Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
SB (64), husband
Pete & Judy (60s), DVC friends
Bonnie (60s), Judys friend since kindergarten
Tiana & Jonell (50s & 60s), Gainesville friends
Chris (35), son
Amanda (33), daughter-in-law
Ari (5), grandson
Dates: November 6 15, 2021
Resort: Disneys Beach Club Villas 11/6-11/8, Disneys Boardwalk Villas Resort 11/9-11/15
Experience: Very Experienced 55th stay at BCV, 30th stay at BWV
INTRODUCTION:
This is the main Food & Wine Festival trip for this year, so it will be longer than most of my trips. Its also the first trip in a long time where the weather should be comfortable, and its the trip with the most people involved. Itll be somewhat busy/hectic but should be a lot of fun too! The trip begins with the arrival of a cold front, which includes the probability of rain at the front end and then a couple days of cooler than normal temperatures. The timing really sucks, as I would love for my solo days to be the warm ones Im free to just lay by the pool or on the beach, while later in the week Ill be in the parks with family/friends. But, I have to admit its better than having a trip full of 90+ degree days!
Im starting out with a few solo nights in a Beach Club Villas studio. I just couldnt resist getting a little more Food & Wine time for me, before spending the extra points for a 1-bedroom villa to include SB. As luck would have it my cruise buddy Fran will be at BCV November 3-6 along with her daughter & son-in-law from NJ. She, Holli & I embark on an 11-night HAL cruise December 1st! For years as Fran & I were cruising together (after her husband passed away) Lauren (daughter) assumed that Sue was a fake name for some guy her mom had met <g>. Finally one year we took a selfie in Bonaire and Fran sent it to her she was surprised, lol! Their last night is the night I arrive, so we made plans to meet for drinks at Marthas Vineyard. When I arrive earlier that day Ill head to Disney Springs and use my Landrys birthday credit for lunch at Lava Lounge if theyll take it there. If not, itll be Rainforest Caf or T-Rex. Ill also do the virtual queue at Gideons for a cookie. The special cookie this month is something Im not sure Ill try. Its chocolate but has a touch of cayenne pepper & cinnamon being a non-adventurous eater I may stick with something more traditional. Too bad they dont give out tiny samples I dont want to risk $6 on a cookie I dont like.
The next day (Sunday) Pete & Judy (& probably Bonnie) arrive, staying across Crescent Lake at Boardwalk Villas. Pete & Judy dont have an annual pass so theyll be using 6-day park hopper tickets they have. Their trip is longer than that, so theyve planned for no park days to relax in between the park visits. I believe Bonnie has the weekday pass, and shes here until the 11th of November. Pete & Judy havent been here in a couple of years, so of course theyre interested in all the parks and the stuff thats new to them.
Tuesday I check out of Beach Club Villas and move over to a 1-bedroom at Boardwalk Villas. Along with Pete & Judy we planned this as an off day, just planning to enjoy the pool & relax. Ill probably make a run to Publix to get what well need for the rest of the week, and Ill be able to stash my stuff & the groceries in Pete & Judys villa until ours is ready. SB will arrive this day hopefully he can arrive just after I get into the villa. Pete & Judy cant go into Epcot today, but SB & I can run over there for a bit itll be his first Food & Wine experience this year.
Our friends Tiana & Jonell will join us for a day of Food & Wine, so we agreed on Thursday. Weekends may be too unpleasant, as wed like to enjoy it without huge crowds. Pete, Judy & Bonnie will probably head elsewhere that day, but we can all meet up at Epcot after 2 when park hopping starts. The trip concludes with Chris, Amanda & Ari arriving for the final weekend, staying in a studio at Boardwalk Villas. We were all together in Hilton Head last May, so Ari should remember Pete & Judy from that trip. Chris family heads home sometime Sunday, and SB & I go home Monday morning to get back to work. Pete & Judy stay a few days longer.
Petes birthday is late October and mine is early November (Amandas is early November as well) so we may need to plan to use our birthday credits from Levy Restaurants and Landry. I know Pete & Judy can use the Landry credit near home but we dont have anything Landry in Gainesville. The Levy Restaurants credit is only at Terralina or Paddlefish, and between us each couple has a $25 credit.
The plans so far are:
Saturday 11/6: Drive to WDW, Gideons, Lava Lounge, Marthas Vineyard
Sunday 11/7: Food & Wine, Pool, Pete & Judy arrive
Monday 11/8: Magic Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine
Tuesday 11/9: Move to Boardwalk, Pool, SB arrives, Food & Wine
Wednesday 11/10: Animal Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine
Thursday 11/11: Food & Wine w/Tiana & Jonell
Friday 11/12: Pool, Food & Wine
Saturday 11/13: Magic Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine
Sunday 11/14: Hollywood Studios, Pool, Food & Wine
Monday 11/15: Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Saturday 11/6/21
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
Plan: Drive to WDW, Gideons, Lava Lounge, Marthas Vineyard
Actual: It was unusual to not be leaving from work, but when I was planning this trip and I realized I wanted to take the entire week off from work I thought I could do without arriving on Friday afternoon. As it turned out, the weather was horrible today, plus I was extremely busy at work from organizing & working a vaccination clinic for 300 of our residents and staff (all boosters 3rd dose of Pfizer). As of Friday night I still wasnt fully packed, but I guess thats what Saturday morning is for. Good thing Im an early riser!
In Gainesville it was a miserable dreary day steady rain that wont end until Sunday, temps in the 40s. I puttered around, did the last bit of laundry, packed up the rest of my stuff, and took it to the car during periods the rain was lighter. Id had the sense to put some stuff in the trunk 2-3 days ago, knowing it would be rainy last night and today. I should drive out of this awful weather on the way to WDW, and once there it should be around 60 degrees and not raining any longer. Never thought that would sound good, but I guess its all relative.
It was 10am before I hit the road and it was an easy drive. At 11:30 I checked my phone and was shocked to already see the your room is ready notification! I needed this on Tuesday, not today! I stuck with my original plan and went straight to Disney Springs, parking in the Orange garage. I could tell it was quite busy, because there were far fewer parking spaces available than what Im used to. Many rows had zero spaces available. I parked on the 3rd level and then discovered a huge long line of people walking around the barriers to head through the metal detectors. Again, I havent see so many people here in a very long time and it was barely noon!
I walked over to Gideons thinking thered be a good chance the virtual queue would be open today, and sure enough it was. However, the return time was expected to be 4 hours at this point! Im not hanging around Disney Springs that long, so I didnt join the queue. I have a Plan B in mind for something sweet. Overall Disney Springs was very crowded, with people lined up at all the restaurants.
My destination was Lava Lounge, where there was one empty seat at the bar. The tables were mostly open and would have been great if the cold north wind wasnt gusting through there! I took the empty seat at the bar, wedged between 2 other parties who blocked some of the wind until they left. They need some of those heaters out there.
Sadly my lunch wasnt very good. Holli & I have gotten the chicken strips with coconut curry dipping sauce at least 2-3 times and have always loved them. I ordered them today and they were heavily breaded small pieces of chicken coated in layers of dried up fried batter. I didnt finish them, and didnt take the leftovers! I also had a glass of sauvignon blanc, and that was fine (it was one Ive had before, at home). My birthday credit was enough to cover the lunch, with a little left over. I left a cash tip and headed out.
My plan was to check out World of Disney but it was so crowded at Disney Springs I quickly dropped that idea and walked back to the garage to get my car. At Beach Club Villas I took most of my stuff up to the studio, and of course the magic band did not work. Housekeeping was in the room next door but first I dug through my bag and an older magic band worked to open the door. Once I put my stuff inside I tried my 3rd magic band (a DVC member one) and that one didnt work either. I needed one more thing from the car, so took my magic bands with me to get them fixed. The cast member was busy with a guest that was taking forever, so I decided to go to the car and stop on my way back in.
As I approached the Villas lobby I could see the cast member was available, but then Fran walked by (returning from Epcot). I stopped to chat with her, and she said Epcot was miserable crowded, ridiculous long waits for every little thing, etc. Thats NJ week for you and thats why her daughter & son-in-law come down at this time (from NJ). We confirmed out meeting time/place for later, and I let her know wed facetime Holli. While we were talking 2 other parties arrived to be helped by the cast member. I joined the back of the line, but the lady up front was yammering on and on about something that wasnt being quickly resolved. I bailed out and brought my item up to the studio, then came back down. By now the 2nd party was up there, but almost done, so it wasnt a long wait.
The cast member fixed my magic bands and told me the problem was probably that I have too many. I pointed out Ive made most of them inactive, and she could see that but said I still had several. Well, if thats a problem Disney shouldnt have taken away the option to decline new magic bands with every trip, lol! I used to decline them more often than not.
Once the bands were fixed I went up to the studio, checked the bands, and then got settled in the room. I have a park reservation for Epcot and I was curious how bad it really was. Plus, my sweets Plan B was over there, so I walked over. The entry points were backed up, and several people were having issues tapping into the park. The cast members were being kept busy, and it was frustrating standing in non-moving lines.
I turned right into France and was shocked how long the Food & Wine booths line was! Ive never seen so many people waiting there at one time. The line for the regular booths with drinks or crepes was equally crazy. Brazil was unbelievably long too. I knew then Fran hadnt been exaggerating. Luckily my lunch was sitting like a rock in my stomach so I wasnt hungry for any of the F&W offerings <g>.
At the first Festival merchandise shop I saw the festival spirit jersey and found one in size XS. I grabbed it, and had no wait at the register. The spirit jerseys have gone up $10 recently, and I did get 20% for being a passholder (DVC would have worked as well). I continued walking and since my Plan B was Karamel Kuche in Germany for a cookie I decided to check the app to see they had mobile ordering.
They did, with the arrival window being 2:45 (it was currently 2:23). I ordered the caramel chocolate chip pretzel cookie, and since my pass is connected to my account it automatically gave me the 20% passholder discount. This is considered merchandise rather than food, so the discount applies. I was able to change my window to 2:45 but not any earlier. Voices of Liberty were performing so I sat in the theater for their last 2-3 songs.
When the show ended I continued to Germany, noting the line for Italys booth was almost to America. The line for Karamel Kuche was longer than Ive ever seen it thank goodness for mobile ordering, or my Plan B would have been abandoned! I browsed some of the shops in Germany, and at 2:37 received a notification where I was able to say Im here make my order. Just before 2:40 it was ready, so I walked in, picked it up, and was on my way. That couldnt have been easier!
The rest of the walk around World Showcase was slow at times, due to the crowds/congestion. Once I got to International Gateway I went back to the resort and updated the trip report. After that I spent an hour or so on the phone with a former co-worker whod recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. I had the port webcam on because a HAL ship had a 5pm departure time, but it went out quite a bit later. I left the room about 10 minutes before 6 and it was still at the pier.
It was a quick walk over to Marthas Vineyard Lounge to meet Fran, and she was already there. It was surprisingly busy and she said last night when she walked by around 7 or 7:30 people were literally standing along the walls and all the seats were taken. When did this place get so popular??
We each had a glass of prosecco and we facetimed with Holli. Were all so excited for our cruise December 1st, after seeing so many canceled in the past 20 months! It was fun catching up with her in person, and talking cruise stuff. I met her daughter and son-in-law when they came to retrieve her theyre doing an 8pm dinner at Topolinos. Last night they did Yachtsman Steakhouse and the day before was Chefs de France all excellent. They also did breakfast at Cape May and really liked it.
When they headed to dinner I went up to my studio and checked the webcam. The HAL ship was gone (all the ships had sailed), so I looked on the radar and saw it had been the 3rd from the last ship to sail (there were 2 following it on the way to somewhere in the Bahamas. I had brought a small amount of crackers and cheese so I prepared some of that and poured a glass of wine. I set it on the nightstand and got in bed to finish up the report while watching tv. Instead of HGTV I ended up watching the rest of a My 600 Pound Life episode even though I have a hard time understanding what the doctor is saying most of the time. Unfortunately this wasnt an episode where the person finally got their act together and lost the weight after surgery. When Hoarders came on next, I switched to HGTV cant take all the dysfunction!
Today had some good things and some pretty crappy things. The weather sucked very cold for this time of year! The chicken strips were disappointing. Epcots crowd level was disgusting how can anyone really be having a good time when all they do is stand in line?? The 4-hour virtual queue 2 hours after opening at Gideons was disappointing too. On the good side, the room was ready really early, and Im fine with the location. Im 4th floor, past the laundry looking at the grassy area between Beach Club and Beach Club Villas. I love my F&W Festival spirit jersey, and the fact I bought it with no wait, lol! Mobile ordering for the cookie worked well, and it was great spending time with Fran.
Tomorrow I obviously wont be spending the morning at the pool or beach, since it will be in the low to mid 50s. Epcot opens at 10, and 9:30 for resort guests, so Ill probably head over there and do lunch at Food & Wine before it gets crazy. Im pretty sure it will be awful by late afternoon & evening, thanks to the marathon after party (those people get in starting at 5pm or 6pm). Pete & Judy arrive from NJ and Bonnie arrives from South Florida theyll all be at Boardwalk Villas but well meet up somewhere for something. They wont have any park admission tomorrow, so thats another reason for me to do it before they get here.
DAY 2 Sunday 11/7/21
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
Pete & Judy (60s), DVC friends
Bonnie (60s), Judys friend since kindergarten
Plan: Food & Wine, Pool, Pete & Judy arrive
Actual: Last night I ate some of the cookie from Germany, and it was good but no match for Gideons. I turned just after 10, and could hear the end of the Harmonious fireworks but didnt get up because I was sure I couldnt see them from this room. Tonight the clocks turned back an hour so I was surprised that when I checked the clock to see what time it was, it was 4:40. Thats really 5:40, which is late for me. It was very comfortable sleeping, and except for a brief crying child somewhere it was very quiet.
I got up around 5, made my cappuccino and brought it back to bed. Today should be sunny and breezy, and still cooler than Id like. Eventually I made an egg and slice of bacon for breakfast, then took my shower & got ready for the day.
A little after 9 I headed out for a walk around Crescent Lake. I took a couple photos of the gingerbread/chocolate carousel in the Beach Club lobby before heading outside. I made stops in Yacht Club, Dolphin and Swan expecting to see some holiday dcor but there was absolutely nothing yet. That was a little disappointing, but I realize its only November 7th, lol. Over at Swan & Dolphin it seems not all of their morning food venues are open, and some that used to do lunch now only do breakfast and dinner. Perhaps their crowds arent quite back yet? Or maybe they cant find people willing to work.
At Boardwalk I browsed through Screen Door but didnt see anything I needed. I was a little grumpy/down at that point since SB had called right before I went inside and was ranting about a situation at work. Hes never rational when he gets like that, and I dont need that B.S. when Im here trying to enjoy myself. I just need to put it out of my mind, but it gets so tiresome. To his credit, he called later to apologize.
Several people had gotten breakfast from Boardwalk Bakery and were eating at windy metal tables & chairs along the water brrrrr! The cooked sandwiches surely were cold before theyd be half eaten. Boardwalk Bakery doesnt have any indoor seating, unfortunately. Coming up the bridge I checked the app one more time to see when Epcot would be opening. It had been 10 (9:30 for resort guests) but today only was 11 (10:30 for resort guests). Since it was just before 10 I walked back to the resort and went up to the studio.
At 10:30 I got up and walked back over to Epcot. I noticed a pack & play crib outside the 2 bedroom villa on the other side of my bed. Thats probably where the child I heard last night was from. Hope they had a nice trip, but happy to see them checked out <g>. At International Gateway once again it was backed up a little. Guests clog things up by slowing down at the metal detectors, despite cast members trying to wave them through as quickly as possible. The longer wait was at the stations to tap into the park. Then, partway up the hill cast members were scanning magic bands to ensure we were resort guests, and evidently mind didnt come up. He let me through, when I said Id just checked in yesterday. Not sure whats going on with the magic bands it lets me in the room so it should know Im staying there.
It was just after 10:30 and most of the food booths would not be open (Spain was the earliest one I saw) but I decided this was the perfect opportunity for a nice uncrowded walk around World Showcase. It was lovely good temps for walking, not many people, etc. When I came back around to the entrance to World Showcase it was about 5 minutes to 11 so I continued over to France.
Id seen the beignet with 3 cheeses earlier and thought that sounded good. However, I didnt pick up on the fact that beignet is a donut (sweet). I was thinking bread, even though I know what a beignet is. The line was long and slow moving, and then equally as long after paying to pick up your food. It was ridiculous! When I realized the beignet error Id invested so much time I didnt bail out (plus Id paid already).
Finally, I took my 3-cheese donut and a tiny cup of the chardonnay over to a table. I loved the chardonnay at Chefs de France a couple weeks ago but this wasnt the same one. I didnt mind it was such a small pour because I really didnt care for it. The beignet was different. Its not something Id get again, but at least I tried something new. I cant believe Ive had 2 disappointing meals in a row this trip!
After eating it was just after 11:30, and things were already getting busy. I turned back towards UK and headed into what I know as Future World. I browsed through the Creations Shop but didnt find anything to buy. From there I went to the lobster booth and got a flute of the sparkling sauvignon blanc. That also had a significant wait even though the line was not long at all! Walking past Flavors from Fire afterwards I noticed they really didnt have a line at all go figure. I should have had lunch there!
I found a shady bench and checked stuff on my phone for a little while, then continued to Canada. It was a gorgeous day for touring the parks not a cloud in the sky, and nice cool temperatures (but not cold). In Canada I went down to Appleseed Orchard and stood in line there. This has been a trend, and its early in the day! World showcase was extremely busy, though. I got the apple crumble tart, intending to take it to the resort for later, but I noticed it was warm!! Warm apple tart cannot be wasted, so I stopped outside to cut a bite it was very good. I ended up taking another bite when I topped at a table to take a picture. The rest of it came back to the room and is in the fridge. Its very good a wise choice finally <g>.
I was back in the studio by 1, and found out Pete & Judy had arrived at Boardwalk. Their villa wasnt ready, so they were grabbing lunch somewhere. Just before 1:30 I walked over to meet them at Boardwalk. They were sitting on a shady bench, freezing to death. There were tables in the sun across the way, but nobody was giving them up. Pete asked about SB and I let him know SB would be getting in a couple hours later than planned, due to not being able to get off work early Tuesday. I suggested seeing if we can get a reservation for Big River Grill for that night itll be warm enough to eat outside on the boardwalk, and since Pete & Judy arent going into a park that day Food & Wine is off the table.
Big River isnt a restaurant you can book on the Disney app it tells you to call the restaurant directly to make a reservation. I decided to just walk over there and do it in person, and it was very easy. My requested 6pm wasnt available for outside seating for a party of 5, but they had 5:25 and 6:15. I took the 6:15.
When I rejoined Pete & Judy I suggested moving to a sunny bench Id passed, so we moved over there. It was a little warmer that way. Soon Bonnie arrived it was great to see her again! She & Judy have been friends since kindergarten, and shes a really nice person. It was frustrating that their villa wasnt ready yet theyd said 11:30 on their online check in, and actually arrived 45 minutes after that. Now it was at least 2 more hours past arrival time.
Bonnie was thinking theyd be having lunch, but Pete & Judy had gotten the sandwich before she got there. Since it was now 2pm or later, she decided to just grab a snack & wait for dinner. Pete suggested Leaping Horse Libations (pool bar) so we headed over there. The bar seating was in the shade, but there was a table with 4 chairs that was mostly in the sun. I pointed it out to Pete, and he agreed that would be better. I grabbed a napkin to wipe the crumbs away, and when our drinks were ready (soda for Bonnie, wine for Judy & me, pina colada for Pete) we sat around the table. Bonnie got a bag of chips for her lunch.
We enjoyed sitting there catching up and swapping stories, but still no notification about their room. When the sun shifted and we were in the shade, we moved to the table next to us which was now in the sun. Eventually we decided to go up to the lobby to check on the stupid villa. Pete had to stand in line to do that, while the rest of us sat by the nanny chairs. Theres no holiday dcor here yet either. Pete came back saying theyd told him it would just be 30 minutes. Judy or Bonnie suggested we go to Publix now, so thats what we did.
At Publix it was nice to be indoors without wearing a mask (its not required some do, some dont). We all got our groceries, and the 3 of them got subs for dinner at the deli. I knew I would prefer my crackers and cheese that was already in my studio. I did pick up a dozen eggs, stuff for SB, and another Crunchmasters crackers & wedge of bellivatano cheese for me. By the time we finished at Publix and got back to Boardwalk it was almost 5pm. With all the groceries Pete dropped us and the bags off up top then went down to park the car.
Judy went inside to find out what the HELL was up with the room, while Bonnie & I stood outside with all the groceries. When Judy finally got up to a cast member, she learned the villa was ready. Hmm, I wonder for how long. Pete arrived from the parking lot, so the 4 of us walked to their villa. I had my groceries with me, because I didnt want to wait around for bell services who would be bringing all their luggage and groceries when they got around to it.
Pete always requests one of the turret rooms. Theres one on each floor, and theyre way down the hall. They have a completely different layout and feel more spacious, due to the shape of this part of the building. Theyre nice, but you have to not mind the distance. Hopefully my villa will be closer to the elevators than this one!
I stashed my non-perishable stuff behind the living room chair so it was out of sight and not in the way. My perishables I put in one of the refrigerator drawers, and told Bonnie if it was in their way to just move stuff around. I decided to head back to my resort I knew they were tired and still had to wait to get their luggage, groceries and the Publix deli subs theyd gotten for dinner. On my way through the lobby I ran into Judy, who had gone down to get bell services to deliver their stuff. She invited me up for a glass of wine, but I just wanted to get home.
I was back at Beach Club Villas around 5:30 or so, and fixed some crackers and cheese for dinner. Later I have the rest of the cookie from yesterday, plus theres most of the apple crumble tart left. Tomorrow were going to Magic Kingdom, which opens for resort guests at 7:30. Bonnie is NOT a morning person, so when I asked what time I should be at their place (Ill bring a couple more things to stash in their villa to make Tuesday easier) Bonnie suggested 9. Pete wasnt onboard with that and neither was I. Leaving at 9, getting there at 9:30 when the park opened to resort guests 2 hours prior?? Hell, Ill probably be ready to leave the park by then! We agreed on 7:30, which means well still miss early entry but it's better than 9. I dont really care if I do any specific attractions, and if the waits everywhere are too long Ill just hop on a bus back to my resort.
Today was a better day than yesterday, at least for me. I dont think I can say the same for Pete & Judy since their villa took so long to be ready. We think they had to shampoo the carpet in the bedroom, so something happened with the previous guests. I really enjoyed taking it easy this morning, but was disappointed with my F&W choices from France. Part of that was my own fault for not paying attention to the words (beignet = donut). Epcot got very crowded very quickly, and I imagine it was horrendous tonight. We had a nice time sitting around by the pool while they were homeless, and its great seeing everyone again.
Tomorrow after MK hopefully I can get some pool time and then well head into Epcot for Food & Wine later. With the sun setting early now well get to see the lights on Spaceship Earth without staying late <g>. I doubt any of us will make it for Harmonious at 9:45.
DAY 3 Monday 11/8/21
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
Pete & Judy (60s), DVC friends
Bonnie (60s), Judys friend since kindergarten
Plan: Magic Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine
Actual: Last night after sending out the report I got a call from Judy. Their luggage & stuff had finally arrived, and they were exhausted to the point 7:30 tomorrow wasnt going to work. I was fine with that Ill enjoy a more leisurely morning too. We have MK Saturday morning with Chris & his family, so that can be our attractions day where we arrive for early entry. We left it that wed head over at 9:30 or 10 on Monday, and I figure I can see the holiday dcor and if the attractions are all too crowded Ill just come back here and go to the pool. I doubt theyll be at MK long either.
Then, a little after 8 Pete texted. Short story is theyre thinking if MK will be crowded by the time we arrive, perhaps switching to Epcot would be better. That works for me. I dont really care about MK, and was only going because they wanted to go there. I was able to cancel the MK reservation for me, Pete & Judy and rebook us at Epcot. Theyll have to take care of Bonnie in the morning. Epcots early entry starts at 9:30, so thats more friendly to tired people and late risers. For me, Ill enjoy another leisurely morning.
Sunday nights I indulge myself with the total trash known as 90 Day Fiance, so I watched that and turned in just after 10pm. I woke up around 4:45 and got up at 5. As per the usual routine I made my cappuccino and took it back to bed while I did online stuff and watched the morning local news. It was nice to not be rushing off to a park early.
I figured the others wouldnt really be familiar with this, so at 7 I joined the virtual queue for Remy, getting boarding group 89. The estimated return time is 1pm, so hopefully theyll still be there. I couldnt book Bonnie, but Ill bring an extra one of my magic bands and let her ride as me with the extra band I can leave Pete/Judy/Bonnie in the park and still get into my room if I decide to enjoy the pool at that time.
A little later I made my usual breakfast. The cookie had been finished last night, and the apple crumble tart was looking me in the eye <g> when I opened the fridge. Something tells me a bite or 2 might disappear before I head out the door. Next up was a shower & getting dressed. By 8:30 I was ready to go, but it was too early for the others. I played on the computer a bit, got a couple things from the car to take to Boardwalk with me, and ate a couple bites of the apple tart. Its great warm, but also great cold.
Around 9:20 I left to walk over to Boardwalk and drop a couple things in their villa until tomorrow. I had a box of wine, partial gallon of water and a Publix reusable bag with assorted stuff. Thankfully it was cool outside, so the walk wasnt bad. I guess I could have driven, but Im not sure the walk from the parking lot is much shorter <g>.
Pete was ready, but the ladies were still in the process. Pete was struggling with how to cancel Bonnies MK reservation and make an Epcot reservation, and I was able to help him with that. Sometimes if youre not already sure of how to do something you can end up trapped in the app and thats what had happened.
It was pretty much 10 by the time we headed out the door, so we missed early entry. Judy had taken a fall on her knees a few days ago, and her left knee was still sore (not swollen at least). It ended up being a real problem for her and it was slow-going. When we got into the park I checked the wait times and we were pleased to see Soarin was only 15 minutes so thats where we headed. Test Track was 55 minutes, Frozen was 80 minutes, but most of the other stuff wasnt too bad. Unfortunately, by the time we made it closer to the Land Soarin was up to 40 minutes, and thankfully Pete & Judy didnt want to wait in that long of a line. Looking back, Im not sure Judy could have done it, as theres no benches in the line.
We went into the pavilion and rode Living with the Land, which was posted as 5 minutes but was probably 5-10. We got the front 2 rows, so we had a clear view. It was a nice ride very relaxing. Once off the boat I checked Soarin again, hoping the initial rush had subsided but it was up to 45 minutes. Spaceship Earth and Nemo which had been 5 or 15 minutes were now up to 25 minutes. The Awesome Planet movie in the Land was starting in 8 minutes so we sat on a bench in the waiting area and then saw the movie. I think Pete caught a bit of a catnap here and there comfy seats, dark theater, music playing its inevitable!
When we came outside we decided to get food from Flavors from Fire. There are other booths in the area, and then we could head to World Showcase to do a loop around the countries. At least that was the plan not every plan comes to fruition.
At Fire we joined the queue, which wasnt too long. Judy held an empty table across the way. I got the chimichurri skirt steak, Bonnie got the corned beef, and Pete & Judy got one of each. My steak was very good Im glad I got it. Pete thought theirs was a little tough, which is a shame. I guess the corned beef dish was good, as they disappeared. I went over to the lobster booth to get the sparkling sauvignon blanc but when the cast member told me they were out of that & were serving a sparkling rose instead I decided to pass. If that continues Ill probably try it at some point, but right now I was set on the original.
I rejoined the others, where it was decided to just go back to the resort. Judy wasnt going to make it around the countries, and we had to stop so she could sit a number of times to rest her knee. Certainly I could have stayed in the park if that was my priority, but I was fine with heading out. The weather had warmed up and I figured Id spend a little time at the pool.
World Showcase was very busy in the past a Monday at noon wouldnt be busy at all, but some of the lines we passed were ridiculous. It was very disappointing. In terms of the Remy virtual queue, it looks like our return time will be about 5. Bonnie cant ride it because she only has 1 real eye and any 3-D stuff makes her sick. Petes not sure theyre going to make it back in depends on the knee. Normally we do a park in the morning, relax by the pool or elsewhere, then return for the early evening of Food & Wine. I hope it happens, but it might not. I think a standard wheelchair would make sense. Judys so lightweight it wouldnt be hard pushing her, and since shes never used a scooter getting one of those could be challenging in terms of maneuvering it with the crowds. Well see what happens.
I left them at International Gateway and walked back to Beach Club Villas (they would take the boat to Boardwalk). I changed into a swimsuit & coverup and went down to the quiet pool, getting there around 12:15 or so. At first there were only 2 other people there, and eventually a few more started arriving, but it wasnt crowded and there were no chair hogs saving chaise lounges or tables.
It was actually pretty warm out there warm enough to be sweating. I did some reading and around 1:40 came back upstairs to change & cool off while watching General Hospital. I discovered I had access to my work email and files after all, so I spent some time keeping up with work tasks since I was just sitting around for a while.
Id texted back & forth with Pete during this time, and also kept any eye on the virtual queue. The return time kept getting pushed back, and it was indicating the wait once in the actual queue was 60 minutes! No freakin way!! I called Pete and agreed to cancel the whole thing. Bonnie & Judy are talking about going into Epcot later, to see Harmonious, but both Pete & I are doubtful thats going to happen. Not when Harmonious is at 9:45 and they can see the fireworks from their balcony. Pete decided he wasnt going to Epcot either, so itll be just me when I get up. We talked about plans for tomorrow, with things once again being somewhat fluid.
I got up and got ready for Epcot, heading out around 5. With the sun getting ready to set it had cooled off quite a bit, but nothing a sweatshirt or light jacket couldnt handle. I entered the park and turned left toward UK to make a loop around the countries. It was fairly busy, but it felt busier at noon today. Some of the F&W booths had significant lines but many didnt. It seemed like the regular snack carts had worse lines than the festival booths. In Canada I could have walked right up to order food, but if I wanted a funnel cake Id be in a line extending well into Japan go figure!
I wasnt sure exactly what I was in the mood for, other than something I hadnt gotten yet this year. As I approached Germany I thought of the sausage in pretzel roll, but that was one of the really long lines. Right next door the Alps had no line at all. I didnt feel like waiting, so I continued walking. Once again there was a fairly significant line extended out the caramel store. Ill definitely mobile order here from now on but not tonight.
When I finished the loop of the countries I headed into Future World and went to the mac & cheese booth. They had 3 registers open, and I think there was 1 person ahead of me. In no time at all I had the traditional mac & cheese and took it to a nearby table. It was not a big portion but it was very cheesy! I could have scooped up a couple spoonfuls of cheese at the end, but I didnt.
I headed back to World Showcase and just walked another loop around the countries before heading back to the resort sometime after 6. I fixed a plate of crackers & cheese, and poured some wine. I still have half the apple crumble tart to finish later tonight and tomorrow morning before moving over to Boardwalk.
Tomorrow Ive got a meeting Ill be calling into at 8:30, and once thats done I can gather up my stuff and drive over to Boardwalk. We might go to Disney Springs, or might just enjoy the pool. I hope my room will be ready earlier rather than later. After SB arrives we all have a dinner reservation at Big River Grille. Hopefully Judys knee starts feeling better soon.
DAY 4 Tuesday 11/9/21
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
SB (64), husband
Pete & Judy (60s), DVC friends
Bonnie (60s), Judys friend since kindergarten
Plan: Move to Boardwalk, Pool, SB arrives, Food & Wine
Actual: I slept well once again, waking up around 4:30 but not getting up until 5. I enjoyed my cappuccino in bed, and after 6 called SB to remind him to bring his magic band(s). I noticed my personal cell phone was indicating an update needed to be installed, so I ran that. I had my usual breakfast and finished the apple crumble tart.
I packed up most of my stuff, and at 8:30 did my meeting with my team at work. It ran long today, so I let Pete know. Shortly after 10 I was out the door and drove over to Boardwalk. There was no traffic and I didnt to stop for any snacks, meals or bathroom breaks along the way <g>. I parked in self-parking and brought my cooler and suitcase up the hill. Its so easy rolling the suitcase on hard surfaces, but a bit more challenging on carpet. Still, it wasnt too bad. I did wish their room wasnt almost at the end of the very long hallway. I hope when I get mine it wont be so far.
Pete, Judy & Bonnie were all in the villa. I dropped off my stuff and asked about their plans. Basically everyone was feeling lazy, lol. I left and drove to Disney Springs, hoping for success at Gideons. The Orange garage had lots of empty spaces, which was a good sign. I parked very close to the entrance and walked over to Gideons. The virtual queue had been started, and when I checked the current return time was around 40 minutes. I joined the queue, then wandered around Disney Springs for about half an hour.
I returned to the Gideons area to deal with some work stuff, and right at 35 minutes got the notification it was my time. The return queue wasnt terribly long, and before I knew it I was ending my work call because it was my turn at a register. I got a pistachio toffee chocolate chip cookie for me, the limited edition (chocolate w/dulce de leche filling, cinnamon & touch of cayenne pepper) for SB and a bag of the bites.
From there I headed straight back to Boardwalk, and tried to access the stairwell under their room but the door is locked and my magic band wouldnt unlock it because Ive never gotten my villa. I trudged back up the hill and decided to stop at the front desk to make sure my magic bands would actually work. Of course, there was a line of people there sigh. Pete & Judy were passing by and stopped to say hi on their way to pick up some supplies from the local gas station.
I chatted with a lady in line, and shed also had a horrible experience checking in here actually arriving late (due to a flight delay) at 8pm and being told they were working on finding her a room. An hour later they put her in the Inn, way at the end of the hall (shed booked a studio). Thankfully it was only 1 night before she moved to a 1br villa for the rest of the trip.
When it was my turn the cast member confirmed the magic bands should work. The villa still wasnt ready. I went up to Pete & Judys room, where Bonnie was relaxing. I abandoned my original plan of the pool, since time was running so short. I have a 1:30 call I need to do (work), and learned I need to be on a 2pm Teams meeting tomorrow but dont have Teams set up on my computer. Since upgrading to Windows 11 the laptop runs so slow, so it took forever to get that done. Much later it looked like my work account was working this is so confusing, and so frustrating. Bottom line, Im not shutting down the laptop. When I move my stuff to my villa Ill carry the laptop over without signing off in hopes itll all just be there when I need it tomorrow.
Pete & Judy returned, and we sat around talking. I ate some of my crackers & cheese, while they had chips, salsa and shrimp cocktail. Nobody wanted a real meal since we have our dinner reservation. At 1:30 I dialed in to my COVID team meeting, which lasted until 2:30. I got my room ready text at 2:20 and Im just a few doors down from Pete & Judy. After my call ended I grabbed a couple things and went to see if my magic band worked. It did! The others were out on the balcony during this time. I made another trip or 2, then let them know my room was ready. Bonnie helped me with the last transfer.
I went to my villa to unpack and put stuff away. Around 3:20 I called SB to see when he was getting on the road and he said he did about 20 minutes ago. I gave him the room number, not knowing he was already in the damn elevator at the resort. A bit later there was a knock at the door and I assumed it was Pete, Judy or Bonnie, but it was SB! Hed gotten out of work at 1 after all.
He only had to bring his toiletries & electronics, so once those were dealt with I poured a glass of wine and texted Pete to say I needed ice from them (to get my wine cold). He didnt answer, so we walked down there and SB hid around the corner while I called Pete to say open the damn door and give me ice. They were all still outside on the balcony, so Judy came in to open the door. SB jumped out to greet her, then we went inside.
I got my ice cube, and told SB how to find Pete on the balcony, and it was a nice surprise. We sat around out there for quite a while. At one point SB tried my wine and said he liked it, so I went back to our villa and poured him a glass. Since we were all here and our dinner reservation wasnt until 6:15 we agreed I should call to try to move it up. I moved it to 5:15. Around 4:45 SB & I were back in our villa to get ready for dinner, which mean long pants, shirt, jacket since it cools off quickly once the sun goes down.
I worked on updating the report a bit until Pete, Judy & Bonnie came to pick us up. We went downstairs and outside and walked over to Big River Grille. Although there were a couple empty tables they were both 4-tops and the employee explained Disney didnt allow them to move tables because umbrellas were attached to each one. The 3 bigger tables were all occupied, so basically wed be waiting for someone to leave. We went over and sat on a bench on the boardwalk where we could see the restaurant. I thought the party directly ahead of us (but behind a shrub in a box) were the likely ones to leave, but after a while their food arrived! The next big table had people still eating, and beers that were full, so they werent leaving any time soon. The other party at the far end didnt seem to be close to finishing either, so I went back up to the host stand and told the person wed prefer to be crammed into a 4-top vs waiting for people to finish.
She was very apologetic, and said the last party had been seated during her 30-minute break (in other words throwing a coworker under the bus, lol). She brought an extra chair and we arranged ourselves around the square table. Petes chair was wobbly, so he said something and they sent someone over with something to put in one of the legs to make it stable. Thankfully the table was very steady.
We looked at the menu, and our server was terrific. We started out with drinks seltzer for Pete, diet coke for SB, iced tea for Bonnie, and pinot grigio for Judy and me. The server came back to say they were out of tea (?????) so Bonnie switched to water. Then she returned to say they were out of pinot grigio with many apologies, saying their orders were getting cut down by the suppliers and it was hard to get what they needed. Judy & I switched to the sauvignon blanc.
Pete & Bonnie had been looking forward to the meat loaf, but thats no longer on the menu. This was getting almost comical. We were starting to joke about how lucky we were to have a knife and fork they werent out of those yet! For food SB had a cup of the cheese soup and the club sandwich. The sandwiches here come with house made chips. Bonnie ordered a regular cheeseburger, but asked if they had fries instead of chips. The server said no, lol and I explained that theyve never had fries here, so they werent out of them. The server explained that Disney doesnt allow them to have fryers because of the apartments upstairs. Makes sense that if Im staying in a villa over Big River Grille I dont want to be smelling grease! Judy ordered the chicken quesadilla, Pete got the black & bleu burger and I got a bowl of the cheese soup.
When SBs soup arrived Pete decided that looked really good and ordered a bowl to go later. It was very good. When the main food arrived, it was wall excellent. SB loved his club and said the bread was especially great. Bonnies burger disappeared quickly. Pete said his burger was the best hes had in a long time. Judy made a dent in her chicken quesadilla and took the rest home, along with half of Petes burger. My cheese soup was great. When I finished Pete took my bowl and scraped up the couple bites that were left liking it also. Petes birthday was just before this trip so I followed the server inside and arranged to have a single check brought to me rather than the 3 checks originally requested. I did get 10% off the food for dvc/passholder.
After dinner Pete suggested walking around the lake, but SB & I were headed into Epcot. SB had insisted earlier that YES hed be up for Epcot. I knew better, but didnt say anything. Now that wed eaten, he was having second thoughts, lol. The other bailed on their walk around the lake, and went to Screen Door to buy eggs before going up to their villa. SB & I continued into Epcot and just walked a short distance (to Japan) before turning around and walking back to Epcot. It was either enter the park or cancel the park reservation, and a little walking didnt hurt either one of us after dinner.
We were back in the villa shortly after 7 but it felt so much later. I returned a work call (had left the phone in the room since we headed out at 5), and we got settled in. I showed him his Gideons cookie and broke off a small piece (at his request he was full but not too full for a taste) and he liked it. I took a small piece of mine, too. At this point were settled in relaxing him in the living room with sports on tv and me in the bedroom where itll probably be HGTV.
Today was a kind of odd day. I didnt get my lay by the pool day, but I still had a very nice time. Work occupied over 4 hours, and unfortunately there will be some tomorrow too but hopefully not as much and nothing significant the rest of the week. I do have a lot of time off scheduled, so this work time helps offset the need to use vacation time. Im glad Gideons was a success this morning, and I enjoyed wandering around Disney Springs for a half-hour. Relaxing out on the balcony with everyone was great such fun, so relaxing. Dinner was excellent despite the outages, and Epcot was busy but so pretty for our evening stroll.
Tomorrow the others have changed their plans from Animal Kingdom to Magic Kingdom. SB & I are sticking with Animal Kingdom, as it will be our only chance to do Flight of Passage and the safari. I definitely need pool time tomorrow!!! Ill need to be getting ready by 1:30 for my 2pm Teams meeting (and will watch General Hospital at the same timeshhhhh). Later well all meet back up for dinner/evening at Food & Wine in Epcot. Should be a great day!
DAY 5 Wednesday 11/10/21
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
SB (64), husband
Pete & Judy (60s), DVC friends
Bonnie (60s), Judys friend since kindergarten
Plan: Animal Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine
Actual: Last night at 9:45 we both went out to the balcony and watched the fireworks from Harmonious before going to bed. We seem to be pretty much dead center so it was a great view, and we could hear the music but not as loud as from my Beach Club Villas room last month. I slept really well again the room is comfortable and quiet! We were both up around 4:30, doing online stuff for a while before we had to head out. I made my cappuccino and brought it back to bed.
I got up and took my shower a little after 5:30 and SB followed. Once I was ready I made breakfast the usual for me and a ham & fried egg sandwich for him. We puttered around the villa a bit until it was time to head for the bus stop at 7 for 7:30 early entry at Animal Kingdom.
There were quite a few people already at the bus stop, including 2 in scooters. When a bus pulled in I was shocked to see it was Magic Kingdom. However, any disappointment completely went away when I realized the 2 scooter people were going to MK! Another bus pulled in behind, with refueling my pixie dust on the marqee. Soon that changed to Animal Kingdom and those of us headed there got on that bus. We still had to wait for the first bus to move before we could leave.
For once when approaching the entry the passholders line was very short shorter than the others. We went through there and were inside the park at 7:29. A little further up they were checking your band to make sure youre a resort guest, but only 1 person per party. That took no time at all, and although the app said Flight of Passage had a 5-minute wait, by the time we found the end of the line (halfway to Harambe) it was 20 minutes. The alternative was pay $11 per person but those return times were a few hours later at this point. We stuck it out and the line actually moved pretty quickly. Id estimate the 20 minutes was accurate.
Once inside the building there are several rooms to snake through, but they hadnt opened all of it up at that point. Masks were not required outside, but once we entered the building a sign and cast member were there to remind us to put them on. Theyre doing the full preshow again, and after wed gotten through both of them and the doors should be opening to let us board our banshees, nothing happened. We stood in that room for a while, and eventually a cast member wearing a mask who I couldnt understand because she was talking into a mask led us out of the room the way wed come in. We ended up back on the ramps where they direct people into preshows.
After a few minutes the problem must have been resolved, as they loaded us back into preshow rooms. Unfortunately we had to endure both preshows again. This time the exit door opened and we were able to ride the attraction. It was great, as usual the best one at Disney for us.
After this I checked with a cast member to confirm the shortcut to Harambe was open (in the past I walked almost the entire way and was turned around and told only the long was was open). We were walking the same path where the line had been when we got here, but now they had the people queued up inside the building with a 45 or 65 minute wait. We went to the safari, which had a 10-minute wait on our way over but 20-minute wait when we arrived. The actual wait was about 10 minutes to get to the loading area.
Once there I counted 7 trucks that either stopped and left without passengers or drove right on through without passengers. It was getting ridiculous. The other side was loading onto trucks, so I dont understand why the right size would get multiple trucks and the left would be left standing through 7 trucks. Finally we got onboard, and had a really great safari. Other than the crocodiles being gone and the ostrich not visible, we saw plenty of every animal and pretty much all up and moving around rather than laying by a rock or under a tree. The driver was good narrating, too. SB noticed she didnt say kwaharini at the end, like they normally do.
By now it wasnt quite 10 but it was a beautiful sunny day so we decided to leave the park. At the entrance we were both surprised by the long lines of people waiting to enter yuck!! Hope they enjoy lines or have Genie+. We walked to the bus stops and our bus was sitting there we boarded and may have been the only party on the bus.
Back at Boardwalk when we entered the lobby we saw Judy and called out to her. They were headed to Magic Kingdom today, but with her knee she got as far as the bus stop. I think Pete went and got the car to drive her up the hill to the lobby, and they convinced Bonnie to go to the park and have some fun. Hopefully theyll go out today and maybe find a knee brace to help her (or a wheelchair). Otherwise, I dont see them doing much this trip, which is a shame. We helped her up to their villa, and then went to ours to change into swimsuits.
As soon as I got down to the quiet pool it was completely overcast. I stayed, hoping it would clear up a little but it never did and isnt expected to today. SB came down and enjoyed the hot tub for a while, then the pool. Around 10 before noon we left the pool and walked out to the boardwalk. I secured one of the red metal tables w/chairs while he ordered lunch from the booth out there. He got the double hotdog combo, which ended up being a big chili cheese dog and a separate big plain hotdog, and a mountain of fries. I can easily skip ordering fries, but set them in front of me and I cant help but eat some. He enjoyed his lunch, and said he should be good until Food & Wine later. If I ate half that Id be done for the day!
We went back up to the villa and found a bag with half a dozen eggs hanging from the doorknob (thanks Pete). SB laid down on the couch watching ESPN while I sat at the table updating the report. I fixed a small plate of crackers & cheese, along with a glass of wine. Someone on the Cruise Critic message boards mentioned liking Crunchmasters brand of crackers, so Id brought a couple varieties to try and really like them.
I have a Teams meeting at 2, and expect to have problems getting into it so around 1:40 I started trying to launch it and join the meeting even though Id be the first one. The first attempt didnt work, but the second one did. Then a third was trying, but I shut that down since I was in the second one. When I couldnt get into my work account the other day I set up a personal one, so that was causing confusion.
At 2 the meeting happened, lasting just under an hour. Towards the end I got a call from Big River Grille telling me one of the men at my table left their glasses last night. Since SB doesnt wear glasses, it had to be Pete. I had her put Petes name on them, and shed be putting them in the managers office. While I was talking to Pete, Michael from work was trying to call me. When I didnt answer he started calling on the work phone, so I ended the call with Pete to answer Michael. He had me on speaker phone with the rest of our team still in the room. There had been an assignment given that was due by the end of the day, so we talked out the strategy and assumptions, and where to find some of the data needed.
With that done, SB went in to take a shower, and I went in to use the restroom. When I flushed the toilet the water rose up and overflowed onto the floor. Thank goodness there was nothing visible in there, if you know what I mean! I grabbed the paper towels and sopped up what was puddled outside the shower, so he could get out and get dressed before I called for help.
I couldnt get through to the maintenance department it wouldnt even ring. After a couple attempts I called the front desk, which is really guest services located somewhere but not here at the resort. The cast member was very helpful and apologized for the incident. She immediately dispatched maintenance and housekeeping. The maintenance guy arrived first, in perhaps 90 seconds, lol! Whatever was wrong he fixed (or it self-corrected) within a minute. He used towels to mop up the rest of the water, and was gone very quickly. Almost immediately there was another knock on the door this time housekeeping with the 2 blankets Id requested and a giant bag full of towels. The maintenance guy only had to use 1 from what I could see, so I told that to the cast member and accepted 3 new towels. She left, and right away there was another knock this time someone from housekeeping with a mop and sanitizing stuff. She did the entire bathroom floor and the entry area by the laundry room, then she left. We were impressed with the quick and thorough service!
While in my Teams meeting it started raining a steady downpour. Checking the weather, its supposed to rain through 6pm. Our plans to head to Food & Wine at 4 were shot to hell just as so many things this trip have been shot to hell. When I was talking with Pete, they were staying in. Judys knee was feeling better, but well see what tomorrow brings. SB agreed to wait until 6 and head over to Epcot to hopefully do a loop.
In the meantime, my ship is in port and sailing this afternoon to do my itinerary for the first time (were the second time). First they were scheduled to depart at 5, then 4, then 3:45 (but now just after 4 its still tied up). I thought Id miss it, but now with the rain maybe Ill see it depart after all. I did watch the ship sail, which was a nice thing. The rain here got extended to 6:45 and then to 9pm. It was a steady rain, and about 10 degrees cooler than expected. Next it changed to rain ending around 7pm. This is just nuts, and so frustrating. Ive been here 5 days now and barely hit Food & Wine, havent had sun time at the pool, etc.
Around 5:30 we dressed warmly and walked over to Epcot with a couple umbrellas. It was barely raining at this point, but never completely stopped. SB was fine without using his umbrella but I used mine and lifted it high when walking close to people since otherwise Id hit them with it. Entering the park we turned to the left and started with United Kingdom.
We made one complete loop but didnt venture from World Showcase and didnt consider bothering with any of the attractions. Canada was our first stop, where we got the filet and the cheese soup w/pretzel roll. We took it under the roof of the DVC booth and ate there despite not having a table or other flat surface. The filet was a surprisingly big piece, and it was very good. SB basically speared it with a fork and just took bites from it. The soup was easier to eat we each tried a little bit of each others item.
We continued walking and saw the Christmas tree was all lit up I dont think it was here at all yesterday. Our next stop was in Spain. SB got the paella, which he loved. We were both impressed with the portion, too. He had a plate of yellow rice, several big slices of spicy sausage and 3 pretty large whole shrimp. He said it tasted great, and so far is the hit of the festival for him.
Our final stop was at Hops & Barley, where he got the hot beef sandwich. He liked this a lot too, but the paella still beat it. We were done at this point so back at International Gateway we exited the park and walked back to Boardwalk. Before going up to the villa we stopped in the Screen Door since SB wanted to get something for Ari. We found something, paid for it, then went up to the villa.
Were in for the night and might end up turning in early. Although, with Harmonious going off at 9:45 I guess it doesnt make any sense to try to sleep before it ends at 10:05! Today was another mixed day. We had fun at Animal Kingdom, doing our 2 attractions as early as possible. Once again the weather was a huge disappointment when it got totally overcast as soon as I got down to the pool. It was even more disappointing when the rain started and lasted for hours. We made the best of it but would have enjoyed Epcot far more if it wasnt raining.
Tomorrow Tiana & Jonell are supposed to be here by 9:15 so we can get to Epcot for early entry at 9:30. Well have time for some stuff in Future World before starting Food & Wine by 11. I agreed to help Tiana with checking them in for their December 5th HAL cruise, and make sure theyve done everything theyre supposed to do. Unfortunately rain is expected again, so I just hope it blows through quickly so we can enjoy Food & Wine without rain by late afternoon! Pete, Judy & Bonnie hope to join us at some point, so hopefully Judys knee starts improving.
DAY 6 Thursday 11/11/21
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
SB (64), husband
Pete & Judy (60s), DVC friends
Bonnie (60s), Judys friend since kindergarten
Tiana & Jonell (50s & 60s), Gainesville friends
Plan: Food & Wine w/Tiana & Jonell
Actual: Last night SB was sound asleep by 9. I lasted until 10 and then turned in. Once again it was quiet and comfortable here. We were both up before 5, and I had major computer problems. It took an hour to reboot, almost another hour for Word to open, and it's constantly not responding. AOL wont open at all at this point, so the rest of the trip report is very much up in the air.
I was able to use my phone and booked lunch at Terralina on Sunday for everyone, then at 7am tried for the Remy virtual queue and got boarding group 46. SB had gone over to Beach Club Marketplace to get his breakfast (despite having 18 eggs in the fridge here, lol). When SB got back he grumbled about them not having the potato casserole any longer
DAY 7 Friday 11/12/21
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
SB (64), husband
Pete & Judy (60s), DVC friends
Chris (35), son
Amanda (33), daughter-in-law
Ari (5), grandson
Plan: Pool, Food & Wine
Actual:
DAY 8 Saturday 11/13/21
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
SB (64), husband
Pete & Judy (60s), DVC friends
Chris (35), son
Amanda (33), daughter-in-law
Ari (5), grandson
Plan: Magic Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine
Actual:
DAY 9 Sunday 11/14/21
Who: Sue (63), DVC Member
SB (64), husband
Pete & Judy (60s), DVC friends
Chris (35), son
Amanda (33), daughter-in-law
Ari (5), grandson
Plan: Hollywood Studios, Pool, Food & Wine
Actual:
After the last day posted (day 5?) my laptop decided to die a sudden death overnight. I of course didnt realize that just thought there was a problem. I snapped a photo of a message that would appear and a tech-savvy friend researched it to learn the hard drive was dying (or had died). I quickly got online (SBs laptop and my iPad) and by the next morning Id ordered a new laptop. I still need to get everything situated, and will not have time to complete the rest of the report, but I wanted to check back in briefly.
Overall this trip had a great deal of frustrating issues. The weather was a big one. After months of waiting for it to stop feeling like 100 degrees with the humidity, Mother Nature flipped a switch and gave me 50-degree mornings and barely 70-degree afternoons for the days Id planned to lounge by the pool. Rain during Epcot Food & Wine plans wasnt much fun either. Friends on the trip had mobility and health issues (not their fault) that caused plans to be changed, missed, and curtailed. The parks felt busier than they ever did before covid, which is also disappointing. Im not interested in paying another $15/day to get something similar to Fastpass. So, my interest in spending any time inside the parks (other than to stroll Food & Wine) is pretty close to zero at this point. Masks being required indoors is a pain. At this point in the game I dont feel I should have to protect the unvaccinated. Someone on the cruise boards made an analogy that this makes as much sense as setting the speed limit on highways at 10 mph because there are people who choose not to wear seat belts. Obviously were all entitled to our own opinions on the subject, so no big deal if we disagree.
There were also many positives. It was great seeing Pete & Judy & Bonnie again, and we had a great dinner at Big River Grille. Its always fun with the Hollands too and its so nice to hear Ari tell me he loves me. We had a great lunch at Terralina. Gideons virtual queue is ridiculous on the weekends but works ok on weekdays. We enjoyed Flight of Passage but will consider just paying for it next time. My time is worth something I dont enjoy standing in lines. The studio at Beach Club Villas and villa at Boardwalk Villas were both great. Loved seeing the fireworks front & center from our balcony. The lights on Spaceship Earth are very nice. The food offerings at Food & Wine were excellent, and many things seemed to be a bigger portion than in previous years.
I wont be back to WDW until March, which is may be the longest Ive gone between trips. Im not counting a single night at Saratoga Springs on my way to a cruise in late February. Being disgruntled with the parks as far back as last January, I booked Hilton Head for Martin Luther King weekend in 2022. Just dont want to deal with the mobs in WDW parks again.
My next trip is a HAL cruise (finally after so many cancelations during the covid crap) but its preceded by a night at Disneys Vero Beach Resort. That report will go to the HAL trip report list, although Ill post the Vero portion here as well. Sorry again for the technical problems this trip!
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Sue Rayford, Nov 6-15, 2021 at BCV & BWV
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