Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Dates: May 24 28, 2013
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disneys Animal Kingdom Villas Resort (Jambo House)
Experience: Very experienced (15th stay at this resort)
INTRODUCTION:
Its a holiday weekend, so that means Im booked at WDW. In hindsight maybe it makes more sense to just enjoy a long weekend at home, but 11 months ago I booked this trip. This time of year its too hot & humid to enjoy the parks, and I do not enjoy being uncomfortable (in heat & humidity). The older I get, the less Im willing to put up with it. With my premium annual pass I do have access to the water parks, but something tells me theyre going to be miserable too. 15-20 years ago the heat/humidity didnt bother me, but to be fair Chris was in school then so I didnt have much choice!
So, given the weather this will be a somewhat low-key trip. Thankfully the resorts are more important to me than the theme parks, so I could easily amuse myself without setting foot in the parks. But, knowing that most readers are more interested in the parks Ill make a couple brief forays into the parks in an attempt to keep the trip report from being a total snooze <g>. Since I have the premium annual pass but normally dont buy that, I may visit both water parks. I enjoyed Typhoon Lagoon last month, but havent been to Blizzard Beach in years (I prefer Typhoon Lagoon).
Ill be starting the trip with a dental appointment in Ft Myers which was quite common when I lived there, lol! I still have my dental work done there even though its 4 hours away, because eventually we will be moving back. This time Im having 2 crowns replaced (ouch - $$$) so this is the long appointment to do the crown prep and get the temporary crowns. My appointment is at 9 so hopefully Im on the road by 11. I plan to bring everything with me and hit the road from the dental office (spending the previous night at home in Ft Myers).
Stopping at the outlets on my way would actually be out of the way, so I may skip them this time. I have a reservation for the 4th of July, which will be even hotter & more humid (I must be insane, lol) so I can always stop then if I dont just cancel that trip. For this trip I was unable to book the concierge level, as others were walking their reservations and I got shut out every day. I really cant complain, as Ive been known to do the same thing. With only 0-5 studios up there, its survival of the fittest, and you do whatever it takes to snag one. I did keep checking, and of course went on the waitlist (futile) and eventually the 3rd (of 4) nights became available so I grabbed it. This will give me concierge lounge access for the last 2 nights of the trip, since concierge privileges are good until midnight of the day you check out. It means I have TWO rooms booked and paid for on night 3, but theres no way in hell I was going to check in Friday, checkout of savannah view and check into concierge Sunday, then check out of concierge and into savannah view on Monday! Thats too much moving, too much being homeless so paying for 2 rooms for 1 person is worth it for the convenience. Some of the other nights did pop up at one point, but never all 4, so I stuck with what I have 4 nights savannah view with a 2nd room on the 3rd night to give me concierge lounge access the 2nd half of the trip.
Star Wars weekends are happening at the Studios, so Ill be avoiding that park. I rarely go there anyway, unless its Osborne Lights time or the Comedy Warehouse cast are doing holiday shows. My arrival day is when the Magic Kingdom is open for 24 hours, so I might head over there just to see how crowded it is. The heat/humidity is my only concern. I dont expect to get to do much but maybe I can get into the counter service Be Our Guest to try the onion soup (mixed reviews). If its awful at Magic Kingdom I can always return to Jambo House and enjoy wine/cheese/crackers on the balcony while watching the animals.
Animal Kingdom opens at 8 for most of my stay, and has 2 extra magic hours mornings which means a 7am opening. Ill probably head over (because Im so close) on an 8am morning, so everything is open. The extra magic hours isnt a big deal for me. The final 2 nights Ill enjoy the concierge lounge. Im not sure where Ill sleep on the 3rd night I guess I could sleep in the concierge level room, but Im not planning to pack up much of my stuff. I guess Ill just take the toiletries and next days clothes in a bag, and leave it at that. Tuesday morning I leave early to drive home and go to work talk about a rude ending to a trip, lol!
The plans so far are:
Friday 5/24: Drive to WDW, possible MK
Saturday 5/25: Water Park, possible Epcot
Sunday 5/26: AK, Pool, Concierge Lounge
Monday 5/27: Water Park, Concierge Lounge
Tuesday 5/28: Drive to Gainesville
DAY 1 Friday 5/24/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Plan: Drive to WDW, possible MK
Actual: My dental appointment was at 9, and I got out of there around 12:30. Believe it or not, they werent even able to do the work that was planned, due to discovering other issues (ugh - $$$$) With one quick stop to fill the gas tank and buy a snack Reeses McFlurry I arrived at WDW between 3:30 and 4. The drive on I-75 was easy, but I-4 was a real pain! There werent any accidents, but lots of congestion. Id left my online check in papers and reservation at home (by mistake), but all security needs is a driver license. I parked in the checking-in lot at the top of the hill and entered Jambo House, feeling strange to be checking in standing at the front desk rather than seated in the concierge lounge!
A cast member directed me to have a seat on a sofa while she got my packet. This is quicker and more pleasant, but I didnt have the chance to enter a pin number for room charging or change the other keys to include SB. Oh well, I can take care of that later. I think I requested close to the lobby, and my studio is in the 2nd knuckle of the long hallway, with a nice view of what I think is the Arusha savannah. I havent been in this section before, but its a good spot. I had giraffe, cattle and a bunch of tommies outside when I entered the room. I unpacked quickly and then left the room, checking the location of the nearest ice machine. The closest one is down on the 4th floor (Im on the 5th floor) and a couple were there filling 2 gigantic coolers on wheels. Really?? Thats appropriate??? Hopefully when I go back later there will be enough ice to fill an ice bucket. I then stopped by the front desk to get SB a room key and parking pass (forgetting about the pin) and then drove over to Saratoga Springs.
There are a LOT more cars driving around than I expected, which puzzles me. Nobody takes Magical Express anymore, lol?? At Saratoga Springs I learned theyre doing some work and the main road to the central area is closed, and the detour takes guests the long way around. Thankfully Im familiar with the resort so it was no big deal finding my way. But, youd think with hordes of people coming over to see the models they would have coordinated the road closure to have ended by now.
I thought the models would just be open, but I saw people milling around by the dvc building so I headed over there instead. I was asked what time my appointment was, which concerned me a bit. I said I didnt have one, so she took my info to check me out and then brought me inside. Once there I was greeted and given a nametag to wear, and directed back to have some refreshments, and told where to report when I was ready to tour the models. I was shocked to find a really nice spread set up for us! They had vegetables & dip, skewers of beef satay, pea & mashed potato samosas, crab cakes and something else. I would have loved to try the beef satay but I was unsure if Id be able to chew it just yet (after the dental work), and it felt disrespectful to take one and then throw it away. It looked great, and I know SB would have gobbled up some crab cakes! They also had a bar with free wine, beer and sodas. Beyond that were small bottles of water, bags of goldfish crackers, pretzels, and chocolate chip cookies.
I took a cookie for later and then got a half glass of chardonnay. Even if chewing could be a problem, swallowing wine should be easy enough! I took the wine to a sofa in the side room and had a few conversations with Michael at work (few because people kept interrupting him, so wed end the call and resume it later). We each had some stuff to brief the other on, but I told him I wasnt in the mood to get into the dental saga right now! By the time we finished up it was close to 5:20 and the half-glass of wine was gone, so I went to the podium to announce my readiness for a tour.
DVC guide Chris took me and a young couple across to the models, and afterwards was available individually if we wanted to see points charts or discuss financing. Hello I would never finance something as frivolous as dvc, but I realize some people do. Quite a few of them live to regret it, too. But regardless, Im happy with the points I have, and have no desire for points at this resort.
There were lots of tours going on at one time, and it was pretty much impossible to get pictures without other people in them. It was also impossible to take pictures and not lag behind the tour was that quick! They want to get everyone through here, and need to keep us moving. The villas ARE beautiful, with many high-end features not seen in the other dvc resorts. I almost left feeling the existing dvc resorts were somewhat Motel 6 in comparison. But, GFV costs a lot more points per night to stay there, and depending on your vacation style it may or may not be worth it.
The studio has a split bathroom 2 separate rooms. The first has a large shower stall and big vanity sink (but single sink I believe). The other room has the toilet and bathtub (which has another shower). This oversized bathroom means the rest of the studio looks small in comparison to other dvc resorts. People complain that the Bay Lake Tower studios feel small due to the larger than normal kitchenette, and these studios will feel a little bit smaller than that! I was also shocked when the guide pulled another single bed down from the piece of furniture holding the tv. Instead of having many drawers, you have 2 small drawers and a small bed. He said 5 people can stay in a studio here, and I told him that did not please me at all. I can see having the bed so if a couple had a son & daughter they wouldnt have to share the sleep sofa, but I cannot imagine 5 people in this tiny space and dont really want any higher percentage of kids. But, DVC didnt ask me <g>. I know if I had 3 kids, I wouldnt be cramming into a studio the actual non-bathroom area of the studio doesnt feel any bigger than a value room. Its just much nicer!
Going next door the 1-bedroom was also quite impressive. Its got hardwood floor, stainless steel appliances, built-in refrigerator, etc. Even the balconies here have very nice floors not painted concrete like the other dvc resorts. The master bedroom is your typical master bedroom (very nice), but the master bath is an upgrade. The tub is a tub with 4 legs very pretty. The shower has a rainforest head and is basically the size of a small room! Its massive if 5 people stay here they can shower at the same time without bumping into each other much. I was trying to reasonably keep up with the tour, so I know I missed a lot of details, but overall both the studio and 1-bedroom villa are VERY nice! Whether theyre the right choice for anyone is a personal decision. I can see myself staying here in a studio for a weekend trip to try it out at some point, but it wont be a regular thing. I personally think the MK resort area is lousy, and given a choice between BLT or GFV I like BLT better. But, its worth trying it out.
The pictures are posted on facebook and also on shutterfly. The shutterfly url is:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...ZNGTdm2bMWjGRg
After the tour I declined the opportunity to see the points charts and talk about buying, as did the other couple. Typical of DVC, there was no pressure at all. The guide thanked us and we went our separate ways. I checked out the food court at Saratoga to see if they had anything interesting, since Id been here longer than Id planned and wasnt going to head to Epcot. Nothing caught my eye, so I went back to the car and drove home to Jambo House.
At Mara I bought a chocolate butterfinger cupcake and got a sealable container to store it in since I didnt want to eat the whole thing in one sitting. Then I went up to the studio and downloaded/uploaded the GFV photos. While that was happening I got ice from the ice machine, which thankfully still made ice after the cooler couple <g>. I labeled the photos, sent them to facebook, then fixed some crackers & cheese. I took the food, some wine and the laptop out onto the balcony and enjoyed seeing lots of animals on the savannah. This really is a terrific location!
SB worked until 7:30 today, so I figure hell be on the road by 8 and here by 10. Most likely hell be calling asking for directions luckily I found an old MapQuest printout in the car, so I have the exit numbers ready. Hopefully hell eat on his way, since not much will be open when he gets here. I plan to hang out on the balcony at least until dark, then probably wait for him inside the room. Im not 100% sure of our plans for tomorrow, but they might include Typhoon Lagoon since hes never been. I know Im not interested in sweating my way through a theme park!
DAY 2 Saturday 5/25/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Plan: Water Park, possible Epcot
Actual: Last night I stayed on the balcony until dark, taking several pictures of the animals down below. I never saw Ankole Cattle, but saw just about everything else on this savannah. After I came inside I ate part of the butterfinger cupcake, puzzled by the filling that looked more like cookies & cream and didnt taste anything like butterfinger. It wasnt bad, but it wasnt what I expected or hoped for. SB called just before 9 asking if Id gotten him some chocolate chip cookies. He thought we were on concierge the whole trip, I guess I had to break the news that I only had a much crappier packaged chocolate chip cookie here! Earlier today walking through the lobby, it was tough seeing the concierge lounge with the people and food up there but not having access. I felt like such a peasant, lol!
At 9 I watched General Hospital, which has gotten a little too weird for my taste since they had to get rid of 3 actors and then brought them all back as new characters. I would have preferred they just stayed gone this being somebody else crap is just crazy. SB was on the road at 7:45 and arrived at 9:45. One of his baseball friends called to talk about todays game, and SB started watching it (as a rerun) online, but thankfully quit after an inning or 2 the need for sleep catching up with him!
We woke around 6:30 and each got online. I made a cup of cappuccino to enjoy while doing my morning online routine. The weather last night was much nicer than it was during the day, and this weekend is supposed to be cooler (upper 80s), less humid and sunny! Thats great holiday weekend weather, and would be perfect for the beach! I guess the closest we can get will be Typhoon Lagoon <g>.
Around 8-8:30 we got dressed and went downstairs to Mara for breakfast, which surprisingly was not a madhouse at that hour. Multiple cash registers were open and while we did have a short wait to order the food we had no wait to pay for it. We shared the bounty breakfast platter and took it out to a quieter table outside. Inside Mara is just too noisy, even if just a few people are in there. Breakfast was very good, and you can sure spot the dining plan people by the vast quantity of food they take and then waste. One of these breakfasts is enough for a male/female couple.
After eating we made a quick stop at the room, putting some bottles of water into the small cooler and adding some ice on our way down to the lobby. We drove over to Downtown Disney and just walked around for the next hour. Its so pretty & peaceful over there when hardly anyones around. I know Disney wants the tourist dollar, but in a way those tourists really hurt the ambiance <g>.
At 9:30 we drove across to Typhoon Lagoon and I saw they were parking cars like they do at the theme parks, so it was going to be a busy day! I like to pick a spot in the shade here, but that wasnt possible today. At least we were close to the entrance, though! The lines were ridiculous, and shame on Disney for not having a better way to move the crowds. Starting your day standing in a 20-minute line is just not acceptable. We were able to use the shorter line, and had to activate SBs premium annual pass (convert the voucher into the pass). The cast member gave us the wrong card it doesnt have the parking message on there, but with so many people behind us I decided to just get it fixed when were at the more civilized International Gateway some day.
Entering the park was quick, and by the time we walked in theyd just dropped the rope. My exact preferred spot had been snagged already, so we staked out chairs in the immediate vicinity and then headed into the wave pool. SB had never seen anything like this, and was shocked at the force of the water. He enjoyed it, though! We stayed there for a while, then walked over to Shark Reef and looked at the fish through the underground viewing area. From there we hopped in the lazy river and had it to ourselves for a while. He really enjoyed this, too. We made one complete loop and then returned to the wave pool for a little while, then went to our chairs.
He fell asleep and worked on a puzzle book until the small waves started. Theyre more my speed, so I went back to the wave pool and bobbed around for a while. He never even knew I was gone. At noon we decided to head out, and drove off property for lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Usually every Saturday we have lunch at our local Codys Roadhouse, and I think Codys has Texas beat (we have a Texas Roadhouse just down the road from Codys). SB had the oven roasted half chicken with house salad and mashed potatoes (and a beer). I had the chicken strips dinner with baked potato and Caesar salad (and a glass of wine). Total check was just under $28 and we brought back at least half my food for his dinner tonight.
Back at Jambo House we took our showers and I sat out on the balcony reading email and updating the report while he watched a game on the computer and some track & field thing on tv. There were not a lot of animals out, but there was a giraffe or 2 who alternated walking and sitting on the ground, and a couple red river hogs came by. There was a really nice breeze making it just beautiful out there!
At some point late afternoon I decided to head over to Epcot figuring it wouldnt be too crowded. SB was watching a game and chose to stay in the room. As I crossed the lobby and went to cut through the shop I was appalled to see some twit changing her toddler daughters diaper in the lobby next to the photo desk by the shop entrance. Hello there ARE restrooms in the lobby. She had the wet diaper laying on the floor and was fastening the new diaper as the girl stood there. How inappropriate and tacky! I went out to the bus stop and must have just missed the Epcot bus, because I had a bit of a wait. I did see at least 2 buses for Animal Kingdom and 2 for Downtown Disney while I was waiting. The Epcot bus was almost empty, and we were dropped off at one of the furthest bus stops (not even a Disney resort stop from what I could tell) and the driver never bothered to tell people which stop to use for the return trip. I checked the bus board, and thankfully our stop is on the other side, closer to Epcot.
Id purposely worn shorts with pockets so I would not need a bag. I HATE the front entrance of Epcot, and the stupid bag check is one of the reasons. I was at least able to bypass that, but still had to wait in line to enter the park. At this time of day Spaceship Earth should have been a walk-on but today the queue was snaked around on both sides of the entrance. I made it a point to check the Future World tip board 100 minutes for Soarin, 70 minutes for Test Track busier than I like! It was a bit of an ordeal walking out to World Showcase with all the people in the park, so I knew my time here would be very brief. The food vendors all had long lines, but surprisingly the margarita line in Mexico was very short.
In Norway I went into the bakery and saw the Viking hat mousse. It looked like something Id like, and since SB ate the rest of my cupcake I bought one of these to go. Once that was done I turned around to head out of the park theres no point being here when its this crowded. I ran into Jake from Comedy Warehouse and stopped to talk with him, then continued to the exit and to the bus stop. Once again I had to wait for the bus wasnt lucky today I guess. After stopping at Kidani Village I was back at Jambo House I think 1.5 to 2 hours after Id left earlier!
I spent more time on the balcony watching the animals and enjoying the breeze. I dont understand how SB sits in the room watching tv & games when this is out here, but thats his choice. Frankly when hes not with me on a trip I really enjoy that the stupid tv isnt on constantly! Hes missing all the cool stuff out here in favor of reruns hes seen before.
Around 6 we went down to Mara since he wasnt in the mood for my leftover Texas Roadhouse. We got him the burger/fries and we shared a cup of the curried chicken coconut soup that's so good! He said the burger was good, too. I took some crackers, cheese and wine out to the balcony and watched all the animals come by for their dinner. Its almost a little chilly out here, lol quite a change from yesterday!
I think were in for the rest of the night. With all the animals visible from our balcony theres no point in walking over to the other viewing area. Ill cut off some of the Viking mousse later, and no doubt hell want the rest of it! Today was a nice relaxing day, and Typhoon Lagoon turned out to be a good choice for us both! Tomorrow Chris & Amanda arrive early, with plans to hang out by the pool. SB & I plan to head to Animal Kingdom briefly, then spend some time at the pool here. Tomorrow morning Ill check into the concierge level room and get our 4 resort IDs for that, too!
DAY 3 Sunday 5/26/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
SB (55), my husband
Chris (26), my son
Amanda (24 or 25), Chris girlfriend
Plan: AK, Pool, Concierge Lounge
Actual: Last night I tried some of the Viking mousse cake and was surprised when SB didnt want any! It was very good thin layer of cake (could have skipped this part, but its what the good stuff goes on) with mound of mousse, covered thin layer of ganache, with some coconut along the sides. I expected something really heavy and rich, but it was actually pretty light and delicious! I would order it again.
We were both tired, and it was lights out just before 10. Unfortunately, it was a somewhat rough night. For whatever reason, he kept making soft snoring noises, which meant I was awake and when Id nudge him or ask him to move his sleep was interrupted as well. I think I did sleep a couple hours at the end, because I was asleep when the phone alarm went off at 6. He felt like he hadnt really rested, so we decided that since he cant tell in advance when he might snore (most of the time he doesnt snore), hed go home tonight so wed both get a good nights sleep. Our main time in the lounge is 5-7, so even if he stays the entire time he could be home by 9 tonight.
I got cleaned up and dressed, then made my cappuccino and sat on the sofa doing online stuff until he woke up again around 7. We turned on the tv and hung out in the studio. Somewhere close to 7:30 I went downstairs and got Chris a key to our room, then had a bellman send me up to the concierge lounge to check in for that reservation. As expected, the room was not ready but I got all 4 of our keys and will get a text when the room IS ready. I grabbed a banana, apple, croissant and milk on my way back downstairs to the regular studio.
SB ate the banana and told me Chris & Amanda had called to say they were here. I called him and they were just coming into the lobby, so they came up to our room. They had a continental breakfast up in the concierge lounge, but I made an egg and slice of bacon for SB and repeated the process for me. We also shared the croissant. SB & I were out at the bus stop by 8, dismayed to see a huge mob at the Animal Kingdom stop. Oh well, we definitely didnt just miss the bus <g>.
Finally the bus came and we managed to get on. It was standing room only but thats fine its a short trip. A middle aged man stood up to give his seat to a girl who was too short to really reach the hand straps, and she in turn offered the seat to me. Guess I look REALLY old to a kid. I thanked her but declined Im fully capable of standing and could have chosen to wait for the next bus if I needed to sit.
We breezed right into the park since I had the sense to not bring a bag! The park had opened at 8 (normal hours not extra magic hours) and it looked like it would be another busy day. Yesterday and tomorrow they do have extra magic hours here, so that means a 7am opening for resort guests. We walked back to Harambe to the safari, and I grabbed a couple fastpasses (for 9:10) and then we joined the standby queue. It was posted as 10 minutes and we were seated in the truck in just under 10 minutes.
This safari had a couple of really cool moments. The first came on the savannah, when a giraffe walked directly in front of our truck and stopped to munch on some tree branches. The cast member said giraffe only sleep 30 minutes a day, and pretty much eat the rest of the time. When this one didnt show any signs of moving on, she notified someone so we wouldnt necessarily be sitting there 23.5 hours <g>. He ended up moving on his own, but we had a nice long visit. Then, in the white rhino area a baby wandered over onto the side of the road near the front of our truck. He was playing with a log there, but the driver was unsure of his intentions and just stopped moving. Eventually the rhinos mother came over and gave us the death stare before getting her son across the road to safety, lol!
We finished the safari at 9:12 and figured using the fastpass to do it again would be somewhat of a letdown after this last one, so we looked for a party of 2 and gave them our fastpasses. At first I couldnt find anyone to take them, but then an older couple in the long standby line were thrilled to take them off our hands! The first Lion King show wasnt until 10:30 and we didnt want to wait around that long, so we headed out of the park. We had just a short wait for a bus this time, and got back to the resort after 9:30.
We swung through the concierge lounge and got a cinnamon roll for SB. I refrained from saying theyre lousy. Back in the studio he heated it up, and then tried it and said this really isnt very good, lol! Most Disney cinnamon rolls are disappointing. We changed into our swimsuits and went down to the pool, getting there about 10. I didnt see Chris & Amanda so I called them and learned they were at Downtown Disney now.
SB & I spent about 2 hours out there. It was busy, but not overly mobbed, and not terribly noisy (for a change). There was a nice breeze, too. He spent most of his time in the water, and I did some reading. At one point he took a quick nap on his chaise lounge, then went to Mara for todays carved sandwich. It was corned beef and came with fries very tasty and large sandwich! He had trouble finishing it, so I ate a couple bites and some fries. He commented that hes been real pleased with the food here this trip. After lunch it was back into the pool for him, and I joined him at the end. He was saying hed like to stay another night, but was having trouble sleeping here this time for some reason. I wonder if thats why hes been snoring a bit. I suggested he try sleeping on the sleep sofa (putting a little distance between my ears and his mouth), and Id use ear plugs since it would only be 1 night. This has the added benefit of putting him directly under the ceiling fan, which he likes. So, well probably do that tonight and he can leave in the morning to get to work.
On our way back to the room we went through the lounge for the delicious warm cookies I love their white chocolate macadamia nut cookies! We took them down to the studio (the studio up there still wasnt ready) and started our showers him first. I sat out on the balcony for much of the afternoon it was beautiful out there! Chris & Amanda came back while I was in the shower theyd walked around Downtown Disney and had lunch at Earl of Sandwich. They changed into their swimsuits and went down to the pool to swim and get a drink at the pool bar. I told them about the 4pm culinary tour of Boma & Jiko in case they choose to do that later.
Around 2:30 I went up to the lounge to see if they could give me any update on the studio there. The guy looked me up in the computer and told me my room was ready and wrote the number on a piece of paper. Only problem its the room on the 5th floor that Ive been in since Friday, lol! I sent him back to the computer screen and he found the other reservation, but the room wasnt ready. He commented that Im dvc and said those rooms are never ready until 4pm. Thats total crap how many stays have I had here??? The answer is 16, and most of them have been on the concierge level, and the room is always ready when I arrive (by 2). Of course, I usually do online check in, so they know when Im coming, and I did not do that this time. No big deal though I returned to my beautiful balcony and did more reading.
Just before 3 I got the text that the concierge studio was ready, and went upstairs to check it out. From there I walked out to the pool and found Chris & Amanda to let them know. The pool area was mobbed I couldnt believe how busy it was! They finished drying off and then came to get their stuff out of our room and went upstairs to shower. Wed talked about doing the culinary tour so at 4 I went downstairs but they were not there. It was a big group, so its just as well.
I went back to the studio briefly and at 4:15 I went to sit in the concierge lounge with my kindle. The others would join me closer to 5pm. SB ended up going up with me since the baseball game had just ended. Chris and Amanda showed up around 4:45. Cast member Karen was working in the lounge and recognized me from previous visits so we had a nice time catching up. She was able to get a message to Jack, whos one of the managers at this resort to let him know SB was here in the lounge. SB has his contact information but of course its in Gainesville <g>.
The food tonight was not entirely to my taste but we did not go hungry. The kids table didnt have the corn dog nuggets we like, but did have the ham & cheese pinwheels and some corn cakes (think crab cakes but with corn instead of crab the guys ate them but I was not impressed). I could see further cut-backs on the adult side, with smaller quantities of cheese provided (which meant they had to replenish more often), and initially there was only one hot food. The second eventually arrived, so I guess rather than a cut-back they were just running behind. They had what was called lamb tandoori with goat cheese and tips with brik. The lamb was RARE I could almost hear it calling for Mary. I also saw no goat cheese, but did see a mango type sauce on top. I didnt care for it. SB, who swears he can NOT eat lamb, ate it up <g>. Around 10pm I asked him if he knew what that meat was, and when I told him it was lamb he said no way, lol!
The second item was a triangular filo-dough thing filled with nasty looking green stuff that SB loved but I didnt care for. I recognized slimy spinach, and possibly almonds. I was expecting tips to be sirloin tipssilly me. I guess tips referred to the shape of the food, but I have no idea what brik means. I stuck with the 3-color cheddar cheese and the crispy things, which are a meal for me along with the Indaba chardonnay.
All 4 of us had plenty to eat & drink, and had a nice time together. Manager Jack came by when he got the message, and spent quite a bit of time with us. Hes a huge baseball fan and had actually met SB in the 80s when SB was an Oriole and Jack was a fan. Jack remembered, but SB of course didnt, have met and signed autographs for so many people. He still gets baseball cards in the mail with requests for autographs I brought a Publix bag full from our address in Ft Myers, and wed only been away for 2 months. SB had brought Jack a MLB baseball autographed by a future hall of famer (Joe Mauer), and Jack was thrilled although he said he was hoping for one of SBs signed baseballs. He has several in his trunk but we dont have any sharpies with us, so we can bring him one next time.
After the evening food SB went back to our room to watch 60 Minutes, leaving just Chris, Amanda & me. We stayed there until almost 9. When the desserts came out I was running a couple Tusker beers down to our room for SB to drink when we grill out, so Chris got me a plate of desserts. Tonight they had some type of cheesecake (good), a chocolate tart (eh), brownies (ok), rice krispie treats and cookies. Later they brought out chocolate covered strawberries and I brought 4 back to the table and took one down to SB with the rest of the stuff I didnt eat.
Chris & Amanda were going over to Bay Lake Tower to watch Wishes fireworks at 10, and Id given them SBs key to their room since it said DVC on there. Their keys did not say that, and he learned from the concierge person that they were on the reservation as non-member guests, so shed written them a note to get them into the Top of the World Lounge. With SBs key saying dvc though, they probably wont need the note. If I had listed them when I made the reservation online they wouldnt have been flagged as non-members, but I added them after I was here and the person didnt ask. I probably wont see them tomorrow, as by the time they get up for breakfast I might already be at Typhoon Lagoon then theyll be headed out for home by the time I return. But, Ill see them next month for the next major step in the dental saga. Also, if SB cant get time off from work to do our cruise with Pete & Judy in January, Chris says hell come he has no problem cruising with his mom/drinking buddy <g>.
I returned to the studio with SBs plate of desserts, and SB wanted to eat them at home tomorrow. I had the container the cupcake had been in, so I was able to get everything in there with room to spare. He was quite comfortable in bed and said hed decided to sleep there, but I convinced him to move over to the sleep sofa. I opened it up and at his request moved the bedspread over there, taking the spare blanket for myself. He was asleep pretty quickly, and since I could hear some snoring I know I made the right choice in talking him over there!! When I turn in Ill put in the ear plugs and should be fine (hopefully).
Today was another very nice day I just love days like this, and I love being here where its so special and beautiful, surrounded by people who are important to me. Without dvc wed never be spending time with Chris & Amanda in the concierge lounge of a Disney resort! The weather turned out to be very nice, we had a great safari, enjoyed nice pool time, and I loved my time on the balcony while SB watched his ballgame. Tonight was also fabuloussuch a nice way to spend time with Chris & Amanda. Tomorrow SB returns to Gainesville early since he has to work at 11 (he reports earlier than scheduled) and Ill probably head to Typhoon Lagoon and then spend one last evening (solo) in the concierge lounge. I cant wait to return for a longer trip on the concierge level Labor Day weekend! This is definitely the life!!
DAY 4 Monday 5/27/13
Who: Sue (54), DVC member
Plan: Water Park, Concierge Lounge
Actual: We both slept much better last night. I was awake just after 6 and got up to take a picture of the sunrise. SB was awake too and got up to take his shower and finish packing up. I sent him home with some of the stuff Id brought with me, to lighten my load (mostly his clothes and the cooler. He called later, having missed the exit for the Turnpike and it was a bit frustrating trying to figure out where he was and how far he had to backtrack but eventually we figured it out. He made it home without further problem, lol!
I went to the lounge and got a croissant and cup of ice water, then returned to my studio. Breakfast was the last egg and slice of bacon, along with the croissant and my cappuccino. A little before 8:30 I put on my swimsuit and drove over to Typhoon Lagoon, stopping first to fill up the gas tank at the Hess station across from Pleasure Island. They were force-parking cars in the Typhoon Lagoon lot again today, but this time I lucked into a shady spot! I had no wait to enter the park, thanks to the rfid technology, and had a brief wait for them to drop the rope at 9.
I quickly walked over to try to claim the spot I like, and saw another guy doing the same. But, he was carrying a stroller and had chosen the path with a longer stretch of soft sand so I beat him pretty easily <g>. The other day I was on the losing end, so you win some, you lose some <g>. After setting up my area I took a quick walk around the park and went into the edge of the wave pool for a short while before returning to do some reading. When the smaller bobbing waves started at 10:30 I went back in and enjoyed cooling off in the waves.
I ended up staying until almost noon, and headed out. Chris had called to see if I wanted to have lunch with him & Amanda but I knew Id need to shower & change, which would take too much time plus I have half the Texas Roadhouse lunch in the fridge still. A Disney friend called to report that Prince Charles would be eating at Yachtsman Steakhouse tonight (in case I might happen to be in the area and want to try to catch a glimpse of him) I only mention it because by the time I post this he will have surely come and gone by then, so no security breach on my part! In any event, I wont be in that area tonight, but might have loitered around if I was staying at Beach Club Villas and wasnt doing anything else.
Back at the resort Jim from the concierge lounge was outside waiting to greet guests. Hes an older gentleman, and extremely nice/helpful great customer service. Last night I went to get ice for my wine and the bucket was empty except for 1 small cube. It was during a very busy time. He saw me walking to our table with my piece of ice and asked if I needed anything, and I told him the ice bucket was empty. He took it upon himself to immediately go inside the back room and then bring me a big cup full of ice, before taking the bucket and filling it. Its little things like that which set a really good cast member apart from the run-of-the-mill people.
I swung through the lounge, picking up a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie, then went down to the studio. I was pleased to see the trash & towel service had already been done! I updated the report, ate the rest of the baked potato from Texas Roadhouse, and then took my shower & got dressed. I then downloaded the photos and took the laptop out onto the balcony to read cruise message boards while the photos uploaded to Shutterfly. It was another beautiful afternoon out there with a really nice breeze me sitting on my balcony and one of the giraffe sitting in his favorite spot under a tree. He gets up to eat, but spends a lot of time sitting down on the ground when hes not eating.
Around 3:30 I was getting hungry so I went up to the lounge for a scone. I really do like the old ones much better than the ones they serve now oh well. I walked around the resort a bit, and at 4:15 headed up to the concierge lounge with my kindle. Manager Jack stopped by to see if in fact SB had really left today. I broke the bad news that he had, and Jack was crushed, lol! He reminded me to let him know next time we (SB) would be back, and chopped liver Sue said we would <g>.
The food tonight was more interesting than last night, and the lounge was less busy. The kids table still didnt have the corn dog nuggets, so those will probably appear tomorrow night when Im home. They had seafood beignets, which Id never seen before and did not try. They also had falafel with a cucumber slice and some sauce. I dont know what falafel is but I tried one and wasnt really impressed. They also had a salad with strawberry, almonds, goat cheese and balsamic vinegar. That was a nice addition never saw that before either!
I stayed in the lounge until about 7:30, when I ran back to the studio for a quick restroom break and to update the trip report before returning to the lounge. One of the desserts tonight is the chocolate pate with raspberry sauce and I was NOT going to miss that!! I was back in the lounge by 7:45 and at 8 they brought out the usual cookies, brownies & rice krispie treats and also fruit tarts, coconut mousse or trifle, and the beloved chocolate pate with raspberry sauce. Those are SO good!!!! I like the fruit tarts too, but theyre a very distant second to the chocolate pate (basically a flourless dark chocolate square sitting on raspberry sauce with a fresh raspberry on top).
After dessert I returned to the studio, and made a cup of cappuccino to take out onto the balcony with the leftover Viking mousse since it was still light outside and several animals were out there. The sitting giraffe was in a new spot, but still sitting <g>. Hed spent a few hours on his feet eating, so I guess it was time for a rest!
Today was another thoroughly delightful day, and I cant believe how great the weather has been this trip (except for Friday). Its normally hotter and much more humid, so having low humidity and nice breezes has been an unexpected treat! This whole trip has been wonderful, even though we really didnt spend much time in the parks. For me the parks are almost more of a negative than a positive, and I much prefer these resort trips. Im looking forward to Food & Wine Festival, but until then I really dont need or care for the parks at all. Im glad SB was able to be here for part of the trip, and that Chris & Amanda drove up to use the 2nd room. It was nice having our evening together in the concierge lounge! I also really enjoyed Typhoon Lagoon, and Im glad SB liked it as well!
The photos are on shutterfly at:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...ZNGTdm2bMWjGZA
My next trip is a short 3-night stay over 4th of July at Villas at Wilderness Lodge. I tried for Bay Lake Tower, but at 7 months all 3 nights were not available, so I settled on VWL since my only point to the trip was to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks on July 3rd or 4th (from outside the park). With the premium annual pass, perhaps Ill spend a morning at Typhoon Lagoon although frankly the idea of visiting WDW in July (or June, August or Sept) gives me spasms because its miserable then. I talked to SB about it today since if he wanted to come along Id drop the 3rd night so it would fit into his scheduled days off, but he said to go without him. I have about a week to make any changes, and after that Im locked in. After that trip theres nothing until the nice long Labor Day weekend (6 nights) back here at Jambo House on the concierge level! I booked another studio for Chris & Amanda for a couple of the nights, and hopefully SB can join me on his days off so manager Jack isnt disappointed <g>.
Tomorrow morning I plan to be on the road by 5, so I can have breakfast at home & dress for work. At least itll be a 4-day work week!
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Sue Holland Rayford, Jambo House, May 24-27, 2013
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