Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
SB (66), my husband
Tiana & Jonell, friends
Fran, cruise buddy
Dates: Oct 22 27, 2023
Resort: Disneys Boardwalk Villas Resort
Experience: Very Experienced 32nd stay at BWV
INTRODUCTION:
This is the main Food & Wine trip (actually, one of only two Food & Wine trips this year). Wed hoped to be doing it with Judy (of Pete & Judy fame) but unfortunately, she didnt get booked right away and was shut out of Boardwalk. Its not worth going if we cant be at BWV or BCV, so hopefully next year Judy will book exactly at 11 months, and well get to spend time with her again. I dont blame her at all for skipping the trip vs staying somewhere else (somewhere other than Boardwalk or Beach Club). We did it last year at Old Key West thanks to friends who backed out, and I wont be making that mistake again!
Our annual passes are valid Monday through Friday, so I decided to arrive on Sunday. This way we can check in, get settled, do any grocery shopping, etc and have a relaxing evening outside of the parks. Monday our friends Tiana and Jonell plan to drive down for the day to enjoy Food & Wine with us. Billy Ocean is performing that evening, but I doubt theyll stick around that late. My cruise buddy Fran had some points that were use or lose and was able to book a studio at Riviera Tuesday night. SB & I will do Epcot/Food & Wine again thats really our priority, and then meet up with Fran later outside the parks. Wednesday shell buy a 1-day ticket for Epcot, and well enjoy Food & Wine. Thursday were alone again, most likely just doing Food & Wine again. Friday, we go home not sure if well spend time at Epcot before going home, or maybe go over to Gideons.
Since Food & Wine Festival is the focus, I didnt book any dining reservations other than Big River Grill on Sunday. Theyre not part of the Disney reservation system but its easy to book on Open Table. Eating outside on the Boardwalk is very pleasant during the few months the weather is actually comfortable, and you cant beat the convenience while staying at Boardwalk. When we meet up with Fran on Tuesday, well probably try Bar Riva over at her resort (Riviera). SB is saying he wants his breakfasts from Beach Club Marketplace rather than cooked in our kitchen. He says hell walk over there consider me very skeptical that hell actually do that, lol!
I see the Bellevue Lounge (at Boardwalk) has a cosmopolitan on the menu so hopefully well get over there at some point. I loved the cosmo I had at Space 220 Lounge the one time I lucked into a reservation there. Beyond that I dont have any specific plans. SB doesnt like to plan, so he/we have none <g>. I did ask him if he wanted me to book Animal Kingdom some morning, or any other park and he replied no just Epcot. Works for me, so thats what we have! Itll be better next year when we can book AK (for Flight of Passage) but then hop over to Epcot in the morning because the 2pm timeframe is lifted.
The plans so far are:
Sunday 10/22: Check in BWV, Big River Grill
Monday 10/23: Food & Wine Festival with Tiana & Jonell, Billy Ocean concert
Tuesday 10/24: Epcot, Pool, Meet Fran
Wednesday 10/25: Food & Wine Festival with Fran
Thursday 10/26: Epcot, Pool, Epcot
Friday 10/27: Possible Gideons, Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Sunday 10/22/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
SB (66), my husband
Plan: Drive to WDW, Big River Grill
Actual: We left at noon, and it felt strange going down on a Sunday! Traffic was heavier than were used to, pretty much on every highway. However, we made it without incident and as expected the villa was not ready. I dropped off SB and most of our stuff outside the lobby, then parked the car and joined him inside with the rest of the stuff. A very nice cast member checked on the status of our villa and offered to look for one that was already ready. She found one, but it was halfway down the hallway and had a solid wall balcony. That means sitting down my view would be a wall of wood! She said housekeeping was inside my assigned villa right now, and it was closer to the elevators and had an open wall balcony, so I decided to wait for that.
I walked down to Big River Grill to request our table be outside. Its so much nicer sitting out on the Boardwalk vs inside the very ordinary/boring restaurant. With that taken care of I returned to the lobby and took pictures of the cast members pumpkin decorating contest entries they were all great! I joined SB on his sofa and soon Chip & Dale came into the lobby. Later Daisy Duck arrived as well. SB got some one-on-one time with Chip and then once people realized the characters were here the families w/kids started pouring in. The characters stayed for quite a while, with lots of good interaction for those interested.
The nice cast member came back over when she saw my villa was ready, before Id gotten the text. She said I should be able to see it on the app, and she was right. We moved our stuff to the villa, and I quickly unpacked while SB watched the end of a football game. The timing worked out well it ended just before 4 so then we walked down to Big River Grill for our early dinner.
We were seated outside, with a lovely view of people strolling the Boardwalk, friendship boats coming and going, and Yacht Club across the lake. Our waiter was Yassine and he did a terrific job. For drinks I tried a pineapple mojito since the glasses of wine were the same price as the cocktails. Although I love the cucumber mojito in Tamarind on HAL ships, I realize now Im not a mojito fan overall. This one was just ok. SB got strawberry lemonade and Yassine kept him refills plus another for the road.
I stuck with a bowl of the cheese soup, which was excellent! Its also a pretty big portion and very filling because its so thick. SB got the brew burger but subbed a small Caesar salad instead of the chips. He also wanted a hot dog, which hed seen on the kids menu, so Yassine brought him a hot dog and chips as well (for $2.99). Everything was excellent even the hot dog tasted really good.
We were too full for dessert, or so I thought. He spotted the candy case inside the Screen Door as we were passing by so we went inside. We agreed on a caramel apple w/nuts. I left him there to see if they sold any adult sneakers (he didnt wear or pack a pair) and when I returned, he was standing outside holding TWO of the caramel apples (so he wouldnt have to share).
Back in the villa he settled down with the next football game while I cut one of the apples. I kept a few small slices for myself and gave the rest to him. Of course, he wasnt able to finish it all so Im really glad I ignored that second apple for today! I was able to catch HALs Rotterdam sailing away from Ft Lauderdale for the first time this season Im so glad cruising is back (I realize other cruise lines never left, but Im only interested in the HAL ships).
Once the ship sailed away, I decided I was finding the nearest Target to get him a pair of sneakers. He was saying hed be fine in his flip flops but we tried that once before and as expected, his feet & legs ended up hurting and he was unable to do much of anything in the park. I thought there was a new Target in the Flamingo Crossing area but when I got close and turned on the Maps app it had me getting back on highway 429 heading south to exit 6. I ended up on 192 in Kissimmee!
When I pulled into the parking lot across from Target there were several other options TJ Maxx, Ross, and Famous Footwear. Ross was the first one so I went in there. Theyve got a huge mens shoe department and I found 3 possibilities. I sent him the 3 pictures and asked what he thought. His reply was ok. Ummm, which one? I asked again but got no answer so I made the decision.
I headed to the front of the store to check out and there was a huge line snaked back and forth around 3 times, even though they had 4 cashiers working. Why is Ross so popular in tourist land?? I waited and waited, trying to ignore the hordes of screeching kids and the loud adults chattering in foreign languages. This was turning into quite the adventure. I forgot to mention coming here I hit every single red light, too! Going back, I only hit most of them. Finally, it was my turn to pay and I got the heck out of there. By now it was getting dark, and I only had my prescription sunglasses with me, so it was a really dark ride, lol! This time Maps took me further down 192 and I think it would have taken me out to I-4 but I had the sense to abort this route and turn left onto Sherberth to enter over by Animal Kingdom!
He liked the sneakers. I said, never again. I decided to take a walk around Crescent Lake since it was a beautiful night. Before going outside I stopped at the dvc kiosk to see if the DVC coin would be the same as the one I got at Jambo House last trip. They confirmed it was there are 3 different coins. One for Florida, one for California and one for Aulani. But, they asked if I wanted a magnet its the same DVC Member magnet but this one has gold lettering and image vs the blue last time. They gave me a couple magnets, I thanked them and then headed outside.
The boardwalk was pretty busy and a large crowd was gathered watching a pair of juggling entertainers. I stopped to watch briefly and then continued on my walk. When I got back to the villa SB was eating some pork rinds Id brought (for him) and drinking one of the Kronenbourgs (beer from France) Id bought him for the trip. The room with the ice machine is just a few doors away so I walked over to fill up the ice bucket. Ive got a tray of ice cubes in the freezer but wasnt sure they were fully frozen yet. Someone staying around the corner from the ice machine has their door decorated with Trick or Treat and theyve got a pumpkin with a bunch of small candy bars set on the floor for other guests to enjoy. What a nice thing to do!
Back in the villa I got changed and fixed the bed Id ordered some extra blankets from housekeeping earlier so we can keep it nice and cool in here. I left SB with his football games in the living room and took a glass of wine & my laptop into the bedroom to finish up online while watching that train wreck called 90 Day Fiance. I swear, this show gets more stupid with every season, and every couple is just so dysfunctional.
I got a text from Tiana saying they werent going to be able to join us tomorrow. Evidently their dog is sick. Hes the reason they dont go anywhere anymore they wont board him and dont trust anyone to take care of him. If Im not mistaken, he has never set foot on grass, because that would get him dirty he takes any walks on the pavement and pees on a pee pad in the house. Its very strange to me.
Today was a pretty nice start to the trip, except for the damn sneaker fiasco. Im very happy with the villa and the resort, although it feels strange to be here without Pete & Judy. Big River Grill was excellent. The last time we were there was with Pete & Judy and Bonnie, probably before covid, and Pete left his glasses on the table but was able to get them back the next day. So many memories.
Tomorrow well most likely head to Soarin before it gets busy and will enjoy Food & Wine as soon as the countries open. Being on our own hopefully Ill get some pool time in the afternoon before going back for Food & Wine for dinner oh, and Billy Ocean too!
DAY 2 Monday 10/23/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
SB (66), my husband
Plan: Food & Wine Festival w/Tiana & Jonell, Billy Ocean concert
Actual: Last night the bed was extremely comfortable, but Id forgotten about the noise from the front entrance outside. It continued until 2am people talking & laughing as if the rest of their party were deaf! Some idiot was tapping their car horn (I guess to tell someone waiting inside hey Im here come out) around 1:30. Next time Ill need to remember to NOT request near the elevator and be put further down the hall. I was able to see some of the fireworks when they started at 9 last night, but with a big tree in front of the balcony a lot of the fireworks were obscured.
This morning I got up at 5. After making my cappuccino I took it back to bed and did online stuff while watching the local news. SB was up around 6-6:30, having also slept well. I dont think he heard any of the outside noise, since he didnt say anything about it.
Sometime after 7 he took a shower, and I made my egg and slice of bacon for breakfast. Its so much better doing it on a real stove rather than a microwave! Before the trip Id asked him if he wanted eggs and stuff for breakfast during the trip and he was adamant that he did not dont bring anything for him, etc. I ended up bringing 6 eggs, some of his sausage, etc not trusting him to not change his mind. Sure enough, as hes getting in the shower he says, on second thought I would like an egg and some of the ham. When I was cooking mind, I asked him if he wanted me to cook him an egg and hed declined.
Once I ate, I cooked his egg and heated up some ham in the microwave. We have a partial loaf of bread, so he had a breakfast sandwich, along with some of the cherry (sugar free) punch Id made him last night. We were all dressed & ready by 8, but since early entry doesnt begin until 8:30 we had some time to kill waiting.
We left by 8:15 and walked over to Epcot. I ducked into Boardwalk Deli to see the breakfast sandwich options but none have any appeal for me. There was a line at International Gateway (thanks to the skyliner) but it moved quickly. Near the top of the ramp, they check to ensure youre a Disney resort guest, but that moved very quickly as well no wait at all. As we approached Canada, we could see the crowd was being held there but the rope dropped just before we arrived. It was perfect timing!
We headed over to the Land and walked onto Soarin over California. Id forgotten they brought the CA version back for a while and we both enjoyed seeing it again. I like both versions in different ways for different reasons so theres not one clear winner for me. We were on one of the sides so it was nice to not have all the distortion we would have had with the world version.
From there we rode Living with the Land, where it seems theyre recently planted most of the stuff in the greenhouses. Upstairs the doors were open for the Awesome Planet movie, so we went in there to watch it again. I think there was a solo woman and one other couple in the theater besides us! We enjoyed the movie again.
By now it was 9:15 and SB didnt want to do Nemo. The new Moana Water Adventures thing was right there so we did that without any wait. I think SB was disappointed it wasnt a ride, but rather a WALKING (oh, horrors) thing. However, he ended up loving it! We stayed on the dry trail, not wanting to get wet. He was posing for silly pictures and then we were going to try to do a selfie until a nice lady offered to take our picture. I returned the favor for her family.
After Moana we were going to ride Spaceship Earth, but the line looked pretty long and it was not moving at all. We bailed on that idea and instead browsed in a few shops. At the Creations shop we picked up our passholder magnets with no wait. We sat on a bench here & there, then headed out to World Showcase to get SB a margarita from the cantina in Mexico. We took it with us and sat on a bench somewhere watching people passing by. I think we were across from the Donald Duck meet & greet.
By now we knew the food booths would be opening up soon, so we started walking back towards Canada. I stopped in First Aid to pick up some bandaids since Id left mine in the villa and the bandage on my latest bruise needed changing.
At the Noodle Exchange SB got the sesame beef ramen bowl. It was excellent, but he said the red peppers were the hottest thing hed ever eaten, lol! The beef was very tender and delicious.
The next stop was Canada, where we shared the filet mignon. This was outstanding even SB said this was so excellent it cant possibly be topped. The meat was tender, the mashed potatoes were delicious, and he loved the mushrooms.
We continued around to America, where he got the Cioppino (seafood stew) and the hot Italian beef sandwich. I dont eat seafood but have to admit it looked like a nice item. He said it was great maybe not at the level of the filet mignon in Canada but very close. I tried a bite of the sandwich and wasnt impressed. He said it was ok. I dont see us ordering that again.
By now he was full, so we continued walking with one more stop in mind India for chicken tikka masala for me. I also got a glass of the Sula chenin blanc. The tikka masala portion was huge even SB commented on it. He asked what it cost and was surprised by only $6.25. It was delicious, but way too much. Eventually I just stopped and covered it as best I could with napkins to carry half of it back to the villa.
Youd think wed be done, but youd be wrong <g>. SB wanted a soft serve ice cream! Fortunately, the Swirled Showcase booth was coming up where the temporary Starbucks used to be. We were sweating like pigs now, as the sun had gotten pretty hot all of a sudden. I stood in the shade while he ordered a vanilla cone. He offered me a taste and I was shocked how good it was. He said hed thought the same thing! He ate most of it as we walked, then gave the rest to me to finish while he carried the chicken tikka masala. It really hit the spot!
We were back in the villa a few minutes after noon, having walked over 12,000 steps thus far. Amazingly his feet & legs were doing fine. He did comment as we entered the Land that theres no way he could have worn the flipflops today. We got out of our sweaty clothes he laid down watching tv in the air conditioning while I changed into a swimsuit and went down to the quiet pool.
It was wonderful at the pool no kids so no noise! There were quite a few adult couples, but everyone was so peaceful. The worst was the pressure washing going on for a while, lol it never fails. There was a slight breeze, and I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 hours out there! I look forward to doing this again!
I came back up to the villa just after 2 and updated the report while watching General Hospital. When we were in Epcot earlier, I noticed they completely rope off the America Gardens Theater, so nobody can get inside to get a seat until they drop the rope (Im assuming 30 minutes before the show). There was already one couple at the front of the standby line at barely 11:30. Well see how it goes when we go back over.
After General Hospital I sat on the balcony for a short time and then took my shower. We left for Epcot a little after 4. The sun was lower now, and the temperature was fabulous plus there was a really nice breeze! This is how Epcot festivals are supposed to be not the sweating to death crap! We walked over to America and found a huge line for the first Billy Ocean show. The area between America and Italy was completely filled in with a snaking queue and then the line extended back into Italy. I think maybe thats the reason they dropped the rope early the line was entering the theater by 4:45 for the 5:30 show.
We ended up getting really great seats almost perfectly center stage, and just a few rows back in the second section. Best of all, the row in front of us ended to make room the base of a tree so we didnt have anyone directly in front of us (they were 2 rows ahead). With the breeze it was very comfortable waiting it wasnt warm at all.
The show was very good, as usual. I didnt realize hes still releasing albums (he did a song from the new album). The audience loved the show, and he ended up with a standing ovation. He seems like a genuinely nice guy and seems very appreciative of his fans who come to see his shows. After the show we continued around and stopped in Germany for the Alps booth. The dark chocolate fondue had been highly recommended, so SB secured a table while I got the fondue. Its a nice presentation, with a pot of hot dark chocolate and then assorted things (2 mini pound cakes, 2 meringues, 3 strawberries and some unknown fruit). The chocolate was excellent, but I wasnt really wowed by any of the assorted things. Im glad I tried it but wont bother again. Its also a lot to eat when your partner isnt eating his share! Showing absolutely no shame I drank the rest of the chocolate yum!
I asked SB what he wanted for dinner, and he was set on the half chicken dinner from Beach Club Marketplace (he loves that). I tried to mobile order it as we started walking in that direction, but it was not appearing on the menu. I hoped they still carried it, and once we got there and asked about it the cast member seemed a bit confused because I was asking about something that was clearly posted on the menu just above his head. We ordered the dinner, and it was ready in a few minutes.
We walked back to Boardwalk and got SB situated with his meal while I poured a glass of wine and heated up the leftover chicken tikka masala. After drinking all that chocolate, I wasnt as hungry as Id been before, so I ate what I could and tossed the rest. SB enjoyed his dinner. Monday is the other night I have shows that I watch (more 90 Day Fiance garbage) so I got set up in the bedroom since hell be watching a football game out in the living room.
Today was a really great day! We were talking about it on the way home from Epcot and agreed that the food was all excellent, lines werent bad, the concert was great, and except for that brief period of hot weather it was a beautiful weather day. This is how its supposed to go!
Tomorrow were going to relax and go into Epcot as its time for the Food & Wine booths to be opening up. Well do a Food & Wine lunch again, then retreat to the resort for pool time. Later well meet up with cruise buddy Fran over at Riviera (where shes staying for the night).
DAY 3 Tuesday 10/24/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
SB (66), my husband
Fran, cruise buddy
Plan: Epcot, Pool, Meet Fran
Actual: I slept well and didnt hear any noise from outside last night. Maybe the first night the balcony door wasnt fully closed or something. SB was up before me but we were both up by 5. I had my cappuccino, and we did online stuff. Around 7:30 I got up to make my breakfast and asked him if he wanted an egg. He asked if I brought any grits. The answer to that is no because before the trip he was adamant he wasnt going to be eating breakfast in the room. He wished he had some potatoes or something, but thats not readily available at Boardwalk and Im not going to offer to trek over to Beach Club Marketplace while he laid here in the villa. After no for his answer he changed his mind, so he had a cooked egg, the hard-boiled egg Id brought, the last of the sausage links Id brought (for him just in case, lol) and a couple pieces of toast. I had my cooked egg and slice of bacon. With his sudden breakfast interest, were running out of eggs, but will make do.
At 8 I modified a couple May DVC reservations for Chris family and Holli. Now were set for another Jambo House stay. I did a few quick work things then got up and got dressed. I went for a walk around Crescent Lake and enjoyed the beautiful weather! Not many people were out, which surprised me. Looks like the big Garner convention is at Swan & Dolphin now.
SB was engrossed in ESPN when I returned. We hung out in the villa for a while before he took his shower, and we left around 10:20 to walk over to Epcot. As expected, some of the Food & Wine booths were already open. In Canada I got the cheese soup and joined SB at a table in the shade. The soup was delicious, but the pretzel roll was half of a stale breadstick that had to be left over from Le Cellier yesterday. It was very disappointing and something Id never seen before.
We continued walked and got the bratwurst in Germany. The brat was barely warm, but the pretzel bun was nice & soft. Overall, this food item was just ok. SB had been looking forward to the shrimp & chorizo paella in Spain, so we got that next, eating it on a bench in Germany. I didnt try it but he said the rice was hard, like it had been reheated from yesterday. This was really disappointing and something Ive never experienced at Food & Wine before! I later heard from someone on facebook that its not a secret theyre doing this. Yikes.
We did buy a couple of the caramel apple oatmeal cookies in Germany and those seem to be fine. SB suggested he sit at International Gateway so I could go around again and then hed join me for a 3rd loop. I was ready for the pool, so we ended up just leaving Epcot. We just missed the boat so we sat on a bench to wait for the next one thats where SB sampled the cookie and declared it excellent.
Back at the villa we changed into swimsuits and went down to the quiet pool. I relaxed on a chaise lounge for about 1.5 hours, while SB floated in the pool for about an hour before going back up to watch tv. It was quiet once again, but it felt hotter than yesterday. There were even a lot more clouds than yesterday too.
I poured a glass of wine and updated the report while watching General Hospital. I like these lazy days! Once General Hospital ended, we took our showers and got ready to meet Fran at Riviera. Fran texted when she got in around 3:15 and of course her room was not ready. She said shed be sitting in the lobby. We were out the door around 3:45 and I texted Fran to let her know we were on the way.
The skyliner was an interesting ride today. It slowed down 2-3 times and came to a complete stop once. It was pretty windy, so when not moving forward the wind would blow the gondolas from side to side. SB didnt like that, but I told him to just pretend its a ride, lol. Soon we were landing at Riviera and found Fran in the lobby. Shed finally gotten her room, and she said its very pretty. Shes got a studio for tonight and tomorrow night.
We went back outside and walked over to Bar Riva across from the main pool. I was shocked to find very few people in there! Fran said the little bar behind Au Petite Caf was jammed with people, and theres no view there. We took a nice table across the main pool area and a server was over right away to check on us.
Fran & I each tried a different one of the many specialty cocktails here, and SB had lemonade. They were both very good. The food menu had some interesting stuff and everything was excellent. Fran had the grilled chicken sandwich, which came on soft focaccia bread and had some interesting spread. I had the burrata and tomato salad, which also came with pesto and some of the same soft focaccia bread. SB had the sticky wings, that also had unusual ingredients (including truffle aioli) but were very good. Fran had fries with her sandwich and SB ordered a side of fries with his wings. We were very pleased with our food here its definitely worth a repeat trip at some point.
Fran decided to ride back with us and try to buy her Epcot pass in person. She tried to do it from her phone and the minimum number of days to buy was 2 she only wants 1 day. We walked back to the skyliner and had no slowdowns or stoppages this time. We parted ways at International Gateway, and she successfully bought a 1-day ticket before returning to Riviera.
SB & I walked back to Boardwalk, and he settled in for tv & sports. I changed into my sneakers and decided to walk around Epcot since it was so nice outside. I wasnt hungry to do any eating, so my only real purpose was to enjoy the atmosphere and get a little exercise. The park was busier, and the food booths definitely had longer lines than this afternoon. However, it wasnt difficult walking around and the people waiting in the lines at least were comfortable. It was quite breezy at times, and I think if Id stayed after dark, I would have wanted a light jacket.
My only stop was in Mexico, where I rode the three amigos boat ride. When I came back around to International Gateway I exited the park and walked back to Boardwalk. Were in for the night SB said something about basketball games starting tonight. Ill see what I can find on the other tv.
Today was a nice relaxing day, although the Food & Wine food was disappointing. I hope that turns out to be a fluke. It was fun seeing Fran again and Bar Riva exceeded my expectations.
Turns out Fran isnt interested in the attractions at all so well probably not head into Epcot until its almost time for the food booths to open. If shes agreeable, maybe well take her over to see the Moana thing since thats new.
DAY 4 Wednesday 10/25/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
SB (66), my husband
Fran, cruise buddy
Plan: Food & Wine Festival with Fran
Actual: I slept well again and didnt hear any noise from outside so that first night I must have not had the balcony door closed tightly enough. I was up around 5 and followed the usual cappuccino routine. SB was up a bit after 6 late for him, lol! I knew Fran was relying on me to make a plan for today, so I did that and texted her around 7 to see what she thought. She said it was ideal, so were good to go. Well meet her at the Epcot entrance (International Gateway) at 10 to get started.
SB then decided he wanted the Bounty Breakfast from Beach Club Marketplace, so well head out early enough to do that before meeting Fran. I know hell give me the Mickey waffle, so I decided to skip my egg & bacon this morning but I did eat more of the caramel apple oatmeal cookie <g>.
Around 9 I mobile ordered SBs breakfast platter (9:25-9:55) while he was in the shower. We headed out by 9:15 to walk over to Beach Club Marketplace. Wed get there early so I changed the mobile order time to now til 9:40 and once we hit the Beach Club path told it we were here. Coming up to the entrance we saw Fran sitting at a table, lol! This is her home resort and where shes most comfortable, so she came over for some coffee since she doesnt like the stuff in the room. Almost immediately I got the notification the breakfast was ready, so SB went inside to get it. I ate his Mickey waffle and a piece of bacon, which was enough. It was all very good.
After breakfast we walked over to Epcot, and Frans eyeglass case set off the metal detector. She had to go to the table of shame so they could verify she wasnt a terrorist including having to hold her arms up in the air while they wanded her. SB & I were cracking up watching, lol!
Walked into what Ill always refer to as Future World and went to Moanas Water Adventure. SB chose to sit on a bench waiting for us while Fran & I walked through. It was quite a bit busier than the other day, but since we really were more interested in just seeing it rather than doing the various things it was no big deal. We stayed on the dry trail but saw people coming through the wet trail basically walking under a shower. No thanks!
We walked back out to World Showcase, but it was barely 10:30 so we stopped at the cantina in Mexico. We sat at a shady table while SB had his margaritas. Fran & I didnt want one, but he still bought 2 (1 lime, 1 mango) thinking if he bought it wed drink it. He was wrong, lol I had a few sips, but he ended up drinking both even mixing them together towards the end.
After the margaritas we started walking. The first stop was in Spain, where I noticed the paella on a ladys plate looked like the rice was fresh and soft, lol. SB got the seafood salad and also ordered the flight of sangria 3 small glasses (white, rose & regular red). He said the seafood salad was excellent it looked good, but I dont like seafood. With the sangria flight Fran chose the white, I had the rose and SB drank the traditional. The rose was absolutely delicious! I never would have thought to order this, but Im glad I tried it.
We noticed the sky was really dark and then it started to sprinkle. Italy was across the way, so we ran over there to a covered bench outside the shops and got there just in time. My phone rang with a big work crisis, and Fran & SB were very patient while I was on the phone for 45 minutes. The rest of the executive mgt team was gathered there and had me on the phone. While on the call the wind really picked up and blew one of the big festival menu boxes/stands down the road. Roped queue things blew over onto the ground it was unreal to see! The work thing was bizarre and would have been devastating. I questioned the validity of it, but supposedly the instructions had been clear (were to give up 170 positions). It made no sense not at this time, not with nothing to be gained politically and everything to lose, etc. The team let me off the phone and continued working, saying theyd call me back when they had a plan.
Fran, SB & I continued walking and Fran got the warm carrot cake w/cream cheese icing in America. We sat at a shady picnic table while she ate. Continuing on, SB got the beef rice bowl in Japan. This looked really weird to me, but he said it was very good also spicy! The crowds were really light today, with little to no wait at the food booths.
This changed in France, lol. There always seems to be a line here and SB sat on a bench while I went through the line with Fran. She got the beef bourguignonne, which she loved! That was her lunch. At International Gateway we had to decide whether to go around again or go to the pool(s). The pool(s) won. We agreed to meet back up at Bellevue Lounge at 4pm.
Back in the villa SB decided to watch tv today and I changed into a swimsuit & headed down to the quiet pool. It was nice and quiet again today, and pretty nice before it got all cloudy again. It even sprinkled lightly for a brief period. While on my chair it dawned on me this work assignment made no sense, so I contact the agencys budget director to verify. What she told me was completely different but made a LOT more sense (and would not be a problem for us). I contacted my team to let them know, and we got it all worked out what a wasted half-day for them!
I was only at the pool for under an hour, and learned theyd elected a Speaker of the House. More unnecessary drama. I watched General Hospital while updating the report and talking to a co-worker, then just after 3 took my shower. We were out the door about 5 minutes before 4 to meet Fran at Bellevue Lounge.
She was already there, and so were a bunch of other people! Most seats at the bar were taken and several people were seated on the sofas & chairs or standing at the bar to order. Fran said the bartender opened up and was serving before 4. Some people had lanyards on, indicating theyre convention guests and most seemed to know each other. We took a table for 3 along the wall and perused the menu. No food is served here, and the only cast member is the bartender. Once we decided on our order Fran & I went up to the end of the bar to get our drinks. I had the Bellevue cosmopolitan; Fran had the straight up margarita and SB had a Michelob ultra. I miss Tables in Wonderland and the 20% discount that brought these 2 drinks and a beer were over $50.
I wasnt crazy about the cosmo the one at Space 220 Lounge was much better. That said, I dont regret trying it. After the drinks we headed out. While Fran changed into sneakers in the rest room SB & I waited at the dvc booth. I asked about the member coin for Fran, and they were able to look her up by her phone number. The guy was very talkative, and we were joking around. When Fran arrived, I handed her all of her swag coin, Riviera print, and Grand Floridian print. She chatted with the guy a bit too, then we headed out.
The boat had just pulled in so we rode over to Epcot. This time nobody triggered the security protocol, and we were in the park quickly. We headed left, and in Ireland stopped for SB to get the fishermans pie. He had the many years ago & liked it, but for the past several years when Id suggest it for him, he never got it. Tonight, he did and after the first bite was exclaiming wow, this is really good. Yeah, I tried to tell him that multiple times, lol.
In Canada SB got a table while Fran & I ordered food. She had the filet mignon, and SB & I shared the filet & cheese soup with pretzel roll. The filets were excellent, as was the soup and they had the correct nice soft pretzel rolls! This is how its supposed to be. We continued walking and talking, finishing the loop of countries without getting anything else. The bands playing in Canada and Morocco both sounded great. Even the local band playing at the America Gardens Theater sounded good tonight.
Approaching the International Gateway we decided to walk another loop around. SB was wanting a vanilla soft swirl cone and Fran wanted a Mickey soft pretzel. We stopped at the swirl place but the vanilla machine was down so SB walked away. We kept moving around and stopped at the place in Africa. Their soft serve choices were pineapple and watermelon dole whips. No vanilla. The nice cast member said we could find vanilla in America so we kept walking.
I figured it had to be the stand where SB got beer and popcorn the other night (across from the America Gardens Theater, on the Regal Eagle side and that was correct. They also have Mickey soft pretzels here so both SB and Fran jumped right up to the window (no wait). We sat in the back of the theater while they ate their snacks I helped SB with the ice cream, and Fran took half her pretzel back to the resort for later.
We decided not to stay for the next show even though it was about to start. Heading back to our resorts sounded better so we left the park and said our goodbyes at the skyliner. Fran rode back to Riviera and SB & I walked back to Boardwalk. Once in the villa I put our laundry in the washing machine and settled down to finish up todays report.
Today was a great day overall. I could have lived without the unnecessary work drama, but at least it all turned out ok. I also didnt need the rain & clouds, but mostly it was a beautiful day. It was fun spending time with Fran and I know she enjoyed herself as well.
Tomorrow is our last full day and itll probably a repeat of the past days probably Food & Wine lunch, pool time, then more Food & Wine. A Disney friend (Robin) is stopping by in the morning and itll be nice to spend some time with her walking around Crescent Lake before she heads home from her trip.
DAY 5 Thursday 10/26/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
SB (66), my husband
Plan: Epcot, Pool, Epcot
Actual: Another blissful night of sleeping well in a comfortable and quiet Disney room! I was up around 5 again, but SB was up before then. We did our usual stuff. He decided to skip breakfast and wait for Food & Wine lunch. He might want the chicken dinner from Beach Club Marketplace again tonight. I made my egg and slice of bacon around 8.
There was one egg left so I hard-boiled it to make it easier to transport back home but then SB ended up eating it. I asked (again) if he wanted me to make a breakfast reservation for before we left tomorrow, and he said yes after I shot down his Waffle House suggestion. Were going to Disney Springs to be at Gideons before they open, so we wont be getting on the road until after 10. Waffle House just doesnt fit the timing plus we have one a couple miles away in Gainesville we can visit any time (and have done so exactly once so far, lol).
I booked Trattoria al Forno here at the Boardwalk, with a 7:30 timeslot. After breakfast well have time to finish packing up the villa before leaving for Disney Springs. With that done we lounged around the villa this morning. I got dressed and sat out on the balcony around 9:15, doing some reading on the kindle. He stuck with ESPN inside.
Robin texted just before 10 saying she was running about 15 minutes late. With that update SB & I decided hes just meet me on the ramp inside International Gateway at 10:45-11 rather than having me come back up to the villa to get him. Robin texted 5 minutes later saying she was pulling in so I went down to meet her outside the lobby. Weve only met in person once before, and that was when I was staying at Bay Lake Tower. We sat outside on the balcony drinking wine if I remember correctly.
We did a walk around Crescent Lake and then sat on a bench across from the Boardwalk boat dock. I felt something land on the back of my shoulder and Robin confirmed it was bird poop! Luckily I had some cocktail napkins from Bellevue Lounge in my bag, and it hadnt landed on my shirt, so Robin wiped it up and we moved to a bench away from birds.
Id been keeping an eye out for SB but never saw him so just after 10:45 Robin & I said our goodbyes and I walked over to Epcot. After a delay by a clueless family using the passholder entry line I found SB sitting on a bench halfway up the ramp. He said hed seen us sitting on the bench and had waved a couple times, then got on the boat to ride over to Epcot. He knew if hed walked over, I would have said lets walk and he didnt want that, lol!
We made one loop around the countries, and it was very warm (hot) when in the sun. In the shade it was nice. We stopped at the Noodle Exchange where he got the sliced beef noodle bowl again. This time he didnt touch the red pepper thing in there! In Greece I had the lamb gyro, which seemed quite a bit smaller from the last time (year or 2 ago). That wasnt necessarily a bad thing, as I wasnt overly hungry.
Coming up to International Gateway I mobile ordered him the foot long chili cheese dog from Beach Club Marketplace and as we approached the path, I hit the I am here now button. We parted ways I walked back to Boardwalk and was down at the quiet pool by noon. The only other people there were the same couple that have been in the same corner spot all week. SBs chili dog was ready when he got there, and he said it was good. He ate it there and then walked back to the Boardwalk. Originally, hed planned to come to the pool today but ended up doing online horse racing instead.
I went back up to the villa right before 2 to watch General Hospital and update the report. I also had an investigation report from work to review/edit, so I worked on that once the trip report was updated. Eventually I took my shower and got dressed. We headed out for Epcot a little before 5. On the way over we ran into another Magic Owner (formerly Mouse Owner a dvc member website) and stopped to chat. Wed run into each other in the lobby last Sunday, and then again this afternoon.
At Epcot we went to the right this time. Being Thursday night things were busier than the previous nights. SB was not planning to eat anything here and I was undecided between a couple of options. His plan was to do one loop with me then sit and wait while I did another. He was practically speed walking it was ridiculous.
I was planning to get the rose sangria in Spain and when we passed by there were only a couple people in the queue. But, I decided to wait for my next loop when I could walk at a more leisurely pace. As we got to Norway, he mentions hes getting a margarita. With that news I went back to Spain but found the queue was full of people now! I went back to meet him in Norway, and we continued on to Mexico. The margarita stand had a long line, so we went into the Cantina, and he ordered a mango margarita with no wait.
Outside one of the shops at the entrance to World Showcase there was an empty bench in the shade, but some big guy got there ahead of SB. We continued on and he decided to grab an empty bench that wasnt fully shaded. He would sit there while I did another loop. One of my ideas for dinner was the soup in Canada but the line was much longer than I wanted to deal with so I passed on by.
When I got to Spain the queue was very short, so I jumped in and got a glass of the rose sangria. My other dinner idea was the chicken tikka masala from India, but as I got there the line was extended outside of the queue. Plus, I had a full glass of sangria and couldnt have managed both without a table (which were all occupied). I kept walking and retrieved SB from his bench. He liked the looks of the sangria and especially the cheap plastic cup.
We continued into Canada, where the food booth was still too busy. He sat on a shady bench next to the stage where the band performs and suggested I do another loop and bring him a sangria, so well have 2 cheap plastic glasses. I was fine with walking around again, so gave him the nearly full glass of sangria and headed off for another loop.
Many booths had no line at all, but the few I would have been interested in had long lines. Maybe that means I have good taste, or maybe Im just unlucky <g>. When I passed Morocco the belly dancer had a pretty young mom up there dancing with her. Mom was wearing a pouch thing with her infant facing outwards. Eventually the baby started waving his arms to the beat it was so cute!
Coming up to Spain again the line was short, and I ordered another rose sangria. I sipped it a little as I continued walking into Canada to meet SB. The food booth line was better, but at this point Id already moved on to plan B in my mind, so I didnt stop. I poured half of the sangria into SBs plastic glass, and we listed to the band (they started their set as I arrived) for their first song.
We left Epcot and walked over to Beach Club Marketplace. One of the glitches in the app is the half chicken dinner doesnt appear in the menu for mobile ordering, so we just waited to order in person. I was interested in trying the macaroni & cheese but knew I wouldnt want to eat a whole portion, but SB said hed eat it with me. We ordered his chicken and the mac/cheese, and it was ready very quickly. We took it back to Boardwalk.
The mac & cheese has extra shredded cheese on top and also goldfish crackers to give it some crunch. That sounded odd to me, and the cast member said it actually was very good and she was right. Its still odd though. I gave half of it to SB, and we did need to microwave everything to get it hot again after walking it home.
I did some packing up after dinner and took a few things out to the car also let me check to see the car looks ok (no flat tires or other issues). Were most likely in for the night him for sure since theres a basketball game on his tv.
Today was a nice last day it was fun getting to see Robin again and I loved my time at the pool. Going back to Epcot tonight was great in terms of comfortable weather and at this point not getting more of the Food & Wine food wasnt a big deal. Itll be there when were back in 2 weeks!
Tomorrow well have breakfast at the resort, get cookies at Gideons (including for Holli since shes feeding our feral cats) and then hit the road for Gainesville.
DAY 6 Friday 10/27/23
Who: Sue (64), DVC Member
SB (66), my husband
Plan: Possible Gideons, Drive to Gainesville
Actual: Once again we both slept well. I was up just after 5 to make my cappuccino and SB was up by 6. We packed up most of our remaining stuff but would come back to move it to the car after breakfast. I believe we cant get into the Orange Garage until 9 so theres no point heading over there until the right time.
Just before 7:30 we walked over to Trattoria al Forno for our 7:30 breakfast reservation. Weve eaten breakfast here once before, but it was in the temporary location (Flying Fish) during a renovation. I checked us in online before leaving the room and right at 7:30 got the notification they were ready to seat us.
Its a pretty restaurant, and one of the cast was tossing pizza dough in the air. Theres a breakfast pizza on the menu I decided to give that a try. SB went with the 2-egg breakfast. The pizza was pretty large way too much for one person unless they have a huge appetite! It was delicious really nice! SBs breakfast came with really nice potato wedges, bacon and sausage. He added toast but shouldnt have bothered. He loved his food and ate a quarter of my pizza. I managed half so the other piece was wasted. He didnt finish all of his food either.
We got 10% discount for dvc, settled the check and headed out. The host scurried over asking us to please let him open the door for us, lol. We really enjoyed the breakfast, although we both feel like we wont be able to eat again until dinner time, so this isnt something wed do when heading to an Epcot festival! Its good for getaway day.
I decided at breakfast to skip Gideons. Not only was I stuffed, I also didnt want to wait nearly 2 hours for it to open. We could be home in that time, and weve got stuff to do. We returned to the villa to finish packing up and were out the door by 8:45. With no significant traffic delays we were home 2 hours later. My primary concern since befriending feral cat Kitty Cat and feeding her every day was that shed lose her hunting ability and when we moved away, shed struggle to survive. Seems those fears can be put to rest. SB called her name, and she came out from under some bushes with a dead squirrel in her mouth (disgusting)! She set it down, meowed at us in greeting, then SB said she was eating the squirrels head (even more disgusting)! In a way its good, as she can still clearly take care of herself. But yuck!
Overall, this was a great trip. SB was especially impressed with the food, except for that one bad day at Food & Wine. Big River Grill was a great start because both the food & service were excellent! All the Food & Wine choices (except that one day) were impressive as well, and Trattoria al Forno was a great way to end the trip. I didnt bring the real camera, so no photo album for this trip.
The Boardwalk was terrific, and our villa was in a great location it couldnt have been any better. I enjoyed being there much more than I expected and will look forward to doing it again next year. The quiet pool was the best its ever been always nice & quiet with no shrieking children. Even the weather cooperated, other than the strange storm while I was on the long work call.
Our next trip is right around the corner we have a 2-bedroom villa booked at Beach Club Villas starting November 9th. Chris, Amanda & Ari will be joining us for that one! We get home November 12th and then I leave November 17th to spend a night at Disneys Vero Beach Resort on my way to a HAL 11-night cruise the next day.
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Sue Holland Rayford's Oct 2023 Food & Wine, Boardwalk Villas 10/22 - 10/27
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