Savvy's Disney Wedding Trip - Yacht Club Resort - 10/31-11/6/18
DATES: 10/31-11/6
TRAVEL: EWR to MCO
RESORT: Yacht Club
PARTY
Me (30) 30+ trips
JF (32) My fiance, his third trip
Sis (27) My sister, also 30+ trips
ZF (27) Sis's fiance, a few trips
Mom & Dad (55) My parents
HIGHLIGHTS: Fall Feast 5K, Sis & ZF Wedding, Engagement Photo Shoot
Hi all! It's been a while since my last report, and as you can see, this one is exceptionally late! I was finishing my masters this year, so I apologize for the delay.
So, yes. A lot going on here. First and foremost, Sis and ZF were getting married at the Grand Floridian, and we also had a 5K and my own engagement photos in the mix. It was very cool to see how Disney does weddings, but there was so much going this trip sadly did not feel like a vacation. We regretted not adding a few days to relax after all the craziness.
My family had embargoed me from doing homework on this trip, which meant I did not have my laptop and was not able to make notes for the report. Not that I had time anyway. But here it goes from the best of my memory!
DAY 0 & 1 - A POLYNESIAN HALLOWEEN
The weeks leading up to the trip were busy ones. Between work, school, my maid of honor duties, and planning my own wedding, I was beat. I normally work the full day before Disney, but I took off today and was grateful for it. I stuffed the day with as much as I could: homework, packing, manicure, doctor, and dropping the dogs off at the kennel.
Normally we stay at my parents' house the night before Disney and are out the door early for a 6 am flight. This year United changed the flight to 9:30 after booking, and there was so much wedding luggage that we had to take separate cars anyway. JF and I therefore decided to spend the night in our own bed and swung around to my parents' house around 6. The other two cars were already waiting for us, so we started our caravan out to Newark.
I was a little nervous when I realized we were driving into rush hour traffic, but thankfully there were no delays. The guys dropped us off at the terminal with something like 15 suitcases and Siss wedding gown. There was much concern over the gown: whether it would fit through security, whether they would hang it on the plane, whether it would fit in the overhead bin. (It made me very glad I'm not planning a destination wedding.) The guys came back, and the gown made it through security no problem. Thanks to TSA Pre, we were through in just a few minutes, where we met up with the first of many relatives/wedding guests wed see throughout the trip.
I grabbed coffee and a sandwich from Starbucks and pulled out my textbook, determined to get some reading in before the flight. By this point we had accumulated a few more family members and it was difficult to concentrate with all the chit chatting, so I gave up. The flight itself was fine, and the airline did hang the dress up in a closet. The staff had to restart the entertainment system 30 minutes into the flight, which took another 30 minutes on top of that, so I didnt get to finish The Incredibles II. The person in front of me was at a full recline, so the screen was titled at an annoying angle anyway.
We got onto a crowded Magical Express Bus, which made the usual stops at Caribbean Beach, Boardwalk, and Beach Club before bringing us to Yacht Club. Along the way, we got our first glimpse of the new skyliner station at Caribbean Beach. There were also towers visible along our drive and clustered around the Epcot and HS entrances. Blech. Sorry. I am not a fan, particularly the way they cut through the back of World Showcase. No thanks.
Hotel check in was a little rough, for Dad anyway. Though every single other wedding guest in the room block was upgraded to a water view for free, Dads and mine were not. As a financial contributor to the wedding and a long-time customer of the Yacht Club, Dad complained and was only given the upgraded room after coming back to the front desk multiple times. He offered to do the same for me, but I didnt really mind. This trip was so chaotic we were barely in the room anyway.
The rooms werent ready so we changed, checked our bags, and had a quick lunch at the Market at Ale & Compass. This is the Yacht's relatively new quick service location. I think it is too long and too similar a name compared to the sit down Ale & Compass across the lobby, but nobody asked me. The atmosphere leaves something to be desired, but I like that they strive to offer healthy options. I had the kids goldfish turkey sandwich with and an overpriced (but low calorie) vegetable platter. JF and I would typically pick up a refillable mug about now, but I had a feeling we wouldnt get value for them on this trip. That turned out to be right.
Welcome bags for the wedding guests were next on the to-do list. Sis and I handed some of them to the desk here at Yacht, then we split up. She and ZF went over to Port Orleans while JF and I brought the remainder to Pop Century. I considered the cost of taking the Minnie Van, which would have been $23 and a 20 minute wait. Regular Lyft service was only $7 and Uber was $6. I decided to go with Uber, which picked us up in less than five minutes and had us to Pop in ten. Other than one taxi ride a few years ago, weve only ever used Disney transportation, but I could get used to this. We ended up using Uber or Lyft several times throughout this trip, and they made managing our schedule so much easier.
The wait in line at Pop's front desk was considerably longer than our ride. After fifteen minutes an astute CM finally recognized that the two people in line holding a dozen party bags had something to do other than check in. She pulled us out of line and promised to distribute the bags as requested. During our equally fast Uber back to Yacht, I got the text that our room was ready, so we retrieved our bags from bell services when we got back and went up to the fourth floor. Though we had the standard view, it was right around the corner from the elevator. Cant beat that. It also overlooked the park bus stop, and I loved hearing the buses come and go when lying in bed in the morning. Dad would say that it is nicer listening to the boat horns from his water view. (Which he did. Several times.)
We changed into our swim suits and headed down to Stormalong Bay, where they were giving out Halloween wrist bands and playing Thriller pool-side. I kind of forgot it was Halloween up until this point, so I enjoyed these little touches. After dropping our stuff on lounge chairs by Dad, we got drinks from Hurricane Hanna's: a pina colava for JF and a sangria for me. Though I knew what I was getting, I am always disappointed with the sangria. Its been watery and bland ever since they switched to the boxed stuff a few years ago. JF, on the other hand, loved his pina colava.
We spent the next few hours just relaxing. The pool was too chilly for me, but the weather was so nice I enjoyed just being here and reading my book. Its been a while since we enjoyed Florida without the September humidity. JF dozed for a while, and I returned the bar to try something different, a frose (read: frozen rose). Bingo! New favorite drink!
Sis and I had snagged two late reservations at 'Ohana tonight for those people who were in town already, mostly close family members. After showering off, a bunch of us met in the lobby so we could head over early for a drink. Sis being the Disney encyclopedia that she is knew that the Tambu Lounge was going to be closed for refurbishment. We knew it was a long shot, but we thought wed try Trader Sams.
It was around 7:30 when our two Ubers dropped us off. The CMF in Trader Sams did indeed agree that a group of nine was a long shot since they can only have so many people inside. He walked around doing a head count and said we could come in as standing room only, but a table opened after only a few minutes and we all squished in.
Trader Sam's is always a great time. We got to see every effect at least once, except my favorite, the Shrunken Head (where patrons find their bar stools sinking into the ground). Though I hate rum, Sis played the bride card and convinced me to split the Nautilus with her. The Nautilus garners arguably the best show of all the drinks, with cast members donning life preservers and snorkel masks, spraying people with water as they "swim" by. I also bargained to take the souvenir Nautilus home with me, which is now sitting handsomely atop my fireplace in the living room.
Dinner afterward was upstairs at 'Ohana, which was delicious and plentiful as usual. Dad's stomach was acting up but they're always great about accommodating special requests here and made him plain chicken wings. They also made a big show of Sis and ZF, handing them hand-made fresh flower leis and singing a special song to them in the restaurant. I think ZF died a little bit of embarrassment, but it was a really nice gesture.
As much as I would have liked to hit Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party, we were wiped and the party was long sold out. We Ubered back to the Yacht Club and hit the hay.
DAY 2 - EXPO AND WEDDING GUEST ARRIVAL
We were so excited this summer when Disney announced the Regatta Run, the latest in the resort-series runs in WDW. The Regatta run was "supposedly" held at the Yacht Club marina every Thursday morning and offered some seriously awesome looking Yacht and Beach swag. The course wrapped around the Boardwalk, down toward Hollywood Studios and back. We hadnt seen signs advertising the run since arriving, but the Internet said to just show up 15 minutes prior to register. So a bunch of us were downstairs at 7:45. The marina, however, was empty. There was no sign of a race at all, which was disappointing.
Since we were already here, we took a walk around the Boardwalk. Most of us were also running the Fall Feast 5K tomorrow, so we made it a quick lap. After showering and breakfast, we runners met back up in the lobby and walked to the convention center to catch an expo bus. The Mears cast member was so happy to see us because apparently she'd already sent two buses on due to a lack of riders. Yacht is a great Run Disney stop for this reason: little to no wait getting on the bus to or from a race. We picked up a good handful of people at Beach and Boardwalk and were on our way to the Wide World of Sports.
I feel like the expo setup is always a little different every time we come here. All I remember is that bibs were in one place, shirts and merch were in another. Both places were empty, probably because it was too early for most half marathoners to be in town.
We split up after getting all our stuff. Sis, JF, and myself went back to the hotel, and she left us soon after to meet some friends who had just arrived. JF and I dropped off our race stuff in the room before walking over to Epcot. I was getting pretty hungry, so we stopped at one of our favorite festival booths first, the Festival of Fire over by Innoventions. JF got the piggy wings and I got the corned beef nachos, which were better this year. I had scored some last minute FP on the bus ride back, so we did Nemo next, then rode the Land standby. We made a few more food stops, including Japan, where I was thrilled to see the spicy roll had returned, and JF got his favorite, the bao bun. We walked a while with one of my cousins who had just arrived as well, passing Sis and some bridesmaids on our way out of the park.
JF and I walked back to the hotel and changed into our swimsuits. I stood on the top step of the pool for a minute and once again decided it was too cold. Oh shoot. Now I had to go get another frose and relax on a lounge chair.
JF snoozed. I read. Around 4 o'clock, his parents called to let us know they had just arrived. We packed up and met them upstairs at their room, which was also upgraded to a water view. After taking half an hour to freshen up, we met them and my own parents downstairs at Ale & Compass. They chatted up a storm while we enjoyed our drinks, a prosecco for me and beer flight for JF. I slipped my credit card to JF and had him "go to the bathroom" to take care of the check, which earned us a scolding from all four of them.
There were considerably more relatives in town tonight, and everyone was meeting up to walk around the Food & Wine Festival. I love my friends and family, but honestly I found the whole huge group thing stressful. As you might expect, Epcot was crowded, and we kept losing each other. A group of twenty five people trying to decide what to do also resulted in several indecisive stand-stills. It was not ideal.
JF and I shared some goodies from the Mexico and China booths along the way, then split off to use a FP on Frozen. Afterward, we found JFs parents in their element, watching a country singer in America. I wasn't sure what to do as there were two or three groups of my people floating around at this point.
We found my sister and her bride tribe in the United Kingdom, which made me feel a little guilty. I felt I had slacked in my Maid of Honor duties here, but as I reminded her, we had to be up in six hours for a run. I therefore left the rest of the bridesmaids on duty for the evening and walked back to the hotel with JF. We were in bed by 9, but I had a lot of trouble falling asleep. The new hard floors make it easier to hear everything your neighbors and passersby are doing. As JF put it, it sounded like someone above us had dropped something on the floor, which spent the next 20 minutes rolling around. Sis pointed out the next day that with the new pet policy, it could have been a dog.
Im cool with the dog rule. Just not the new floors.
DAY 3 - RUN, EAT, DRINK, REPEAT
It was up and at 'em at 2:30 a.m. I slept so terribly I just got out of bed before my alarm, which was set for 3.
JF was in a surprisingly good mood given I had him up this early to run three miles. Once I got over my own tiredness, I felt both nervous and excited. It had been two years since my last Run Disney race, so even with minimal sleep, I was so ready for today.
The five of us met downstairs and walked right onto a waiting bus, which brought us over to Animal Kingdom. As usual, there was a period of waiting around that can be pretty boring, but the weather was comfortable. Sis and I were wearing complimentary outfits with her wedding date written on the back. She was the ghost bride from Haunted Mansion, and I was a "maid" of honor. She was way more committed, with a veil and light up beating heart. I, on the other hand, had ditched the Haunted Mansion maid skirt I had ordered off Etsy because it was too big. This left me with only a striped green tank top and hair bow with a bat. Though the outfits made more sense together, Sis was exhausted from last night and wanted to get more sleep in before the rehearsal this morning. She and my uncle therefore went up to corral A, while Dad, JF, and I went into B.
I planned to pace myself with JF, but he had been trying to convince me to run by myself so he wouldnt slow me down. I only gave in when he told me his stomach had been bothering him. Since Dad was dealing with some stomach issues of his own, the two of them decided to walk/run together, leaving me to run myself.
There were only three corrals today, but each corral was split into four mini waves that were released every few minutes. This went pretty quickly. I was at the front of my wave and felt the excitement bubbling up during those last few minutes with the course ahead of me. I was out like a shot when the announcer let us go, but was surprised to hit a wall of walkers than a minute in. I supposed I wasnt expecting this since the longer races generally have more runners up front. Without timing chips, it really didnt matter, but it was difficult to navigate around them on this dark and narrow course. And of course you always have the people who ignore the rule about walking no more than three abreast.
The course was mostly roads and back scenery, but the middle mile within the park was fantastic. Animal Kingdrom is the only park I've never run in, which made it even better. The first highlight was getting to witness the projections on the tree of life, which I did stop for a minute to enjoy. The second was running through Pandora, which was all lit up. Ill probably never make it to AK at night so this was pretty cool to see as well.
The nice thing about the 5K was I got all the excitement of a Run Disney race without hitting the wall I usually hit around mile 8 or 9 of a half. It was just as well run as any other Disney race, and I finished feeling strong and happy. Plus, the Lady and the Tramp medal was SUPER CUTE, and I got my snack box with corn chips and fake cheese. Which any runner will tell you is the best.
I walked out into the parking lot and met up with my uncle, who confirmed Sis was already on her way back to the hotel. JF and Dad were only 10 minutes behind us. They had both run most of the course without feeling any worse for the wear.
No wait for the return bus. Yay! It was still completely dark out by the time we made it to Yacht. JF and I showered and hung out for a while as the sun came up. Im sure he napped, but I was still amped up from the run. Around 7:30 we went downstairs to Ale & Compass (the restaurant, not the quick service), and were able to walk right in without a reservation. It was my first time here since they renovated, and I was pleased with both the redecorating and the food. They still have the breakfast buffet, which they now call "continental," but you can order any of the entrees on the menu along with it. I loved this change! The only things missing were the egg dishes. I thought I was still able to get a Mickey waffle, but according to the menu online, there are no waffles or pancakes. I guess that makes sense since waffles were one of the accompanying entrees you could order. Anyway, I can't remember his name but our server was a really nice guy; I've found thats trend with the staff in this restaurant. I also saved ten percent with my Disney Visa.
According to the spiffy digital bulletin board in the lobby, Sis and ZFs rehearsal was at 11 am in the Convention Center. JF and I decided to kill some time by taking a stroll around the Boardwalk and looking in all the gift shops. I was casually looking through the dresses in the Yacht gift shop when I found a Lily Pulitzer that actually looked like it might fit me. Ive always loved the selection they have here, but I typically need to shop petite. The CM saw me trying to inspect it in the mirror and opened the dressing room for me. It fit like a glove and stopped about an inch from my knees, which was good enough for me! I bought it.
JF and I hung around in the room waiting for the rehearsal to roll around. I put on my new dress and pulled my hair up since I hadnt bothered to dry it before rushing down for breakfast. No one was answering my texts so I walked downstairs to the Convention Center alone. It felt like I was walking forever through that place, which is vast and gorgeous by the way, before I finally found the right room. I was the first one there and chatted with the officiant and wedding planner for a few minutes before my parents arrived. The rest of the troops rolled in at 11 on the dot, and we were done in 15 minutes. I called JF to come downstairs and meet us at the bus stop.
I can't remember where Sis and her entourage went, but it was just Mom, Dad, JF, and me on the bus to Disney Springs. Rehearsal lunch was at the new Paddlefish restaurant (formerly Fulton's Crabhouse) at 1 pm, so we had some time. JF and I split off on our own to check out the renovated World of Disney. Im not sure how I feel about the change here. It's a little less "magical" for sure, but the layout is at least less confusing. JF and I picked out a few Christmas ornaments, Avengers and Shield for him, and an Awesome Mix Vol. 2 cassette from Guardians of the Galaxy for me. The cassette earned me several appreciative comments from CMs and fellow shoppers while I was paying. I guess the joke is on me for paying $20 for something I could literally have made myself, but I was so in love it with I didn't really care.
Though I would have liked to swing by the Co-Op, it was nearly time for lunch, so we walked back to Paddlefish. Lunch was being served in a room on the top deck that also opened to an outdoor balcony. The view was absolutely gorgeous and the food was wonderful, but I was extremely disappointed with the staff.
The groom's mom had confirmed the final headcount of 29 with the restaurant a few days before. When we first arrived, Sis, JF, and I went up to the bar to order drinks. The attendant looked around the room, then looked back at my sister and pointedly said, "Well it looks like you have more than 20 people here." Whomever had received the final headcount had not relayed it to these two gentlemen, who thought we would only be 20. Rather than pull someone aside to settle this discretely, they launched into a defensive argument about how their colleague "hadn't told them" it was 29. They were pretty much accusing ZF's mom of not relaying the correct number to them.
Are you kidding me? Besides the fact that the miscommunication was 100 percent on their end, the appropriate response to the bride should have been "We'll take care of it," and then seeking out someone else to resolve the issue. Making a scene in front of all the guests was absurdly inappropriate and unprofessional. I personally will never come back here because of it.
Anyway. Besides this snafu, which was over after the first ten minutes, the lunch itself was very nice. Sis gave each of us pretty earrings to wear tomorrow, along with personalized Disney quotes. My card of course had a quote from Frozen!
I made some FP reservations in Hollywood Studios as the lunch wrapped up, but by the time we got on the bus back to Yacht, it was starting to rain. I had, err, had my share of champagne at lunch, so I was all for traipsing out in the rain. JF was more sensible and persuaded me to hang back.
I am honestly blanking on what we did from here, but it poured all night and Im pretty sure JF napped while I read and, erm, sobered up a little. In my defense, I knew I was going to have to cut back on the drinks tomorrow until my MOH toast was over. So. I cut a little loose today. And entertained my friends and family on the bus ride back. All good.
Tonight we had a welcome party for the wedding guests in the hotel. It was originally supposed to be out on Stormalong Beach, but the weather forced us inside at Ariel's in the Beach Club. I spent the first half hour making the rounds to say hello to family and friends and gave JF a grateful look when he handed me a glass of wine during this process. Drinks and desserts were being served, and I have to say the selection was great. Desserts, from what I can remember, included giant carrot cake cookies, mini cupcakes, Mickey premium bars, assorted pastries, and the same amazing bread pudding they served at the Star Wars fireworks dessert party JF and I went to last year. Last time my skin did break out after eating it. Were tomorrow not my sisters wedding, I would have taken the risk again today. It's just that good.
The early morning wake up caught up to me halfway into the party. JF and I left at 9 sharp and went straight to bed.
DATES: 10/31-11/6
TRAVEL: EWR to MCO
RESORT: Yacht Club
PARTY
Me (30) 30+ trips
JF (32) My fiance, his third trip
Sis (27) My sister, also 30+ trips
ZF (27) Sis's fiance, a few trips
Mom & Dad (55) My parents
HIGHLIGHTS: Fall Feast 5K, Sis & ZF Wedding, Engagement Photo Shoot
Hi all! It's been a while since my last report, and as you can see, this one is exceptionally late! I was finishing my masters this year, so I apologize for the delay.
So, yes. A lot going on here. First and foremost, Sis and ZF were getting married at the Grand Floridian, and we also had a 5K and my own engagement photos in the mix. It was very cool to see how Disney does weddings, but there was so much going this trip sadly did not feel like a vacation. We regretted not adding a few days to relax after all the craziness.
My family had embargoed me from doing homework on this trip, which meant I did not have my laptop and was not able to make notes for the report. Not that I had time anyway. But here it goes from the best of my memory!
DAY 0 & 1 - A POLYNESIAN HALLOWEEN
The weeks leading up to the trip were busy ones. Between work, school, my maid of honor duties, and planning my own wedding, I was beat. I normally work the full day before Disney, but I took off today and was grateful for it. I stuffed the day with as much as I could: homework, packing, manicure, doctor, and dropping the dogs off at the kennel.
Normally we stay at my parents' house the night before Disney and are out the door early for a 6 am flight. This year United changed the flight to 9:30 after booking, and there was so much wedding luggage that we had to take separate cars anyway. JF and I therefore decided to spend the night in our own bed and swung around to my parents' house around 6. The other two cars were already waiting for us, so we started our caravan out to Newark.
I was a little nervous when I realized we were driving into rush hour traffic, but thankfully there were no delays. The guys dropped us off at the terminal with something like 15 suitcases and Siss wedding gown. There was much concern over the gown: whether it would fit through security, whether they would hang it on the plane, whether it would fit in the overhead bin. (It made me very glad I'm not planning a destination wedding.) The guys came back, and the gown made it through security no problem. Thanks to TSA Pre, we were through in just a few minutes, where we met up with the first of many relatives/wedding guests wed see throughout the trip.
I grabbed coffee and a sandwich from Starbucks and pulled out my textbook, determined to get some reading in before the flight. By this point we had accumulated a few more family members and it was difficult to concentrate with all the chit chatting, so I gave up. The flight itself was fine, and the airline did hang the dress up in a closet. The staff had to restart the entertainment system 30 minutes into the flight, which took another 30 minutes on top of that, so I didnt get to finish The Incredibles II. The person in front of me was at a full recline, so the screen was titled at an annoying angle anyway.
We got onto a crowded Magical Express Bus, which made the usual stops at Caribbean Beach, Boardwalk, and Beach Club before bringing us to Yacht Club. Along the way, we got our first glimpse of the new skyliner station at Caribbean Beach. There were also towers visible along our drive and clustered around the Epcot and HS entrances. Blech. Sorry. I am not a fan, particularly the way they cut through the back of World Showcase. No thanks.
Hotel check in was a little rough, for Dad anyway. Though every single other wedding guest in the room block was upgraded to a water view for free, Dads and mine were not. As a financial contributor to the wedding and a long-time customer of the Yacht Club, Dad complained and was only given the upgraded room after coming back to the front desk multiple times. He offered to do the same for me, but I didnt really mind. This trip was so chaotic we were barely in the room anyway.
The rooms werent ready so we changed, checked our bags, and had a quick lunch at the Market at Ale & Compass. This is the Yacht's relatively new quick service location. I think it is too long and too similar a name compared to the sit down Ale & Compass across the lobby, but nobody asked me. The atmosphere leaves something to be desired, but I like that they strive to offer healthy options. I had the kids goldfish turkey sandwich with and an overpriced (but low calorie) vegetable platter. JF and I would typically pick up a refillable mug about now, but I had a feeling we wouldnt get value for them on this trip. That turned out to be right.
Welcome bags for the wedding guests were next on the to-do list. Sis and I handed some of them to the desk here at Yacht, then we split up. She and ZF went over to Port Orleans while JF and I brought the remainder to Pop Century. I considered the cost of taking the Minnie Van, which would have been $23 and a 20 minute wait. Regular Lyft service was only $7 and Uber was $6. I decided to go with Uber, which picked us up in less than five minutes and had us to Pop in ten. Other than one taxi ride a few years ago, weve only ever used Disney transportation, but I could get used to this. We ended up using Uber or Lyft several times throughout this trip, and they made managing our schedule so much easier.
The wait in line at Pop's front desk was considerably longer than our ride. After fifteen minutes an astute CM finally recognized that the two people in line holding a dozen party bags had something to do other than check in. She pulled us out of line and promised to distribute the bags as requested. During our equally fast Uber back to Yacht, I got the text that our room was ready, so we retrieved our bags from bell services when we got back and went up to the fourth floor. Though we had the standard view, it was right around the corner from the elevator. Cant beat that. It also overlooked the park bus stop, and I loved hearing the buses come and go when lying in bed in the morning. Dad would say that it is nicer listening to the boat horns from his water view. (Which he did. Several times.)
We changed into our swim suits and headed down to Stormalong Bay, where they were giving out Halloween wrist bands and playing Thriller pool-side. I kind of forgot it was Halloween up until this point, so I enjoyed these little touches. After dropping our stuff on lounge chairs by Dad, we got drinks from Hurricane Hanna's: a pina colava for JF and a sangria for me. Though I knew what I was getting, I am always disappointed with the sangria. Its been watery and bland ever since they switched to the boxed stuff a few years ago. JF, on the other hand, loved his pina colava.
We spent the next few hours just relaxing. The pool was too chilly for me, but the weather was so nice I enjoyed just being here and reading my book. Its been a while since we enjoyed Florida without the September humidity. JF dozed for a while, and I returned the bar to try something different, a frose (read: frozen rose). Bingo! New favorite drink!
Sis and I had snagged two late reservations at 'Ohana tonight for those people who were in town already, mostly close family members. After showering off, a bunch of us met in the lobby so we could head over early for a drink. Sis being the Disney encyclopedia that she is knew that the Tambu Lounge was going to be closed for refurbishment. We knew it was a long shot, but we thought wed try Trader Sams.
It was around 7:30 when our two Ubers dropped us off. The CMF in Trader Sams did indeed agree that a group of nine was a long shot since they can only have so many people inside. He walked around doing a head count and said we could come in as standing room only, but a table opened after only a few minutes and we all squished in.
Trader Sam's is always a great time. We got to see every effect at least once, except my favorite, the Shrunken Head (where patrons find their bar stools sinking into the ground). Though I hate rum, Sis played the bride card and convinced me to split the Nautilus with her. The Nautilus garners arguably the best show of all the drinks, with cast members donning life preservers and snorkel masks, spraying people with water as they "swim" by. I also bargained to take the souvenir Nautilus home with me, which is now sitting handsomely atop my fireplace in the living room.
Dinner afterward was upstairs at 'Ohana, which was delicious and plentiful as usual. Dad's stomach was acting up but they're always great about accommodating special requests here and made him plain chicken wings. They also made a big show of Sis and ZF, handing them hand-made fresh flower leis and singing a special song to them in the restaurant. I think ZF died a little bit of embarrassment, but it was a really nice gesture.
As much as I would have liked to hit Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party, we were wiped and the party was long sold out. We Ubered back to the Yacht Club and hit the hay.
DAY 2 - EXPO AND WEDDING GUEST ARRIVAL
We were so excited this summer when Disney announced the Regatta Run, the latest in the resort-series runs in WDW. The Regatta run was "supposedly" held at the Yacht Club marina every Thursday morning and offered some seriously awesome looking Yacht and Beach swag. The course wrapped around the Boardwalk, down toward Hollywood Studios and back. We hadnt seen signs advertising the run since arriving, but the Internet said to just show up 15 minutes prior to register. So a bunch of us were downstairs at 7:45. The marina, however, was empty. There was no sign of a race at all, which was disappointing.
Since we were already here, we took a walk around the Boardwalk. Most of us were also running the Fall Feast 5K tomorrow, so we made it a quick lap. After showering and breakfast, we runners met back up in the lobby and walked to the convention center to catch an expo bus. The Mears cast member was so happy to see us because apparently she'd already sent two buses on due to a lack of riders. Yacht is a great Run Disney stop for this reason: little to no wait getting on the bus to or from a race. We picked up a good handful of people at Beach and Boardwalk and were on our way to the Wide World of Sports.
I feel like the expo setup is always a little different every time we come here. All I remember is that bibs were in one place, shirts and merch were in another. Both places were empty, probably because it was too early for most half marathoners to be in town.
We split up after getting all our stuff. Sis, JF, and myself went back to the hotel, and she left us soon after to meet some friends who had just arrived. JF and I dropped off our race stuff in the room before walking over to Epcot. I was getting pretty hungry, so we stopped at one of our favorite festival booths first, the Festival of Fire over by Innoventions. JF got the piggy wings and I got the corned beef nachos, which were better this year. I had scored some last minute FP on the bus ride back, so we did Nemo next, then rode the Land standby. We made a few more food stops, including Japan, where I was thrilled to see the spicy roll had returned, and JF got his favorite, the bao bun. We walked a while with one of my cousins who had just arrived as well, passing Sis and some bridesmaids on our way out of the park.
JF and I walked back to the hotel and changed into our swimsuits. I stood on the top step of the pool for a minute and once again decided it was too cold. Oh shoot. Now I had to go get another frose and relax on a lounge chair.
JF snoozed. I read. Around 4 o'clock, his parents called to let us know they had just arrived. We packed up and met them upstairs at their room, which was also upgraded to a water view. After taking half an hour to freshen up, we met them and my own parents downstairs at Ale & Compass. They chatted up a storm while we enjoyed our drinks, a prosecco for me and beer flight for JF. I slipped my credit card to JF and had him "go to the bathroom" to take care of the check, which earned us a scolding from all four of them.
There were considerably more relatives in town tonight, and everyone was meeting up to walk around the Food & Wine Festival. I love my friends and family, but honestly I found the whole huge group thing stressful. As you might expect, Epcot was crowded, and we kept losing each other. A group of twenty five people trying to decide what to do also resulted in several indecisive stand-stills. It was not ideal.
JF and I shared some goodies from the Mexico and China booths along the way, then split off to use a FP on Frozen. Afterward, we found JFs parents in their element, watching a country singer in America. I wasn't sure what to do as there were two or three groups of my people floating around at this point.
We found my sister and her bride tribe in the United Kingdom, which made me feel a little guilty. I felt I had slacked in my Maid of Honor duties here, but as I reminded her, we had to be up in six hours for a run. I therefore left the rest of the bridesmaids on duty for the evening and walked back to the hotel with JF. We were in bed by 9, but I had a lot of trouble falling asleep. The new hard floors make it easier to hear everything your neighbors and passersby are doing. As JF put it, it sounded like someone above us had dropped something on the floor, which spent the next 20 minutes rolling around. Sis pointed out the next day that with the new pet policy, it could have been a dog.
Im cool with the dog rule. Just not the new floors.
DAY 3 - RUN, EAT, DRINK, REPEAT
It was up and at 'em at 2:30 a.m. I slept so terribly I just got out of bed before my alarm, which was set for 3.
JF was in a surprisingly good mood given I had him up this early to run three miles. Once I got over my own tiredness, I felt both nervous and excited. It had been two years since my last Run Disney race, so even with minimal sleep, I was so ready for today.
The five of us met downstairs and walked right onto a waiting bus, which brought us over to Animal Kingdom. As usual, there was a period of waiting around that can be pretty boring, but the weather was comfortable. Sis and I were wearing complimentary outfits with her wedding date written on the back. She was the ghost bride from Haunted Mansion, and I was a "maid" of honor. She was way more committed, with a veil and light up beating heart. I, on the other hand, had ditched the Haunted Mansion maid skirt I had ordered off Etsy because it was too big. This left me with only a striped green tank top and hair bow with a bat. Though the outfits made more sense together, Sis was exhausted from last night and wanted to get more sleep in before the rehearsal this morning. She and my uncle therefore went up to corral A, while Dad, JF, and I went into B.
I planned to pace myself with JF, but he had been trying to convince me to run by myself so he wouldnt slow me down. I only gave in when he told me his stomach had been bothering him. Since Dad was dealing with some stomach issues of his own, the two of them decided to walk/run together, leaving me to run myself.
There were only three corrals today, but each corral was split into four mini waves that were released every few minutes. This went pretty quickly. I was at the front of my wave and felt the excitement bubbling up during those last few minutes with the course ahead of me. I was out like a shot when the announcer let us go, but was surprised to hit a wall of walkers than a minute in. I supposed I wasnt expecting this since the longer races generally have more runners up front. Without timing chips, it really didnt matter, but it was difficult to navigate around them on this dark and narrow course. And of course you always have the people who ignore the rule about walking no more than three abreast.
The course was mostly roads and back scenery, but the middle mile within the park was fantastic. Animal Kingdrom is the only park I've never run in, which made it even better. The first highlight was getting to witness the projections on the tree of life, which I did stop for a minute to enjoy. The second was running through Pandora, which was all lit up. Ill probably never make it to AK at night so this was pretty cool to see as well.
The nice thing about the 5K was I got all the excitement of a Run Disney race without hitting the wall I usually hit around mile 8 or 9 of a half. It was just as well run as any other Disney race, and I finished feeling strong and happy. Plus, the Lady and the Tramp medal was SUPER CUTE, and I got my snack box with corn chips and fake cheese. Which any runner will tell you is the best.
I walked out into the parking lot and met up with my uncle, who confirmed Sis was already on her way back to the hotel. JF and Dad were only 10 minutes behind us. They had both run most of the course without feeling any worse for the wear.
No wait for the return bus. Yay! It was still completely dark out by the time we made it to Yacht. JF and I showered and hung out for a while as the sun came up. Im sure he napped, but I was still amped up from the run. Around 7:30 we went downstairs to Ale & Compass (the restaurant, not the quick service), and were able to walk right in without a reservation. It was my first time here since they renovated, and I was pleased with both the redecorating and the food. They still have the breakfast buffet, which they now call "continental," but you can order any of the entrees on the menu along with it. I loved this change! The only things missing were the egg dishes. I thought I was still able to get a Mickey waffle, but according to the menu online, there are no waffles or pancakes. I guess that makes sense since waffles were one of the accompanying entrees you could order. Anyway, I can't remember his name but our server was a really nice guy; I've found thats trend with the staff in this restaurant. I also saved ten percent with my Disney Visa.
According to the spiffy digital bulletin board in the lobby, Sis and ZFs rehearsal was at 11 am in the Convention Center. JF and I decided to kill some time by taking a stroll around the Boardwalk and looking in all the gift shops. I was casually looking through the dresses in the Yacht gift shop when I found a Lily Pulitzer that actually looked like it might fit me. Ive always loved the selection they have here, but I typically need to shop petite. The CM saw me trying to inspect it in the mirror and opened the dressing room for me. It fit like a glove and stopped about an inch from my knees, which was good enough for me! I bought it.
JF and I hung around in the room waiting for the rehearsal to roll around. I put on my new dress and pulled my hair up since I hadnt bothered to dry it before rushing down for breakfast. No one was answering my texts so I walked downstairs to the Convention Center alone. It felt like I was walking forever through that place, which is vast and gorgeous by the way, before I finally found the right room. I was the first one there and chatted with the officiant and wedding planner for a few minutes before my parents arrived. The rest of the troops rolled in at 11 on the dot, and we were done in 15 minutes. I called JF to come downstairs and meet us at the bus stop.
I can't remember where Sis and her entourage went, but it was just Mom, Dad, JF, and me on the bus to Disney Springs. Rehearsal lunch was at the new Paddlefish restaurant (formerly Fulton's Crabhouse) at 1 pm, so we had some time. JF and I split off on our own to check out the renovated World of Disney. Im not sure how I feel about the change here. It's a little less "magical" for sure, but the layout is at least less confusing. JF and I picked out a few Christmas ornaments, Avengers and Shield for him, and an Awesome Mix Vol. 2 cassette from Guardians of the Galaxy for me. The cassette earned me several appreciative comments from CMs and fellow shoppers while I was paying. I guess the joke is on me for paying $20 for something I could literally have made myself, but I was so in love it with I didn't really care.
Though I would have liked to swing by the Co-Op, it was nearly time for lunch, so we walked back to Paddlefish. Lunch was being served in a room on the top deck that also opened to an outdoor balcony. The view was absolutely gorgeous and the food was wonderful, but I was extremely disappointed with the staff.
The groom's mom had confirmed the final headcount of 29 with the restaurant a few days before. When we first arrived, Sis, JF, and I went up to the bar to order drinks. The attendant looked around the room, then looked back at my sister and pointedly said, "Well it looks like you have more than 20 people here." Whomever had received the final headcount had not relayed it to these two gentlemen, who thought we would only be 20. Rather than pull someone aside to settle this discretely, they launched into a defensive argument about how their colleague "hadn't told them" it was 29. They were pretty much accusing ZF's mom of not relaying the correct number to them.
Are you kidding me? Besides the fact that the miscommunication was 100 percent on their end, the appropriate response to the bride should have been "We'll take care of it," and then seeking out someone else to resolve the issue. Making a scene in front of all the guests was absurdly inappropriate and unprofessional. I personally will never come back here because of it.
Anyway. Besides this snafu, which was over after the first ten minutes, the lunch itself was very nice. Sis gave each of us pretty earrings to wear tomorrow, along with personalized Disney quotes. My card of course had a quote from Frozen!
I made some FP reservations in Hollywood Studios as the lunch wrapped up, but by the time we got on the bus back to Yacht, it was starting to rain. I had, err, had my share of champagne at lunch, so I was all for traipsing out in the rain. JF was more sensible and persuaded me to hang back.
I am honestly blanking on what we did from here, but it poured all night and Im pretty sure JF napped while I read and, erm, sobered up a little. In my defense, I knew I was going to have to cut back on the drinks tomorrow until my MOH toast was over. So. I cut a little loose today. And entertained my friends and family on the bus ride back. All good.
Tonight we had a welcome party for the wedding guests in the hotel. It was originally supposed to be out on Stormalong Beach, but the weather forced us inside at Ariel's in the Beach Club. I spent the first half hour making the rounds to say hello to family and friends and gave JF a grateful look when he handed me a glass of wine during this process. Drinks and desserts were being served, and I have to say the selection was great. Desserts, from what I can remember, included giant carrot cake cookies, mini cupcakes, Mickey premium bars, assorted pastries, and the same amazing bread pudding they served at the Star Wars fireworks dessert party JF and I went to last year. Last time my skin did break out after eating it. Were tomorrow not my sisters wedding, I would have taken the risk again today. It's just that good.
The early morning wake up caught up to me halfway into the party. JF and I left at 9 sharp and went straight to bed.