Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (55), DVC Member
SB (56), my husband
Chris (27), my son
Amanda (25), future daughter-in-law
Dates: April 2 - 7, 2014
Resort: Disneys Beach Club Villas Resort
Experience: Very Experienced 30th stay at this resort
INTRODUCTION:
This is one of my favorite trips of the year (besides the main Food & Wine Festival trip), and this will bring me to 150 nights at Beach Club Villas. You simply cannot beat this resort when it comes to easy access to Epcot, which is why its so popular during Flower & Garden, Food & Wine, and the Nov/Dec holiday season. Im so thankful I had the sense to add dvc points here (twice) when the resort started selling, as its nearly impossible to get for Food & Wine or December unless you own here, and the prices to add points on the resale market are outrageous. So far its still been possible to get at 7 months for Flower & Garden, so at 7 months I rebooked this stay using OKW points. I very rarely stay at OKW, and consider it a significantly inferior resort (for my trips) due mainly to the terrible location of the connecting door. On too many trips my neighbors sounded like they were standing in my studio as they talked, laughed, coughed or yelled at their kids. Plus, when Epcot is my focus I want to enter through International Gateway (walking in) rather than dealing with the horrors of the main entrance and Disney buses.
Ill be here for 5 nights, but others will come and go during that time. SB will drive down after he gets off work at 3:30 on Wednesday 4/2 and can stay until whenever he decides to leave on Friday (to be back to work on Saturday). I booked another studio for Chris & Amanda for Friday & Saturday night, and noted on their reservation that theyre celebrating their engagement (they got engaged on their HAL cruise in early December but this is their first trip back to wdw). Im looking forward to seeing a couple old (in terms of length of friendship, not age) friends during this trip Lori for breakfast, and Linda for wine & conversation.
This is the last trip that my Premium Annual Pass will be good, so some time at Typhoon Lagoon should be a priority. Whether I actually make the effort to go over there, vs just using the beach behind Beach Club remains to be seen. The pass renewal will be a FL Resident Seasonal Pass, but I can always add a separate water park annual pass for around $100 if we (or I) will be returning to Typhoon Lagoon enough to make it worth the cost. When Chris was growing up we always did the Premium Annual Pass, but that was mainly for Comedy Warehouse for me and DisneyQuest for him. Now that theres no Comedy Warehouse the Premium Annual Pass really doesnt make sense we only have them now because DVC offered a special $399 price one time!
Im planning to buy Tables in Wonderland, although honestly it may be a foolish move (financially). Its now $100 and as a dvc member we get 10% off at many restaurants (not including alcohol) so its getting really hard to save enough to offset that $100 cost. The last year we had Tables in Wonderland we saved just over $95 and I counted the entire 20% without deducting any 10% we would have received for being dvc or passholders. But, in a purely emotional rationale, I would miss seeing that 20% reduction on the check, even though paying $100 for it might make no sense! In the end, Im sure Ill buy it and use $100 of reward dollars from my Disney visa to pay for it as if that was free money somehow <g>. Once I do, that means I need to purposely overspend on meals to get my moneys worth <g>.
The weather this trip looks to be warmer than Id like, which is disappointing. Early April is supposed to be nice, and there are several days forecast to be 87 degrees. Thats way too hot! My only hope is that the humidity should still be lower than it will be by May, so hopefully it wont be too bad. I got to sample some of the food kiosk choices last month, so thats not a huge priority this trip. That said, I think SB might like the shrimp & grits and Id like the watermelon salad (from the same stand) again. The concert performer this weekend is Paul Revere & the Raiders, who acts kind of crazy but its fun and the music is good.
The plans so far are:
Wednesday 4/2: Drive to WDW, SB arrives later, Hollywood Studios, 50s Prime Time Cafe
Thursday 4/3: Epcot, Breakfast w/Lori, possible pool or beach, Beaches & Cream
Friday 4/4: Magic Kingdom, Trails End, Linda, Epcot
Saturday 4/5: Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Hollywood Studios
Sunday 4/6: Typhoon Lagoon, Epcot
Monday 4/7: Drive to work in Gainesville
DAY 1 Wednesday 4/2/14
Who: Sue (55), DVC Member
SB (56), my husband
Plan: Drive to WDW, SB arrives later, Hollywood Studios, 50s Prime Time Cafe
Actual: Today was partly a great day, and partly a stressful day. Work passed quickly, since Id scheduled a team meeting from 9-11 and that just left me with an hour on either side for whatever else came up. I dashed out of there at noon, and was on the road by 12:15. The drive was uneventful, and I arrived at Beach Club Villas by 2:15. During the day now they have cast members stationed in the Villas lobby, so there was no need to go to the front desk. Id done the online check-in (cant imagine any reason not to do that) so I only had to pick up my packet. My room was ready, since Id indicated my arrival might be as early as 1:30.
When I got to the room a housekeeping supervisor was about to enter my room, and I told her it was my room. She seemed surprised, and asked me to wait. She went inside, and I stood in the hall like an idiot. In hindsight, I should have refused, since it was given to me as MY ready room. I wanted to be sure my magic band worked, so I didnt want to enter with her. She came back out & said it was ok very strange to ask a guest to wait in the hall like that. I let the door close and then used my magic band to open it so I knew it worked. Id also brought an older band from home and tried that next it also worked. So, it makes sense that all magic bands will have everything on my account unless I deactivate them through the website.
My studio is great met all my requests perfectly, and its close to the main elevators so SB will be happy. I unpacked & got settled while watching the last half of General Hospital, struggling a bit with the lack of available electrical outlets for my side of the bed. Once he leaves Ill use the one on his side, but for now I had to use the outlet behind the sleep sofa, and it just barely reached even with the power strip Id brought from home.
Id had a few bothersome emails from work on the way down, and Id forwarded each one to someone else since it was an issue outside of my division. Just as I was getting ready to head out more started coming in, so I called Michael there and he filled me in on what was going on but hell handle it & leave me to enjoy my vacation. I left the studio and walked over to International Gateway, where one set of ticket booths had no line. I went up to one of the windows and said I wanted to buy Tables in Wonderland. The cast member told me that was the other set of windows. Really????? Theres no signage saying that, so how would guests know?
I mentioned renewing my pass and she did say she could do that. But, I was apprehensive because I didnt want to risk my park access getting messed up because I was moving from a premium annual pass to a FL resident seasonal. My pass expires after this trip ends, and I was afraid by renewing now I might have trouble getting into Typhoon Lagoon if I head over there before the trip ends. She assured me that wouldnt happen, and I was leery but when she said my new pass would be a separate card, with a different number, then I was reassured. I went ahead and renewed at the FL Resident Seasonal renewal rate ($286 and change), using Disney gift cards Id bought at Target at 5% off with my Red (Target) Card.
Once that was done I went to the other set of windows and purchased Tables in Wonderland, regardless of whether it makes sense <g>. From there I saw the boat was finishing unloading, and since it was pretty hot in the sun I decided to ride over to Hollywood Studios. The line was long and I was near the very end, so I was very surprised to be able to get a seat outside! Why on earth would people go sit inside when the outside seating is so much nicer?? It was a nice enough ride, and at the Studios I was happy to see almost no line at the bag check and no lines at all at the entrances.
The park didnt seem very crowded, either especially after seeing how crowded Epcot was during my last trip! I was in my 4-5 window for Star Tours, so I walked over there and called SB to see how far along he was. To my astonishment, he was barely 10 miles from home!! Hed gotten off work and taken a shower, got changed, and thus wasted about 30 minutes!! This is despite knowing we have a tight timeframe for the Toy Story fastpass (5-6) and being 2 hours away! Ugh. I used my Star Tours fastpass and enjoyed that had the snow scene and then underwater, which is the version I like best.
Afterwards I texted with a friend, then wandered around a bit. I knew I had quite a bit of time to kill and I wish I had my computer to update the report or my kindle to continue the book Id started. I thought about doing the Backlot Express but changed my mind, instead going over to the outside seating area at the Brown Derby. They have a tapas menu and a bar, and it wasnt full so I grabbed a table by the railing. I had a glass of Riesling but skipped the food. Frankly none of the food choices really appeal to me, but their choice of 3 mini desserts looked really great on the menu. I wasnt about to have dessert now though, and even though theyre small I dont need 3 for myself. I sipped my wine and played games on my phone. I have a Kindle app but when I was able to pull up my account I couldnt remember the name of the book Id been reading so I abandoned that idea.
Id talked with SB a few times, and it was not looking at all likely that hed be here by 6. I walked over to Toy Story to ask what the grace period was and was told maybe 10 or 15 minutes. By 6 SB was in the Studios parking lot, and I was talking him in on the phone. I couldnt believe he wasnt sure where to find Toy Story! He arrived around 6:10 and our magic bands worked whew!!
We enjoyed the attraction, and once again I wiped the floor with him hes yet to beat me at this and neither of us can figure out why, lol! I scored 138k and he was around 78K, so a pretty good margin. After Toy Story we went to 50s Prime Time Caf, where we were 15 minutes early for our 6:45 reservation. We checked in, and were called to be seated about 20 minutes later.
The room we were in had a table with a LOUD screeching toddler, some well-behaved kids, and 3 clueless adults who did absolutely nothing to calm, quiet or pay attention to the girl. Its not her fault shes never been taught how to act in public. The people at the table next to us were besides themselves as well, and commented how they couldnt believe how awful the noise was. When the party finally left we all felt like applauding!
For dinner, SB had the iceberg lettuce wedge salad ($5.99), which he really enjoyed (I thought it was just ok). He also had the fried chicken, which he always loves but its hard choking down the $18.99 price for such small chicken pieces when he gets larger half chickens for $10.99 or $11.99 in Gainesville (with the salad included). He had water to drink. I had a glass of pinot grigio ($9) and the breaded herb garlic cheese ($8.49), which comes with some crispy bread slices, a few apple slices and some grapes all on raspberry puree. I really like this its good but different, and I can only get it here. After Tables in Wonderland dinner was just under $44.
By now we were in our window for Great Movie Ride, but neither of us felt like riding it, so we left the park and began the next adventure. The tram was waiting, so we hopped on board and hoped that SB could at least remember what section hed parked in. He was in such a rush arriving he didnt pay attention (sigh). He managed to get the section right, but not the row. We walked around quite a while, up this row, down that row, splitting up to cover 2 rows, etc. Finally the car was spotted by ME of course. I yelled to him I couldnt call him because my phone was having a problem, saying I needed to insert a SIM card so I couldnt make any calls (plus his phone was in my bag so I would have only called myself, lol). Luckily he heard me and we got in the car and drove across to Beach Club.
Once we got back to the room the laptop was dead. When I plugged it into the power strip I hadnt made sure the power strip was turned ON, so the laptop battery had eventually died, lol! I turned the power strip on and turned the computer back on, then went down to Beach Club Marketplace to see if they had any sweets! I came back empty handed pretty much nothing looked good enough to be worth the calories and the wait to check out.
Finally I managed to get the phone case off, opened up the phone, removed & replaced the sim card and battery, and finally the phone was working. At that point I got started on todays report. I HATE being so behind this arriving and being busy until evening is just too hard on this old broad, lol! Hopefully I can check some email before we turn out the lights, but thats not looking very good at this point its just getting too late.
So, today had several frustrating moments but overall everything turned out ok, and its great being here. I love this resort, this room, and this time of year. I could honestly do without the parks when its so nice outside, and if this was a solo trip I would be very happy just relaxing around the resort, and then heading out for an early evening. But alas, SB deserves his WDW time too, and so do Chris & Amanda so Ill try to balance it out these next 4 days but doing some parks but also some relaxing resort time.
Tomorrow were headed to Epcot for the morning, meeting up with my friend Lori for breakfast at Seasons. Hopefully Ill have some pool time in the afternoon, and then we have Beaches & Cream for dinner.
DAY 2 Thursday 4/3/14
Who: Sue (55), DVC Member
SB (56), my husband
Plan: Epcot, Breakfast w/Lori, possible pool or beach, Beaches & Cream
Actual: Id like to say we slept great, but the truth is we were both awake most of the night for some reason. We didnt realize it until morning though, since we were both trying not to disturb the other, lol! I got up with the alarm at 5:45 and thats when SB spoke up saying he didnt get any sleep at all. I dressed and went out for a run/walk, going to the bridge down near Hollywood Studios and then coming back around the Boardwalk resort. Its so beautiful in this area, and no matter how often I stay here I remain awed by just how breathtaking it is in the early morning hours and how happy I am to be able to stay here. There were several other joggers out this morning, and a mother duck with a dozen tiny little ducklings scurrying around her.
Once I got back I took my shower, made my cappuccino, and he was awake and online by then. He talked about wanting to just stay at the resort, but come on we have 3 fastpassess for 1 park, and theyre this morning. Were still going to Epcot, but well take it slow since his knee is bothering him (maybe stiffening up overnight well see). Every once in a while hed get up and make moaning noises as hed hobble across the room but since he was also trying to sneakily watch for my reaction I knew it was mostly a show <g>. We hung out online and then he took his shower. We left the room around 8:40 and walked over to International Gateway. The line had formed, and it was just a minute before 8:45 so it was possible they might open it in a minute, but they actually opened it later (maybe 5 minutes before 9). We got through quickly enough, and walked over to the Land.
Lori was waiting for us outside the Circle of Life, having come in via the miserable front entrance. She said shed be avoiding rope drop from this point forward when having to use that entrance people were just ridiculous. We went downstairs to Seasons and got breakfast bagel for Lori, adult breakfast platter for SB, croissant berry bread pudding for me. We spent a half-hour or so visiting, then Lori left for Magic Kingdom and SB & I walked right onto Living with the Land. We had fastpasses for 9-10 but didnt use them since we literally walked right onto the boat and had our choice of seats.
This is always a nice relaxing ride, and once we got off we had about 10 minutes to wait for our Soarin window so we went upstairs to check out the Circle of Life. Wed just missed that, but decided to sit and wait for the next one, then exited on the ground floor and walked over to Soarin. The standby wait was 80 minutes within 30 minutes of the park opening, and the line was pretty long! We bypassed all that thanks to fastpass+ and were in the loading area in no time. We were seated in the back (lower) but towards the center of the theater so it wasnt bad.
After Soarin we had about 10 minutes before our Spaceship Earth fastpass window, but SB didnt want to bother with that. So, we headed to World Showcase instead. We decided to make a complete loop so we started with the Canada side. We checked out the menus at each kiosk, even though I was reading them to SB from the passport, lol! I guess seeing it on a menu board is different than hearing the words.
Our first stop was America, where SB got the brisket with collard greens and cornbread. We might have been the first customers of the day! We went over to a picnic table in the shade and as he went to sit down he lost his balance and started falling. He had his priorities right save the food from falling, but he couldnt save the food AND himself. He went down, seemingly in slow motion, and ended up laying prone face down on the ground. The cornbread fell on the ground, collard greens spilled on the table, but I did ask check on SB instead of cleaning up the mess <g>. He wasnt hurt, thankfully and within minutes we had 4 cast members running over from the bbq booth. He didnt need or want medical attention, so I asked if we could have the food replaced and they brought us a new one while we cleaned up the mess. They actually came back with a new brisket but also wet towels to clean the table, so they didnt leave the mess to us we just saw no reason to stand there doing nothing when our collard greens were spilled on the table.
With the new food SB decided hed better avoid picnic tables, so we sat on a wall without further incident. I wasnt going to mention his fall, but as we were talking & laughing about it he said I needed to include it unfortunately I didnt think to take a picture of him laying on the ground. Many funny captions ran through our minds, lol! He LOVED the brisket, and said the collard greens were also excellent. I thought the brisket was a bit salty, but it wasnt bad. I just had a couple bites.
Our next stop was the Florida Fresh stand, where he got a bottle of water and the shrimp & grits. I got a glass of the white wine and the watermelon salad. Everything was excellent and my salad was pretty big (container was full). He loved the shrimp and grits, and also liked the bite he had of my salad. We stood at a tall table in the shade, and it was delightful out there. I said I hope we can have some weather like this at Food & Wine this year!
We finished our circuit without getting any other food, and exited the park as we came back around International Gateway. We went back to the resort, where he decided to relax in the room and I changed into a swimsuit and hit the beach! The chaise lounges were all down at the end near Stormalong Bays slide, but I dragged a couple partway down the beach. There was a nice breeze most of the time, from 12:15 until close to 1:30. Hardly anyone else was on the beach, but as people came & went they were generally quiet & spread out from each other. That was until a man and his teen son came to toss a football, and decided the head of my chair was as good a place as any to do that. Never mind that the other HUGE stretch of beach on the other side was complete unoccupied its best to throw a football over dozens of chaise lounges and close to people. It wasnt long before the football bounced off my chair, and the guy said sorry but didnt move away. I resolved the situation by dragging my 2 chairs further down the beach, giving them more room.
By 1:30 when the breeze died it felt pretty hot so it was time to go inside. I stopped at Beach Club Marketplace to see if SB wanted anything, and got him a bag of chips and cup of clam chowder. For myself I got one of the big coconut bars. I was back in the room just before 2, which is just in time for General Hospital. SB loved the clam chowder, as he does every time he has it here <g>. I cut a third of my coconut bar, and that was very good too.
He had the Twins game on his laptop and we put General Hospital on tv. I was able to update the report, which makes it so much easier at the end of the day when Im writing an entire days worth of report! I decided to check My Disney Experience to see about changing our unused fastpasses for Living with the Land and Spaceship Earth. I was able to adjust the times but there really wasnt anything of interest to swap them for.
SB was watching sports on the tv and computer, so I went out to the balcony with my kindle. It was gorgeous out there! I poured a small glass of wine and spent the next 45 minutes out there, until it was time to walk down to Beaches & Cream for our 5pm reservation. We arrived just before 5 and were called to be seated at 5:01. This is a tiny little place, and now that they take ADRs (a mistake in my opinion) its probably not possible to get in without one. I think the seating at the counter is left for walk-ups today there was 1 empty seat there.
Many people ate dinner and then also had sundaes or other huge ice creams I dont understand how (or why) they do it! For me its definitely an either/or thing, and even then Im not eating a sundae by myself! We stuck with dinner, and were full when we finished that. We both had ice water to drink. SB ordered the cheeseburger and I got the hotdog then we shared with each other. It was all good, and around $22-23 after Tables in Wonderland.
After dinner we stopped back at the room, where hed decided to stay in and watch tv tonight. Hopefully hell sleep better tonight. Im not as WEAK as he is, so if I dont sleep again it doesnt really matter women are tougher than men! I tried altering the fastpasses but not much was available. I ended up with Spaceship Earth at 5:50 and Nemo at 6:50. I left the studio at 6 and walked over to enter Epcot through the International Gateway.
It wasnt crowded at the entry at all, and once inside I was pleased to see that Epcot was far less busy than it was last month. Perhaps itll be awful this weekend, but right now its not bad. I meandered through UK and Canada, pausing before the road to Future World to have a photo op with the flowers, monorail & Spaceship Earth in the same shot. Once that was done I continued walking towards Future World, and at the kiosk near the DVC booth I spotted some new Croc flipflops. These were much cuter than the last new ones, with a bright pink foot bed, black bottom, and black non-rubber straps. The straps have subtle mickey heads imbedded in the material, and theres one silver mickey head (on the strap) on each shoe. Theyre cuter than either pair I have (the total rubber style) and the foot bed feels like its the same soft squishy material. I decided to see if they were in Mouse Gear later, since I have a 20% off coupon from breakfast this morning.
As I approached Spaceship Earth I sent Amanda a photo of the topiaries there she & Chris are excited to be arriving tomorrow. At Spaceship Earth there was no wait at all, so I didnt bother using my fastpass. I literally walked right onto the ride, and although Id told Lori this morning that I always have my own seat but not my own car, tonight I had my own car (make a liar out of me, Disney <g>).
Next I walked over to The Seas w/Nemo, where my other fastpass window had just opened. The standby wait was only 10 minutes but I used the fastpass to make my wait barely a couple minutes. It cut out some of the queue, so even though it wasnt busy I didnt spend as much time walking through the waiting area. After that I swung through Mouse Gear and found a very small supply of the pretty flipflops, nearly falling over when I saw theyre $49.95!!!!!! I guess now I know where the name (Croc) came from, and its not from crocodile <g>!
I went over to Test Track to see how the single rider line looked and it wasnt too bad. I walked through most of the inside queue before having to wait, but not long after that the ride went down. After getting the technical difficulties and your wait will be longer than expected I finally bailed out of the line and went out to World Showcase. Im not sure when it finally came back up, because even when Id gotten to Mexico I still couldnt hear any cars going around.
World Showcase was somewhat busy, but nothing like it was last trip! Then I could barely move at times. Tonight it was very easy getting around, and I could have had my choice of food/drinks to buy without a wait, and a bench or table to enjoy them at but tonight I didnt want anything. I enjoyed a nice walk, then exited at International Gateway and headed back to the resort. I got in just before 8pm, and we were both shocked by how quickly time passes here. SB was watching a movie or sports on tv (bet that surprises everyone, lol).
Hes hoping he can sleep better tonight, and decided the sleep sofa might be more comfortable because its lower to the ground (makes no sense to me either). I pulled it out for him, and he laid down on it to watch a movie on his computer (with headphones). He says it feels much better to him than the bed. He asked if I wanted to sleep there with him, but given the choice of a nice Disney bed or a sleep sofa I think Ill stay right where I am <g>.
I made a small cup of cappuccino and worked on the trip report, finishing up before 9. Hopefully Ill turn in fairly early too. His movie will probably be over by 10, so thats a good time for both of us to put away the computers and turn off the lights. Oh, I told him about the flipflops and he wants to buy them for me since Im so wonderful (his words, not mine). Our 20% coupon is good at the Emporium too, so well check there on our way out of the Magic Kingdom tomorrow morning.
Today was a near perfect day except for the fact that it feels like it sped by in a blur! It was nice seeing Lori again, our time in Epcot was beautiful, SBs dive to the ground provided comic relief (and thank goodness no injury not even a scrape or bruise), the beach was great, Beaches & Cream was delicious, and weve been very comfortable here at the resort. Boy, no wonder the day seemed to go by so quickly we did more than I thought!
Tomorrow its Magic Kingdom for the morning, followed by lunch at Trails End. Later in the afternoon Ill be meeting Linda (from radp) for a glass of wine, then at night its Paul Revere & the Raiders in concert and the arrival of Chris & Amanda another busy day!
DAY 3 Friday 4/4/14
Who: Sue (55), DVC Member
SB (56), my husband
Chris (27), my son
Amanda (25), future daughter-in-law
Plan: Magic Kingdom, Trails End, Linda, Epcot
Actual: We ended up turning in just after 10 last night, with SB having to wake up to shut down the movie he was watching (I couldnt figure it out). I was still awake off and on, but got more sleep than the night before. He slept like a baby, lol said it was much more comfortable on the sleep sofa. I could tell he was awake by 5:30 so I let him know I was awake too, and we started the day. Id set the alarm for 6:30 since I wasnt planning to go for a run this morning. I showered and then made us breakfast. He asked if I wanted to go out to breakfast, but being a planner Id already brought exactly the amount of food wed be needing. He had a hard boiled egg (boiled at home) and a couple sausage, and I had my cappuccino, single egg and slice of bacon. Everything was just right. I loved having the time to just relax and not rush, too.
We were out the door about 8:15, which was a little bit earlier than planned. People were waiting at the bus stop, which I took as a good sign that the bus would be there momentarily. It ended up being almost 8:40 before we got on a bus! When it finally came, almost all the seats were already taken from the Yacht Club stop, and we had a huge crowd at our bus stop. People pretty much respected the order in which we all arrived, so we got on early enough to get 2 of the last few seats. Im pretty sure we left people at the bus stop, when we ran out of standing room in the aisle. Thankfully it was a fairly quick ride, with no cranky children or smelly adults!
We got to the Magic Kingdom right at 9am and it looked mobbed! I then realized theyd just started letting people into the park, so they were still clearing out the backlog. A ferry unloaded a huge crowd just as we came to that area, so I was very glad Id had the sense to NOT bring a bag today. They had both bag check areas open, but both were mobbed. The lines at the entry were extended all the way back to the bag check area, but once again use a little common sense and walk over to the furthest lines and theyll almost always be half the size of the first lines you see. We did this, and I selected the line that looked like it would move the fastest (mostly single file, no hordes of kids, guy pushing his wife in a big wheelchair that took up the space of a couple people but would enter quickly) and we were in the park in no time. SB was amazed, lol! Our line was moving constantly and the lines on either side of us were barely creeping along.
Once we got inside the park it didnt feel as crowded, especially the further into the park we went. We walked through Emporium looking for the Crocs and found them at the very far end, down by Caseys. They didnt have many but most of them were my size so we werent worried about coming back later. Since SB doesnt like to walk more than he has to, we started in Adventureland and made a circuit of the park.
He was interested in Jungle Cruise so we stopped there first, with a 5-minute standby wait posted. Wed no sooner gotten into the queue when they were calling for a party of 2 and we were the only ones so we got pulled right onto a waiting boat as the final 2 guests! The driver/guide was a young guy named Clint and he did an excellent job SB really enjoyed the jokes. He also really likes Hoop Dee Doo Revue, so this is no surprise <g>.
From there we walked right onto Pirates of the Caribbean, into a boat that wasnt even full. This time I was near the back, so I didnt get wet on the hill. SB had talked about doing Splash Mountain, and we had time for him to do that but he decided he didnt want to get all wet. It was 9:30 so we used our 9-10 fastpass for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad instead, enjoying that much better! The standby wait was only 10 minutes, but we had no reason to try to save our fastpass since he didnt want to ride it twice.
Hed also mentioned the Riverboat, but he didnt care to ride it, so we walked over to Fantasyland and waited 5 minutes for our window at Peter Pan. Its amazing how long and slow this line gets I will not do it without a fastpass! We had a little bit of a wait, but it wasnt bad. Its a cute ride, and one of those old classics. After Peter Pan it was 10:15 so we walked over to Tomorrowland and rode the People Mover. I always enjoy this, and he likes it too. So far the weather has been perfect, with a nice breeze to keep it from feeling too warm. There was no wait for People Mover, although we could see the park in general getting much busier. There was a long line outside Buzz Lightyear!
After People Mover we walked the path over to the new Fantasyland and since the train was in the station and we had about 25 minutes to kill we hopped on the train and had a nice ride all the way around the park. We got back just a few minutes before our magic bands should work for our Little Mermaid fastpasses, but as we got there the cast members were putting up ropes and saying it was closed. Dang this was SBs only new attraction, so I was bummed it closed right before we got there! I also knew not to waste time hoping it would open soon, so hell get to ride it in November. Im sure Pete & Judy will want to return to Trails End for lunch one day, so we can do a MK morning and then ride over there for lunch.
We walked back to Main Street, stopping in the Emporium to buy my cute new flip flops! I have 3 pairs now first, middle and new. The first pair are so worn down Ive almost lost parts of the sole. The bumps in the foot bed are so worn down it felt really strange to have these new ones one! The middle pair are somewhere in between but closer to the
new stage. With the 20% coupon these cost exactly what the first pair cost and I remember thinking then that I must have rocks for brains to spend $42 (with tax) on a pair of flip flops! I still think that. The cast member asked if I wanted to wear them, so when I said yes she cut the tags off for me, and I put the old ones in the bag.
There was some noisy thing going on out on Main Street and it was mobbed everywhere by now, so we walked through the Emporium to exit the area. There were still huge crowds at the bag checks and entry areas, so we were happy to be leaving. I didnt realize it until I got back to the resort, but My Disney Experience sent me an email apologizing for Mermaid going down, telling me we can do fastpass at most of the other attractions any time from 11am through park closing. Thats nice although we wouldnt be around and werent interested in any more time in the park.
We went to the boat dock and soon the small boat (green flag) came to take us over to Ft Wilderness. It was a pleasant ride, and perfect day to be out on a boat! We got to Trails End around 11:40 for our 12:05 reservation, and were seated immediately. We asked about our waiter from last time (Donnell) and were moved into his section. When he came over he recognized us (by sight, not name) and were pleased wed asked for him.
I had a glass of wine, and SB stuck with water. He started with the chicken & dumpling soup, and we decided to share the angus bacon cheeseburger. We knew it was too much for him, especially with the soup, so we shared it instead of wasting some of it with me ordering a separate item. Donnell brought out the soup, but with some of it in a small cup for me saying he has a wife, so he knows to do that, lol! He also had them split the burger in the kitchen, which is nice. SB loves the soup I had a couple bites but with big chunks of carrots in there it wasnt my cup of tea. We just poured mine back into his bowl! We skipped dessert that would have been overkill! After Tables in Wonderland lunch was $31.46.
After lunch we went back to the dock, where our boat was waiting for us. This time it was the larger boat, but we got seats out front on the bow & enjoyed the ride. At Magic Kingdom we no sooner got to the bus stop when our empty bus pulled in to take us back to the resort. SB just shook his head and said he couldnt believe my timing. Yes, it was great today (after the morning bus), but thats entirely luck!
We went back to the room, then he gathered up his stuff and the stuff I wouldnt be needing, then drove back to Gainesville. He should be back early enough to catch a movie at the movie theater and still get the grocery shopping done before whatever games might be on tv tonight. I finalized plans with Linda and then turned on General Hospital & worked on todays report.
At 2:45 I left to meet Linda at 3 at Crews Cup lounge next to Yachtsman Steakhouse. Knowing Linda, shed be there early so she didnt leave me waiting for her, so I got there early so she wouldnt be waiting for me, lol! She & Frank are staying at the Yacht Club (club level), which is their home away from home. Along the way I called Chris & Amanda, who were already on the road, almost halfway here.
As expected, Linda was already waiting for me, lol. We took a booth in the lounge, away from the baby that was brought to a bar for his/her vacation, and had a great visit. Its always a pleasure spending time with her and this location was perfect for both of us! The time flew by really quickly, and it was close to 4:30 before we headed our separate ways.
Its been a beautiful weather day here again, and was sure to be a beautiful evening. By 4:40 Chris & Amanda were in the parking lot. Since the desk at the Villas is open until 5 I had them park there, but then found out if they dont have their magic bands they have to go to the main lobby. They didnt have them, so we walked over to the lobby and they got checked in quickly and issued their gray bands.
Theyre on the same floor as me, but almost to the single elevator. Im pretty sure Ive stayed in that room before, because I recognized the number and knew exactly where it was. We went to their room, where Amanda got changed from her work clothes and we walked over to Epcot. Despite it being Friday night it wasnt busy getting into the park. World Showcase was busy, but still much less crowded than last month.
We made a loop around the countries, starting with France. Amanda got the light pink frozen drink at the festival kiosk and it was very good (not too sweet). At Lindas recommendation I got one of the macarons, and split it with Amanda. We were both impressed it has a delicious orange flavor and it quite good! Now I regret not trying it last month <g>. Chris checked out several of the menus, and had forgotten they have them here for this festival. Theyd stopped at Wendys on the way up, so they werent hungry.
At Florida Fresh Chris got one of the beers, but nobody bought anything else to eat or drink. We went into Future World and decided to ride Spaceship Earth. There was hardly any wait (less than 5 minutes) and we were seated in a car. I was in the front seat, and when Chris got into their seat behind me he pressed the Chinese or Japanese button on my screen when it asked what language I spoke. What a brat I spent the entire ride listening to some Asian language being spoken, lol! I managed to hit their screen and I think they got Spanish, so they at least recognized a few words <g>.
After the ride we tried to flip some of their fastpasses around but since it was so late it wasnt really possible to change them much so we left well enough alone. Living with the Land had no wait so we decided to walk over there, but detoured slightly so they could sample sodas at the Coke place. I saw a t-shirt with the Coka-Cola logo in Japanese and brought it over to Chris & said somehow I felt like this shirt was meant for me <g>. They tried some of the sodas, but I passed Im not a soda fan.
Once at the Land we walked right onto a waiting boat, and had a nice English-speaking ride through the greenhouses. It looked a lot like it did yesterday and will probably look very similar Sunday if we keep our fastpasses here <g>. By now it was around 7:15 so they were inside their window for Nemo, with Test Track (Chris favorite) coming up at 8). I decided to part company, since Id also just done Nemo yesterday. Theyre probably headed to Jelly Rolls later, most likely after Illuminations. Ill be in my studio, probably in bed watching HGTV <g>.
I walked back to Future World and walked halfway around the countries. I didnt want to wait for the 7:45 Paul Revere concert tonight so I turned around and headed back, stopping in France to pick up something in the bakery. It was very crowded but I could see the line moving quickly and the cast members were expediting people to the 2 registers on each side to keep things moving as fast as possible. If it wasnt for that, I wouldnt have bothered! I had chocolate mousse on my mind, but it looked like a really small cup for $4.50. I ended up with a chocolate tarte (same price), which Im a bit unsure will be worth the money or calories but well see.
I left the park, getting back to my studio pretty quickly. The chocolate tarte is supposed to have some sort of caramel stuff on the bottom, then chocolate mousse on top. In the heat, it was a soft mess by the time I got back to the studio so it went right into the fridge (after the photo). Ill try a small piece of it later, once it firms up again. I hadnt eaten since lunch other than another piece of the coconut bar, so I fixed up some crackers & cheese along with a glass of wine and took it out to the balcony to enjoy while working on the trip report. The band in UK was performing, so I had my own private concert out there. If the humidity had been lower it would have been perfect!
Today was another very nice day its so enjoyable being here. I wish SB didnt miss the new Mermaid attraction at Magic Kingdom, but it is what it is stuff happens. He had a great time while he was here, and certainly didnt miss what he doesnt know! I enjoyed myself, spending time with SB then Linda, then Chris & Amanda.
Tomorrow Id thought about trying to do the safari at Animal Kingdom when the park opened at 8, then leaving to get to Typhoon Lagoon at 10, but instead Im going to take a more relaxed approach. Ill just go to the beach here at the resort (since I rarely go into the water anyway I dont mind that I cant here) since I wont have to wait until 10am and wont have to drive! Were planning to attend a gathering here at the resort at 1:30, hosted by Deb Wills & others, then we have fastpasses at Hollywood Studios and should end the day back at Epcot.
DAY 4 Saturday 4/5/14
Who: Sue (55), DVC Member
Chris (27), my son
Amanda (25), future daughter-in-law
Plan: Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Hollywood Studios
Actual: At 9 last night I could hear the narrative and music from Illuminations starting, and by moving to the other chair on the balcony I had a clear view of the fireworks. Once it was over I went inside. I have no interest in dealing with the crowds to watch it at Epcot, but from the convenience and privacy of my balcony its nice to see!
I slept pretty well, and decided Id just get up whenever I felt like it. That turned out to be around 6:30, which is sleeping in for me. At 7 I went down to Beach Club Marketplace for a scoop of the potato casserole ($2.49), which when combined with my single egg and slice of bacon made a complete big breakfast! I also had my cappuccino, and relaxed online with the tv news for a while. Around 8:45 I changed into a swimsuit, gathered up my stuff and headed down to enjoy some time on the beach before it got too hot. Its supposed to be almost 90 today, and 90 tomorrow normal would be 81, so this is not good news.
By 9 I was out on the beach, and it was really nice until 11. At that point it got uncomfortably hot, and I welcomed each time a cloud would pass over. I came in at noon, and was initially a little disappointed my trash & towel service wasnt done, but I do understand its more important to get the vacated rooms ready for incoming guests so it was ok. I had some crackers/cheese/wine for lunch after showering, and texted back forth with a friend until I heard rapid knocks on the door and Chris voice saying housekeeping. I opened and spoke my version of Japanese, and they laughed. Theyd just gotten back from Magic Kingdom and Amanda said shes never seen it that crowded in her life even early in the morning. Sigh maybe this is the new normal?
At 1:30 we went downstairs to the Villas lobby, where Deb Wills, Jack Spence and someone else were recording a web/podcast (sorry for being a technological idiot) about Hong Kong, Tokyo and Aulani. We arrived after it started, and stood against the wall. Several people were there but I didnt see anyone I knew, other than Deb. There was a lot of good information provided, and many questions were asked. Linda even showed up in the 2nd half hour, so she got to meet Chris & Amanda. I was hoping the event would end before 2:30 but it ran over, and we had to leave to make it to our fastpass, so I never got to congratulate Deb on her recent marriage. She did speak to me briefly while holding the microphone for the lady next to me to ask a question, but that wasnt the time for any conversation.
We said goodbye to Linda and snuck out the way we came in, and after a quick stop at my studio to pick up my stuff and Chris sunglasses we hurried over to the dock at Yacht Club. The boat was getting ready to pull away, so we missed it and knew we couldnt beat it by walking to Swan/Dolphin. There was a bit of a wait for the next one to arrive, which had us wondering if wed make it in time. The fastpass window was 2:10-3:10 and we ended up getting to the park right about 3:10. Thankfully there was no real wait to get into the park, and Tower of Terror is not too far away. We got there right at 3:20 and Amandas magic band worked to let her in the fastpass lane. Chris & I went to the unloading area and waited for her there.
Her picture was funny she was seated in the corner in the back row and she was the only person with her arms up in the air! This is her favorite thrill ride at Disney, so its good we made it in the nick of time. Chris had shown me a photo on his phone for their wedding each table will be named after a Disney attraction and the seating cards will be fastpasses. Upon entering the reception area I guess each guest will have a fastpass that will give them their attraction/table along with the date/time. It looks really cute! He was hoping to find any of the old fastpass machines or signage but of course theyre all gone.
We walked over to Toy Story and since Amanda always beats Chris at this he suggested Amanda ride with me. I beat Amanda, but Chris had the high score for the car (174,900). He realized that a higher score is easier when solo because you have all the targets for yourself and you can focus on the high numbers. That makes sense! Our next fastpass was for Star Tours, but we decided to skip it in favor of returning to the Boardwalk so Chris could check out ESPN before the basketball game.
To my surprise, the boat had just pulled in, so we didnt have to wait at all we walked right on. We werent able to sit together, and I think Chris had to stand, but at least we were on the boat. He suggested getting off at the Swan/Dolphin so we did that and got over to ESPN faster than if wed stayed on the boat. The line to get in was very short, but it quickly filled in behind us. We had about a 15-minute wait, and then were seated in the bar area. Amanda ran back to the resort for her ipad, so shed have something to do during the game besides just watch tv.
We were seated by 5, and the Florida game was starting at 6. I commented that I might be the only one in the place who was both from Gainesville and could care less about the stupid game. I was only there because it was hotter than hell outside! ESPN takes Tables in Wonderland, so I had a couple glasses of wine, Chris got a pitcher of beer, and we shared the $14.49 nachos (they were very good). It was more than enough, and after Tables in Wonderland it was just over $49. I closed out the check before I left, in order to get the Tables in Wonderland savings, and they can start a new tab if they eat or drink more. I was out of there about 6:30 and rushed over to Epcot.
I thought Id join the Paul Revere concert after it started, but it turned out the start time was 6:45 and I got there with 5 minutes to spare! It was not mobbed, so I found a seat in the theater, and enjoyed the concert. I do think he did a little too much talking, and I couldnt tell if he ever did anything other than stand there while the band sang/played & then talk between songs. I guess when youre the senior guy you get to take it easy <g>. They finished the set with Cherokee Nation (or something like that), which is the big popular song. Overall it was a good show!
I left immediately and continued walking around the countries, staying ahead of the big crowd leaving the concert. Even though it was Saturday night, it was still much less crowded than last month. I stopped in Mexico and did the Gran Fiesta Tour (boat ride), with a very short wait. It was the shortest wait Ive seen in quite a while, so I decided to go for it. After that I continued walking, and exited through International Gateway and was back at the resort just after 8.
Today was a nice relaxing day definitely hotter than I like, but we managed to stay ok this afternoon. Tomorrow is my last full day, and I cant believe the trip is almost over already. I hate leaving! Im going to repeat my morning on the beach, then we have fastpasses during the late afternoon at Epcot. Chris & Amanda will probably go to Animal Kingdom in the morning.
DAY 5 Sunday 4/6/14
Who: Sue (55), DVC Member
Chris (27), my son
Amanda (25), future daughter-in-law
Plan: Typhoon Lagoon, Epcot
Actual: Last night I watched Illuminations from the balcony again, and ate more of the chocolate tarte. I doubt Ill ever get that again its just not exceptional. I turned in around 10:30 and slept well, waking up around 5:30 but not getting up until 5:50 when the alarm went off. I dressed & went out for a walk/run, and was back in the room before 6:30.
I made my cappuccino and later had breakfast (single egg and slice of bacon) while hanging out online and watching morning news. At 9 I headed down to the beach, meeting Chris in the hall to give him one of the magic bands that would open my door. He & Amanda would be leaving their stuff in my studio rather than the hot car.
Last night Id spotted a chaise lounge and beach sitting chair on the grass at the end of the beach closest to Epcot, so I took the back path to that location and saw the chairs were still there. All of the other chairs had been relocated down by the pirate ship, so I dragged the 2 from the grass onto the sand. Its my preferred spot close to the Friendships coming under the bridge, and a far enough walk from the chairs that nobody else bothers with this area. I did have some kids come by at times, but they were no bother (parents were sitting in a swing nearby).
It was sunny and warm, but thanks to a really nice breeze blowing off the water I was never really hot enough to sweat! It felt much better than yesterday, and today its supposed to be a degree warmer. The breeze makes all the difference. I did some reading and just enjoyed being out there on such a beautiful day. There were even restrooms (at the quiet pool) right across the walkway, so this spot is pretty near perfect in my eyes.
Around 12:15-12:30 I was hungry and decided to pack it in for the day. Id seen online yesterday that they have pulled pork sliders at Hurricane Hannahs so I gathered up my stuff and walked over there but did not see the sliders on the menu. I think theyre available at the bar, but the bar was full (and I didnt feel like sitting there anyway I wanted something to go). The line at the snack bar was pretty long, and I wasnt about to wait in it, so I skipped Hannahs and went back to the studio.
I took a quick shower & dried my hair, rinsed out my swimsuit and set it on a chair on the balcony to dry, then fixed a plate of crackers & cheese and Epcot plastic glass of wine. Chris & Amanda were still at AK theyd just texted a picture of the young gorillas. I uploaded the pictures from the first part of the trip, then worked on the captions.
Chris called just before 2, as they were leaving Animal Kingdom. We agreed theyd take the bus to Epcot and Id walk to the front to meet them. He called back about 2 minutes later to let me know the bus had just pulled up. I gathered up my little bit of stuff and walked over to Epcot to meet them. It was still pretty breezy, so although it was supposed to be really hot today it didnt feel too bad just yet <g>. There was no wait to get through bag check or into the park, and I passed through UK and Canada on my way to Future World. As I was passing by Spaceship Earth Chris called again, and hung up when he saw me they were standing just in front of Spaceship Earth.
We decided to visit the Festival Center but on the way we wanted to stop by the place in Innoventions where we could hopefully get the My Disney Experience accounts straightened out. A nice cast member was able to help us move Chris to his own account, but leave them as my family so we can still make arrangements for any or all of us. We left Amanda under Chris account. At first we werent sure if all the fastpasses transferred, and the cast member was puzzled by that, but we didnt have any problems.
We went to Festival Center next, and they actually had the caprese push pops! We ordered 3 of them, and the cast member asked if I had an annual pass or dvc card, explaining that this location is classified as merchandise rather than food & beverage, so wed get 10% off. I had my dvc card, so I showed that and saved a whopping $.30! We wandered around inside and as we were leaving someone called my name and it was a co-worker from Tallahassee. I knew she & her husband arrived yesterday (for 8 nights lucky!!) so it was nice to run into her. It was actually her husband who remembered me and spotted me first.
We went back outside and now it was feeling very hot, since the breeze had stopped. Chris & Amanda wanted to go through the butterfly house so we stopped at Club Cool for them to sample soda first, then did the butterfly house. There were lots of butterflies flying around, so they were happy. By now we had about 5-10 minutes left of our fastpass window at Living with the Land so we walked over there.
The attraction had a fairly good-size line, but with fastpass we were on a boat quickly. Once we finished that, it was time for Soarin. There was a long line of returning fastpass guests, so we went to the back of the line and it moved quickly. It was backed up quite a bit in the queue, but thats typical for later in the day. The standby line was 70 minutes, and Id guess for us it was about 10 minutes before we were in the preshow. We were in the front row of the center section, so it was great!
We still had a fastpass for Spaceship Earth but decided to skip it since we did it recently (and I didnt want another Asian experience) and wed have had time to kill before the window would open. Instead we made a loop around the countries, starting with Canada. World Showcase was very busy, but not as crowded as March, and despite the crowds the festival food stands had hardly any waits.
We stopped in France, where they hadnt seen the new bakery location. It was not busy at all, so we joined the queue and they bought a box of the macarons (multi-color). They really liked the ones they tried. When we came outside I got one of the macarons from the festival stand, which again was very good.
As we passed the area between France & Morocco they were passing out samples of applesauce, and I got to see Matt from Comedy Warehouse. We chatted very briefly, and he mentioned theyre doing a show at Parliament House in early June he said hed send me the info. SB loves the Parliament House, lol but depending on what night it is we might be able to make it.
In America we went to the Smokehouse, where Amanda got the pulled pig slider and Chris got the turkey ribs and bacon cupcake. He loved the turkey ribs I tried a bite but wasnt crazy about it. Amanda loved the pulled pig, but couldnt finish it (its a big portion) so Chris helped her out. We sat at a picnic table and nobody fell down, although Chris did notice how small the space between the seat and table is.
We kept walking again, getting hot & miserable in the blazing sun, and didnt stop again until we got to the stand with the fake/vegan stuff. Chris tried the fake tilapia, which looked like fish but it had a lot of seasoning on it. It was also right out of the oven, so it was hot he liked it, but said it probably would have been better when it cooled down slightly. As we came back around International Gateway we left the park. They were heading home, and I needed to escape the heat.
We walked back to Beach Club Villas, and they were on the road just after 6. I packed up a few things I wont need tonight or tomorrow and took them out to the car, then went into the Beach Club lobby to settle my account since Id be leaving before express check out would be delivered. While I was there a manager asked me if I stay club level at Jambo House, and I said yes. She asked if my husband was a baseball player, and I said yes again, and I recognized her as being one of the managers over there from previous stays 1-2 years ago. I asked her about SBs buddy Jack, and learned hes still at the resort but no longer doing club level, so looks like we may not see him this Labor Day weekend. Oh well people move around at Disney, looking for better opportunities.
I settled my balance, using mostly gift cards Id bought for 5% off with the Target Red Card, then walked back over to Epcot. Again there was no wait, and I was in the park shortly after 6:30. It felt cooler now that there was more shade, thank goodness! I walked over to America and sat on a wall in the area in front of the American Adventure. It was shady, not crowded, and much more pleasant than being crammed in a crowded & partly sunny theater. I listened to the 2nd Paul Revere & the Raiders concert, then positioned myself near Japan for the final song. Once that ended I was well ahead of the crowds and exited Epcot for the last time this trip (sob). How I wish I had more time another week or 2 would be nice!
Back at the resort I checked the Beach Club Marketplace, which was surprisingly not busy at all. There wasnt anything that really jumped out at me, though. I went back to the studio and finished off the chocolate tarte, then got to work finishing up the album and trip report. The photos are on shutterfly, at
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...ZNGTdm2bMWjIDA
This has been a really great trip Ive had a fabulous time and my only real complaint is that the time flew by way too quickly! It was nice sharing some of the time w/SB but then also having my own time & also time with Chris & Amanda. SB can really be happy with just a couple days here going much beyond that gets risky at times. I really love my solo time, so it works really well (for both of us) to have him come for part of the trip and then go home <g>. The weather was a bit warmer than Id like, but there was no rain, and I really enjoyed the white sand beach behind the resort. The crowds were definitely bigger than any of us would like, but between using fastpass+ and being frequent guests it wasnt that big of a problem. It was more of an issue for Chris & Amanda, who would have liked to have done a few things they simply skipped because of the long waits. Ill be really glad when I can spread my 3 fastpasses between a couple parks, since its hard to find 3 things I want to do in a single park.
My next DVC trip will be May 7th to Hilton Head for 5 nights, followed by a WDW trip at Bay Lake Tower for 4 nights starting May 23rd. My childhood best friend Linda & her husband will be with me for part of the Hilton Head trip, and Ive got a 2nd studio for Chris & Amanda for the Bay Lake Tower trip. May should be a fun month!
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Sue Holland Rayford, April 2-6 2014, Beach Club Villas
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