Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
Assorted Friends
Dates: April 10 14, 2013
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disneys Beach Club Villas Resort
Experience: Very experienced (28th stay at this resort)
INTRODUCTION:
This trip brings so much to be happy about April weather is usually great, Im back at Beach Club Villas, its a solo trip, its 5 nights rather than only 4 nights, several friends will be there (some of whom Ill be meeting in person for the first time after years of knowing them online), and this year Disney has food/wine booths at the Flower & Garden Festival! On top of all that, Ill be activating my Premium Annual Pass so after almost 10 years Ill have a reason to return to Typhoon Lagoon and possibly even DisneyQuest. As usual, I expect my time in the theme parks to remain limited theres just too many other ways Id rather spend my vacation time, but I will go in to hit some favorites each day even if its just briefly.
Because of the fabulous weather one can expect in April, I always book my trip as early in April as possible but being sure to avoid the busy Easter holiday period (2 weeks). Theres no way I want to be here then, when its more crowded than normal. This year Easter was 3/31, and the crowds were back to normal by Sunday, 4/7. Thus, Wednesday 4/10 is the perfect date to start my trip. Because Flower & Garden Festival is going on I wouldnt stay anywhere but Beach Club Villas or Boardwalk Villas, and ended up booking a studio at Beach. This is actually the better location for proximity to Epcot, and parking is so much easier. Stormalong Bay is by far the biggest and best pool area at WDW, although lately I seem to just use the white sand beach rather than bother with the pool well see how it goes this time.
Several months ago a group of my online friends started talking about how nice it would be if we were to all meet for a weekend at WDW and it morphed into this particular weekend. I believe we ended up with 13 of us, which is almost everyone. Sadly a few werent able to make it. Of those who will be there, one is a local and most of the rest are flying in. Some are coming solo, some with just a spouse, and at least one is coming with spouse & kids. This isnt a trip where the group will tour the parks as a pack/posse we scheduled a few meals (one main meal) and people are free to join up with someone else or not, as they see fit. Spouses/families are not invited to our meals, but are invited for cocktails (and whatever other time in the parks) Saturday night. Some of the group gets here less frequently than others, so theyll spend more time in the parks than people like me. I think 2 of the solo travelers are rooming together, and I did invite a friend whos stayed with me before to spend the first night on my sofa bed, but otherwise everyone obtained their own lodging, at a wide variety of resorts from value to dvc.
I have more dining plans than normal, and frankly Ive been a little torn about the number of planned meals given that Im excited to try the food booths at Flower & Garden Festival! Assuming theyre decent, that would be enough for me and since this is my only trip during the festival I sort of regret missing the opportunity in favor of eating at places that are there 365 days a year. But, meals are the best time for me to spend with my friends, since I dont want to spend hours & hours doing attractions. I did cancel my LeCellier reservation in order to give myself time for the Festival food. It was my only solo reservation, and frankly LeCellier has pissed me off with their new all-day menu and crazy prices. So, Im not sure when Ill be back there I havent booked it for any future trips, either.
LeCellier was scheduled as a dinner on my arrival day, so now that will be my primary Flower & Garden food time. Thursday Im joining friends for dinner at Tonys Town Square at Magic Kingdom not the greatest food place but they have a caprese salad and its more about visiting with friends (4 of us) than the food. Friday is an early dinner at Chefs de France with friends (6 or 7 of us). Saturday is a mid-afternoon lunch/dinner at Via Napoli with friends (party of 13 or 14), and drinks at Bellevue Lounge afterwards. Later that night another friend (not part of the group) will be joining me at Bellevue Lounge it worked out to be convenient for both of us. Sunday is lunch with just 1 friend at Raglan Road, then Monday Im headed back to work! I do want to check out the newly expanded bakery in France while Im here, too.
Assuming the weather is nice & sunny I hope to get over to Typhoon Lagoon some morning, and Ill no doubt relax on the beach by Beach Club. Its so much more peaceful there than at any pool, and I enjoy watching the Friendships cruising by. Im also looking forward to catching some Paul Revere & the Raiders concerts over the weekend. Ive never seen them before but friends Pete & Judy spoke highly of them, so hopefully Ill enjoy their shows/music. Right now Im leaning towards spending mornings outside of the parks, since Ill be in parks for dinner or concerts most days, but well see what actually happens. It seems no matter how many days the trip lasts and how often I come its still a challenge trying to figure out how to get everything in that I want to do!
The plans so far are:
Wednesday 4/10: Work, Drive to WDW, Outlets, Epcot/F&G Food Booths
Thursday 4/11: Typhoon Lagoon or beach,Tonys Town Square
Friday 4/12: Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom, Chefs de France
Saturday 4/13: Typhoon Lagoon or beach, Via Napoli, Bellevue Lounge
Sunday 4/14: Epcot, Downtown Disney/DisneyQuest, Raglan Road
Monday 4/15: Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Wednesday 4/10/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
Lori B, online friend & fairly recent DVC member
Plan: Work, Drive to WDW, Outlets, Epcot/F&G Food Booths
Actual: Id gotten everything ready before going to work this morning, so when I went home at noon all I had to do was change clothes, grab the suitcase & cooler, and hit the road. I did need to stop for gas along the way, and chose exit 329 (I-75) since thats generally the cheapest gas price. Gas was $3.63 at home but $3.43 at exit 329, so it was a wise choice. Once I got to WDW though, gas at the Hess station was $3.37, lol!
I stopped at Premium Outlets near WDW to visit Character Premiere briefly, and found a parking spot inside the garage. I was looking for a Mickey hoodie for a friend, and found one that would work. I also got a cute Disney Cruise Line shirt for myself for only $6.99 and a turkey leg sweatshirt for SB. Once the purchases were made I drove over to Beach Club, arriving around 3pm or so.
Lori was waiting for me inside the lobby, and came over while I was finishing the check-in process. My studio was ready, but it was on the ground floor. I hate the ground floor! Turns out I had forgotten to make any requests, so this is what I got. I asked if there was another studio on a higher floor, ready now, and the cast member called someone and eventually gave me a room on the 3rd floor. Unfortunately it was further down the hall than I like, but 3rd floor is better than 1st floor so I took it and thanked her.
We stopped at bell services so Lori could let them know of the room change, since her suitcase came via Magical Express. We drove to the BCV parking lot and took my stuff up to the studio, and soon there was a knock at the door her luggage was here too. We got settled a bit and then headed out for Epcot.
It was sunny and warm but not too humid, so it actually felt pretty good. At first, I mean. Eventually it just got hot, and I am dreading the rest of the trip when the humidity is supposed to be quite a bit higher. At the International Gateway we swapped my premium annual pass voucher for the actual pass, and it was one of the new hard plastic cards that work with the rfid technology. Lori had converted hers at the Odyssey earlier and said there was no wait at all and the process took just a few seconds.
Pass in hand we went through bag check and entered the park, heading towards United Kingdom. At the food stand there (The Cottage) I had the heirloom tomatoes with house-made mozzarella and Lori had the chocolate trifle. Both were very good, and I was quite pleased with the generous portion of the tomatoes & mozzarella. It was bigger than what you get during Food & Wine. After eating we continued walking around, and headed into Future World.
At Mouse Gear we asked about eyeglass cases, and the cast member said they didnt have any. Upon further conversation Lori mentioned Nerds and the cm said there was an eyeglass case with Nerds on it, and took us over there. It was the size and shape I wanted, but I dont want Nerds. We saw sunglasses nearby and that section had yet another type of eyeglass case, but it was soft and not what I wanted. So, we left Mouse Gear and walked over to see the Festival Center in the old Wonders of Life building. It had quite a few people in there, but wasnt nearly as busy as it gets during Food & Wine.
I got a glass of the cava brut rose and we browsed at the merchandise shop before heading back outside. The rose was ok, but not as good as prosecco would have been. Back outside it was definitely feeling warmer. We walked past the Odyssey and continued our loop of the countries. In China Lori got the pan-fried vegetable bun and I got the spring pancake with grilled chicken and green apple after getting rave reviews about it from a couple who had eaten several during their trip. Loris choice was pretty awful she didnt like it, and neither did I. Mine was very good, but it was massive! This seems to be the norm at this festival portions are more like meals than samples. We stood at a trash can in the shade and were still getting sweaty.
Once Id finished the giant pancake (eaten like a giant soft taco) we continued walking, stopping next in Germany. I found a strange table in the shade high top table (stand-up height) with 3 short chairs around it. When you sit down, the table comes to your forehead, lol! I called it the giraffe family table. Lori got the savory bread pudding with spring peas and wild mushroom ragout. She said it was excellent, but it was also huge! While we there eating a classy family decided the ground underneath a table was the appropriate place to change their toddlers diaper, even though restrooms were not far away. You see all kinds of odd behavior here anywhere theres a large number of people!
At this point we were stuffed and were hot & sweaty. We continued around, stopping in America to see the pulled pig slider. Wow this thing is also massive!! Its a meal sandwich nothing like the little slider they sold at the Hawaii stand at Food & Wine. Its on a full-size bun with a big portion of pork. It smelled and looked great, but I dont know how Im going to fit that in during this trip. We made one more detour to check out the new bakery in France. We were too full to think about buying anything, but it looked pretty nice in there. They do have a wider selection of real food in there, and it seems like there are more varieties of pastries as well. We made one final stop in United Kingdom so I could get the chocolate trifle, then headed out. I wanted something sweet and that was nice and small.
We walked back to Beach Club Villas, welcoming the air conditioning! We were back in time for the 6pm news, which I realize isnt very exciting for a vacation activity, lol! I had some work stuff to take care of, and got that done in about 30 minutes. Lori took a shower and by 6:30 I was pulling down the bedspread and making moves toward sitting in bed under the covers. Lori jumped up off the couch and we pulled out her sofa bed, then she fixed it up and got under her covers to relax with her ipad. We laughed at how pathetic we are, ready for bed at barely 6:30pm!! She at least has the excuse of having gotten up at 4am to travel today I have no excuse but am too full and too tired to feel like doing anything tonight.
I came to the realization today that while April used to be perfect weather in Florida (when I first moved here 26 years ago), in recent years its gotten progressively warmer and now April can be too dang hot. I used to love that April was the last trip I was assured of gorgeous (not too hot, not humid) weather until late October, but lately thats no longer the case. So, I may rethink my plans from this point forward and do my Flower & Garden trip in March instead with just a weekend in April. I used to like early May here too, until that got too hot to bear so now I go to Hilton Head.
Any way, Im glad to be here and its nice to see Lori again. Epcot looks great with all the flowers for Flower & Garden Festival, and the food booths are a great addition. I wish the portions were smaller, so I could try more. Tomorrow its supposed to be 70 degrees or so for a low (before dawn) with 100% humidity, so Im hoping to do a run but it may be somewhat miserable. Lori will be moving to her own resort in the morning, and I think Ill head over to Typhoon Lagoon for the morning. Tomorrow night were meeting for dinner at Tonys at Magic Kingdom, along with a couple others from our group.
DAY 2 Thursday 4/11/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
Online friends Lori B, Annemarie & Lisa
Plan: Typhoon Lagoon or beach,Tonys Town Square
Actual: Last night the 2 party animals spent the evening watching tv, hanging out online, and chatting back & forth. At some point Lori went down to the BC Marketplace for an iced tea and an ice cream, but also picked up some cold/flu medicine since she said her allergies were acting up. I made a cup of cappuccino at some point. We watched American Idol I really like that Candace, as shes consistently excellent no matter what style of song theyre having to do. The last hour I kept flipping between Idol and General Hospital, so this morning Ill read the GH recap since I missed a lot (or nothing much happened).
Id set the alarm for 6:45 but was up just before 6:30. Thankfully this room is pretty quiet, even though its right over the bridge/main road. Our view when looking directly forward is the Land pavilion and Spaceship Earth beyond that. We did see the fireworks last night, but have to go onto the balcony and look to the right. I changed into running clothes, brushed my teeth, and by then Lori was up. I went out and ran to Hollywood Studios and back.
It was very humid, and warm already (ugh). There were a lot more runners out than normal, but Im also out here later than I normally would be. They had the whole section of boardwalk over by the Yacht Club marina set up for a buffet breakfast event shame its so humid! I wouldnt want to start my day eating outside in this humidity, if I was at a conference! Except for the humidity it was very beautiful outside I just love it here!
After my run I went back to the studio and Lori was dressed, packed up & ready to go. She said her allergies turned out to be a cold, so shes going to lay low today and hopefully feel better later. She left to go check in at All Star Sports for 1 night (before moving to Villas at Wilderness Lodge for the rest of the trip) and was able to get right into her room even though it was only around 7:30 am! Thats what happens when theyre not sold out the night before.
I took a shower and made breakfast microwave egg, slice of bacon, and cappuccino. I updated the report and hung out online, since Typhoon Lagoon doesnt open until 10. Its so warm, I wish they just opened at 9 that would get me back here sooner and I could have walked over to America for that massive pork slider since dinner isnt until almost 6. But, Id have needed to do that early and I dont think Ill be back early enough if Typhoon doesnt even open until 10.
I left the studio around 9:30 and drove over to Typhoon Lagoon. The buses from here to Downtown Disney tend to be a real pain, and although I hate getting into a hot car I dont want to spend an hour traveling a few miles (which is possible with the buses). As I was driving out of the parking lot I realized I forgot to pick up some towels. At the Disney water parks they RENT towels to guests at over $50/person to get into the park we evidently are not entitled to the use of a towel unless we pay extra (can you tell this pisses me off?). I turned around and grabbed some towels from the quiet pool, since I am not paying money to use a towel. Ill bring these back to the resort, just in case theyre accounted for that way.
It was an easy drive and I joined the line of cars entering the Typhoon Lagoon parking lot. I was able to park really close, and best of all had a shady spot. This is important since my a/c doesnt seem to be working right. Ill have to get that taken care of after the trip ouch $$. There was no wait to get inside, and it was my first time using the rfid technology at a park very easy! Thankfully they dont do bag checks here, so no nonsense to slow things down. I walked further into the park and found they were holding guests up ahead, waiting for 10am. I checked in the big shop hoping they might have a hard eyeglass case, but they only had the soft one. I joined the crowd outside and at 10am they let everyone go further.
I headed to my usual spot, on the sand by the wave pool. I snagged a lounge chair and a couple of the short sand chairs (the lounge chairs only recline) at the end of the 2nd row, and dropped off my bag and shoes. I took the camera and wandered around a bit taking pictures for a while. The sun came out just after I got there, and although clouds passed by it was sunny most of the time. It was nice seeing all the familiar sites its been at least 10 years since I was here. The water in the wave pool was nice & warm, but I didnt go in very far. People were loving the big waves! I stopped by to check out the Shark Reef area, and walked through the underground fish viewing area. I also saw the new (to me) Slush n Gusher water slide area. Eventually I ended up back where I started, and went to my chairs.
I noticed a great spot right near me, where there was room for 1 person (or maybe a couple if they wanted to be crammed in) in a somewhat secluded area. I pulled my chairs in there and had a nice view of the wave pool except when people on the other side of the wall would plop their butts down and give me a view of them instead of the water. When the breeze would blow it was gorgeous out there! I did some reading and just relaxed for about an hour and a half. At one point when I was sitting in a sand chair a couple walked by and the woman was both older and fatter than me but wearing a thong bikini. At first I thought gross but they were from a foreign country where I assume that swimsuit is more common, and I guess since we (Americans) dont take exception to dimpled legs/thighs in a swimsuit, then dimpled butt cheeks shouldnt be any different so while I wont be wearing that suit, I give her credit for being bolder than me <g>.
I could have stayed longer, but knew if I wanted to try that pork slider in America without ruining dinner I needed to get moving. I packed up my stuff and left the park, thankful for the shady parking spot but still hating that the car was hotter than it should be! The air blows, but its not cold enough. I noticed gas at Hess is now $3.36, so it dropped a penny since yesterday.
I dropped my stuff off in the room and talked to SB when he called JUST as I was heading out the door. I wasnt bringing a bag with me, so I stayed in the room until we were finished. I brought my park pass, room key and camera thats all. I walked over to Epcot and had no wait to enter the park. On my way to America I met a trip report reader and chatted with her briefly. It is so ironic that when I look my worst hours spent sweating in the humid sun, wearing a swimsuit coverup, etc thats when someone recognizes me! I apologize if I smelled bad.
Once we parted company I cut around the funnel cake stand to the food booth in America. I actually had a brief wait (1 person, lol) and then ordered my slider. Its pulled pig, with cole slaw on top for $5.50. They have bottles of sweet or spicy barbecue sauce on a table, so people can fix it the way they want. I asked the lady working at the food part if I could see the rocky road mousse brownie, and boy does it look good! If its not raining I may come back tonight for one.
I put some sweet bbq sauce on the slider and sat at a picnic table in the shade. The sandwich is really big I saw people eating it with their hands but I didnt see how I could do that without making a total mess. The thing in China yesterday was messy enough! So, I used a knife and fork to cut bites. It was excellent really great! I wish I had someone to share it with, though. I ate a little more than half, and debated throwing the rest away vs trying to save it, and in the end wrapped a napkin over the container and took it with me.
On my way back I stopped in France and bought a chocolate mousse for the fridge. I figure if its raining and I dont come back for the brownie I can eat some of this later tonight. The line was fairly short, and they boxed up the mousse for me. Pete & Judy had raved about it when I saw them in March, so hopefully Ill think its worth the calories. With my food in hand I left the park and walked back to the resort. I had some Ziploc bags in my suitcase, so I put the top half of the bun in one and put the rest of the slider in the other so that could be refrigerated. I knew if I put the bun in the fridge it would dry out and be gross. It was about 1:30 by this time, so I made a trip to the ice machine and then poured some wine to enjoy while updating the report and then watching General Hospital at 2.
Once GH was over Lori called to say she wasnt going to make it to dinner tonight and we chatted for a while. Hopefully she can kick the worst of this cold and be good for tomorrow. I took another shower and after I got dressed I called Lori back to see if she wanted to make a trip off site to get better cold medicine. She agreed, so after I dried my hair I grabbed what Id need for later and drove over to All Star Sports to pick her up. She was waiting out front, so it was very easy! We exited property via Sherberth Road down near Animal Kingdom since that was the closest area. We went to a nearby Walgreens, where Lori made her purchases. I dropped her back off at Sports and then returned my car to Beach Club Villas, getting the same spot Id been in before!
It was getting late so I walked straight over to the bus stop and ended up having to wait for a bus to arrive. While there I noticed I missed a call from my friend Michael, so I called him but he was in a meeting & said hed call right back. Minutes passed, and finally the bus came. It was empty except for 2 other passengers, yet the music and announcement was BLARING as if it needed to be heard over a riot or something. Yikes! Just as I expected, Michael called back as we were approaching Magic Kingdom and the recording was blaring. This time I answered & said Ill call you back, waiting until I got off the bus where it was quieter.
I ended up being on the phone until after I entered the park, but since I had things to do and places to be I didnt have the luxury of stopping. Luckily the bag check line was very short, although the cast member was exceptionally thorough. I just let her do her thing Im so over this bag check stuff (dont feel a need for it). When she finished I took my bags and headed for the rfid entrance, which had no wait at all.
It was almost 5:25 and dinner was at 5:50, so I walked quickly to Space Mountain and grabbed a fastpass since the return time was 7:05. After that I rode the People Mover, and then walked quickly back down Main Street to Tonys Town Square Caf. I didnt see Annemarie or Lisa, so I went inside and tried to check in. They couldnt find the reservation, so I asked if perhaps the others had already been seated. Just then Lisa came out and spotted me, so I followed her back towards our table. It was nice meeting both of these ladies after such a long time!
Our server did a good job, and the food came out really quickly no surprise, since they can accommodate more guests and make more money that way <g>! This was a cheap meal for me, since they dont serve wine here. Annemarie was thinking about the caprese (tomato & mozzarella) salad but wasnt sure it would be enough. She asked our server, and he insisted it was small just an appetizer portion. She ordered the cannelloni. I didnt fully believe the server, and ordered the caprese for my meal it ended up being 3 large slices of tomato & mozzarella, which to me is NOT appetizer-sized. It was also delicious very nicely done! Lisa ordered the chicken parmesan, which looked pretty good except there was way too much spaghetti and hardly any sauce. She had to ask for more, and even then it was not much relative to the amount of spaghetti. Even my husband couldnt have eaten that portion, lol and Lisa left a lot of it behind. Annemarie ate most of her meal but did comment that it tasted somewhat like Chef Boyardee. Ive heard that before at Tonys, but it shouldnt be that way. We also had some nice sourdough rolls with oil I would have loved to take a basket of those with me, lol but with butter!
We all passed on dessert, and settled our checks. As I said before, mine was cheap after Tables in Wonderland (with the automatic tip) it was $7.79! It was about 6:45 when we left Tonys and walked down Main Street together. We parted ways at the restrooms near Tomorrowland Terrace, until tomorrow. I went over to Space Mountain and had to wait 5 minutes until 7pm to use my 7:05 fastpass (they let you in 5 minutes before the time printed). The standby wait was posted as 55 minutes now it had been 45 minutes before dinner. I got the back seat and enjoyed the ride, but it certainly is jerky! When I came back outside I could see dark skies ahead, which looked like future rain.
I was hoping to take the monorail to Epcot and walk through stopping in America for a rocky road mousse brownie, but between the time (it was 7:15 now and I wanted to see the Idol results at 8) and the threatening skies I decided instead to just take the bus back to the Beach Club. I had left the park on the monorail side, so turned and headed back to the bus stops. My bus pulled up right before I arrived, so it was nice to not have any wait this time! I got off at Yacht Club and checked their shop for an eyeglass case but was not successful.
Walking over to Beach Club I noticed Stormalong Bay was closed and then noticed many wet guests wrapped in towels. Evidently they must have detected lightning within a certain distance, and closed the pool. I checked the Beach Club shop and wasnt successful there either, then went up to the studio. I got there just after 8, talked to SB for a while, then settled down to update the report while the Idol results were on. I snacked on half of the chocolate mousse from France (really, really good) and will probably upload the pictures Ive taken this far.
Today was a really nice day weather was decent, rain held off, and I really enjoyed being at Typhoon Lagoon again. Dinner was much better than expected (in terms of the food I knew the company would be great), and Id consider eating at Tonys again as long as the caprese stays on the menu.
Tomorrow Id planned to go to a park, but if the weather looks good Ill probably go to Typhoon Lagoon again instead without the camera this time. Tomorrow night Ive got my Chefs de France dinner with more of the gang, and hope I might see a couple other friends at some point too.
DAY 3 Friday 4/12/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
Online friends Lori B, Annemarie, Lisa, Kristin, Joy & Jane
Plan: Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom, Chefs de France
Actual: I slept well last night, and got up when the alarm went off at 6:15. I checked the weather and the local people were saying it would be totally cloudy, with showers starting by this afternoon. Weather.com showed partly cloudy but I decided to trust the locals. I dressed and went out for a run, then took a shower and decided to skip any thoughts of Typhoon Lagoon. It looks like that may have to wait for future trips at this point. This front is moving in and will stall over us for a couple days, making the weather warm, humid, cloudy & rainy. Just what people hope to NOT have when theyre here!
I made an egg, slice of bacon and cappuccino for breakfast again, figuring Id head to Epcot and do lunch at a Flower & Garden food stand. I was out the door just before 9 and walked over to International Gateway. There was no wait to enter the park. It was completely overcast and remained that way all day. It was also quite windy but the humidity wasnt as awful as it would have been during summer. I could feel the humidity but my hands werent all sticky like they get in the summer months.
I took some photos along the way, and walked into Future World. The initial mob for Soarin had already passed, so I had no crowds as I entered the Land pavilion and went downstairs. Seasons was not busy at all. The posted standby wait for Soarin was 15 minutes so I decided to join the queue. Near the end I got pulled out of line (as a solo party) and was in the preshow less than 15 minutes after entering the queue. I ended up in the 2nd row, but on an end near the middle of the room. It was a good spot, especially for being a last-minute fill-in!
After Soarin I noticed Seasons was quite a bit busier, and hardly anybody was on Living with the Land. I walked over there and was the only person in my pair of boats. The pair ahead of me were completely empty, and the pair behind me had 1 family on board. I like when its like this! It was a nice ride, and I noticed the alligators were really young (small). They had a cafeteria tray with food (pellets of some sort) on either end of the platform, and one baby gator was laying on the tray in the middle of all the food, lol!
After my boat ride the pavilion was really getting busy, so I headed out. I checked the tip board and saw Spaceship Earth was posted as only 5 minutes, so I cut through Innoventions and joined the queue. By now it said 10 minutes, but it was shorter than that. Other than a few morons taking flash pictures inside, it was a nice ride. The ending asked some questions Id never had before, so it was cute to have something different for a change! I checked the gift shop and then walked up front to take a picture of the topiaries at the entrance. I never see these since I enter the park the nicer way (hate, hate, HATE the Epcot front entrance).
At this point it was around 10:15 so I wandered towards Future World, stopping to wait for the monorail to come by for a photo with the pretty flowers down below. A couple high school marching bands came by playing music, and both were very good. The first one was from Ohio, but the 2nd one didnt have a sign that I noticed. World Showcase was not open yet but I knew the bakery in France would be so I walked over there. I had about 10-15 minutes to wait and did not want anything from there, so I sat at a table outside of Monsieur Paul (used to be Bistro) and played with the blackberry. At one point I looked up and my friend Linda was walking over to me shed left her husband Frank at a table inside and was on her way to get something from the festival booth when she spotted me. We were hoping to get together either this afternoon or tomorrow, so this worked out perfectly!
I went with her to the festival booth in France she got the Terrine Campagnarde (pate with baguette & cherry compote) and the peach charlotte, along with a glass of muscat (sweet sparkling wine) for me. I think the muscat was the best thing it was very good! She wasnt impressed with the pate or peach dessert. We sat there at the table chatting a while, then continued on our way. At one point we had a few raindrops, and she could not get her umbrella to stay open. I tried it for her and was able to lock it open. She was amazed and asked how I did it, and I told her I just did it right <g>. She called me a smartass, lol!
We stopped next in Italy, where Linda & Frank shared the asparagus & lobster with garden cocktail sauce & some type of lettuce. They liked it and it sure looked like a nice menu item (I dont eat asparagus or lobster). Once again today there were no lines at the booths, and it was easy finding an empty table near each stop. In Germany Frank got the savory bread pudding with mushrooms and green peas, and liked it but wasnt able to finish it. We sat at a regular table instead of the giraffe table <g>.
By the time we passed China Id decided against the spring pancake because it was getting late (too close to dinner) for something that big. We continued past Mexico and at Florida Fresh I got the watermelon salad with pickled red onions, baby arugula, feta cheese & balsamic reduction. This sounded pretty weird to me, but reviews were consistently raving about this so I took a chance. Wow it really was fabulous!! I never would have thought watermelon, feta cheese & balsamic vinegar would go together, but it was perfect.
Our final stop as a group was at the Pineapple Promenade, where Linda got the dole whip with spiced rum. I tried a bite of the dole whip and it was really good sweet rather than tart like it was years ago when I bought one. I didnt care to try the rum, but they both seemed to enjoy the combination. Itd be nice if theyd sell this year-round! At International Gateway we said our goodbyes they headed back to Yacht Club for a rest before they go to Magic Kingdom for Lindas birthday dinner at Be Our Guest. I continued walking through some of the countries.
In Japan I tried the Frushi fresh strawberries, pineapple & cantaloupe rolled with coconut rice, atop a raspberry sauce sprinkled w/coconut and whipped cream. This wasnt quite what I expected, but it was light and tasted good. I dont know that Id get it again Id go back for the watermelon salad or the tomatoes/mozzarella. My final stop was in America, where I got the rocky road brownie mousse to take back to the room. I walked back to Beach Club Villas, and the dessert didnt get messed up since the sun wasnt shining on it. I put it in the fridge for later, and got to work updating the trip report. I poured a glass of wine and replenished my ice, made a couple calls, and then watched General Hospital.
After giving more thought to my Flower & Garden plans for next year, I decided to go back to the original plan. Linda & Frank had come for a day in March and said it was significantly more crowded than it was now no doubt due to spring breaks. That, combined with the fact that it can be downright COLD in early March, made me switch back to making the longer trip in early April. I canceled the reservation I made yesterday, after booking just a 3-night weekend in early March. Ill still have my 2 trips, and the longer one will be early April before this premium annual pass expires.
After GH I turned it to Dr. Phil but quickly took a break from the dysfunctional family du jour to sit out on the balcony. It still hasnt rained, and doesnt look like it will any time soon although its still totally cloudy. The only negative is the traffic noise out there. Around 3:45 I saw that Lori was sitting on a bench at France so I decided to head on over & keep her company. I walked right in through International Gateway and found Lori and Jane from our group (another dvc person dwlover) sitting on a bench under the entrance awning at Chefs de France. Id never met Jane in person before (after many years), so it was nice to have this extra time before everyone got there. The others trickled in separately before our reservation time, except for Joy whod taken a wrong turn and got caught up in a long Friendship ride from Beach Club. She joined us at the table after we were seated.
At one point a lady in a party going to the table next to ours bore a resemblance to another of our friends, and Lori noticed the woman seemed to be staring at us. Thinking it was our other Lori, Lori called out to her, calling her by name, and the woman ignored her and sat down, lol! Turns out it was not our Lori at all in fact this was a blonde, and our Lori has dark brown hair. Must have been first Loris cold medicine <g>.
The second Lori actually did stop by a few minutes later, leaving her husband at the band in UK in order to come over and say hello. She couldnt stay long something about it being her wedding anniversary and her husband being here, or some such nonsense <g>. Shell join us for dinner tomorrow night, then well get to meet her husband afterwards at the Bellevue.
Our server was a nice young man from France, and oh my gosh Ive never seen such a perfect specimen of a man since Antonio Sabato Jr started on General Hospital! If only I was young and single this guy was gorgeous! We all had a great time at dinner although we hadnt all met in person before, weve become close online so the conversation flowed like we were old friends. The food was good, too!
I had my usual onion soup and glass of wine. Lori had the lobster bisque and the macaroni & cheese, taking most of the macaroni back since its a big portion. I tried it, and its really good! Annemarie had escargot and the lobster bisque, Kristin had a house salad and onion soup, Lisa had a salad, Joy had the goat cheese salad and Jane had the macaroni & cheese. I had my Tables in Wonderland, so my dinner was just under $15 with discount and tip. Several of the others got a dvc discount, but Im not sure if its 10% or 20%.
Right before dinner (after we were seated) I heard from my friend Patti, who was in the park with her husband Ray and son-in-law Gary for the Paul Revere concert. We agreed to meet up after the first concert, since I figured Id get there for most of it. However, it took forever to get the check, and although I thought the first concert was at 5:45 it was really 5:30. I got to America in time for the last half of the final song, which was a good one Cherokee Nation! I was quite shocked though, when people stood up and started leaving, then the band left the stage and the recorded announcement came on thanking people for being there <g>. I called Patti & we met up near the back of the theater. We hung out there until they threw us out, then we moved over a few feet to be outside the theater. It was great seeing them theyre heading back to NY for the summer this weekend.
I walked over towards International Gateway with them, then turned back and with 15 minutes to spare got a great seat in the 4th row for the 6:45 concert! Pete had told me Paul Revere is crazy, and he was right crazy in a good way! They put on a good show, and were pretty funny. Its nice when people dont take themselves too seriously, and just enjoy having fun. I recognized some of the songs, which always helps. After this concert I made another loop around the countries, taking pictures along the way and enjoying the beautiful weather. It had turned into a really nice evening. I got back to America just before 8 and stayed for part of the final concert before heading out of the park and back to Beach Club Villas. I downloaded the pictures off my camera since Id taken several today, and finished up the report. I also finished the chocolate mousse from yesterday still delicious! I put the rocky road brownie mousse thing in the bakery box, so hopefully that will still be good tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, Im not sure what the weather will be. The internet says 40% chance of rain by morning, increasing to 60% for the afternoon, so that rules out Typhoon Lagoon. Today was a very nice day, although I cant believe how much time I spent in the park! Im glad it worked out so spend time with Linda/Frank and Patti & gang, too. Im also glad the rain held off it was cloudy but it was actually pretty comfortable today!
DAY 4 Saturday 4/13/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
Online friends Lori B, Lori D, Annemarie, Lisa, Kristin, Joy, Jane, Colleen, Lynn, Robin, Sandy, Jean
Plan: Typhoon Lagoon or beach, Via Napoli, Bellevue Lounge
Actual: Once again I slept well, getting up just before the 6:15 alarm. I decided I wasnt in the mood for a run this morning, so I read some emails instead, and checked the local weather. Evidently winds blew the storms apart once they came on shore yesterday, which is why there was no rain here. Today the chances are greater, but not until this afternoon or evening. It was still supposed to be completely cloudy until then, but that turned out not to be true.
I showered, dressed & once again had an egg, slice of bacon, and cappuccino for breakfast. Shortly after 8:30 I left the room, walking over to the bus stop. I had a very short wait until the Animal Kingdom bus arrived, and we got to the park just a few minutes after 9am. The bag checks went fairly quickly, and getting into the park went even quicker. Sometimes people are clueless to the fact that there are TWO readers at each spot, and they stay lined up for the first one. I bypassed them and used the other one, since theyre all open. Thats a hint for everyone out there pay attention rather than just following the person ahead of you!
I walked back to Harambe and although the safari wait was posted as 5 minutes I could see the line was completely filled and spilled out into Harambe quite a ways. I wasnt interested in that, lol so I got a fastpass with a 9:45 return time. From there I walked through Asia and into Dinoland, where I rode Primeval Whirl with a very short wait. I was lone in my car though, so it didnt spin much. I think it needs more weight to really spin around. From there I walked right into Dinosaur and didnt see another person until inside the preshow and even then there were fewer than a dozen people.
Kristin was in the park too, and she called after I got off Dinosaur. Shed just gotten off the safari, and since I was headed there she got a bottle of water and sat on a bench. We visited briefly outside the safari ride, then I used my fastpass and she went to the Pangani Forest Trail. As I was walking through the queue area and then waiting to board I encountered a miserable excuse for a little boy named Spencer. He couldnt have been more than 4-5 years old and he was a handful! At first all I heard was Spencer come back here, Spencer come back, Spencer dont do that, etc. Then dear Spencer started flailing and kicking when his mom scooped him up, and ended up kicking his older brother in the head. The brother was ok, but Spencer started crying (not about kicking his brother wanting to be put down to run wild again). Thank heavens as a solo I was put on the truck leaving before them, or I seriously would have backed out and waited for another! As I boarded my vehicle the little brat was screaming intermittently ugh. My safari was good (and all kids including the little boy in my row were well behaved) saw quite a few animals. The cheetahs were walking by the rocks, the male lion was licking his front paw, and we saw the baby rhino. The babys pretty big already, unless the one we saw is not the youngest one.
After the safari it was 10:30 so I left the park. The sun had come out and it was a little warm. Had I known the sun would come out I would have gone to Typhoon Lagoon, but at this point I dont feel like having to take another shower. I decided to get a spring pancake from the stand in China, and although I hate the Epcot front entrance that was a lesser evil than riding a bus to Blizzard Beach, Swan, Dolphin, Yacht Club and then Beach Club. Plus, the Epcot bus was pulling up, so thats what I decided to do. There was only 1 other family on the bus with me, and it was a fairly quick ride direct to Epcot.
At the bag check I paid attention and joined the line with the fastest cast member, getting through there in no time. The lines to enter the park were huge even on the rfid side. Once I got into the park I headed back towards World Showcase, cutting through the air-conditioned Mouse Gear and then going around Test Track towards Odyssey. I went inside there as well, since it cut down the distance and provided a/c. It didnt look like a restaurant at all I remember eating there fairly often when it was a counter service place. They had some displays and stuff set up for passholders but I didnt stop to look at anything. On the way out they had the rfid stations so guests could try out their new passes.
Back outside I walked over to China and got the spring pancake with grilled chicken, without any wait. This one was better than the other day I think the pancake had been grilled longer, because it was darker and firmer. The other day it was softer like a potsticker. Its still messy to eat, because its so big. I found a shady bench just before the African outpost area and sat there trying to eat it without getting any on my white shirt. Instead, a piece with the sauce fell out and left a mark on my sneaker, lol! A bird swooped down and grabbed the fallen piece thinking it was a French fry, but he dropped it when he realized it was an apple. The pancake was delicious!
After eating I used the nearby water fountain to wet my hands and wipe them off with a napkin. As I turned to start walking again, who do I see but Linda & Frank again! They filled me in on their Be Our Guest dinner last night excellent service, beautiful room, disappointing food. Lindas salmon was way too salty, and Franks pork chop tasted great but was really tough. What a shame, because Im sure it wasnt cheap!
We walked together and I left them in Germany, then I continued around and exited the park through International Gateway. Back at Beach Club I stopped in the Marketplace thinking they had carrot cake cupcakes, but I was thinking of Seasons. They do have a peanut butter cupcake that got good reviews, but I didnt buy anything. I went up to the studio and was pleased to see my trash & towel service had already been done this means I can relax without anyone knocking on the door.
I wanted something sweet, so I cut a quarter of the rocky road brownie mousse that was very good! It was a little stiff from sitting in the fridge overnight, but still good. I got some ice and poured some wine, then updated the report and hung out online. Sometime before 2 I saw an email from Lori D that she was headed to Epcot and would be sitting in Italy enjoying the nice weather. Around 2 I decided to head over, and as I approached Italy met up with Lori B as well. We entered Italy and Lori D saw us and came over, then soon Jean arrived. We sat at a table outside the wine shop until almost 3, when it started getting hot out there. One of our group texted to say she wouldnt be joining us for dinner because it was too hot, but shed be waiting for us in the air conditioned Belle Vue.
We went to check in at Via Napoli and were joined by several of the others. They have a giant table just as you enter the restaurant, and thats where we were seated. The table is so big that even though we were a party of 13 there were plenty of other people seated at the other end! It was a bit confusing with so many different solo people at a restaurant that specializes in shared pizzas, but we finally got dinner decided. I wont try to specify what everyone ordered, but I ordered the mozzarella & tomato caprese. At Tonys it was 3 slices of each, along with onions and bread for $7.49. Here it was 2 slices of each, no onions, no bread for $9.00. It was good, but overpriced. A couple people ordered the beef stuffed risotto balls (just ok neither would order them again), someone had the fried vegetables with spicy marinara sauce, and everyone else shared a big pepperoni pizza and salad.
The pizza looked pretty good, but at something like $34 it was ridiculously overpriced. From the comments I heard, it was just ok. Since we were going for drinks after dinner, most people didnt bother with drinks at dinner I think Annemarie was the only one, with a cannoli martini. We had a good time at dinner, and it was nice meeting the people I hadnt met before (and nice seeing the ones I had met before). Our server split the pizza and salad onto separate checks based on who ate what, which was really above and beyond in our opinion! We were joking a lot about hunky Pierre from last night, saying Pierre didnt provide that level of service, but then hes so gorgeous he doesnt have to! Somebody commented that if we could put Pierres face/body with this guys brain/service how perfect that would be, lol!
After paying our bills the wait staff took several pictures with many of our cameras. I took a picture of 4 of them taking pictures of us, lol! One server had Sandys camera and he turned it around and took about 4 pictures of himself posing! It was really funny! When we left we decided we had to pass the windows at Chefs de France to try to let the others see our gorgeous Pierre. We didnt see him, though. Next thing we knew Annemarie went walking inside (wearing her tiara), and found a manager to find Pierre for her!
She said she was looking for Pierre, and the manager assumed she was eating dinner tonight. She said no, we ate dinner last night I want to show him to my friends, lol! The manager asked her which Pierre, and started naming off about 4 of them Pierres a common French name evidently <g>. They figured it out and someone went to get Pierre while Annemarie waved to us to come inside. We were all shocked, embarrassed, saying oh no as we elbowed each other out of the way in our mad dash inside to see Pierre again, lol! He was very gracious and posed for pictures with us, with several of his co-workers standing back chuckling. Im sure he got teased about us old ladies after we left!
From there we left the park and walked over to Boardwalk, but in the process we lost Jean! Turns out she detoured, got caught up doing other stuff, and her phone wasnt working right. We joked that after dinner maybe she unsubscribed from our group, but she seemed ok with us during dinner <g>. We didnt hear from her until much later, after we were gone. Glad to know shes ok and still with us!
At Belle Vue lounge in Boardwalk we found Joy & her husband Lynn, along with Stacie and Lori Ds husband John. Stacie is the daughter of a member of our group who passed away suddenly not long ago, so wed invited her to join us to meet some of her moms friends. Ive known Stacie for years when Comedy Warehouse was open, as she & her mom went pretty regularly. A guy at the bar approached us hes an ex-imagineer and has a Disney-related website and wanted to know our story. He was really nice, and even bought some of us drinks. I found out later he wasnt interested in us as women, but as Disney fans, lol! Thats ok though I dont think any of us are on the market!
We spent a couple hours or so in the lounge and it was just really fun sitting around talking with different people. I dont know when well have everyone together again, although April 2nd next year works for me <g>. People headed in different directions, with some going to Magic Kingdom and several back to their resorts. Kristin & I walked over to Beach Club Villas together, and stopped in the Marketplace. I got a peanut butter cupcake that had gotten rave reviews online, and she was getting a sandwich when I left her.
I ate part of the cupcake, and it really is very good. Later I also ate the rest of the rocky road mousse brownie guess I had a sweet tooth!! I downloaded todays pictures, and finished up the report. Its a later night than usual for me but it was fun.
Tomorrow Im meeting my friend Nancy for breakfast at Seasons, and then if its sunny I might sit on the beach here before going to Downtown Disney. Theres a better chance for rain tomorrow night, so if thats the case I wont be spending time trudging through Epcot.
DAY 5 Sunday 4/14/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
Lori B
Plan: Epcot, Downtown Disney/DisneyQuest, Raglan Road
Actual: This morning the alarm woke me up at 6:15 and since Id skipped running yesterday and eaten that brownie last night I knew I had to get out there this morning. I dressed and went out to run, this time coming back along the front of the Boardwalk (which is very noisy running on those wooden boards). Back in the studio I showered and then ate the last slice of bacon before drinking my cappuccino. I hung out online until just after 8:30, then walked over to International Gateway. Kristin joined me in line, and once Epcot opened we walked over to the Land pavilion. I saw Nancy waiting for me downstairs, so Kristin veered off to Soarin and I met up with Nancy.
I grabbed a fastpass for 10:00 and then Nancy & I went to Seasons for breakfast. I like when theres hardly anybody here no line to get food, no line to check out, no hunting for a table, etc. We both got the berry croissant bread pudding, which was excellent as usual. She also got an iced coffee from the bakery stand. My cash register receipt has a coupon for 20% purchases before 1pm and is good at World of Disney, so Ill wander over there on the off chance Ill find an eyeglass case.
We sat and visited for an hour or so, which was really nice. Im glad we had a chance to catch up in person. She left around 10:15 and I used my Soarin fastpass (front row, center group). Once that was done I left the park and ran into Linda & Frank coming up from International Gateway. I cant believe how often Ive run into them good thing Im not trying to avoid them!
I walked back to Beach Club Villas and updated the report briefly, then by 11:30 I went to the car and drove over to Downtown Disney. I parked near Planet Hollywood and cut through the parking lot to get to World of Disney to use my 20% off coupon. It was mobbed in there! I asked a cast member if they had any eyeglass cases, and she said the hard ones were only Nerds, lol. If this place doesnt have anything else, then nothing else exists right now! I looked at them anyway, and noticed a canvas handbag Id seen in Epcot was hanging nearby. Its mostly black & white, with a tiny bit of pink trim. It has various Ms and a mickey head cute, Disney, but not too juvenile. I bought that, along with a package of the breath mints SB likes.
Since I had plenty of time I wandered around a bit, getting a chocolate sample at Ghiradelli and poking through a few more shops. The line at Earl of Sandwich was wrapped all the way around to the side just ridiculous! Eventually I went back to the car and put my bag in the trunk, then walked through the West Side and entered Disney Quest.
Its been years since I was here, and the elevators no longer do anything special. The Cheesecake Factory is long gone, so the food looked like nothing special. It was fairly busy, with mostly kids of course. I went to Cyber Space Mountain and created a coaster with no wait at all (in the old days it would have been more crowded in here). I made it pretty crazy, but it scored it as being too scary for only 3 out of 5 roller coaster riders. I went to where the simulators are and again had no wait. The cast member swiped my card and showed me my coaster on the screen, counted the inversions and told me there would be 5, asking if that was ok. I said yes, so he locked up my bag, gave me the key, and led me to my simulator.
Once seated the big padded bar came down and I locked myself into place it goes over both shoulders and lays flat across my lap. Inside the simulator is a stop button that will stop the ride if it gets to be too much. I enjoyed my coaster, but the 5 inversions (mostly big upside-down loops) were a bit much especially having 3 of them almost back to back near the end. I didnt feel sick, but I wished the air was cooler oh no, now I sound like Joy <g>. They will sell you a video of your ride, but I wasnt interested in that, lol! I got my bag and went to explore more of the building. I didnt bother with any of the other virtual reality stuff, but did play a little QBert and Ms. Pacman for a while. After that I still had a long time to wait so I sat on a comfy sofa on the 4th floor and played suduko on the blackberry.
I was due to meet Lori at 2:30 but I knew shed probably arrive early so a little before 2 I left and walked over to Raglan Road. Sure enough, she was sitting on a shady bench playing with her iphone! We walked across to Raglan Road and sat at a breezy shady table outside. They recently started a brunch menu on Sundays, and the item shed wanted from the lunch menu was not on there. She asked the server, and the chef made it for her anyway risotto. I had my usual SSS Beefy Salad and a glass of Riesling. Lunch was good, and it was a nice way to wind down the trip.
After lunch she headed to the bus stop to return to Villas at Wilderness Lodge and I drove back to Beach Club Villas. Our friend Lisa had sent a message to us saying we were under a tornado watch until 10pm, so I checked the weather online and it looked like the storms werent due until around 6. I decided not to waste the final rain-free hours, so at 4 I walked back over to Epcot to wander around World Showcase.
There was no wait to get in, except for a few young girls ahead of me at the bag check. Im amazed they still have only half the turnstiles open its been that way the whole trip. The others are blocked off by a fence, and I assume theyre installing the new rfid readers, but honestly how long does that take?????? Ive been here since Wednesday!
At the top of the hill I signed up to a mission at the Phineas & Ferb thing. I was given my choice of 3 countries to save and decided on United Kingdom for my friend Larry formerly from Scotland (plus, it was close <g>). I found out they changed it out because Kim Possible went off to college, lol. The mission used many of the same clues Id seen with Kim Possible, and one did not work the phone booth did not dispense a golf ball. I was able to bypass that, though. The chatter between missions was getting long & tedious, and the sky was looking a little more ominous so I decided not to save any other countries today. The band at UK had started playing, drawing a big crowd theyre really very good!
I continued walking, not really doing anything in particular. I walked through part of the stores in Italy and Germany, then stopped in Morocco to buy the baghrir Moroccan pancake with sliced almonds, honey and argan oil. It was not bad. I wouldnt get it often, but it was a nice choice for something a little different than my usual. It wasnt as sweet as baklava, either. I sat on a shady bench in Japan to eat the pancake. At that point I was going to head out, but realized it was 5:15 and the first Paul Revere & the Raiders concert started at 5:30 so I turned around and walked back to America. I was going to sit on the brick wall between a merchandise stand and the smokehouse, but first went into the shop next to American Adventure.
I was nearly run over inside a cast member was playing with 2 little kids by the 3 of them each carrying 2 toy guns and trying to shoot each other. I thought that was completely inappropriate. The 2 kids were having a blast, but really is this the time or place for that??? In a small crowded store?? I went back outside and was going to go to my wall when I saw it had started to sprinkle. I stayed under the overhang until it stopped, then sat on the wall briefly before deciding to just sit on the wall inside the theater. I figured Id make a quick getaway during the last song and beat the crowd.
The concert started and within 5 minutes the lead singer told Paul they were saying lightning was overhead and they needed to get off the stage. Paul asked what all these people were supposed to do, and the announcement came on that the rest of the show was canceled and for our safety please basically get the hell out of there. People were not happy, but I guess better safe than sorry. Unfortunately, the fools who sat & stood in line since before noon for this show were out of luck they had to join the already formed line for the next show & hope for the best.
It did start to rain as I was walking, but it was not too bad. I left the park and at the top of the hill at the fork to Boardwalk & Beach Club I stopped to help a lady who was all stuck trying to put on one of those cheap plastic ponchos. Her husband was no use he stood there like a statue and didnt even try to help. What a gem!
As I approached the entrance to Beach Club Villas there were several people whod been thrown out of Stormalong Bay who were finding their way back all wrapped in towels. I went up to the room and packed up my stuff, then went to get some ice after realizing the weather was going to be most of the 30-minute news broadcast! Hopefully my friends at the Magic Kingdom wont have their evening ruined by rain.
I finished up the last of the wine, and later will finish the rest of the pork slider and peanut butter cupcake to clean out the fridge. Once I get the trip report posted Ill relax and catch up on the cruise message boards I only seem to get over there on the weekend.
The photos from this trip are on shutterfly at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...ZNGTdm2bMWjGAg
This has been a great trip, except for the weather being less than ideal. I loved the Flower & Garden Festival food booths & concerts! I loved being at Beach Club Villas, being so convenient to Epcot. I loved Typhoon Lagoon, and look forward to spending more time there this year. It was a lot of fun hanging out with my group of online friends, and doing the trip this way with time apart and time together was perfect. People got to do what they wanted, but still had time together.
My next trip begins May 8th, at Hilton Head. At this point Im not sure if Ill be solo or if SB will able to come along, but well have it figured out by then. The next trip back here to WDW is May 24th for Memorial Day weekend which will involve very little park time due to the heat. Thank goodness for Typhoon Lagoon!
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Sue Holland Rayford, Beach Club Villas, April 10-14, 2013
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