted to do it, but since theyre close to closing on their new home, they decided they shouldnt spend that kind of money right now. Her birthday just passed, so I decided to go ahead and book the party for the 3 of us as her birthday present well do that Saturday night.
I read a review of the party after the first night, and while the reviewer felt it was not worth the price, we look at it differently. Unlike a buffet meal, where Id feel the need to eat that dollar amounts worth of food in order to justify the expenditure, that isnt the case with this party. Alcoholic drinks are included, and they sound delicious. There are more than enough desserts provided but honestly, who really needs to gorge themselves on $69 worth of high-calorie drinks and desserts??? This party is much more about the event having an area that serves as a home base from which we can enjoy the lights for an extended period of time rather than just walking down the street once or twice. We can come and go as we wish, grabbing snacks and beverages as we wish. Obviously it makes no sense to sit in the party area for the entire time the lights are best enjoyed by walking through them. The party area will be our spot in between wandering around. The gift blanket (hard to call it a gift when youre paying $69, lol) doesnt look nearly as nice as Id hoped, but throwing in the blanket wasnt necessary to the event in the first place (in my opinion). So, were looking forward to the party!
Chris later booked concert tickets in Tampa for them on Friday night, so theyll arrive late. Ill probably wander over to Osborne Lights that night, just to see how crazy it is! My last dental appointment got canceled at the last minute (equipment failure), so my hygienist is coming in before they open to do me Friday morning at 8am (in Ft Myers). After that Ill drive to WDW, and will use the Landry Select credit on lunch at T-Rex. I havent been to Disney Springs in a while, and hopefully my room will be ready by early-mid afternoon.
Saturday night is the dessert party & Osborne Lights, so I booked fastpasses in that park for the afternoon. Hopefully we can hit the Food & Wine stands for lunch right at opening. Sunday will be Epcot/Food & Wine day, and I want to get some time by the pool in the afternoon. Chaka Khan is the concert artist that night, so Ill be sure to get a wrist band. Chris & Amanda go home this day, so I doubt theyll stay for the concert.
Itll be a short trip, but should be fun and the weather should be nicer than last trip!
The plans so far are:
Friday 11/13: Drive to WDW, Food & Wine Festival, Osborne Lights
Saturday 11/14: Epcot, Food & Wine Festival, Studios, Merry & Bright Dessert Party
Sunday 11/15: Epcot, Food & Wine Festival
Monday 11/16: Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Friday 11/13/15
Who: Sue (57), DVC Member
Plan: Drive to WDW, Food & Wine Festival, Osborne Lights
Actual: I went to my dental appointment and then hit the road, stopping to fill the gas tank & reply to some texts and a work email before getting on the highway. The 3-hour drive from Ft Myers feels so long (compared to 2 hours from Gainesville), and especially following the 4 hours yesterday afternoon. I may be coming back to WDW next weekend, for Friday night only, and Ive been going back & forth with my childhood best friend Linda over where to stay. At this late date everything DVC is booked, and so are all of the value & moderate resorts. She & her husband have reservations several places, including other cities, so its possible they wont even come here in which case I wont either. I made another stop in a rest area to take care of more texts (Linda) and emails (work) before finally getting to the WDW area around 12:15.
I was talking on the phone with Linda and missed my exit to Disney Springs, so I got off at the next exit and backtracked. Somehow I ended up in the parking garage, which was a good thing. I wanted to go down to a lower level and couldnt figure out how to get there, and I was still on the phone with Linda the whole time. Finally I just parked in any spot, and tried to figure out which way to walk to get to Disney Springs. Luckily I chose the right direction and it was pretty easy going down to level 2 and walking into Disney Springs near the bowling alley. The garage is huge, and I like how it tells you how many empty spaces are in each level/row, so you dont have to waste time circling.
It wasnt horribly crowded, so it was easy walking over to T-Rex. The new steakhouse restaurant is being built on the former Comedy Warehouse site, which still seems wrong to me. Im sure itll be perfectly nice, and overpriced, and not nearly as much fun as Comedy Warehouse! At T-Rex there was a long line of people waiting to put their names in for a table, but I knew not to bother with that. With my Landrys Select card I just go to the side of the podium/dinosaur and show it to the employee. He checked me in and gave me my slip of paper, directing me right up for immediate seating.
I saw several seats empty at the bar, so I decided rather than taking up a table that could seat 2 people Id just sit there. I had a glass of pinot grigio and perused the menu. Usually I get the footprints flatbread here, which is excellent. However, today I tried the omnivore salad (greens, pecans, goat cheese, sliced strawberries, onions, dried cranberries) and it was very good. The food came out quickly, too. I wasnt able to eat all of the salad and they offered a box to take the rest with me but I declined. Salad just gets wilted and not very appetizing if you get it to go. My lunch check was $24.64 and I had a $25 credit from Landrys for my birthday earlier this month, so lunch cost me a $5 tip.
It was a little after 1, and Id gotten the text before lunch letting me know my room was ready. From the number it sounded like I was going to be WAY down the hall, as opposed to being near the lobby like I requested. I managed to find my way out of the garage and chose the correct direction to drive over to Boardwalk without incident. When I pulled in the security cast member directed me to the back parking lot (near the security shack). I asked about the main parking lot, and he said that was for convention guests today. I told him I hated when they did that, as it was not right in my opinion. He gave me a ticket (one of those tear-off raffle tickets) to park in that lot <g>.
Still, I pulled into the back lot first, thinking maybe it wouldnt be so bad since I knew my room would be down that hallway, but it was still a mile away because the front of that lot is set aside for valet parking. I pulled back out and drove to the regular lot, where I had to give my ticket to get in, lol! I found a parking spot and plan to not touch the car again until I go home Monday. I grabbed all my stuff and trudged up the hill into the lobby, then down the long, long, long hallway to the 2nd room from the very end. A cast member was at the door with a balloon and birthday card from Mickey.
It was 2 by now so I unpacked really quickly, changed into a swimsuit, and headed down to the quiet pool. The stairwell at end of the hall goes down to the end of the quiet pool, and the path to Hollywood Studios. This room is very convenient for both of those things not so convenient for Epcot or the bus stop!
The pool was great quiet, lol! Plenty of people were there, including a couple kids, but it was very pleasant since everyone was just relaxing without any loud noise. I did some reading and spent just over an hour out there, then went back inside to cool off and work on the trip report. I missed General Hospital, but I can read the daily recap later. I had fastpasses in Epcot, but since my room was so far down the path to the Studios I didnt feel like walking over to Epcot for a ride on Soarin, then backtracking all that way. Instead I hung out in the air conditioning and enjoyed the quiet room. I have that awful connecting door next to the tv, so Im hoping when my neighbors get home they are quiet people.
Around 5 I left the studio and walked over to Hollywood Studios. Its an easy walk, since I was starting practically at the tennis courts <g>. When I got to the Studios I noticed the line waiting for the boat was ridiculously long, so I figured I would be walking back later. The Christmas tree was up and lit, looking the same as in past years. Bag check wasnt that crowded, but the cast member I chose is one of those who feels the need to be overly thorough very aggravating. The line next to mine was moving people through much faster. I realize France had terrible terrorist attacks today, but still see the Disney bag checks as mostly a waste of time (& money). I cant imagine a real terrorist or other criminal/person with bad intent couldnt do whatever damage they wanted in spite of these bag checks.
The park was pretty busy, and they have the holiday dcor inside the park as well. I miss the old tip board, which is now a fastpass+ kiosk area. It was nice to be able to see the wait times all in one place. I wandered up towards Great Movie Ride, but wasnt interested in a 45 minute wait. Walts One Mans Dream had no wait, but I decided to skip it since Ive gone in so many times before. Toy Story had an 80 minute wait, but that wasnt a surprise at all! I continued to the Osborne Lights, arriving around 5:30.
They were setting up for the dessert party, so I took a few photos while it was still daylight. I talked to one of the cast members there, who said theyd start checking people in at 6 and then start letting people inside the area around 6:30. People are free to leave and return throughout the evening, as long as they keep their sticker on. Most of the tables had 4 chairs, and in the center of the area they had a much smaller number of the tall stand-up tables scattered around. I didnt stick around long enough to see it after they let guests in, but Ill be one of them tomorrow!
I sat on a bench across from the building that has blue lights, and shortly before 6 they did the spiel explaining the Osborne Lights. After that the lights came on, and then almost immediately the first dancing song played. Where I was sitting it wasnt crowded at all, but when I got up and walked over to the end of the street I learned the entire street was packed with people with a long crowd of people being herded in from behind. It was impossible to see anything, or even move there were so many people. So, I used my brain and stepped back against the dessert party railing and waited for the initial mob to move through the area. By 6:10-6:15 I was able to start working my way down one side of the street, and down the side street as well. Its definitely easier as a solo the bigger your party, the harder it is to move together. Groups of people constantly stop dead in their tracks, and then there are all the strollers, wheelchairs & scooters making it even worse. Its too late now, but maybe this should have been a carry your child attraction, instead of allowing strollers.
Once I got to the end of the street I crossed over and walked back up the other side. I never did see the black cat, though. By 6:30 it was much easier to move around, as the initial mob was leaving for the 7pm Fantasmic. So, 6:30 would be a smarter time to arrive if you want to be able to move around. I left just after 6:30, since Ill be here most of tomorrow evening. It was crowded leaving the area, but they all turned down Sunset Boulevard (for Fantasmic). It was a breeze exiting the park, but the line for the boat was still ridiculous. That didnt bother me, but I was glad SB wasnt with me because hed be griping!
I walked back, passing Boardwalk on my way to Epcot. Walking generally is faster than those boats! I had no wait at bag check at Epcot, and this guy was very quick. They even had both sides open for entry into the park its about time! When I got up the hill I could see World Showcase wasnt nearly as crowded as I expected on a Friday night of the final weekend of Food & Wine Festival! This is great! France had a short line, but based on that I figured I might find dinner somewhere with no line <g>.
I kept walking, and realized I could make the 2nd half of the Maxi Priest concert (6:45 show), so I hurried up a bit. I had no idea who he/they are, so 15 minutes would let me know if I needed to bother with the 8pm concert. When I got to America, there were plenty of empty seats in the theater, so I walked right in. I decided to just sit on the wall, which was mostly empty. That way I didnt have to pass in front of anyone, and could leave whenever I felt like it without being rude.
Maxi Priest seems to be from Jamaica, and the music was very Caribbean and lively. I didnt recognize it, until the last song forget the name, but that one Ive heard on the radio over the years. The crowd really enjoyed them, and it was funny to see the young children and the senior citizen cast members all dancing around to the music! I left before the final song ended, and kept walking. I thought about a limoncello margarita from Italy, but they had a pretty good line and I decided to save that for tomorrow.
Africa had almost no line, and the very excellent buttered chicken, but I decided to check out the short ribs at South Korea next door. The line there was very long, so I went back to Africa for the buttered chicken. There were a couple tables with chairs empty nearby, so I grabbed the one that wasnt in total darkness (so I could see my food) and had dinner there. Since when are there empty tables & chairs on a Friday night during Food & Wine??
After dinner I walked into Future World, which seemed busier than World Showcase for some reason. Mexico was jammed, due to the walkway narrowing, and there were no drunks climbing the pyramid. I stopped by the passholder wineglass place to start another passport. I dont need another glass, but Tiana got her first 2 stamps when she was with me in early October, and her ridiculous in-laws and their drama have prevented her from returning when she planned, so she doesnt have her 3rd visit. Shes planning on coming to see Chaka Khan, but more in-law crap happened Thursday, so theres a good chance she might miss it again. Assuming that happens, Ill give her this glass so shell have one.
On my way back to World Showcase I stopped at the wine studio and ordered the pinot grigio. I noticed the pours were much smaller the guy ahead of me didnt even have half a glass! I commented on that to the cast member and she said she knew, but shed been getting in trouble all day. She did pour mine to the level, but I guess Im done with this place. One of the appeals (besides this pinot grigio) was that they didnt pour only half of the tiny cup!
Canada was quite busy, with both sides open, and the steak smelled wonderful! I continued walking around to Morocco, wondering if the cast members busy working in France knew yet about the tragedies that occurred there today. Its a shame theres so much violence in the world today.
In Morocco I got a piece of baklava to take back to the room for something sweet, then turned back and left the park via International Gateway. The boat was there but the line was long, so I kept walking. I was probably back at Boardwalk before it even left the dock (it was unloading when I left the park). The walk to the room felt like the longest part of the walk, and now I wish I had a fitbit or something reliable to measure my distance since checking in this afternoon!
I made a trip to the ice machine, then sat on the balcony with some wine in a plastic Food & Wine wineglass while finishing up the report. I could hear the 8:30 Fantasmic at times, but dont expect to still be out here when Illuminations happens at 10. SB has been watching all the coverage in Paris, so we talked about that a bit.
Today was a very nice day, although I am leery of possible noise from next door since I saw 2 school-age kids run to that door when I was leaving this afternoon! I think my 2 requests were a dedicated studio (no connecting door) and near the lobby they sure struck out on both counts! Lunch at T-Rex was very good, and you cant beat bypassing the line! My studio is one of the non-refurbished ones, so I still havent seen the new dcor. I honestly dont care one way or the other either one is fine with me. I just want a comfortable, quiet room! Osborne Lights continue to impress, and the somewhat smaller crowds at Food & Wine were a really nice surprise!
Chris & Amanda should be arriving around 11pm, and are staying at Old Key West (talk about noisy rooms and horrible connecting doors, lol). We plan to do an early lunch at Food & Wine, might tour some of the MK resorts before our Studios fastpasses, and then have the Merry & Bright Dessert Party to round out the day.
DAY 2 Saturday 11/14/15
Who: Sue (57), DVC Member
Chris (29), my son
Amanda (27), my daughter-in-law
Plan: Epcot, Food & Wine Festival, Studios, Merry & Bright Dessert Party
Actual: I slept really well last night, and never heard any noise from next door. Id set the alarm for 6, not wanting to waste any of the day even though Id just be relaxing online like I would if I was home on a Saturday morning! I made my cappuccino and brought it back to bed while I did my online stuff. It looks like a beautiful day, and theyre calling it the start (finally) of the cool season its the latest its taken in many years. Today should be 79 degrees, and overnight it will still be quite comfortable (around 70). Thats pretty darn near perfect for being out and about in the parks.
Around 7:30 I got up and took my shower. For breakfast I had a greek yogurt, knowing our lunch would be early. Chris & Amanda were up and texted just before 9, so I finished getting ready and just before 9:30 left for the walk over to Epcot. The initial crowd was long gone, so there was no wait at bag check or entry. Amazingly, they only had 1 side open for entry thats not right in my opinion.
I walked towards Future World and got my 2nd stamp in Innoventions. Chris texted to say theyd just barely made it onto the bus from Old Key West. Spaceship Earth had a 5-minute standby time posted, so I did that, and then went over to Guest Relations. There was a line out the door, but I figured I had time. When it was my turn I asked if the gingerbread house was up at the Grand Floridian yet. I didnt want to travel all the way over there if it wasnt up, and I hadnt seen anything about it yet on facebook or email. The cast member called the resort and learned the target date is the 19th, so no point in going over there today.
By now Chris & Amanda were in the park, so we met under Spaceship Earth and walked back to World Showcase. At just after 10:30 some of the front kiosks were already serving. We continued to France, and once they opened up Amanda & I joined the queue with no wait (the other side had a short line). I got the beef bourguinon, which was excellent. Chris liked it too, so I let him finish it. Amanda got the passion fruit martini for Chris and the , crme brulee. We ate on a bench near the fountain, then joined the crowd waiting for rope drop at 11.
Once that happened we stopped again quickly. Chris secured a table between Brazil and Belgium while I got the cheese bread from Brazil and Amanda got the beef waffle for Chris and the chocolate one for herself. Everything was very good, and she liked the cheese bread (this girl can live on cheese). Amanda & I were full at this point so we kept walking.
They were telling me about their Old Key West saga. They did online check in, but never got a text with their room number. At 11pm last night they called and the resort still didnt have them assigned to a room. It took over 10 minutes on the phone for someone to put them in a room and give them a number they saw the reservation but thats all. As a result, they got a crappy handicapped room, which absolutely sucks. They dont have a tub, have no bathroom vanity, everything is very low, and theyd forgotten these studios have 2 beds instead of a bed and a sofa. Ive gotten to the point that I just cant stand that resort any more, especially when booking a studio. Unfortunately it was the only thing available (gee, wonder why, lol) when I booked Chris & Amanda, and the waitlist for here never came through.
In Italy Chris & I each got a limoncello margarita which were perfect on this sunny day. At this point it was still very uncrowded, although by noon it was pretty crazy. We continued walking, making a detour into Future World to ride Test Track but abandoned that idea when we saw the single rider line was 40 minutes and backed up to the doorway. The fastpass line was way out the door, so Im not sure what had happened there. Amanda suggested the Festival Center, so we went over there.
Things were pretty busy inside! They were out of a lot of the festival merchandise, and what was left was still full price. Near Ghiradelli cast members were giving away Werthers caramels, and encouraging people to take handfuls. We got some, and picked up a few caramel & chocolate squares from Ghiradelli. Looking at the chocolate displays we noticed there must have been a problem keeping one of them cool, because the white chocolate picket fence on the Minions one had melted and fallen over. Amanda checked the pictures on her phone, and sure enough, last trip it was standing up properly.
We walked back to World Showcase for another loop, this time going in reverse. By now Mexicos line was all the way across the bridge, and almost every kiosk had pretty long lines. The beer stand in Germany wasnt bad, so Chris got a small beer there while Amanda & I waited in the shade. It felt uncomfortably warm in the sun whenever the breeze died down. Our next and final stop was in America, where Chris got Amanda the slider and he got a beer from the Hops & Barley stand. I still wasnt hungry, so I checked my email and was excited to see a message from HAL and a couple from my travel agent. Thinking it was my stateroom number for the cruise in 13 days, I opened it up and was disappointed to see it was just notification my final documents are ready for the January cruise. Patience isnt one of my virtues, but Im trying to just chill out, knowing the exact stateroom number doesnt really matter.
After they ate we continued walking, and I left through International Gateway. I think they were going to try to get food from Canada, and then head back to Old Key West for a bit. Amanda wanted to change into jeans for tonight. We agreed to meet up at the Studios later. Shell do the Tower of Terror fastpasses (she can ride with her band, then again with Chris) and Ill show up during our Toy Story window to do that with them.
I walked back to the resort and started getting texts from Linda. Yesterday afternoon/evening shed pretty much decided on Orlando/Disney for their vacation next week, but now she was saying theyre leaning towards Ft Myers or some other non-cruise port beach town instead. I texted back to say I understood and thought that made more sense for them. Id like to see her, but honestly I do NOT have time to be running back down here next Friday! Ive got too much to do before my cruise the following week. She then suggested coming down (just her) for a long weekend in December and I could come stay with her. Um, no I cant take more time off. I go back to work after the cruise on 12/8, my pass is blacked out after 12/16 and I leave on another cruise 1/1. I need to go to work and not leave early SOME of the time, lol! Talk to me about 11 months from now and I have a much better chance of making it happen <g>.
I went out to the quiet pool and once again it was lovely! It was more comfortable too, since it was cooler today. I stayed out there reading for just over an hour, then went back upstairs sometime after 2:30. Our Toy Story fastpass window is 3:45-4:45 so I updated the report and hung out online for a while. Amanda texted from the bus to Hollywood Studios around 3:15 and then Linda texted with what should be their final decision on next weeks vacation not Disney. Ill cancel my (offsite) room later tonight.
I got ready and headed out around 3:45, talking to SB while walking over to the Studios. I arrived in no time at all, and found the bag check lines really long! Once I got through that there were waits at the entry stations as well. There were definitely more people coming into the park today vs yesterday at this time. I texted Chris & they were sitting at a table by Farm Fresh Produce down Sunset Boulevard. Amanda had done Tower of Terror and the drops shook up her stomach so she got a Mickey pretzel with cheese sauce and Chris had a churro and some frozen alcoholic drink with pumpkin and Captain Morgans spiced rum. His drink was surprisingly tasty! I didnt think Id really care for a pumpkin drink.
After the food was gone we walked over to Toy Story, and Amanda decided to sit it out saying the spinning bothers her. The fastpass line was extended outside and beyond where the fastpass machines used to be!! Id never seen it like that before. I got a text from my old travel buddy Sheila she & her husband were doing Star Tours standby with a 50-minute wait. We were headed there after Toy Story, so I let her know that.
While Chris & I did Toy Story, Amanda got in line for a photo with Santa Goofy. We figured shed be done before us, but she wasnt. Those photos take a long time, since the characters interact and the photopass guys take multiple shots for people. There was also a 10-minute break between Goofys. Chris beat me at Toy Story, by around 20,000 points. We kept passing the lead back & forth with each round, but he beat me in the end. I texted SB to let him know. Speaking of SB, his department seems to be having a lot of people being too sick to work on Saturdays and Sundays, which has meant hes stayed over at some point the last couple weekends. Today one of the 2nd shift people called in sick again, so he stayed to cover that shift working 7am until 11:30 pm today, and then hes back at work 7am tomorrow. What a pain.
After Toy Story Chris & I found Amanda getting near the front of the Santa Goofy line and joined her. She did her photo and then we joined her for another quick photo, which she posted on facebook. It turned out pretty good. From there we went to Star Tours, which she decided to skip as well. Sheila had just recently gotten into the building, so we ran into her & her husband in the queue. The fastpass lane is right next to the standby lane, so we got to stop and chat when both lines stopped moving for a while when we were next to each other.
In the end, we were loaded into the boarding area first, but they were ahead of us exiting after the attraction! The lady working our side was pretty slow the guy working on their side was much more efficient. We chatted some more, and I learned Sheilas son now has a THIRD child a girl born a week ago. We parted ways, until mid-January when Sheila joins me on a short DCL Dream cruise.
Chris, Amanda & I walked over to the Osborne Lights area and even though it was only around 5:40 we were able to check in for the Merry & Bright Dessert Party. We each received a paper with a lightbulb sticker wed need to wear if leaving and re-entering the party area, and the rest of the paper served as our ticket for the stadium blanket gift. Those are plain fleece blankets, with the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights printed on the pocket. They have red and blue, so I got red and they got one of each. Someone who went to the party recently said they had mostly blue, but we didnt find that to be true tonight.
Once we checked in they told us where the line had formed, so we decided we might as well stand in line. We had a good spot to see the lights come on at 6, and before then a cast member passed out the special viewing glasses (makes the white lights look like snowflakes) to party guests. It seemed to take forever from 6 to 6:30, but eventually it was time! They let the people in wheelchairs and scooters in first, and there were PLENTY of them! I swear, theres nowhere in the world where so many people need scooters! Once they were in, those of us in line were admitted. Assuming you plan to spend time at the party, you definitely want to be there early, so youre in while the best located tables are still empty.
They sold 350 tickets to tonights party, and that is considered sold out. That sounded like way too many for the area, but surprisingly it never felt overly crowded. There were always empty chairs here & there. I didnt notice people coming & going they pretty much stayed in the area until they left. I wouldnt feel comfortable leaving anything on a table to hold it, but thats just me. I didnt see anyone else doing that either. Our table was right at the end of the street, so we could see both sides clearly. We purposely chose a table NOT by the railing, because people stand against the railing (on the outside) all night long. Sitting there, your view would be backs and butts. There are many tables that dont really have a great view, so pay attention and choose wisely.
The alcoholic drinks were unlimited, and not pre-prepared. In the beginning there were lines about 4-6 people deep, but later the lines were shorter or non-existent. The Jack Frost was very good coconut rum and pineapple juice. I had 3 of those, but threw away part of the last one (feeling too full). Chris tried all of the drinks, and couldnt drink the cider with fireball because it was too strong. If its too strong for him, I cant imagine how strong it was! Towards the end I tried the hot chocolate with Baileys and white chocolate syrup that was good too, but I ended up going back to get more hot chocolate added to it once Id drunk part of it. They also had big tubs of canned soda, small bottled water, coffee, tea and cold non-alcoholic drinks in dispensers.
The desserts we tried were all good, and I think between us everything got tried. I loved the little chocolate bundt cake with chocolate mousse in the center! I ended up eating 2 of those, 2 rice krispie things, a coconut cake and some apple pie crust (I like crust, lol). I was so full I felt sick not literally, but I was uncomfortable and shouldnt have eaten all that. Amanda ate around 6 of the lemon curd with raspberry tart things, plus an clair, the chocolate mousse thing, and part of the peppermint mousse and something else. Near the end she ran over to Soundstage and got a chicken sandwich, saying she needed some real food! Chris ate plenty of everything, and half of Amandas chicken sandwich.
We all really enjoyed the party (except for feeling like I had too much), and for $69/person I think it was well worth it for what we got. I have no regrets doing it, and Amanda really enjoyed it (this was her birthday present from SB & me). Around 8:15 we took our hot chocolate and went out to walk the streets. It was still busy but not as mobbed as it was most of the night.
We were able to find out where the black cat was located, and it was so obvious tonight! Chris had looked it up on his phone but didnt realize he was looking at old information. When he told me where it was, I figured it was old, and sure enough when we got to that spot there was no cat. We did find it in a completely different area, though.
We left at this point, as the park was technically closed. The street was still very crowded, so Im not sure what time they start throwing people out. They were headed to Magic Kingdom but would be driving over to Boardwalk in the morning. Amanda asked if she could leave her makeup and some stuff in my room while we went to the park, so I took their blankets with me since theyd be coming to the studio tomorrow. This way they didnt have to carry them around MK.
I called SB on my way out and talked to him while walking back to Boardwalk. Once I got back in the room I finished up the trip report and will probably set the photos to upload while I watch some HGTV. I realized I only took a few photos tonight, so I really dont have a lot of Osborne Lights pictures! I took some yesterday, but not as many as youd think. Oh well, theres always Thanksgiving night or I can recycle previous years photos <g>.
Today was a delightful day doing the early Food & Wine lunch, relaxing by the pool, then spending time like we did at the Studios was just terrific! I dont see myself doing more dessert parties, as I dont need all those sweets and theyre hard to resist if I have access to them! But, Im very glad I did this one.
Tomorrow were spending the morning in Epcot, for what will most likely be the last ride on the current version of Soarin. Well do Food & Wine for lunch, then I plan to repeat the pool before returning to Food & Wine for the evening seeing Chaka Khan in concert also.
DAY 3 Sunday 11/15/15
Who: Sue (57), DVC Member
Chris (29), my son
Amanda (27), my daughter-in-law
Plan: Epcot, Food & Wine Festival
Actual: Last night I stayed up until after 11, and then was awake sometime after 2am! I dozed off and on, and finally got up around 3:30. It didnt make sense to try to sleep when I was wide awake. I blame the dessert party, lol! I channel surfed and did stuff on the computer, getting up to make my cappuccino around 5. I did see that Epcot has the Eiffel tower lit in Frances colors. Thats NOT red, white & blue as reported on tv its blue, white & red. I learned that back in elementary school or junior high French class!
I had the Port Everglades webcam on and sort of watched the progress of the ships returning to port to dump off their passengers and board a new batch later today. My previous ship (Nieuw Amsterdam) arrived, but my next ship (Oosterdam) doesnt arrive until Monday. Then when it returns again Ill be boarding!
I took my shower around 7 and after getting ready for the day texted Tiana and learned she was still planning to come down today. Shes bringing her teen son and one of his friends, but she plans to see Chaka Khan. I told her wed try to get Chris a loose wrist band so I can give it to her, since he & Amanda wont be staying that late.
Chris & Amanda texted about 8:45 saying they were leaving OKW in about 5 minutes to drive over here. Id had greek yogurt earlier but I was hungry for something more substantial, so I asked if shed eat half a bagel if I bought one. She agreed, so I walked down to Bellevue Room to find a couple and a solo man waiting behind the lady being waited on. This lady evidently was part of a large party who had the dining plan, and Im assuming they were at the end of their stay and had a bunch of credits left that they were trying to use. Amazingly, although the sign explaining what the dining plan got you was RIGHT THERE she had no clue what she was supposed to get. I heard the sole cast member saying Im going to have to close this order out and start a separate one and groaned. It took forever to get this woman taken care of, and the rest of us just had to stand there. Chris & Amanda arrived at Bellevue Room just as she was finishing!
We got the bagel with some cream cheese and toasted it in my studio rather than risk dining plan lady needing to tie up the toaster there with her assortment of stuff. Oh, and while holding up the line shed be yelling over to people people in her party Jimmy what do you want you want a blueberry muffin, chocolate chip muffin, etc and then wait for Jimmy to decide then go on to the next person. Argh!
Once the bagel was toasted we each fixed our half with cream cheese and ate it on the way to Epcot. We went down the stairwell and cut through the pool area, as that seemed a little bit shorter. We didnt have any wait at bag check, but there was a slight wait at entry. Once again, only 1 side was open even though 2 cast members were working.
We went straight to the Land, and since there really wasnt a wait at Living With the Land we did that first, then joined the fastpass queue for our final time on this version of Soarin. Well miss it, but I wont miss all the crap floating in the picture, lol! Once that ended we made a quick stop at the passholder wineglass place to pick up the final wineglass and then used our fastpasses for Spaceship Earth. I made sure get in my row first and hit English so Chris couldnt set mine to Japanese or some other foreign language, lol! When we reached the end several people were boarding there, including 2 men using canes. I guess the other 10-20 people were their parties. Amanda had never seen that before, but outside that area we found several wheelchairs and scooters waiting for people who were riding.
By now it was after 10:30 so we walked back to World Showcase, and found Canada just opening up. Chris & I got in line there while Amanda went to Greece. I used the last of the Sampler Package tabs to buy the mushroom filet mignon, and Chris got the chicken sausage and the cheese soup. We joined a couple at one of the tables and saw Amanda was still waiting for Greece to open.
I gave Chris my mushrooms and some of the steak, and I tried a bite of each of his items. The soup is thick enough to take a bite with my fork! We left a bite of everything in case Amanda wanted to try any of it, and we were finished by the time Greece opened and she got her chicken gyro (and one for Chris). Shed never had it before but it always smells so good to her she decided to try it but without the tomatoes, lettuce and onion. She also didnt want to try any of the food from Canada so Chris finished that up. They ate as we walked, heading towards Mexico.
As expected, the booths along here were very busy, but our destination was South Korea and this was the most logical path to take. We did stop in Mexico so Amanda could get the sweet corn cheesecake with a very short wait, and then continued to South Korea. There was no wait here (for a change), and Chris got the short rib and the lettuce wrap. He liked them both, but I dont think he loved them. I tried a taste of the short rib and thought it smelled a whole lot better than it actually tasted, so I was glad the line was always too long for me to get it!
Our final stop was America, where we went up to the Chase Lounge and got loose-fitting wrist bands for the 5:30 concert. It wasnt busy up there at all, and they still had stacks of wrist bands. They got some soda from the lounge, then we went down to the Hops & Barley stand where I got the slider. After this we were ready to leave Epcot, and since the boat was just docking at International Gateway we decided to ride back to Boardwalk for a change. We cut through the pool and went up the stairwell to get to the room, and after they got their stuff they headed out for the drive back to Ft Myers. Well see them when they come to Gainesville for Christmas, which will be nice!
I changed into a swimsuit and went down to the quiet pool, which only had a few people there. It was mostly cloudy, and at times even a little chilly in the breeze. I sort of napped for about an hour, then went back upstairs since there was no sign of any sunshine anywhere! Tiana texted about 2 to say she was in Epcot and she was going to give me her wineglass. I told her I already had several, but she insisted she wanted me to have it. LOL maybe shell change her mind later. I changed back into clothes, got some ice, and had a glass of wine on the balcony while updating the report. Its very comfortable out there with the breeze and total cloud cover. Too bad it couldnt be like this early in the festival!
About 3:30 I decided to head back over to Epcot, although I expected it to be really busy since its the final weekend for Food & Wine and Osborne Lights arent on for another 2.5 hours. I texted Tiana and learned they were in line for Soarin, and it was standby since she said making fastpasses wasnt working for her before the trip. She knew we were to meet at 5 in America, so I didnt worry about it. I did find it strange she was doing Soarin when she freaked out and HATED it last trip, but whatever.
I wandered around, and then got a pinot grigio from the Wine Studio and sat on a bench to do some reading while waiting for her. By 5pm she was still on Soarin, so I texted to let her know I was walking over to America since we were already supposed to be there. She replied to say theyd just gotten off. I got to America first, of course and then she needed to know how to get there. Of course the park was mobbed, too. I gave her directions and waited for her outside America, on the Japan side since she was coming from Canada. I was getting aggravated you dont get on an attraction if youre due to be somewhere before youll be finished, and she was the one all gung ho about Chaka Khan. Finally I went inside the theater, and by now the entire back was about 6 rows deep of people standing outside so I had to excuse my way through them to get the Chase person to let me in.
Tiana arrived at 5:27 for the 5:30 concert, and I was still standing in the back. I directed her to the brick building that holds the sound tech guys, and was able to hand her the other wrist band and direct her down to the Chase entrance. The lady there waved her in and we got seats at the far end of a row down close to the front, but way off to the side (rather sucky). It ended up not really mattering in the long run though, because the concert was a big disappointment.
Chaka stood in the exact center of the stage the entire time never moving to either side. I was mortified when Tiana started shouting Chaka come down this side repeatedly. SB attends some of her sons basketball games but he wont sit anywhere near her because (his words) she acts a fool, lol! I guess I had a little taste of that. She ended up not being impressed with Chaka either. I didnt know any of the songs it all sounded like the same song, with a woman screaming. When she asked if I wanted to leave before the crowd let out, I said yes. As soon as we left she did the one song I did know, to close out the show, lol! Its Im every woman or something like that.
We found her son & his friend, and since she wanted the sliders I pointed out the Hops & Barley stand to her. She said she also wanted to get the boys that frozen orange thing. Thinking she meant the dole whips we got at Poly, I told her that wasnt here. She said not that the frozen orange drink thing she meant the grand marnier slush drinks, lol! I told her they had to be 21 (not 16) to get those she had no idea there was alcohol in them. Sometimes she needs a keeper, lol! I decided they should go do their thing and Id go do my thing <g>. Theyd parked at Hollywood Studios, so I let her know how to get to the boat, and encouraged her to GO IN and see the Osborne Lights before driving home! Oy.
I walked towards Italy and stopped in Germany to get the roasted bratwurst in pretzel roll for dinner. It was pretty good! After that I just walked around, making 2 complete loops. In several areas it was very crowded, and definitely busier than it was Friday night. I might have stayed out longer, if it wasnt so crowded. On the final loop I stopped in Mexico for the sweet corn cheesecake, then left the park when I came around to the International Gateway.
In France they have Frances colors (blue, white & red) illuminating the Eiffel Tower, to honor that country after the recent terrorist attacks. Many people were taking photos with their cell phones! I saw on the news that many places are doing something similar.
I walked back to the Boardwalk and am settled in for the night. I uploaded and captured the last photos to finish the album. Its not a very big one, and most of the photos are from the Osborne Lights and the dessert party, with a little Food & Wine mixed in. The photos are on shutterfly at share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AZNGTdm2bMWjMog
This was a really nice little trip, and it was fun hanging out with Chris & Amanda again. The weather was definitely more comfortable (finally), and I was thrilled I didnt have any noise from my neighbors at all. Sadly Chris & Amanda couldnt say the same and were thankful for the room but were not thrilled with Old Key West yet again. The Merry & Bright Dessert Party turned out to be a great evening, and we really enjoyed the event. Im really glad we all got to enjoy the Osborne Lights this way, without the horrible crowds people who didnt do the party had to endure.
My next trip will be a single night back here at Boardwalk Villas, followed by a 10-night HAL cruise. Ill arrive on Thanksgiving Day and use my Levy Restaurants birthday credit on lunch at Portobello, then Im undecided whether Ill see Osborne Lights again or go see the ice lights on the castle at MK before leaving the next morning for the HAL cruise.
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Sue (Holland) Rayford - Osborne Lights Trip - Nov 13-15, 2015 at Boardwalk Villas
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