Sheri Niklewski - March 6-10, 2014

Travel dates - March 6 - 10, 2014
Travel method - Personal car
Resort - Offsite - Baymont Inn and Suites
Accommodations: Regular king bed room
Ages Represented in Group - Adults
Disney Resort Experience Represented in Group - Experienced

Introduction -

The last six months have been horrible for me and by deflection, Rich. We begin with my physical affliction that had me in the hospital for eight days and then home from work for about two months. I had to make some adjustments to my diet and get on a vitamin regiment and I still have some aftereffects but am on the mend. After I returned to work, it was mutually decided by my boss and I that I was ready to take on new responsibilities as that was my intention before I ended up in the hospital. So I was given all the accounts payable responsibilities which I thought would be easy and it turned out it wasn't. I became a bit overloaded and there wasn't a lot of time to handle the new responsibilities the way I wanted to since we shifted over into year-end mode and that wasn't pleasant. Also during this time, we went to Rich's mother's house in Maryland for Thanksgiving since my son and his family were going to be there as well. That was one of the worst Thanksgivings ever as my brother-in-law lashed out at my son for something my son was trying to get resolved with my sister-in-law about the way she was treating my grandson. Our last evening in Maryland was not a good one at all and made me realize that I can't return to my mother-in-law's if my sister-in-law is there.

During this time, my father, who is in a wheelchair with a disease (my stepmother calls it a &%#*ing disease) called Multiple System Atrophy, began his last days on this earth. My father had been diagnosed with Parkinson's with no tremors that was called Parkinsonism. MSA most frequently gets misdiagnosed as Parkinson's and my father's case was no different. It's not curable and the life span after the first signs of the disease is about eight years. Since my father wasn't diagnosed right away, he lived with MSA for about five years before it was correctly identified. He had entered into his hospice phase in 2013 until my stepmother was forced to put him into a nursing home since she could not physically take care of him by herself at their home. They live way out in the sticks so getting workers to come on a regular basis would have been not only expensive but impractical. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, my stepmother called and said my father had about a week more. He held out and passed on December 11, 2013 at the age of 84. I knew that would be his passing date as he was born on September 11 so the 11 fit and he did what I thought he would, stubborn old man.

My father made the decision to donate his body after his death so more research can be done for MSA patients. There is no remission from the disease and no known reason for it. Only 4.6 of 100,000 people will get the disease later in life with men more afflicted than women. So, there is a lot of research that still needs to be done and I am proud of my dad for putting other people's needs ahead of his. My stepmother had a remembrance for my dad on January 11 (again with the 11s) that was funny but painful and I learned so many people loved my father and his wily ways. It was a difficult realization to know I am now an orphan.

After we said goodbye to my dad, work reared its ugly head and I started working every weekend to the point of exhaustion which made my physical problems come back in force. So, I decided we would go to Disney and blow off all this crap that was piling up on us.

I knew the Flower & Garden Festival would be going on starting in March and the Guess Who would be opening the Flower Power series of concerts at Epcot. They are a favorite of ours and the concerts are only on the weekends (Friday-Sunday evenings) so Rich and I both took off Thursday-Monday and our only priority was the concerts and escape from the daily grind. At the time, Annual Passholders could not get Magic Bands (it changed about two weeks after our trip) so attractions were second to everything.

I checked on Disney resorts with an annual pass discount but the price was more than I wanted to pay since we still had hospital bills and my two months off work to contend with. I had PTO but that was quickly used so about a month was not paid. I turned to offsite and found the Baymont Inn which I had wanted to stay at for quite some time but it never worked out but did this time. I used Rich's AARP Geezer rate and got the room for less than $60/night for a king bed room. Not bad.

And that was the extent of my planning. One note for this report - if you want to know how to deal with FassPass+ or how to do all you can do on a Disney World vacation, this will not be for you. If you want to know how two people can remove the daily and lifetime event stresses from their lives just by going to Disney World, you might want to read.

Day One - Thursday, March 6, 2014 - Darn piggies!

We decided to set the alarm for 7:00AM which we consider sleeping in since our normal wakeup on a weekday is 6:00AM. It was still difficult to get going but we knew we needed to wake up and then wait for the Atlanta rush "hour" traffic to die down so our goal was 9:00. We were all packed and had some time to spend on the PCs to catch up on things (including work) but we were pulling away from the house after some heartfelt goodbyes to the four cats by 9:03. Don't judge me on having the exact times but my mother always said this when we pulled away on our yearly two week adventure and it's something I proudly carry on with me.

We both were dressed in jeans and comfortable shirts since the weather in Florida was going to be a mix of things.

Rich needed to deposit a check (yes, it's antiquated but go with it since it works) so after a swing by the bank (we do use the ATM and really, this check was from someone much older than us), we were cruising down I85 by 9:23.

We had absolutely no traffic at all which was strange for this area so our idea of leaving later was working perfectly. We had another stop to make, this time for the pesky emissions check so we could get my car licensed for yet another year. It's a bit of a problem since we live at the northern most border of our county and just a quarter of a mile north from our house is the next county which doesn't require this test. But, it's an annual thing that needs to be done. Rich was determined to have this completed at a service station that he knows gives a discounted rate so we pull in and. it's closed. Drat it! Oh well, we'll do it on the way back.

Our lunch stop was a McDonald's and then Rich continued to drive until the Florida border where I took over for two hours. The day was completely overcast and Rich had some rain on the way down. My time driving was mind numbing so I played the alphabet game where I started with A and found a word on a billboard or somewhere on the road that started with that letter and then continued on. Rich was snoozing or reading so I was able to drift into my own little world for two hours. I made it all the way up to Q (which is a tough son of a gun to see and I was wishing for a Quality Inn somewhere) when we pulled into the rest area just south of Ocala for another driver break. And then onto Disney World!

We had never stayed at the Baymont Inn but I was fairly sure of where it was so we took the route through Disney World and then out to Osceola Parkway and towards Animal Kingdom and Sherberth Drive so we could avoid Highway 192 as much as possible.

Our entrance into Baymont Inn wasn't that great as it was when I think most of the Disney World Cast Members were getting off their shift work so we had to stop for quite a while to get people out onto Highway 192 so we were backed up a ways. After about twenty minutes, we were finally able to turn right onto Black Lake Drive and we were here! When we walked into the lobby Rich said "are you sure we can afford this place?" Success with the Geezer rate! We (I) were/was helped almost immediately and everything was in order. I noticed the property is spread out but that's kind of good since we just wanted a room. And then our room assignment. Building one but on the sixth floor! Ugh but, it's the highest floor so no one above us. We would just need to use the elevators which we don't normally do but it's a room. Building one was around the corner from the office so we moved the car and found a spot.

The elevators are in the middle of the complex so we each took just a few light items and headed around for the flight upstairs. We first noticed that the elevators are older so a bit strange. There were several indicator assemblies where the normal UP/DOWN arrows would be. There were three elevators so the extra indicators were for where that elevator was once you pressed the UP arrow which was below all the other indicators. We were perplexed (silly us in the 21st century!) but another guest who had just shown up explained it to us and said he was in the same predicament when he arrived. Whew! It's not just us!

I think the Baymont might just go down as our favorite offsite place to stay. The room had a king sized bed and also a sofa that did not pull out which was fine for us. Occupancy was limited to two guests and that's what we needed. The bathroom was nice as it had the sink stuff outside the toilet and shower area so that saved some time in the mornings. Rich did note that the light, which he needed for shaving, was not over the sink but he managed. The flat screen TV was over the desk and that's where the convenient plug ins for laptops was located so that was nice except Rich thought it was too close to the TV and there was no light over it. But not a big deal.

We had a small kitchen area with not only the standard dorm size fridge but a separate freezer section on top! That was extremely nice for my water bottles so I always had a frozen one ready to go. We also had a microwave which we didn't use but it was there. One problem was the light on Rich's side of the bed was connected to a damaged outlet (nothing worked there) so that needed to be fixed but we didn't care.

After lugging up the rest of our stuff in a couple more elevator trips, I unpacked and we both enjoyed an adult beverage before heading out to Epcot to do a quick walk around and see what we could see of the Flower and Garden Festival. I also wanted a recon mission since we couldn't do FastPasses before leaving our home since we only had the RFID Annual Passes so I wanted to scope out the kiosks in the park for later reference.

As it turned out, this was a nice night but not all that great to begin with. What I found was doing the Flower and Garden Festival at night was lacking. Not that everything wasn't there but we had a difficult time seeing things. We missed the topiaries since the lights were down but that was fine as they weren't the focus for tonight. The focus was relaxation after the stress of the last six months. And we hit the jackpot with our first stop. The Florida Fresh booth with "white sangria". Rich got the blueberry beer and both were wonderful after our day of driving/riding. We enjoyed immensely as we continued on through the Showcase. Rich said since we were here tonight and we had no immediate plans, why not stay for Illuminations so that's what we did. Oh - when I got the "white sangria", I was given what I thought was a pass out flyer for Muppets in Manhattan and was going to throw it away but didn't. I later found it was a seed packet for Sugar Babies! How many would I accumulate over the next few days?

We were getting a bit tired so when we reached our normal spot for Illuminations in Germany and found it closed for a "private celebration" we were a bit miffed (especially since that space was never occupied during Illuminations) so we went towards the American side and weren't pleased with the locale so reversed and went to the other side of Germany and found what might be a better spot for us. Rich went to the nearby beer stand and got us two drinks and we were able to have a nice place for the show.

Now, this is where the trip goes from good to spectacular. When the music first started, the tears began. I thought, "I'm here!!!!!!" The garbage from the last six months just melted away. I missed my father so much but I remembered enjoying Illuminations with him. I finally realized he's gone from this earth but never gone from me. I silently toasted Spike who will never be forgotten in my lifetime. I healed.

After the show, Rich kidded me about my tears but once I told him who they were about, he kept quiet and that's why I love this man. He's not demonstrative but I shared my feelings in the time since my father died and he said he's felt the same way at times since we lost Ed just a few years ago. You only get one father whom you love until the end. But that end is painful. Disney World was a place to move on and to continue that love.

OK - after all that, we had to leave the park. At this point I was extremely tired with not only the day but the emotional toll on me. I also didn't realize that a physical problem was happening that I thought was taken care of before I left home. I have five piggies on each foot. On the right foot, the little piggy that was hungry wasn't happy and had had a blister before we left Georgia. I thought he was happy (and still hungry) now but it turned out he ticked off the happy very little piggy that GEICO named Maxwell. Both these piggies did not like being taken out so late. So they grumbled all the way out as I hobbled to the front gate.

We were out to the car in not a lot of time and then headed back to the room. We had to learn the exit strategies but it wasn't a problem as we knew just to head in the direction of the Animal Kingdom Lodge on Osceola Parkway and we were set. No problems with the entry (we didn't have any of the earlier problems of getting to the hotel for the rest of the trip, looking good!) and we were up for a relaxing evening in the room. However, I noticed we didn't have any washcloths or hand towels so I called housekeeping and the call was answered by the front desk. I explained the problem and they said it would be fixed. By 11:00 PM, we didn't have anything yet so I called back and told the front desk (again) that I didn't want to be disturbed until after 11:00 AM tomorrow. The front desk apologized for the oversight and I could have gone down to the lobby to get what was needed but decided to just go to bed which we did after midnight.

Long day, emotions done, I'm on vacation.

Day Two - Friday, March 7, 2014 - Is Florida always this cold in March?

Rich had originally suggested the Studios for today but changed that to Magic Kingdom since that's our least favorite park. Yeah, but we are childless and have been for quite some time so the original park makes us realize why we had one child and raised him like we did and today was scheduled to be the coolest day with highs only around 74. When we woke up (no alarm, I love vacation!), the day looked fairly nasty and overcast but we thought it would turn better so dressed in shorts and T-shirts for the day. Although we took a jacket for Rich and a sweatshirt for me which I donned as soon as we left the room. I was cursing myself for leaving my jacket back in Georgia since I seriously thought about throwing it in the car "just in case" but didn't. I will not make that mistake again even when temperatures are predicted to be in the 70s. That's a joy of driving to Disney World - you can take things "just in case".

We drove and parked at Epcot since that's where we planned to end up tonight for the first of the Guess Who's performances. A monorail trip would be a relaxing way to start the day and that's what we did. But once at the Transportation and Ticket Center, our relaxing came to an abrupt halt. It wasn't that early (more like 11:00 or so) but both the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and the ferry boat queues were absolutely packed. Rich even remarked he's never seen a queue for the monorail and it was backed up and spilling out of the ropes. So we did the only sane thing we could do and headed for the walkway to the Polynesian. We are on vacation and we are here to relax and forget about life. I noticed the ticket booths at the Center were also packed to the gills and wondered if people were not buying tickets in advance anymore or if these were day guests who couldn't do FastPass+ prior to admission and were confused. But I was glad we weren't going to bother with all that today or, as it turns out, for the entire trip. Very liberating.

Our excursion to the Polynesian brought back the relax mode as it's a nice walk and a good change of pace. We walked out to the marina and saw a sign which had me a bit concerned since Rich had joked that we would walk this way only to find out the boats were down or something. But the sign was just a cautionary one about the dock maybe being wet. Rich asked "where are the Cast Members?" since there was no one else out there except us. I went totally back into relaxation and said that if we shouldn't be there, someone would have told us or the place would have been closed. Off in the distance, I could see a possible boat to the Magic Kingdom so we both enjoyed the brief wait.

We were joined by a family of six with two teenage girls who were dressed in shorts and tops with less cloth than ours and they were very cold this morning and kept talking about how they weren't going to like the boat trip once they saw the craft approaching. It's an open air boat so no heat for anyone this morning. That 74 degrees better come soon!

Once the boat docked, the boat Cast Members did all the work so that's why no Cast Members on the dock at the Polynesian. All fine by me and I joked with the Cast Member helping us onto the boat that I was sure the heat would be turned on soon. He laughed and said "yeah, right". I replied with a smile, "body heat!" All eight of us were secured with the girls asking the male members of their party to run up and get them a blanket for the day and the older female member saying "and who is going to carry it around all day?" which settled the girls down a bit.

The trip to the Magic Kingdom was cool (temperatures) but also very cool (experience) since we saw a lot of birds bobbing along in the water. Rich was amazed at how calm the birds were even when the ferry boat was going by and the birds just swished back and forth with the waves. Rich says that if there is life after death, he wants to be a Disney bird. We marveled at the sparrows who were flying overhead and struggling to flap in the now picking up winds. These were not breezes, but winds. Not sure that 74 degrees was going to happen all that fast.

We made it to the Magic Kingdom and did the bag check and ticket scan. Rich and I have adapted to the RFID scans but we still have to remember not to wave the card but tap it. I work in an industry that has RFID technology readily available but it's all waveable. Maybe that will happen soon at Disney World. Once inside the park, we were greeted withthe end of the parade! Ick but we had nowhere to go so watched the last minute or so and then headed up Main Street with tons of other folk.

Normally, I would get very upset with this development as we were on Main Street with hundreds of others all walking the same way and just trying to get to where we were going. I started being a bit tense but then glanced around at some of the families who were smiling and having a great Disney experience. And that's what made the morning. Putting all my crap aside and enjoying others having a good time. That's what I needed and that's what I got in bundles.

I did hear a few negative comments like a woman who had obviously got annoyed with the many strollers and wanted all those families to leave her and her male companion alone so she kept saying "We are JUST WALKING here!". Well, so were others but instead of being upset with the strollers, maybe she should be glad there are families who take their kids to Disney World. I also heard another female (I think the females tend to overact to these things and I am female and a planner so I can understand a bit on other trips but not this one) who was pushing a stroller and telling her male companion that she was "just going to run them over!" Her companion replied, "Go ahead". Well, others don't have strollers and are trying to still enjoy the day so maybe they should be glad there are people here without children who go to Disney World. Two families, who didn't interact with each other at all, two different perspectives and my thought was, "I'm at Disney World, I am relaxing and not stressing over things I can't control". Freedom! There were far more happy faces in that walk up Main Street than there were unhappy ones so I'm choosing to remember the happy ones and put the ugly ones away.

We did our normal thing and went to the left and Adventureland first. Our only "goal" of today was to see the new Fantasyland and recon for the FastPass+ kiosks so we weren't in any hurry. I thought we could standby the Tiki Birds after cautioning Rich that it had gone back to the original form. Neither of us is a fan of the original but it's been a long time since we've seen it and our lives have changed so much so why not? But not at a 45 minutes wait time. So we moved onto Frontierland after scoping out and passing up Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. I would have like to see the latter and we did consider it but decided that maybe just a walk through of the park was what we wanted. Frontierland was OK and I would have suggested a ride over the Tom Sawyer's Island but the weather told me not to consider that and, with perfect Monday morning quarterback sight, I am glad.

Our next stop was Liberty Square and since it was a lot cooler than those pesky weather forecasters predicted, Rich spied the Hall of Presidents and suggested that since it was inside and probably warm. He also mentioned that we had taken a licking on a trivia question that asked us to name the 10th, the 20th, the 30th, and the 40th Presidents. I knew William Henry Harrison (Tippecanoe and Tyler too) but couldn't decide between Garfield and Arthur for 20th and was thrown for a loop on the 30th for a misdirection on the years and then forgot Obama's number so it weighed heavily on this President fan. In we went and enjoyed quite a bit since it's been years for the sighting.

One thing that really impressed me was there no outward shows of overjoy at some Presidents and no show of disapproval at others. It's a tough job to lead this country and all of these men who have served in its office should be appreciated. OK - off that subject now.

Oh - we did notice the lack of water this trip. Splash Mountain was closed for a refurb and Rich was dismayed to see the canals around the Castle drained. I later found out about the new walkways being installed and the Rose Garden being removed. The Rose Garden has some fond memories with me and it will be missed but, now I have a reason to find an even better place and I think I know of one but won't share since it has to be special to me. It does excite me to know that the World moves on and hopefully always will. It's like life, always changing and adapting.

We finally arrived at the new Fantasyland which we had seen before but not when just about everything was open. It looks very bright and fresh and I was happy with the changes. We hadn't planned on doing anything with our lack of Fastpasses but Under the Sea was less than 40 minutes so we thought, what the heck, and joined the standby line. And had our mistake of the trip but we dealt with it. I didn't bother to check any wait times since I was still very much in the relax mode but this was more than 40 minutes and when we left, the posted time was 60 minutes. For us, the ride itself was OK but nothing either of us would return to unless it was a walk on or we had kids with us but at least we were on it at some point in our lives.

We completed our walk around Magic Kingdom by going through Tomorrowland and not seeing anything with manageable lines that we really wanted to do. Plus, the weather was not great and we'd never see 74 degrees today. If we experienced anything higher than 60, I would be surprised since the winds were very brisk and the sun was hiding behind clouds. Our silly choice of shorts and T-shirts, even with the sweatshirt and jacket thrown on top, was not a good one. And Maxwell was still yipping at the hungry piggy so I hobbled down Main Street a bit.

And even in our almost frozen condition, OK, we weren't going to die or anything but it was cold, we stumbled down the pathway and boarded the ferry boat back to the Transportation and Ticket Center. The flocks of birds were gone but still a good if cold trip and we relaxed a bit more. I joked with Rich that I might leave him at Epcot and go back to the Baymont Inn to change into jeans so it was a surprise when we disembarked and returned to the monorail that he suggested we do just that. I silently thanked myself for letting this man find me 33 years ago.

At Epcot, we headed straight for the car and returned to the hotel for some warmth both in clothes and surroundings. Rich has the local temperature as a choice on his phone and a 6 was the first number. Brr! We warmed up and then headed back to Epcot for our Guess Who viewings. We again stopped at the Florida Fresh booth for a "white sangria" and some other beer for Rich (not the blueberry one but he said he would get it again) and then went back to the America Gardens Theater for the concert.

Oh, my my! The line stretched all the way to Italy! This was just 45 minutes until I thought the theater was to be opened and there were Cast Members telling people walking up to the line that there was no more seating available. The line was looped around several times so we took it as a Bill Engvall "there's your sign!" thing and went to the Fife and Drum kiosk for a couple of Bud Lights and then a sit in the outside Liberty Tree Inn seating area to listen to the concert. A bit disappointing but we were still in the relax mode. Rich had suggested sitting along the fountain but the winds were ablowing and while we were warmer, we were still chilly.

Since the Cast Members were advising people the concert was standing room only, this area was quite crowded which surprised me. The Guess Who has been performing for over 50 years and people were still flocking to see them? Wow. But it was a good feeling to realize Disney World is not about rides and thrills. It's about experiences and we were going to get one if just listening to the music. And freezing our butts off but we were happy.

Just about ten minutes before the show, and after the long line had been let into the theater, Rich suggested we move around the building to hear better so we picked up (Maxwell grunted hugely) and moved only to see the ropes where people were standing to listen were now down so we went in to the theater and found seats in the very last row on the benches. Not great but we wanted to hear the music, not party with the band.

Very good show with the ending being American Woman (go figure) and No Sugar Tonight also in there. The big surprise for me was the band saying UnDun and Laughing were a two sided single with both sides hitting the charts. For those young whippersnappers, singles got released from those vinyl things we called albums. One of the original band members joked that the B side usually was largely forgotten so this was a rarity for way back then in 1969 (I was 7, Rich was 9).

Rich noted that this crowd for the show was "a bit older" and I had to agree. We are early 50s, knew of the Guess Who but got into them more from a similar concert series here in past years. Others around us looked older but were responsive. The night, however, left another story to be told. We decided a second show would not be in our best interests so we huddled together and left Epcot after getting a beer and a "white sangria" on the way out to bolster our faith in getting warm. OK, flimsy excuse but we are on vacation and loving it, weather be darned.

We went back to our room for a brief stop and then decided to tackle a cool walk over to Wildside with our coupon we received at check-in for some dinner. Rich had looked online for the menu and it seemed reasonable so a quick but chilly walk across the street and through a parking lot and we were there. Perfect. I had what I thought would be a typical half ribs and quarter chicken platter while Rich went for a pulled pork sandwich. Our server was a jokester which was nice except at the end. Because my platter was NOT what I expected for the decent price. It was six HUGE slabs of ribs and an entire half chicken! No way to eat it all and Rich just grinned and kept saying he "got what I could eat". Well, give me a restaurant that serves what I had for $15 and then tell me I ordered too much. Grumble. The server didn't help when I asked for a to go box and he said he tells people when they order what I did "good luck". I wanted to throw the fully loaded box right back at him  So, thumbs up for this place as an offsite meal choice.

Then back to the room for warmth and TV. We watched Hawaii-50, Blue Bloods and Friends in syndication. Lights off after a nice time relaxing and not worrying about things.

Day Three - Saturday, March 8, 2014 - Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy

Oh, there was joy in Mudville when we woke up! The sun was out and the temperature was already warmer than the entire day of yesterday! Whoo hoo! Rich had decided on doing the Studios today and then Animal Kingdom tomorrow with the even warmer weather predicted. Maybe we didn't learn from yesterday about the not so accurate weather forecast but we put our faith in today being better than yesterday. Well, at least it wasn't going to be any worse so we did shorts and T shirts and took the sweatshirt and jacket along with us for later.

We again parked at Epcot for our later plans this evening and walked through with the intent of exiting via the International Gateway and either taking the boat or the walkway to the Studios. One thing I had noticed on the monorail trip of yesterday was the location of the butterfly garden so Rich suggested we visit that on the way to the International Gateway. The man sure has some great ideas this trip!

To say we were impressed with the garden would be a great understatement. I wish this could be here all year because we could easily spend a relaxing hour or more in the place. I don't think it's possible to see every butterfly in the garden since there were so many. It's definitely not something you can quickly walk through and get the full experience. I noticed everyone inside was taking their time and enjoying the wonders of nature which was a very nice break from a commando style of touring. I originally thought I'd take just a few pictures but the camera never left my hands for the hour or so we stayed and marveled. Very well done and an excellent display by Disney.

We headed for the International Gateway and even though Maxwell was really screaming wee-wee-wee all the way home, we opted for the walkway as a boat was nowhere in sight and the day was simply a gorgeous one. Rich had said we needed to stop at a grocery store so I mentally put bandaids on my shopping list. I usually have a few in my ditty bag (a bag each of us has with a spare toothbrush, contact case and other toiletry items so we just grab that for our trips instead of taking full size things with us) but had taken them out for some stupid reason. Lesson learned.

Our walk was a nice slow one and complimented by a sort of bird out in the canal that Rich couldn't identify so I attempted to take a picture of it to blow up (the picture, not the bird) once we get back home. Rich also noticed the canal had been cleaned out of some of the straggly overgrowth that had taken over in our past few trips. I mentioned that when we are here at Thanksgiving, it will probably need another clean out so we should enjoy the freshness this time.

We finally reached the Studios and our only real mission was lunch at the Studio Catering Company but were going to check out standby lines if manageable. We headed down Sunset Boulevard for Twilight Zone and the single riders line at Rock N Roller Coaster. However, Twilight Zone was a 50 minute wait and, in hindsight, we should have done that but decided to enjoy the day and check back later. We couldn't see the single riders line at Rock N Roller Coaster so asked the Cast Member at the entrance for an approximate wait time. He checked and said the line was way out the door so it was probably about the same amount as the standby line which was posted at 90 minutes. No thank you so we headed back to see about Star Tours. That wait was a posted 20 minutes as people kept pouring into the queue so we debated a little and the wait time went up to 30 minutes. Rich said "you snooze, you lose" and I was disappointed that this trip was turning into lunch only but that was OK as we weren't in a rush at all.

Food options at the Studios get bashed quite often on discussion boards but the Studio Catering Company is a hands down winner for both of us here. I love the Pressed Tuscan Deli sandwich (shaved smoked ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, caesar dressing, pesto-marinated vine-ripened tomatoes) and I chose the apple slices while Rich enjoys the Buffalo Chicken sandwich with fries (and he also likes the Sloppy Joe - although I think Joe gets way too much attention for being sloppy). We coupled our food choices with a couple of Bud Lights and attempted to find a table near the railing so we could people watch but nothing was available so we did one along the walkway up to the cashiers. People watching is something we enjoy and it was a nice lunch as we spent more than enough time sitting and relaxing and not thinking about things. Yes, this was my type of vacation away from the daily drudges.

After lunch, we did a walk down Pixar Way and did think about Toy Story Midway Mania which was a 65 minute stand by. My limit was an hour or less so this was just a smidge off the mark but we bypassed it since Rich suggested another go around of Star Tours. Yes, I love this man because he knows Star Tours, with its multiple configurations of story, is a favorite of mine. People can gripe about Disney modifications to attractions all they want but this one is a pure hit for me.

We stopped at the Oasis for a beer since the day had turned into a vacation day to the max and Rich saw Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular was still letting people in with about 10 or 15 minutes until show time and no FastPass needed. Since "Indy" is a food and drink friendly place, we entered with our suds for the show. The place was enjoying a good crowd but it wasn't packed with people so we easily found a couple of seats down and on the right side. Our luck with this show has been on and off with off having the best "luck" and not being able to see the entire thing for one reason or another. Maybe recent rehabs have fixed the problems because this was a complete show and we enjoyed very much. It's been years for a viewing for me so the time spent was well worth it.

Since we were seated to the right and down, we were able to quickly scramble out the exit and were far in front of the masses. We headed to the left and towards Star Tours, our original destination. There was only a 10 minute standby time so we quickly entered the line and simply walked onto the ride. Whoo hoo! We had a couple of different sequences and I laughed through the whole thing. Disney and Lucas together - life can be so very good.

It was getting later than we thought and even though we only did two attractions and had lunch at this park (it's next to Magic Kingdom in our ranking), we had a very nice time. Yes, this vacation was not about doing this or that but living life without the stresses of the daily garbage. Loving it!

We exited the park to head for Epcot and the concerts for tonight. A Friendship boat was at the dock and people were still exiting the vehicle so we headed that way for our transportation. Maxwell was not a happy piggy so he appreciated the gesture. Darn pigs on feet! I asked Rich if we were going to get off before the Epcot stop and he said "eh, let's ride the whole way'. Maxwell was very happy. But, as we were gliding along to the Swan/Dolphin, Rich leaned over and said "Yacht Club is next, right? Why don't we get off there?" Maxwell squeaked but I overruled and said that was fine as we hadn't been to that side of Crescent Lake yet.

And that's why this vacation was so soothing. We got off the Friendship and enjoyed walking on a different side of a lake. Yes, it was good. Once at the International Gateway and through the security checks, we noticed there is a FastPass+ kiosk here. We did think about it but decided tonight was entertainment but noted in our memories about the location which was uncrowded.

We walked back to the American Garden Theater with the thought of getting a beer flight at the Smokehouse kiosk and we did with amusing results. There were four beers on the flight - Magic Hat #9, Maduzzo, Fat Tire, and Billy's Chillies. Rich thought the second and the fourth won't thrill me but he could have them. Fine by me. And the very nice thing was the cardboard tray the plastic cups were put in. The tray had the numbers assigned to the beers so you could tell which was which and a card was placed in the middle for future reference.

We took this over to the convenient standing/seating area next door and joined a nice couple at a picnic table. I tasted all four beers and Rich was proved wrong. I like the two he said I wouldn't while he didn't like them at all. In the end of the long time we stayed there, this was deemed as not a great thing for us since the beers were a bit heavy and we didn't want to over do it.

It was getting nearer to 5:30 and the first Guess Who show so we went towards the Theatre and Rich just about begged for a "real beer". Those samples had done him in, not the alcohol content but the taste and the heaviness. I didn't disagree at all so we got some Bud Lights and encountered the same queue thing for the show as last night (only much warmer). So, we grabbed a table at the Liberty Inn and decided to move to the fountain for the show. However, this time, Rich saw a few of the people in the same seating area making their way to the theatre so we joined them and were able to get seats in the very last row so no benches tonight.

However, we were disappointed as this set was the same songs as last night. In the past, these groups had been differing the sets but, as Rich said, these guys have been performing for 50 years so maybe the original members don't want to remember anything different for the night. After the show, we wanted another "white sangria" and maybe a blueberry beer so back to the Florida Fresh booth but I guess the locals were out as this one was jammed. So we went for some ice cream and enjoyed that very much as we don't normally get ice cream at Disney World because we're usually here when it's so hot. Then back to the Theatre for the second set which was different so we had a good time with that one. The crowds here (and it was packed yet again) were younger and enthusiastic so it was nice to see people who probably were not alive during this group's heyday having a great time.

After the show, we debated doing the third show since we thought it would be another different one but then realized we needed to go offsite for some supplies since Maxwell was squeaking for a bandaid or five and we also needed to do our fantasy NASCAR draft with our son and daughter-in-law. However, our route out of Epcot took us on the way past the Florida Fresh booth (was that planned? Hummmmmm.) and we picked up another "white sangria" and a beer for Rich. Excellent way to end the evening.

At Disney World. And now the real adventure began.

After Maxwell and I limped out of Epcot and both humans made their way back to the car, we needed an offsite run to a grocery store. We thought there was a Wal Mart or Target to the west of Baymont Inn along Highway 192 so we made our way out there. Ugh! Traffic along here on a Saturday night was horrible! From the Atlanta area, we know what traffic is like so we are used to high volumes. But this was more like people not knowing where they were going and traffic lights not being synched so it was total stop and go the entire way. Neither one of us was quite sure where we were going either even though I knew there was a Target out here from our trip a few years ago when Rich's brother and our granddaughter and I needed to pick up a few things. Rich didn't believe me because he had gone back to Pop Century with everyone else and he thought there was a Wal Mart so we had a few tense minutes with trying to find our destination.

And ta da!!!! Target! Grr, we are in the right lane, we need to be in the left lane to make the turn. We couldn't get over so we did our normal thing. No, not cut off the hundreds of other tourists but simply to keep driving on, making a U turn when appropriate (and legal) and then coming back. We entered the shopping center from the opposite side of Target and had to crawl through the very long parking lot to finally get to within a decent walking distance to the entrance. And we don't bother to look for a close parking spot, we just look for *a* parking spot and we found one. All the way at the Highway 192 side of the lot. Oh well, I reminded Maxwell that bandaids were in our future and he grunted a bit but still was stubborn on the walk into the store.

And oh, my, my in the store. Rich said Wal Mart on Christmas Eve wasn't this bad. We only had beer and bandaids to pick up so thankfully we could forego the shopping cart and weed our way through the throngs of attacking guests to get our supplies. With our necessities in hand, we managed a fairly uncrowded checkout line (only about five people in front of us) and finally escaped the Legion of Hell. Note to self - do not go for supplies on a Saturday evening. We could have done this errand this morning but neither one of us felt like stopping on the way to the park. Never again.

We were finally back in the room and, after a few texts between us and Chris, we were set to do our fantasy NASCAR draft. Yikes - we should have stayed out in the traffic! The internet connection was so slow. We were on a chat window in the website and it took up to four minutes for a message to go through. We ended up using text messaging to speed things up a bit. We finally got all that done and then settled in and watched comedies on Nick at Night until we turned in.

It was a good day until we tried to be normal people and not vacationers.

Day Four - Sunday, March 9, 2014 - Time keeps changing

It was another day to sleep until whenever we woke up and we were a bit disturbed to hear what seemed to be a large playground of kids outside having fun. We hadn't been bothered by this type of activity before so were kind of confused. As usual, Rich got his laptop set up and I struggled with mine and we were content for a while until Rich said "why does the room clock say an hour less than the clock on my PC?" Oh crap! We forgot all about the time change! Oh well, nothing we can do about it now so we just proceeded with our plans and realized today would be a shorter time in the parks.

The park of the day was Animal Kingdom, one of our favorites and one we can take at our leisure so not a problem at all with the time change. Although I wish we didn't have it anymore. If you look at the history, it's very confusing and we don't really have a reason for it now. It's just my opinion but not one human can change time so why bother? Anyway, we exited the room for a drive to Animal Kingdom and for once, didn't park in the Epcot lot. We were still going there after our visit with nature but would have to drive to get there.

Since we had decided not to do FastPasses this trip, we thought we'd first check out the Safari and see how long that wait was so, after a bit of confusion on my part on which way to go at the Oasis.. yeah, I know doesn't matter, you can go either way and still end up at the same place but I was not myself this morning. We were back at the Tree of Life and then I had to point Rich in the correct direction of Africa. To which he replied, "but isn't this all in a big circle anyway?" After my silly directional mind drain at the Oasis, I felt it necessary to punch his shoulder a bit, the old hag!

We struggled through Africa and I pointed out the re placement of Tusker House and the Dawa Bar (neither has been replaced but they are in a different place) but that didn't seem to alleviate the congestion of getting to the Safari. But we managed and saw a twenty minute wait which wasn't bad so we joined the line and had some slowdowns but it was mostly just a walk through. I also think the stroller parking area has been improved as we didn't have a bottle neck there which was nice. As I said, I'm not doing a clocking of line times but I'm pretty sure we were on the jeep in less than twenty minutes, probably 15 or so.

And this was a good Safari. By this time, it was around 11ish if not later and the animals had lots of activity going on. The guide said the activity was probably due to the cooler temperatures, although it was in the 70s by this time. This is why I advise people to go on the Safari whenever they can as the animals can surprise you. Unlike humans, they don't depend on clocks. We saw the cheetahs and the lions were also out and "about". Plus lots of animals in the savannah so it was quite a nice ride. I am a fan of the removal of the Warden Wilson saga as I think this attraction should be about the animals and not some made up storyline. I do agree with mentioning how pouching should be addressed but in the way it affects the real animals you see on the Safari. So, overall, two thumbs up.

We were getting hungry and, on the way to the Safari, we checked out the times for Flights of Wonder (a must for us) and a show had just started and when we walked past the theater, we could hear some familiar bits so we headed for our standard of a pretzel and some beers. We procured the pretzel and then went down to get the beers and.. were told they were out of Bud Lights. Drat it. I think this stand holds the record for that happening. So we took our chances with the Flame Tree BBQ and got a surprise.

They had one long queue line to enter and then a Cast Member at the end would direct you to a cash register for your ordering and payment and pick up of food. So, we joined the line, figuring, "what the heck" and I'm not sure if I'm a fan or not. I really liked the idea of one queue. But, there's no way the Cast Member at the end knows your situation. For us, we were simple. Two beers, that's it. Menus were being handed out and most families took them and studied them so were ready to go once at the registers. Not a big deal. However. We were put behind a family of four who had a menu and didn't bother to look at it or looked at it and were confused. And then the couple at the left hand side of the register hadn't bothered to look at the menu or were confused because they intently studied the thing at the register. Once they finally ordered and moved on, it was the family in front of us. It turned out the woman had an allergy and wanted to know her options. I understand that but it might have been better for her to tell that to the first Cast Member so maybe they could have gotten help before getting to a register. So we waited through the options and I think she just decided on something from the menu after being told it would be about twenty minutes to get her food with requests. No one quote me on this as I was trying to listen but not listen so my overhearing could be totally wrong. They finally moved up and then the next couple from the line to our left. They were a foreign couple but ordered and then pulled out their money. They didn't have enough paper cash and I was ready to give them what they needed but then they used a card instead. And then us! "Two Bud Lights please!" and I think the cashier breathed a sigh of relief.

During our wait, we asked the Cast Member at the end of the queue, who assigned the registers (the first Cast Member just told us to go on), if this system was working. She said sometimes it did and sometimes it didn't. She said the other week, the queue line went all the way down towards the character meeting place so people liked it then but on other days, not so much. Not sure if this is permanent but I see good and bad points.

I do like the one queue thing so it's not a matter of picking a line on your own. Plus, you avoid that dreaded stare if there are five families on the right side of the register and no one on the left and you go to the left. I do like handing out the menus while waiting in line.

I didn't like having to wait at the registers (and out of the queue) with people who had multiple issues with ordering their food. We were kind of stuck. But, all's well that ends well and we had our suds and were heading back to Flights of Wonder in more than enough time. Glad I got to experience this system so I can make up my mind the next time after going through it this time.

Oh, by the way, the pretzel was eaten before we reached the counter to get the beers.

So onto the show! I had read in a trip report that the tour guide wasn't here anymore so I warned Rich about that. However, Guano Joe must have just been on vacation or something because he's back and just as good as always. The show was same with a few different birds and I swear a different Hope or she has grown a heck of a lot bigger since last time. One bird cracked me up (no egg shell joke in there, I swear!) and still does. Not by his antics (but those were good) but by his name. He's a Kea Parrot. And his name is Ike. Now, put those two together and you get. Well, you can figure that out on your own. And now every time I'm behind a Kia car, I laugh and say "Ike!"

We decided a trip out to Conservation Station was up next so we headed to Rafiki's Planet Watch and a trip on the Wildlife Express Train. That was basically a walk on so take notice of what we are doing today and choose FastPasses carefully. Once back there and on the trip to Conservation Station, we took our time and checked out various things along the way. To us, this isn't a trail just to get to someplace else. It's a trail to learn about all living things around you. Once inside the Station, I marveled at the mural and had to catch up to Rich for the displays. Rich's idea of art is sports cards. But we enjoyed the displays very much and then went outside for Rich to pet the goats and me to pet the pigs. Er, pig. One pig. Disappointment abounded since the only pig was getting so much attention from the kids. Darn kids! A couple of them even had those hand held brushes to brush the pig. Darn kids! I'm 52 years old! I deserve a chance! I'm just kidding, of course. I let the kids pet and brush the pig and I was finally able to sneak a hand in there at some point. In the words of Charlotte, that was some pig and I think he loved every single minute of it. Maybe if there is life after death, I want to be a Disney pig.

Rich and I both petted some goats and I'm slowly changing my mind to when we win the lottery and buy our huge farm that these guys will be a part of the family. And, of course, the pigs. We realized it was time to leave our nice escape from reality so we headed back on the train. Honestly, this is such a nice relaxing place at Disney World that it's a must see every time. And I used to think we wouldn't like it. Silly me. Lesson - don't think you won't like something just based on a description in a book. Try it for yourself.

Back to the real world and we wanted to attempt Expedition Everest with the single riders line and I looked at my phone and told Rich we wouldn't be able to do the Festival Center at Epcot since that closed at 5:00 and it was now after 3:30. Our goal at the Center was a bottle of the "white sangria" and the Festival magnet which we hadn't seen anywhere else but I could live without either of them. I should have kept my mouth shut because Rich then says we need to leave Animal Kingdom to get to the Festival Center. I really did want to stay longer at Animal Kingdom and try for Expedition Everest and the tiger trail but I was overruled. In hindsight, I am now glad I was overruled but Rich didn't indicate how tired he was getting. The last six months were not that kind to me nor to him but he's the stoic.

So we exited Animal Kingdom and headed over via Maxx to Epcot for our usual evening activities. Well, not usual since we were headed for the Festival Center for some things and my husband hadn't indicated how he was feeling.

After parking at Epcot, we hustled over to the Festival Center to find the "white sangria" that the Cast Member (or almost Cast Member) at Florida Fresh said was available here. I have been using quotes around "white sangria" because it's actually Hurricane Class 5 by Florida Orange Groves, Inc. in St. Petersburg, FL. The ingredients are pineapple wine, watermelon wine, passion fruit wine, key lime wine, and mango wine. So, basically, lots of fruity wines combined but it was a great experience. I also found the Flower and Garden Festival magnet here so all was good. The wine was $16.95 for a bottle and it was reasonable and I thought I could go home and order some more via the company's website.

We made our purchases and I had to carry the wine around with me which was no big deal but the bag was a little uncomfortable. If it had just been a normal wine bag with handles, not a problem. But the bottle, in the ever "let's be safe" Disney way had to have bubble wrap put on it, then a paper covering and then placed into a bigger almost fashion shopping bag with a cardboard bottom to it. I think the wrapping weighed more than the bottle! And, I couldn't wrap the bag around the bottle with the cardboard bottom so I got stuck in a lot of different places on my body with that bag.

I had been eyeing the quesadillas at the Flower and Garden Festival kiosk near Mexico so we stopped there and Rich got something but I have no idea what it was. My quesadilla was very good but the only place to eat it was on the ground as lots of people were hunkered down with drinks and food at the tables. Slightly disappointing but food was needed and appreciated.

Next up was Florida Fresh again for the "white sangria" and Rich got the blueberry beer again. We then walked back to America to listen to the Guess Who and correctly figured the first show would be a repeat of the last two nights and it was.

At this point, Rich finally admitted he was beat and wanted to leave. I agreed and looking back, this was one of the most relaxing trips we've ever taken and all the emotions of the past six months were now getting resolved. We did what we wanted, when we wanted and how we wanted. And that's what we both needed and, more importantly, deserved.

On our way out, we went by the Florida Fresh kiosk and decided to just say "screw it" so we did and got their beer flight. It was a Blonde Ale, Cotton Mouth Belgian Style Withier, Florida Avenue Blueberry, and Feast of Flowers Farmhouse Ale. These were much lighter than the Smokehouse and perfect for our last thing to do on this trip. We took our time and enjoyed the remainder of the evening. Then a slow walk back to the car and back to the hotel where we crashed for the rest of the night and packed up for the trip home tomorrow.

Day Five - Monday, March 10, 2014 - Check engine lights are stupid

We had discussed having to set an alarm for this morning and finally decided that the cats could wait so we could simply get up at 8:00 AM. It wasn't that easy but we had everything packed and ready to go so after showers for both of us and a couple of elevator trips down and up for me (it works for us, trust me), we were checked out and on the road by 9:30.

Nothing much for the drive home except the big thing. The freaking "check engine light" went on in the car within about fifteen minutes of us pulling out of the Baymont Inn. Normally, not a big deal but I still needed that emissions check done and it's impossible with the "check engine light" on. Maxx doesn't seem to like long drives with no stops and he'll show his displeasure with turning on the light. Only to turn it off a day or two later. Again, not a problem but, Georgia needs to have the emissions check done by the primary car owner's birthday which, for Rich, is March 18th. Eight weekdays away. Rich still wanted to use the discount place so I said I would take it there during the week and have it done.

We returned to the house with cats looking at us like "what? You came back? Yawn, OK, we had enough food and water and put more in there and then in a few hours we might just want to be with you. Thank you and I'll schedule you for after my twenty hours of sleep is done for the day."

Final Thoughts -

The Baymont Inn had a few setbacks but we really enjoyed our time there. The room was great even with some of the lighting issues but we didn't go on this vacation to enjoy a hotel room. The washcloth and hand towel issue was resolved the next day and everything else was fine. The separate freezer was excellent! It's a new found favorite.

When I returned for the trip and looked up the "white sangria" on the company's website, the listed price was over $20! I bought it at Disney during an event for only $16.95! Sorry, the company is not getting my money for that. I was willing to buy a case since I thought Disney had inflated the price but I was mistaken. Instead, I found a recipe to make my own at home so I do that now.

Our main reason to go to Disney World this long weekend was to see and hear The Guess Who. We were disappointed that the band repeated their concerts each night as we were used to any festival performers doing different sets. But, considering Garry Peterson, who is still with the group joined the Guess Who in 1962, the year I was born (check my age), there could be a reason for doing the same sets each night. The band is still a great group and I highly recommend them but for one night only. What impressed us was the popularity of the group and the attendance for the shows. To see those lines formed hours before the show started was amazing for such an "old" group. To me, that's what Disney is all about - there are so many other things to do besides ride rides.

I like the food booths at the Flower & Garden Festival as it gives a new perspective to things. However, being a carnivore and meat lover, neither Rich nor I wanted to sample the items offered. However, it fit very well into the entire experience so it was a good job but just not for us.

We didn't have any FastPasses for the trip and for this one, I didn't mind. I will see how the experience is next time since AnnualPassholders can now reserve before they leave their home. We will do that for our Memorial Day trip.

And that will be the next report - Memorial Day!