Sue Holland
10-11-2008, 12:02 PM
Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
SB (51), Sexy Boyfriend
Dates: September 19 - 22, 2008
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disney’s All Star Sports Resort
Experience: Extremely experienced
INTRODUCTION:
This was to be our “free dining” trip – the first for SB. When we’ve been at Beach Club Villas he’d see Cape May Café and suggest eating there until he’d consider the cost for the quantity I would eat. But, with “free” dining it’s a no-brainer so I booked it for our arrival night.
Or course we all know “free” dining is not really free at all. Instead of giving a discount on the room Disney gives you the dining for free instead. This can be a good deal (family of 4 “adults” in a value resort) or a terrible deal (me staying solo at a deluxe), so each person needs to determine if it makes sense. In our case, we’re at a value resort. It’s a huge step down from dvc, but there’s nothing wrong with “slumming” it once in a while (although I draw the line at staying offsite). I chose All Star Sports since he’s never seen it, and since his life has been spent working in the sports industry I thought he’d get a kick out of it.
Of course, nothing goes as planned every time. Back when I booked this trip SB had no plans to be doing baseball work at this time. The major league teams hold an Instructional League where minor league players are invited for an extra month or so of work after their regular season ends. One of the coaches ended up having knee replacement surgery a couple days ago, so SB has been asked to fill in for him. This league begins 9/18 (of course) and runs until the day before our Food & Wine trip. It’s a bit premature still, but SB may miss that trip (and the subsequent Thanksgiving trip) if something else that’s pending comes through.
So, since this trip cannot be canceled without penalty it will go on! The league normally does not play on Sunday, and their Saturday games are at 10am – except this weekend, of course. Because it’s the first weekend they’re working both Saturday AND Sunday! I’ll go up solo on Friday and he can join me after work on Sunday. He’ll then leave pre-dawn Monday morning and I’ll leave whenever I feel like it Monday – or whenever I can get all the darn food credits used up! Of course, these new plans mean he misses Cape May and Boma. I wouldn’t bother with these places (or any buffet) if it was just me, but the odds of being able to book anything else during this time of year at short notice is minus zero <g>. Luckily my friend Nancy stepped up enjoy SB’s dinner Friday night and Mary picked up the Saturday night dinner. SB is actually glad the credits are not going to waste, but he isn’t thrilled about having to miss these meals.
The free dining package comes with a free round of miniature golf, and since I’ve never done that I will make it a point to do it this time. Hopefully I won’t broil to death in the September heat. There’s also a $15 coupon at Planet Hollywood, but who on earth can eat the dining plan food PLUS another meal?? Since SB won’t be here for most of the trip I’ll no doubt be bringing some meals home on Monday for him & Chris to enjoy.
As far as the parks, I was just there recently so there’s no pressure to try to see it all. I’ll probably spend time at the Magic Kingdom since I like that park more than he does, and I can try the ribs at Cosmic Rays for an early lunch. We do have Teppan Edo in Epcot for Sunday night. Teppan Edo is another place he’s expressed interest in, so at least he shouldn’t miss that. We’ll also spend at least Sunday night at Comedy Warehouse.
The plans so far are:
Friday, 9/19: Work, Cape May Café, Epcot
Saturday 9/20: MK, Pool, Boma dinner
Sunday 9/21: Puck’s Express, Mini Golf, Outlets, Pool, Teppan Edo, Comedy Warehouse
Monday 9/22: Downtown Disney – using up remaining credits “to go”, Drive Home
DAY 1 – Friday 9/19/08
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
Plan: Work, Cape May Café, Epcot
Actual: It was an easy workday and an even easier drive, with me arriving shortly before 4pm at All Star Sports. The security cast here just have you flash a driver license at them, which of course is totally useless. But, I’m of the opinion that we don’t need this security anyway. I was immediately struck by how dumpy & tacky this resort looks, and I didn’t remember thinking that before at all. There was nothing dirty or in disrepair – it is just a cheap-looking resort. There were LOTS of people milling around everywhere, too. Once I got inside the lobby they had guests lined up in the queue waiting to check in. One of my biggest peeves about the values is the mentality that we should be ok waiting in lines for everything.
The worst part was the guy of the couple in front of me positively reeked – stale stinky ashtray smell. Now I do have friends who smoke, but none of them stink – this guy was awful. I stood back as far as I could without irritating the people behind me, and was glad when the line started moving. Cast members from the other side came over and took some guests in our line, which was really nice. The cast member checking me in was very nice and also efficient. It went very quickly, and I was on my way to the baseball section. Before I went to the car though, I walked around outside to get to the food court. They’re retiling that hallway between the food court and lobby, so it’s pretty awkward and ugly right now. I was really shocked at the food court – it looks terrible! Again, nothing was broken/dirty, but it just has no visual appeal at all. They have a tent set up outside for the tables displaced from the food court due to the construction. A big construction wall doesn’t help, but this is a truly hideous area. I don’t see myself bringing SB here, although it wouldn’t faze him at all.
I parked the car in the shade (always love that) and went up to my room in building 9. We face the parking lot & trees, but that’s ok because facing the pool could be noisy. When I opened the door I immediately noticed the huge improvement in the décor & furnishing! It’s far from deluxe, but much much nicer than before. There’s a wooden armoire with a tv and some shelves and drawers. The little table & 2 chairs looks nicer now, too. Everything was clean & fresh, but it does have that cheap motel look. I was shocked to find none of the usual toiletries – instead there’s a single little bottle of combination shampoo & conditioner. Thank goodness I brought some conditioner, as I can’t use that crap! There’s no lotion either – or mouthwash. It’s strictly soap and combo shampoo.
As expected, there are no towels at the pool so you’re supposed to bring them from your room & call housekeeping for more. This makes NO sense to me. If value guests steal too many towels, having housekeeping bring as many as they ask for only increases work for housekeeping. I looked at the towels hanging in the bath and nearly fell over – these are rinky dink very thin little towels!! LOL – at the dvc resorts we have nice bath towels. These here even have ripped threads – tacky, tacky, tacky. I’ll leave a note for housekeeping tomorrow requesting 4 more towels (2 for each pool day). It’s just so tacky & demeaning to have to request a basic item like towels.
I got unpacked and turned the air conditioning way down, as it was quite warm in the room. There’s also no ceiling fan here. I know this sounds like one long whine so far, but I can’t sugar coat how I see this resort. I never thought I’d really get spoiled by dvc to the point I couldn’t stand the All Stars, but somehow it happened. SB called and reminded me I only need to sleep here, and the trip isn’t about the resort this time, lol. He’s right – but I seriously doubt I’ll book here again.
Around 4:30 or so I decided to go hang around the Beach Club and Boardwalk where it was nicer <g>. I stopped to see the baseball pool first, then went to the car and drove over to park at Beach Club Villas. There’s an entirely different feel here, and it’s much more comfortable and “nice”. I had time to kill, so I checked in the Beach Club Marketplace to see what time they started selling breakfast. They open at 7am, so I may swing by here to get a yogurt parfait if I do the Hollywood Studios early Extra Magic Hour. I know the original plan was Magic Kingdom, but I don’t feel up to facing the herded cattle lines at the All Star bus stop.
Since there was still time, I walked around the lake. The humidity has suddenly disappeared, but I’m sure it’s only temporary at this early date. It was quite hot in the sun, but there was a nice strong breeze that made the shade absolutely delightful! I just love this area, and really enjoy staying at Beach Club Villas and Boardwalk Villas.
I got back to the Beach Club around 5:30 and sat in the lobby until Nancy arrived. We moved to the sofas by the window and went to check in at 5:40. Right after our 5:45 reservation time the beeper went off and we were seated. Our server was ok, but she was very difficult for me to understand (due to an accent), and she spent a little too much time leaning against the wall looking pretty when we had plates that could be cleared. But overall she was ok. Nothing special, but not bad. I meant to take pictures but forgot, and after all everyone knows what a buffet looks like. There isn’t anything on this buffet that should be something someone’s never seen before.
We ate a little bit of a lot of different things and were both stuffed when we left. That’s what I hate about buffets, but I eat more than I should anyway. I don’t eat seafood but Nancy enjoyed the bucket of clams, some shrimp, and the clam chowder. Between us we tried the ribs, mashed potatoes, prime rib, mac & cheese, pasta, beef stew, sausage & peppers, citrus salad, Caesar salad, fresh fruit, corn bread, and other stuff. I particularly liked the mashed potatoes and the ribs but hated the pasta and wasn’t crazy about the citrus salad. The desserts were all good, with some better than others. The famous oreo bon bons were very good, but so rich! I took 2 and could only eat 1. It’s an oreo cookie with cookies & cream stuff on top then it’s all covered in chocolate powder. They had some tiny key lime tarts that were nothing special, and I didn’t care for the blondie either. Nancy said the cheesecake was sort of lemon, and I noticed she didn’t eat more than a bite. They had lots of different cookies, and I tried to eat an oatmeal raisin cookie but couldn’t manage even half. There were also little square german chocolate things that were good but very sweet. SB would have loved this place, but Nancy enjoyed filling in for him <g>. We also each had a glass of pinot grigio, so we ended up with a check for the wine (used DDE for 20% off) and also paid the gratuity on the dinner. Out of pocket it was about $12 for each of us.
We said our goodbyes and I talked to SB as I waddled out of the Beach Club. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I needed to keep walking vs going to lie down! I decided to enter Epcot and walk around World Showcase but once I got inside there I saw how crowded it was. Tonight is evening Extra Magic Hours, so it’s always much more crowded than it would otherwise be. I got as far as Canada and realized I didn’t want to deal with the crowds here so I turned around and walked back to the Beach Club to get my car.
On the path to the villas the sprinklers were running, so I got fairly wet but didn’t mind since it felt good and I knew I would dry fairly soon. I drove over to Downtown Disney and found a decent parking spot for Pleasure Island. I can’t skip saying – I HATE that they’re closing Comedy Warehouse! I headed over there, arriving about 7:30. I hung out with other regulars Larry & Phyllis, then Maureen & her daughter Stacey and several others arrived. I got David in under my pass, since his had expired & he was having to buy full-price single night tickets. We counted the people getting in line so we knew when to enter – there ended up being about 14 of us in all so we crossed both sides of the stairway when seated.
Carol Stein was on the keys tonight. The 8:00 cast was Brian, Joy, Matt, Christine & John. After the opening song Matt led the others in Conducted Story. Tonight’s story was called “Eeyores never walk backwards”. It was about a bunch of donkeys at the Grand Canyon who wear gray gabardine clothes and gold lame helmets to attract the tourists. Eventually Hannah Montana showed up in the story as well. As each actor messed up in telling the story the audience would shout DIE and that actor would have to perform a theatrical death using audience suggestions. Joy died first, in a silent slow motion death by a walker. John died by a Qtip, and then Brian did a soap opera death by pizza and a 1967 Corvette Stingray. That left Christine as the winner, and she wrapped up the story as a Fill in the Blank finish.
It was a terrific show, and I would surely have loved the next one, but I needed to try to catch up on some sleep and be ready to head out early in the morning. So, I walked back to the car and drove back to All Star Sports. I parked around the back near my room, which is very close to the stairwell closest to the parking lot. I’d talked to SB on the drive back (while watching the Illuminations fireworks too) and we were both tired, so we said our goodnights early. Back in the room (oh how I want to say “studio” lol) I saw they don’t have the plastic laundry bags here, but I’d brought one from home just in case <g>. We can throw the dirty sweaty clothes in there and then I’ll dump them in the washing machine when I get home – it’s easier than repacking dirty stuff.
I finished up the report and then got online for a bit. I watched today’s General Hospital on SoapNet at 10, and hopefully went to bed at 11. Although I do NOT like this resort, I DO like being up here and am looking forward to the rest of the trip!
DAY 2 – Saturday 9/20/08
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
Plan: MK, Pool, Boma dinner
Actual: Last night I really did turn the tv off at 11, and was asleep in no time. The room was quiet and the bed was comfortable, just what I hope for at any resort or hotel. I did hear someone nearby showering yesterday when I was awake, but the value resorts are notorious for sending bathroom noises to many surrounding rooms! I’d set the alarm for 5:45 and didn’t wake up until it went off.
After a quick shower I got dressed and made some cappuccino. I brought an electric hot pot and some Disney disposable coffee cups with me – saved from a previous dvc stay just for this purpose. It’s easier than washing out a real mug since this room doesn’t come with dishwashing liquid. A friend emailed thinking that the values have different toilet paper than the deluxe and dvc resorts, so I checked and she’s absolutely right! The paper is thinner and stiffer but perfectly fine – it’s even an entirely different brand. I never would have thought they’d give us cheaper toilet paper in these rooms, but Disney is watching their pennies, lol!
I left the room about 6:45 or so, and drove over to the Beach Club. I parked at Beach Club Villas and walked through (it is so gorgeous here – and nobody was around except one cast member straightening chairs so it was really peaceful. The Beach Club Marketplace had just opened, so I went inside and ordered a yogurt parfait. They have vanilla yogurt and you can add fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, granola and chocolate chips. I had just strawberries and granola in my yogurt, and they mix it all up before pouring it into the cup. I forgot to take a photo again – shame on me. But honestly, it didn’t really look like something you’d take a photo of <g>. I ate it on my walk to Hollywood Studios, and I got there about 7:30.
The lines at the turnstiles were short, so I joined one and waited 15 minutes for them to let us into the park. It’s always interesting watching the other people at a busy place like WDW. We had many well-behaved kids patiently waiting or playing quietly, and only a couple screamers – the ones who are quiet and then shriek for no apparent reason. There was a couple who had huge colorful Disney tattoos (all over his legs, on her back). It looked like she made his shirt and her skirt, as the material was matching. Both the shirt and skirt were hideous – a dark red with white imprints, then each had a giant hidden mickey shape with a picture of Mickey on a beach. That part was all blue, & colors that looked horrid on the dark red & white material. I know SB would refuse to wear matching outfits with me – thank goodness! I also saw a normal-looking group of people except for the man with hair on his head buzzed to about ¼ inch but a humungous dark beard that looked like a chia (sp?) pet had flown onto his chin and was not letting go! It was really bizarre – big & bushy, which was a weird contrast to his super short haircut.
Finally at 7:45 they let us through the turnstiles to go stand at the rope. A young boy in the family next to me threw up, and the dad went to tell the cast member but they didn’t get anyone over there to clean it up before they dropped the rope. Hopefully not too many people stepped in it – I really thought the cast members would have blocked off the area. Almost everyone was headed to Toy Story Midway Mania, but most of them went to the fastpass machines. I makes sense to do that, as if you get a fastpass really quickly you can then ride standby before the line is long. I thought of that AFTER I passed the machines, so that’s a lesson for next time <g>.
2 cars are hooked together, so 8 people go through at a time. I was number 5, so I was on the first ride vehicle of the day. It was a lot of fun, although I think the first time was a little more fun just because I didn’t know what to expect completely. I think I scored 71k points, but have no idea if that is good or pathetic – probably on the pathetic side <g>. When I got back outside at 8:15 the wait was now 40 minutes, which is better than a few weeks ago when it was 70 minutes at this point.
I walked around a bit, enjoying NY Street and seeing the Osborne Lights had started going up. Most of the buildings were covered, but none of the extra pieces were out yet. I pretty much had the park to myself, so I wandered around for a little bit longer, then headed out of the park. I’d just missed the boat, so I sat to wait for the next one. When it came, I recognized one of the captains as a guy who used to work the front desk at Old Key West. I don’t know him, so I didn’t say anything to him. The other captain opened the trashcan and was digging around in the trash. She found a carry out container and took it over to the edge of the dock and fed the food to the ducks. I thought that was a bit strange – the digging around in the trash part. I sat outside at the back of the boat and enjoyed the ride to Swan/Dolphin and then Yacht/Beach. I got off there and walked into Epcot with no wait at all.
My first stop was the Land, where Soarin’ had a posted 10-minute standby wait. I picked up a fastpass first (return time 10am) then entered the standby line. There was no wait at all, and I ended up in the middle of the front row in the center section – it was great! Afterwards I walked onto Living with the Land, which hadn’t changed much in 3 weeks. Several of the little alligators were moving around – usually they’re all just laying still. When I got off the boat I had time to visit the restroom and then use my fastpass (actually I did stand off to the side and had to wait about 30 seconds). This time I got the 2nd row, but that’s fine. I hope to get front/center once, and after that I don’t care where I end up. I did see people waiting for that row on the next showing, but that wait just seems to long to me!
I guess by now it was 10:15 or so. I left the Land and walked over towards Test Track. Along the way the Jammitors were performing, and had drawn quite a crowd. They are very good, but it’s so noisy to me that I always just hustle on by. Test Track had a posted 20-minute standby and 20-minute single rider wait posted. I went in the single rider line, and had no wait at all. Nobody else was in line, so when I reached the cast member she opened the door and let me into my own private pre-show. Near the end she opened the door again and let 1 more single rider in there. I was put in the front row with a group of 5 women & girls, and enjoyed the ride.
After the ride I walked back towards the information booth in Future World, and wouldn’t you know the Jammitors were now playing on this side, lol! I hustled past again, and at the tip board asked what time the counter service restaurants in World Showcase opened. The cast member told me 11am. Armed with that information, I walked over to United Kingdom and sat at a shady table outside Rose & Crown Pub to wait for the 11am rope drop. A segway tour went by – I would never wear those helmets, so I’ll never do the tour. Talk about a bad hair day for me!
At 11 I walked to Morocco and found the Tangierine Café doors closed. Eventually I asked someone there and learned they open at 11:30!! Don’t you just love the answers you get from cast members at times? I sat for a while, then wandered over to America. The American Adventure was starting in a few minutes, at 11:15. But, it’s a 35-minute show and I wanted to be at lunch at 11:30. I feigned interest in the exhibits, but really I was just sucking up some air conditioning! On the way back I stopped in Japan and walked through the big department store – again, for air conditioning. Chris called when I got outside to tell me our fish had died. This is the 2nd one, and it needs to be the last. I can’t take the loss, even when it’s “just a fish”. I get attached to the silly things.
It was back to Morocco, where I sat on a shady bench until 11:30. Tangierine Café had quite a little rush when they opened – 2 parties ahead of me and several came in while I was waiting to order. With the dining plan you get a drink and dessert, and they allow bottled water. I got the chicken & lamb platter with a bottled water and baklava for dessert. I also paid out of pocket for a glass of white wine, and got a cup of ice cubes to keep the wine chilled. Had I paid out of pocket for the meal (excluding wine) it would have been $18.50 plus tax, so this place is a good value on the DDP. However, even I thought the portion was pretty small for a $13.99 platter. It had 3 scoops of different salads or hummus, which I didn’t bother with. The chicken was the weirdest chicken I’ve ever seen – it was like planks and it was a funky color and texture. It wasn’t bad, but I won’t rush back to pay for this meal. I ate some of the lamb and some of the chicken with some of the bread – it tasted good but didn’t knock my socks off.
The baklava was very good, and I ate every bite of that. I don’t like wasting food, but I especially don’t like wasting the good stuff – dessert! I brought the water back to the room, since I had the wine with lunch. When I finished I left Epcot and walked through the sprinklers (to cool off) behind Beach Club again. When I got back to All Stars, the security guy was holding up a room key and indicating I was to flash mine at him. I pointed to the parking pass, and he gestured with the card again. I’m not usually one to do this, but I just drove on through – stopping to dig out my room key was NOT on the agenda! Plus, I’d seen him doing this and people just hold up their card from inside their car – he cannot see a name or date, so I could flash a card from a year ago and gain access with his blessing. Hopefully Mickey doesn’t issue a warrant for my arrest, but I’ll take my chances.
Back in the room I was disappointed to see the housekeeper hadn’t gotten there yet. Someone has to be the last room of the day, and it looks like this trip mine is at the end of the list. I changed into my swimsuit and headed down to the baseball pool. It wasn’t very busy there, although people came & went. I lasted about 1.5 hours before returning to the room for another shower. The housekeeper was knocking on the door as I arrived, so I just got new towels and some extras for the pool and gave her my dirty towels. I can live without the rest of the service.
I’m a bit concerned about SB’s ability to get up here at a decent time tomorrow, as he didn’t finish up there until about 2 today. They’ve got staff meetings, meetings with each individual player, plus the workouts – something I need to remember when scheduling trips next September! I don’t have a friend to eat his dinner tomorrow, so hopefully he makes it! Otherwise, I’ll be standing in Japan asking strangers to eat with me <g>.
After showering again I updated the report and did some reading online. Around 3 I was actually hungry, so I made a cup of cappuccino. I knew if I went and used a snack credit I would ruin dinner. It was a quiet, relaxing rest of the afternoon.
About 5 I headed out – driving my car to Animal Kingdom Lodge. This will be my “base” for bus transportation tonight, as the All Star bus stops are the furthest away and most likely to be mobbed later. I was surprised to see it rained while I was in the room. I didn’t hear any rain – just lots of toilets <g> from other rooms. I had to use my umbrella going into Animal Kingdom Lodge, and outside at some of the savannahs until the rain stopped for good. There were not many animals visible, which surprised me. Only one was really close, and that was a big giraffe.
I wandered by each savannah and then went inside and walked the hallways looking for more viewing. I tried to find a spot to get a good view of Kidani Village, but the end of the wing closest to it doesn’t have an outside stairwell. I plan to stay there next Labor Day weekend to give it a try and compare it to the original building. Eventually I went downstairs to check in at Boma, and Mary arrived shortly after that.
We sat on a bench when one emptied and were chatting quite a while when I realized it was odd my beeper hadn’t gone off. I checked with the desk again, and I think they accidentally deleted me after giving me the beeper. In any event, they seated us very quickly after that – about 30 minutes after the reservation time. The entire time this restaurant was absolutely mobbed, with a steady stream of people coming and going (and waiting).
Since Mary was due at work by 10 (she was in the last 3 shows tonight) she couldn’t drink so I skipped the wine also. I had checked the wine list and there wasn’t anything I wanted to try, so it was no loss. The line at the buffet was pretty long – I think maybe they squeezed in a few too many tables, creating the longer lines. Again I took no photos, as buffet food looks like buffet food and I would never remember what half of it was anyway! Between us we tried a lot of different things, but not eating a lot of anything. I did better than last night, as I didn’t leave feeling like I was about to explode! Mary loved the soups, and I was a little bummed they didn’t have any of the ones I really like tonight. They also didn’t have the Durban chicken I love, but I had part of a regular chicken breast with some Boma mustard that was pretty good. Mary loved the nut crusted salmon, and we both like the potatoes with afritude. One surprise to me was the watermelon & tomato salad – it had a light vinaigrette dressing and it was really good. I’d never think of watermelon and salad dressing but it worked.
The desserts were terrific, and one or both of us tried almost everything. I still don’t like Zebra Domes, but she did. I think I’m one of the very few who doesn’t, but that’s ok. They had banana bread pudding that was excellent, especially with the vanilla sauce. For me the best thing overall though, was the chocolate mousse crunch, which was simply chocolate mousse full of chocolate chunks. I should have just gotten a bowl of that, and the heck with dinner!
It was a great meal, and I enjoyed just sitting and catching up (between bites <g>). We ended up being there just over 2 hours, but it didn’t feel that long. Mary offered to give me a ride when I said I was going to catch the bus to Magic Kingdom, but I’m very glad I refused. I figured since only buses can pull into the MK, I didn’t want her going so far out of her way only to NOT really get me there. However, I later found out that traffic was a nightmare in the MK area, so we would have been sitting in gridlock.
I headed to the bus stop and thought it was a little odd that the MK stop was mobbed. We saw several other buses come, including 3 or 4 for Epcot. People were getting antsy, saying they had to be in the park by 9pm or they wouldn’t be let in. I don’t think they understand the bus takes TO the park itself, and not to a boat we’d have to ride for the last leg. They were going to see the special fireworks put on by some pyrotechnics convention, which is what my plans were as well. Supposedly this super-duper display would take place at 9:30 all around the lakes around the MK.
I got to the bus stop around 8:20 and was fed up by 8:40. People were saying they’d been there over 45 minutes without seeing a single MK bus. One of the drivers mentioned the terrible traffic by the MK.
When a Downtown Disney bus came I decided to get on and try switching to a monorail resort when I got to the Marketplace. However, once I got there it was another frustrating wait – evidently most of those buses were stuck as well. I finally got on the Grand Floridian & Fort Wilderness bus, but by now I realized I was not going to get to the MK in time, and would face awful traffic getting out. So, when the bus stopped at Pleasure Island I got off and hopped on the waiting Animal Kingdom Lodge bus! Back at the Lodge I got my car and drove back to All Star Sports. I spent almost 2 hours doing nothing but riding Disney buses for nothing!
I got some ice for the cooler to chill a couple bottles of water for SB tomorrow, then decided to take a walk down to the food court. The resort was relatively peaceful until I got to the food court. What a disaster this place is – and so ugly! It was very busy, with long lines at the registers. There was nothing I could possibly want to deal with that, so I went outside (the hallway is open now) and checked the bar to see if they had any interesting wines. LOL – what was I thinking? They did have wine, but it was nothing special and I didn’t want to bother. I should have stopped at Puck’s when I was there and had a glass of the 14 Hands Riesling, but it was so crowded at the bus stop I figured everything would be mobbed.
So, I walked back to the room and finished up the report before talking to SB for a while. I don’t have to get up early tomorrow, so that probably means I’ll be awake before dawn <g>. Hopefully he’ll make it up here before too late tomorrow – we’re both looking forward to trying Teppan Edo for dinner.
Today was a very nice day – except for not getting to Magic Kingdom tonight. Sometimes things don’t work out, but looking at the big picture – so what! There’s always next time.
DAY 3 – Sunday 9/21/08
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
SB (51), Sexy Boyfriend
Plan: Puck’s Express, Mini Golf, Outlets, Pool, Teppan Edo, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: I stayed up a little later than planned, and realized after I turned out the light that I hadn’t opened the drapes. I like the daylight to wake me when I’m here, and that didn’t happen this morning, so it was 7:40 when I woke up! At the dvc resorts it’s so much nicer because nobody can walk past your balcony/porch – especially on the upper floors. I sleep with the drapes and sheers wide open – it’s so pretty going to sleep seeing the lights reflecting off the water (at Boardwalk or Saratoga Springs), or the moon & the stars (everywhere else). I feel cooped-in at these motel-style rooms.
I took a shower and got dressed, then SB called. They were doing church services for the players – if church is so darn important, give them the day off I say! He’s hoping to be able to get out of there by 2, which would put him here around 5. Good thing our dinner is 7:15, but we’ll miss some of Comedy Warehouse.
Around 8:30 I headed out and drove over to Downtown Disney and parked near Wolfgang Puck’s Express. I was surprised by the number of cars already in the parking lot, considering the only thing open was Earl of Sandwich. I had a short wait for Puck’s to open, along with a few couples. I was the 2nd to order, and the ddp gets me an entrée and 2 beverages for breakfast. I got 2 bottles of water and the omelet with tomato, mozzarella and goat cheese (cost without the plan $18 or so). It was very good, but I barely ate half, knowing I’d need to eat again soon! The omelets really are big enough to share anyway – we (Americans in general) just do NOT need to be eating the quantities of food that we do.
After breakfast I want to Goofy’s Candy Co (speaking of eating badly, lol) and got 3 pretzel rods to snack on later. One had M&Ms, one butterfinger and one peanut butter cups. I had time to kill so I drove back to All Star Sports and relaxed in the room for a little bit.
A little before 10 I drove to the mini golf courses near Blizzard Beach – I think they’re called Winterland and Summerland. They’re both themed as Christmas, but the décor is either snowy or tropical. I got there a few minutes before they opened and was the first guest. I didn’t want to risk being stuck behind anybody, and I am a lot faster as a solo and didn’t feel like waiting at every hole! As it turned out the people who came behind me chose winter, and I was on the summer course. The golf course is cute, and very decorated. Some of the décor looked pretty cheap/cheesy, but that’s what you find at a lot of mini golf courses so perhaps that was intentional. I forgot to get a score card, but figured what the heck – I’m not competing with anyone so I didn’t bother to keep score. This course seems pretty forgiving – I made a number of lousy shots but the ball would roll into the hole anyway. I got one hole-in-one, on a very easy one.
When I finished it was only 10:20 and I was dripping wet from sweating. Even in the shade it was just HOT! One hole had a little bridge and when you step on it sprinklers start spraying you. I wasn’t impressed, as I had my camera out! When I turned in my club they gave me a golf ball with Goofy peeking out from behind a surf board. I assume they have a winter-themed golf ball for guests golfing the other side.
I decided to not bother returning to the room as there wasn’t much time before the outlets opened. I stopped for gas at the Hess station across from Pleasure Island, then drove over to the Premium Outlets. Traffic was a pain, and I forgot about Sunday church. This is such an awful location for an outlet mall and a huge church like that. When I got to the outlets the parking lot was mobbed, which surprised me. It was before 11 and the website said the stores didn’t open until 11 on Sundays. However, they were all open already.
I only went to the Character Warehouse, and found nothing. I was back at my car about 5 minutes after 11 and thankfully the traffic was light. I breezed right onto Disney property faster than ever before, which was a pleasant surprise! I stopped at Downtown Disney and hunted for one of the few remaining empty parking spots. Wolfgang Puck’s Express was now serving their regular menu so I ordered the half rosemary rotisserie chicken “to go”, along with another bottle of water and the crème brulee (cost without the plan just over $20). I figure if SB wants a snack when he gets in or after Comedy Warehouse, he can eat this – if not, I’ll drag it home tomorrow. I didn’t think though, that we don’t have a microwave here at the lovely All Stars. While I waited for his food I had a glass of the 14 Hands Riesling and sat outside on the patio.
Afterwards I drove back to All Star Sports and put the crème brulee into the cooler. Later I’ll change the ice and add the chicken dinner in there. I updated the report then changed into my swimsuit and went down to the baseball pool for a while. It wasn’t too busy, which was nice. There hasn’t been a lifeguard on duty and the fountain in the center hasn’t been operating since I’ve been here. I spent part of the time laying on my back on the shelf inside the pool with just a couple inches of water. It was so hot it was tough sitting on a lounge chair. A mom with a teenage boy with down syndrome were at the pool and he was the highest functioning person I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t thrilled when he started booming our national anthem and then Canada’s in his terrible singing voice, but he certainly had spirit. He was talking (flirting) with 2 young ladies several chairs down from me, so of course everyone on that side heard every word. He was really really intelligent, and even went over to the girls and shook their hands when he left the pool area with his mom. One of our baseball friends has down syndrome, but she’s not nearly as talkative & social as this young man! The people who live where I work function at the level of a toddler (or younger) for the most part, although biologically they’re middle-aged adults. So, it was interesting to see someone who functions at the extreme high end of the spectrum.
I was back in the room by 2:15 – just couldn’t take the heat any more! SB got on the road at quarter to 2, so hopefully he’ll be here a little before 5. I took another shower, got dressed, and dried my hair. It was time to empty the cooler and replace the ice, so I did that and placed the chicken dinner in a plastic bag and then set it on top of the ice in the cooler. I ate the crème brulee, knowing it would not still be good tomorrow. It was delicious! I wasn’t hungry but ate it anyway. We still have 3 counter service meals and 4 snacks left, on top of the meal in the cooler and tonight’s dinner at Teppan Edo!
I talked SB in the rest of the way, and saw him enter the parking lot, but then he walked up the wrong Coca-cola cup and I lost him, lol! Eventually we met at the middle of the building and went to the room. He thought the hotel would be a great place for spring training for the minor league guys, and liked the baseball theme. He also thought the room was awfully small, and missed the kitchen stuff and ceiling fan. But, it’s fine if all you want is a place to sleep & shower.
We headed out and drove over to Beach Club Villas to park. Most of his trips have been at this resort, so it feels like home to us. We walked into Epcot and went straight to Japan, arriving about 5:30 I think. We checked in and asked if we could be seated earlier than our 7:15 reservation time, so they said it would be 20-30 minutes and gave us a beeper. We asked if it would work outside of Japan, but they said no. They no longer have a lounge, so we were going to go elsewhere. Instead, we sat inside with the beeper and it went off after about 10 minutes or so.
This was our first time here and I was surprised by the many rooms. I think most rooms had 4 tables, with each table seating 8 around the grill. We were taken to one of the very last rooms, which had 2 tables per room. We were seated with a Japanese couple who live in Tokyo, and 2 couples traveling together from Pennsylvania & North Dakota. Everyone was very nice, and when one of the cast members asked if any of us had been to Tokyo, the Japanese couple and SB and one of the other men said yes. The other man was stationed there during his military time, and he asked if the same was true for SB so SB explained he was there to play baseball for 2 weeks. That led to further discussion about baseball, what team he was on & what his name was. The 2 men were big baseball fans – 1 Yankees and the other Red Sox.
We ordered drinks – a pinot grigio you can get anywhere (Ecco Domani) for me and Kirin beer for him. He ordered the steak & shrimp combination and I ordered the chicken and steak combo. The chef came in and started cooking – first vegetables and udon noodles. He made the volcano with the onion slices and everyone got a kick out of that. He even made I erupt, and then with one “volcano no more” he chopped it up, lol! The meats were cooked separately, with chicken, shrimp and scallops prepared first, then steak. Nobody ever had nothing on their plate. Everything tasted really good, and the portion was very generous. SB ate all of his and half of mine. He felt stuffed; I felt ok <g>.
For dessert we (& the Japanese couple who were also on the dining plan) had the soft serve ice cream. I guess the other desserts don’t really appeal to the Japanese, either <g>. One of the other men was celebrating a birthday so they bought him a chocolate thing – perhaps chocolate ginger cake with a candle in it. The men both asked SB for his autograph before we left, and one of them only had his restaurant check to write on, lol. They said having dinner with him was the highlight of their trip. Overall it was a great meal, good service, and enjoyable company.
We left the restaurant shortly after 7 and exited Epcot. I was sad leaving for the last time this trip, but we’ll be back here next Sunday. We drove over to Downtown Disney and found a really good spot in the Pleasure Island parking lot. There was a small line at Comedy Warehouse, so we sat at a table with Leesa until they opened the line. By counting (this was all new to SB) we got the row we like. A few other regulars showed up and joined us. SB was amazed that we got exactly what we hoped for <g>. Carol Stein was on the keys again tonight.
The 8:00 cast was Philip, Krista, Lisa, John & Christine. Lisa & Joy were washing dishes and the others would say “freeze” and replace one of the actors in the scene. Next was Forgotten Songs, which I thought SB had seen before, but he was astounded that they were actually making up the whole song. Philip & Krista were folk singers Rainbow Skittles and Amber Saffron singing “Cryogenics and You” – very funny. Christine played in a style I can’t identify – it was familiar but I can’t think of the name – singing “Blueberries in September” about some loser man who is no longer in her life. Lisa & Joy were 2 fat ladies singing “Whoopie Cushion”, an opera bout what time has done to their bodies. Lisa refused to take her costume off after the song, and sure enough she kept it on for the rest of the show. They also did Actor’s Nightmare, where Philip had to make sense of a scene where the other 3 actors read from the script of 3 different plays. Overall it was a very good show!
The 9:10 cast was Philip, Jennifer Broussard, Krista, Christine & Joy. Philip & Joy did a scene about kittens on sale and it was excellent. Next they took turns (each as a different character) telling the story about a drunken festival in some small town in Ontario. Lisa was the poor pole dancer who got her breasts stuck to the pole because it’s so cold, and other people thought she was a prepubescent boy. Krista was the bar owner, Philip was a riot as the Canadian Mounted Police who brought his horse into the bar when he went to warm up the air to release Lisa from the pole, then they fell & were rolling around in the steaming turd his horse dropped on the dance floor. It was very funny. They also did a scene where 2 actors are performing, 2 have their backs turned, and Philip would freeze the action and call for someone to replace one of the 2 in the scene – using that physical position but starting a new scene. Again, it was a great show.
The 10:25 cast was Mary, Lisa, Krista, Philip and Jennifer. They opened with the poem “My Panties are in an Uproar”. Next Krista & Lisa started a scene about seeing a car accident and had to continue it in 3 different musical styles when Jennifer called it. They did reggae, blues, and bluegrass and it was very funny.
They did a scene that started with Philip & Jennifer on their honeymoon in the Everglades where he got bit by a snapping turtle. Each actor was a certain character, and they rotated in & out so 2 were performing at any given time. Jennifer had lost a thumb, so her husband Philip donated one of his toes to replace it. She was shunned from her job as a hand model and he was fired from his job at Foot Locker for not being a whole man. It was a sick scene but very funny! Next they had 2 scenes running at the same time. A word or phrase spoken in one scene would trigger the other start up again. Jennifer & Philip did a scene about a beach ball, while Mary & Lisa were in the renaissance.
They also did Should Have Said, with Lisa ringing the bell. Philip was Walt Disney, designing Epcot. Mary was his wife and Jennifer was his brother Roy Disney. It was another great show. When it ended I verified with Carol that she’d gotten the job at Rose & Crown Pub, so we’ll have to stop in there some night next month to check it out. There were LOTS of people seeking photos taking with the cast, autographs, etc. We waited & saw Mary briefly – she told Floyd he loved his dinner the night she filled in for him, lol. We said we’d be back next Saturday, then headed out.
The drive back to All Stars seems so long! There were a lot of cars arriving at the same time so I went to the right-hand lane and never had to stop or show any id at all. Someone on another board used an appropriate term for the farce they call security here – Security Theater <g>. It’s not real, but they have a costume. It was midnight by the time we got in, and we were up for a while after that. SB set the alarm for 3:30 am – yikes!
Today was a great day once again. I’ve never mini golfed here before, and while it’s not something I’d pay to do (especially almost $12), I was glad to do it for free. I’m glad SB came up, although he was here only about 10-11 hours. Dinner at Japan was great, and we’d repeat it if we do free dining again next year. Comedy Warehouse was a great way to end the day – we’ll both really miss this place.
DAY 4 – Monday 9/22/08
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
Plan: Downtown Disney – using up remaining credits “to go”, Drive Home
Actual: The alarm went off at 3:30 am, but I was already somewhat awake. SB dressed, brushed his teeth and was out the door in about 10 minutes. He did take the Puck’s chicken dinner with him, so that’s one less thing for me to bring back! I finished yesterday’s report and ate the last pretzel rod, then took my shower and finished packing up my stuff.
Shortly after 6 I walked over to the food court, somewhat surprised to see others walking around as well. I love the early morning hours when most people are asleep and everything is so quiet. That’s one of the reasons I got up with SB this morning at 3:30! I heard a noise that sounded like some idiot whistling to his kids or wife, but it turned out to be a bird chirping <g>. At the food court a man and his kids were eating breakfast. Most of the stations don’t open until 7, but the bakery was getting stocked and the market was ready. I used a snack credit for a yogurt parfait and brought it back to the room. I only have 3 meals and 3 snacks left to use before I leave this morning, lol!
Sometime after 7 I took a load of stuff out to the car, then brought the cooler to the ice machine to refresh the ice in there. I figure I’ll eat a meal for a late breakfast, then bring 2 meals home for tonight’s dinner. Around 7:30 or so I went to the main building for my first All Star bus ride of the trip. Animal Kingdom opens at 8 for resort guests this morning, so I’ll do the safari and perhaps wander around a bit.
When I got the main building I was shocked (but shouldn’t have been) to see a ridiculously long line at the Animal Kingdom bus stop. It was easily 2-3 busloads of people! There’s no freakin’ way I’m putting up with the cattle mentality, so I walked back and got into my car and drove over there. I was parked in the very first row of guest parking, so it was an easy walk into the park.
Again, the clueless people were out in full force. It was very busy, so lines were long. At the bag check I noticed the line I joined was only using 1 side of the table, when they’re supposed to use both. I told the woman in front of me (with a stroller) that both sides were open, figuring I’d follow her. She just said “go ahead” – maybe she was afraid she’d be breaking a rule?? I got through in no time, then purposely headed to the turnstiles on the far right. Rather than pick a line with 20-30 people ahead of me I chose one of the 2 turnstiles that had about 2-3 people ahead of me. I rounded the corner to the bridge just as the characters were counting down to park opening.
It was a bigger crowd than I expected, and a lot of people were going to the safari. I figured they’d all go to Expedition Everest! It was a fairly slow walk, but I got to Kilimanjaro Safari and joined the standby line. The fastpass machines weren’t on, so they probably don’t start them until 9am. The line stopped at times, and it was the longest I’ve waited for this in years.
As I got near the boarding area they pulled a bunch of us out of line to board one of the handicapped trucks. That saved a little time on the front end, but you give it back at the end when it takes longer to get to the disembark area. Most of the animals were out, but surprisingly we only saw 1 elephant. Both lions were sleeping, as usual.
After the safari I headed back towards the entrance & left the park, passing the people lined up at the turnstiles waiting for 9am. I hope they don’t mind there are already lines in there! I walked back to the car and drove over to Downtown Disney, parking at the Puck’s end of the Marketplace parking lot. I went to Goofy’s Candy Co first, and got 3 of the Mickey rice krispie treats. One is for one of my staff, and the other 2 will go home and get eaten by Chris & me. These things are so good!
Next I went to Wolfgang Puck’s Express for breakfast to use up one of the counter service meals now that the snack credits were gone (on the rice krispy treats). There was a couple at the register, and I swear I’ve never seen 2 people take so long to order breakfast! Finally they stepped aside, and I ordered the cornflake crusted French toast. Today the person working said with the meal plan I get 1 bottled drink and 1 cup drink. I didn’t bother to challenge it, so I got a bottle of water and a cup of ice water. I don’t drink soda and didn’t want tea, coffee or milk.
I sat inside, since I had the chocolate treat with me and didn’t want the humidity to make them soft. The French toast was good, but it’s so darn HUGE! They serve 3 big pieces, and honestly 1 is plenty. 2 should be enough for a big appetite, and 3 is just insane. I ate one, and some of the fruit, then got a “to go” box for the other 2 pieces. Perhaps Chris will eat it tonight or tomorrow. I decided to head back to the resort so I got the car and drove back to All Star Sports. I hung out in the room relaxing a bit, and updated the report thus far. I noticed I never got the phone call welcoming me on check-in day, or the message saying goodbye yesterday. That’s pretty much standard at the dvc resorts, even though it’s a recording and not a personal message. Yet another nice touch that I guess they don’t bother with for value resort guests.
Just before 11 I left the room for the last time, and drove over to Coronado Springs. With 2 counter service credits left I figured this was a good place to spend them in terms of value and convenience. It had been a long while since I was at Coronado Springs, and it’s still as pretty as I remembered. It’s a definite step up from the All Stars – a big step. However, unless they’ve redone the rooms they are rather ugly inside. Here the beauty is all outside!
The Pepper Market was very busy – strangely busy. Breakfast was just ending and there were a lot of people in line trying to buy it. I decided to get a combo platter from the Asian stand, figuring that would travel the best. I got bourbon chicken and kung bao chicken along with an eggroll. The portion they give now is a lot smaller than before, and when you compare these prices to what you’d pay at a Chinese restaurant I felt I’d been taken advantage of! I mean it’s a good thing to have more reasonable sized portions, but adjust the price accordingly! I ended up ordering another one for SB, this one with bourbon chicken and beef stirfry. These will be our dinners tonight. Dessert here on the meal plan is any of the cheaper items like cookies or Danish. I got a cookie and a pecan roll, then 2 bottles of water. The total if I wasn’t on the dining plan was $48, which is ridiculous for what I had.
I got everything put away in the cooler and trunk, then headed home. It was an easy drive, except for being tired. SB finished work right before I got to the ballpark, so he waited for me at home to unload the trunk for me. Chris immediately ate the rest of the French toast, remembering it from last time, lol! He baked while we were gone – homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. And, sadly, our fish did in fact die. I think we’re not meant to have them, as coming into our home is the kiss of death.
Despite my negative (but true) comments about All Star Sports, it did serve it’s purpose. I slept well, was not disturbed by people noise (just toilets, showers and sinks <g>) and it was worth it for the “free” dining. I wouldn’t make a habit of staying here, because the resort is very important to me. However, if I was a person who spent all of my time in the parks and I only needed a place to sleep and shower – then the value resorts would be my first choice.
The dining was really good – at least the table service meals. Cape May, Boma and Teppan Edo were all excellent. I had terrific company at each meal too, which made it all the better. Some counter service meals I know I will never order again, but it was nice trying them for “free”. And, of course I love the snacks – those custom made rice krispie things!
The next trip is in just 5 days - overnight this Saturday at Pop Century. We won’t head up until after SB’s game, so we’ll have time to check in and have dinner before Comedy Warehouse. It’s the final night, so it’ll be mobbed. Sunday we’ll hit Food & Wine Festival to sample food from the booths before heading home. The “real” Food & Wine trip isn’t until late October.
Photos from this trip can be found at:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=34p4jkm.4abaedkb&x=0&y=-kiuq6o&localeid=en_US
Until next time – thanks for reading.
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
SB (51), Sexy Boyfriend
Dates: September 19 - 22, 2008
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disney’s All Star Sports Resort
Experience: Extremely experienced
INTRODUCTION:
This was to be our “free dining” trip – the first for SB. When we’ve been at Beach Club Villas he’d see Cape May Café and suggest eating there until he’d consider the cost for the quantity I would eat. But, with “free” dining it’s a no-brainer so I booked it for our arrival night.
Or course we all know “free” dining is not really free at all. Instead of giving a discount on the room Disney gives you the dining for free instead. This can be a good deal (family of 4 “adults” in a value resort) or a terrible deal (me staying solo at a deluxe), so each person needs to determine if it makes sense. In our case, we’re at a value resort. It’s a huge step down from dvc, but there’s nothing wrong with “slumming” it once in a while (although I draw the line at staying offsite). I chose All Star Sports since he’s never seen it, and since his life has been spent working in the sports industry I thought he’d get a kick out of it.
Of course, nothing goes as planned every time. Back when I booked this trip SB had no plans to be doing baseball work at this time. The major league teams hold an Instructional League where minor league players are invited for an extra month or so of work after their regular season ends. One of the coaches ended up having knee replacement surgery a couple days ago, so SB has been asked to fill in for him. This league begins 9/18 (of course) and runs until the day before our Food & Wine trip. It’s a bit premature still, but SB may miss that trip (and the subsequent Thanksgiving trip) if something else that’s pending comes through.
So, since this trip cannot be canceled without penalty it will go on! The league normally does not play on Sunday, and their Saturday games are at 10am – except this weekend, of course. Because it’s the first weekend they’re working both Saturday AND Sunday! I’ll go up solo on Friday and he can join me after work on Sunday. He’ll then leave pre-dawn Monday morning and I’ll leave whenever I feel like it Monday – or whenever I can get all the darn food credits used up! Of course, these new plans mean he misses Cape May and Boma. I wouldn’t bother with these places (or any buffet) if it was just me, but the odds of being able to book anything else during this time of year at short notice is minus zero <g>. Luckily my friend Nancy stepped up enjoy SB’s dinner Friday night and Mary picked up the Saturday night dinner. SB is actually glad the credits are not going to waste, but he isn’t thrilled about having to miss these meals.
The free dining package comes with a free round of miniature golf, and since I’ve never done that I will make it a point to do it this time. Hopefully I won’t broil to death in the September heat. There’s also a $15 coupon at Planet Hollywood, but who on earth can eat the dining plan food PLUS another meal?? Since SB won’t be here for most of the trip I’ll no doubt be bringing some meals home on Monday for him & Chris to enjoy.
As far as the parks, I was just there recently so there’s no pressure to try to see it all. I’ll probably spend time at the Magic Kingdom since I like that park more than he does, and I can try the ribs at Cosmic Rays for an early lunch. We do have Teppan Edo in Epcot for Sunday night. Teppan Edo is another place he’s expressed interest in, so at least he shouldn’t miss that. We’ll also spend at least Sunday night at Comedy Warehouse.
The plans so far are:
Friday, 9/19: Work, Cape May Café, Epcot
Saturday 9/20: MK, Pool, Boma dinner
Sunday 9/21: Puck’s Express, Mini Golf, Outlets, Pool, Teppan Edo, Comedy Warehouse
Monday 9/22: Downtown Disney – using up remaining credits “to go”, Drive Home
DAY 1 – Friday 9/19/08
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
Plan: Work, Cape May Café, Epcot
Actual: It was an easy workday and an even easier drive, with me arriving shortly before 4pm at All Star Sports. The security cast here just have you flash a driver license at them, which of course is totally useless. But, I’m of the opinion that we don’t need this security anyway. I was immediately struck by how dumpy & tacky this resort looks, and I didn’t remember thinking that before at all. There was nothing dirty or in disrepair – it is just a cheap-looking resort. There were LOTS of people milling around everywhere, too. Once I got inside the lobby they had guests lined up in the queue waiting to check in. One of my biggest peeves about the values is the mentality that we should be ok waiting in lines for everything.
The worst part was the guy of the couple in front of me positively reeked – stale stinky ashtray smell. Now I do have friends who smoke, but none of them stink – this guy was awful. I stood back as far as I could without irritating the people behind me, and was glad when the line started moving. Cast members from the other side came over and took some guests in our line, which was really nice. The cast member checking me in was very nice and also efficient. It went very quickly, and I was on my way to the baseball section. Before I went to the car though, I walked around outside to get to the food court. They’re retiling that hallway between the food court and lobby, so it’s pretty awkward and ugly right now. I was really shocked at the food court – it looks terrible! Again, nothing was broken/dirty, but it just has no visual appeal at all. They have a tent set up outside for the tables displaced from the food court due to the construction. A big construction wall doesn’t help, but this is a truly hideous area. I don’t see myself bringing SB here, although it wouldn’t faze him at all.
I parked the car in the shade (always love that) and went up to my room in building 9. We face the parking lot & trees, but that’s ok because facing the pool could be noisy. When I opened the door I immediately noticed the huge improvement in the décor & furnishing! It’s far from deluxe, but much much nicer than before. There’s a wooden armoire with a tv and some shelves and drawers. The little table & 2 chairs looks nicer now, too. Everything was clean & fresh, but it does have that cheap motel look. I was shocked to find none of the usual toiletries – instead there’s a single little bottle of combination shampoo & conditioner. Thank goodness I brought some conditioner, as I can’t use that crap! There’s no lotion either – or mouthwash. It’s strictly soap and combo shampoo.
As expected, there are no towels at the pool so you’re supposed to bring them from your room & call housekeeping for more. This makes NO sense to me. If value guests steal too many towels, having housekeeping bring as many as they ask for only increases work for housekeeping. I looked at the towels hanging in the bath and nearly fell over – these are rinky dink very thin little towels!! LOL – at the dvc resorts we have nice bath towels. These here even have ripped threads – tacky, tacky, tacky. I’ll leave a note for housekeeping tomorrow requesting 4 more towels (2 for each pool day). It’s just so tacky & demeaning to have to request a basic item like towels.
I got unpacked and turned the air conditioning way down, as it was quite warm in the room. There’s also no ceiling fan here. I know this sounds like one long whine so far, but I can’t sugar coat how I see this resort. I never thought I’d really get spoiled by dvc to the point I couldn’t stand the All Stars, but somehow it happened. SB called and reminded me I only need to sleep here, and the trip isn’t about the resort this time, lol. He’s right – but I seriously doubt I’ll book here again.
Around 4:30 or so I decided to go hang around the Beach Club and Boardwalk where it was nicer <g>. I stopped to see the baseball pool first, then went to the car and drove over to park at Beach Club Villas. There’s an entirely different feel here, and it’s much more comfortable and “nice”. I had time to kill, so I checked in the Beach Club Marketplace to see what time they started selling breakfast. They open at 7am, so I may swing by here to get a yogurt parfait if I do the Hollywood Studios early Extra Magic Hour. I know the original plan was Magic Kingdom, but I don’t feel up to facing the herded cattle lines at the All Star bus stop.
Since there was still time, I walked around the lake. The humidity has suddenly disappeared, but I’m sure it’s only temporary at this early date. It was quite hot in the sun, but there was a nice strong breeze that made the shade absolutely delightful! I just love this area, and really enjoy staying at Beach Club Villas and Boardwalk Villas.
I got back to the Beach Club around 5:30 and sat in the lobby until Nancy arrived. We moved to the sofas by the window and went to check in at 5:40. Right after our 5:45 reservation time the beeper went off and we were seated. Our server was ok, but she was very difficult for me to understand (due to an accent), and she spent a little too much time leaning against the wall looking pretty when we had plates that could be cleared. But overall she was ok. Nothing special, but not bad. I meant to take pictures but forgot, and after all everyone knows what a buffet looks like. There isn’t anything on this buffet that should be something someone’s never seen before.
We ate a little bit of a lot of different things and were both stuffed when we left. That’s what I hate about buffets, but I eat more than I should anyway. I don’t eat seafood but Nancy enjoyed the bucket of clams, some shrimp, and the clam chowder. Between us we tried the ribs, mashed potatoes, prime rib, mac & cheese, pasta, beef stew, sausage & peppers, citrus salad, Caesar salad, fresh fruit, corn bread, and other stuff. I particularly liked the mashed potatoes and the ribs but hated the pasta and wasn’t crazy about the citrus salad. The desserts were all good, with some better than others. The famous oreo bon bons were very good, but so rich! I took 2 and could only eat 1. It’s an oreo cookie with cookies & cream stuff on top then it’s all covered in chocolate powder. They had some tiny key lime tarts that were nothing special, and I didn’t care for the blondie either. Nancy said the cheesecake was sort of lemon, and I noticed she didn’t eat more than a bite. They had lots of different cookies, and I tried to eat an oatmeal raisin cookie but couldn’t manage even half. There were also little square german chocolate things that were good but very sweet. SB would have loved this place, but Nancy enjoyed filling in for him <g>. We also each had a glass of pinot grigio, so we ended up with a check for the wine (used DDE for 20% off) and also paid the gratuity on the dinner. Out of pocket it was about $12 for each of us.
We said our goodbyes and I talked to SB as I waddled out of the Beach Club. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I needed to keep walking vs going to lie down! I decided to enter Epcot and walk around World Showcase but once I got inside there I saw how crowded it was. Tonight is evening Extra Magic Hours, so it’s always much more crowded than it would otherwise be. I got as far as Canada and realized I didn’t want to deal with the crowds here so I turned around and walked back to the Beach Club to get my car.
On the path to the villas the sprinklers were running, so I got fairly wet but didn’t mind since it felt good and I knew I would dry fairly soon. I drove over to Downtown Disney and found a decent parking spot for Pleasure Island. I can’t skip saying – I HATE that they’re closing Comedy Warehouse! I headed over there, arriving about 7:30. I hung out with other regulars Larry & Phyllis, then Maureen & her daughter Stacey and several others arrived. I got David in under my pass, since his had expired & he was having to buy full-price single night tickets. We counted the people getting in line so we knew when to enter – there ended up being about 14 of us in all so we crossed both sides of the stairway when seated.
Carol Stein was on the keys tonight. The 8:00 cast was Brian, Joy, Matt, Christine & John. After the opening song Matt led the others in Conducted Story. Tonight’s story was called “Eeyores never walk backwards”. It was about a bunch of donkeys at the Grand Canyon who wear gray gabardine clothes and gold lame helmets to attract the tourists. Eventually Hannah Montana showed up in the story as well. As each actor messed up in telling the story the audience would shout DIE and that actor would have to perform a theatrical death using audience suggestions. Joy died first, in a silent slow motion death by a walker. John died by a Qtip, and then Brian did a soap opera death by pizza and a 1967 Corvette Stingray. That left Christine as the winner, and she wrapped up the story as a Fill in the Blank finish.
It was a terrific show, and I would surely have loved the next one, but I needed to try to catch up on some sleep and be ready to head out early in the morning. So, I walked back to the car and drove back to All Star Sports. I parked around the back near my room, which is very close to the stairwell closest to the parking lot. I’d talked to SB on the drive back (while watching the Illuminations fireworks too) and we were both tired, so we said our goodnights early. Back in the room (oh how I want to say “studio” lol) I saw they don’t have the plastic laundry bags here, but I’d brought one from home just in case <g>. We can throw the dirty sweaty clothes in there and then I’ll dump them in the washing machine when I get home – it’s easier than repacking dirty stuff.
I finished up the report and then got online for a bit. I watched today’s General Hospital on SoapNet at 10, and hopefully went to bed at 11. Although I do NOT like this resort, I DO like being up here and am looking forward to the rest of the trip!
DAY 2 – Saturday 9/20/08
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
Plan: MK, Pool, Boma dinner
Actual: Last night I really did turn the tv off at 11, and was asleep in no time. The room was quiet and the bed was comfortable, just what I hope for at any resort or hotel. I did hear someone nearby showering yesterday when I was awake, but the value resorts are notorious for sending bathroom noises to many surrounding rooms! I’d set the alarm for 5:45 and didn’t wake up until it went off.
After a quick shower I got dressed and made some cappuccino. I brought an electric hot pot and some Disney disposable coffee cups with me – saved from a previous dvc stay just for this purpose. It’s easier than washing out a real mug since this room doesn’t come with dishwashing liquid. A friend emailed thinking that the values have different toilet paper than the deluxe and dvc resorts, so I checked and she’s absolutely right! The paper is thinner and stiffer but perfectly fine – it’s even an entirely different brand. I never would have thought they’d give us cheaper toilet paper in these rooms, but Disney is watching their pennies, lol!
I left the room about 6:45 or so, and drove over to the Beach Club. I parked at Beach Club Villas and walked through (it is so gorgeous here – and nobody was around except one cast member straightening chairs so it was really peaceful. The Beach Club Marketplace had just opened, so I went inside and ordered a yogurt parfait. They have vanilla yogurt and you can add fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, granola and chocolate chips. I had just strawberries and granola in my yogurt, and they mix it all up before pouring it into the cup. I forgot to take a photo again – shame on me. But honestly, it didn’t really look like something you’d take a photo of <g>. I ate it on my walk to Hollywood Studios, and I got there about 7:30.
The lines at the turnstiles were short, so I joined one and waited 15 minutes for them to let us into the park. It’s always interesting watching the other people at a busy place like WDW. We had many well-behaved kids patiently waiting or playing quietly, and only a couple screamers – the ones who are quiet and then shriek for no apparent reason. There was a couple who had huge colorful Disney tattoos (all over his legs, on her back). It looked like she made his shirt and her skirt, as the material was matching. Both the shirt and skirt were hideous – a dark red with white imprints, then each had a giant hidden mickey shape with a picture of Mickey on a beach. That part was all blue, & colors that looked horrid on the dark red & white material. I know SB would refuse to wear matching outfits with me – thank goodness! I also saw a normal-looking group of people except for the man with hair on his head buzzed to about ¼ inch but a humungous dark beard that looked like a chia (sp?) pet had flown onto his chin and was not letting go! It was really bizarre – big & bushy, which was a weird contrast to his super short haircut.
Finally at 7:45 they let us through the turnstiles to go stand at the rope. A young boy in the family next to me threw up, and the dad went to tell the cast member but they didn’t get anyone over there to clean it up before they dropped the rope. Hopefully not too many people stepped in it – I really thought the cast members would have blocked off the area. Almost everyone was headed to Toy Story Midway Mania, but most of them went to the fastpass machines. I makes sense to do that, as if you get a fastpass really quickly you can then ride standby before the line is long. I thought of that AFTER I passed the machines, so that’s a lesson for next time <g>.
2 cars are hooked together, so 8 people go through at a time. I was number 5, so I was on the first ride vehicle of the day. It was a lot of fun, although I think the first time was a little more fun just because I didn’t know what to expect completely. I think I scored 71k points, but have no idea if that is good or pathetic – probably on the pathetic side <g>. When I got back outside at 8:15 the wait was now 40 minutes, which is better than a few weeks ago when it was 70 minutes at this point.
I walked around a bit, enjoying NY Street and seeing the Osborne Lights had started going up. Most of the buildings were covered, but none of the extra pieces were out yet. I pretty much had the park to myself, so I wandered around for a little bit longer, then headed out of the park. I’d just missed the boat, so I sat to wait for the next one. When it came, I recognized one of the captains as a guy who used to work the front desk at Old Key West. I don’t know him, so I didn’t say anything to him. The other captain opened the trashcan and was digging around in the trash. She found a carry out container and took it over to the edge of the dock and fed the food to the ducks. I thought that was a bit strange – the digging around in the trash part. I sat outside at the back of the boat and enjoyed the ride to Swan/Dolphin and then Yacht/Beach. I got off there and walked into Epcot with no wait at all.
My first stop was the Land, where Soarin’ had a posted 10-minute standby wait. I picked up a fastpass first (return time 10am) then entered the standby line. There was no wait at all, and I ended up in the middle of the front row in the center section – it was great! Afterwards I walked onto Living with the Land, which hadn’t changed much in 3 weeks. Several of the little alligators were moving around – usually they’re all just laying still. When I got off the boat I had time to visit the restroom and then use my fastpass (actually I did stand off to the side and had to wait about 30 seconds). This time I got the 2nd row, but that’s fine. I hope to get front/center once, and after that I don’t care where I end up. I did see people waiting for that row on the next showing, but that wait just seems to long to me!
I guess by now it was 10:15 or so. I left the Land and walked over towards Test Track. Along the way the Jammitors were performing, and had drawn quite a crowd. They are very good, but it’s so noisy to me that I always just hustle on by. Test Track had a posted 20-minute standby and 20-minute single rider wait posted. I went in the single rider line, and had no wait at all. Nobody else was in line, so when I reached the cast member she opened the door and let me into my own private pre-show. Near the end she opened the door again and let 1 more single rider in there. I was put in the front row with a group of 5 women & girls, and enjoyed the ride.
After the ride I walked back towards the information booth in Future World, and wouldn’t you know the Jammitors were now playing on this side, lol! I hustled past again, and at the tip board asked what time the counter service restaurants in World Showcase opened. The cast member told me 11am. Armed with that information, I walked over to United Kingdom and sat at a shady table outside Rose & Crown Pub to wait for the 11am rope drop. A segway tour went by – I would never wear those helmets, so I’ll never do the tour. Talk about a bad hair day for me!
At 11 I walked to Morocco and found the Tangierine Café doors closed. Eventually I asked someone there and learned they open at 11:30!! Don’t you just love the answers you get from cast members at times? I sat for a while, then wandered over to America. The American Adventure was starting in a few minutes, at 11:15. But, it’s a 35-minute show and I wanted to be at lunch at 11:30. I feigned interest in the exhibits, but really I was just sucking up some air conditioning! On the way back I stopped in Japan and walked through the big department store – again, for air conditioning. Chris called when I got outside to tell me our fish had died. This is the 2nd one, and it needs to be the last. I can’t take the loss, even when it’s “just a fish”. I get attached to the silly things.
It was back to Morocco, where I sat on a shady bench until 11:30. Tangierine Café had quite a little rush when they opened – 2 parties ahead of me and several came in while I was waiting to order. With the dining plan you get a drink and dessert, and they allow bottled water. I got the chicken & lamb platter with a bottled water and baklava for dessert. I also paid out of pocket for a glass of white wine, and got a cup of ice cubes to keep the wine chilled. Had I paid out of pocket for the meal (excluding wine) it would have been $18.50 plus tax, so this place is a good value on the DDP. However, even I thought the portion was pretty small for a $13.99 platter. It had 3 scoops of different salads or hummus, which I didn’t bother with. The chicken was the weirdest chicken I’ve ever seen – it was like planks and it was a funky color and texture. It wasn’t bad, but I won’t rush back to pay for this meal. I ate some of the lamb and some of the chicken with some of the bread – it tasted good but didn’t knock my socks off.
The baklava was very good, and I ate every bite of that. I don’t like wasting food, but I especially don’t like wasting the good stuff – dessert! I brought the water back to the room, since I had the wine with lunch. When I finished I left Epcot and walked through the sprinklers (to cool off) behind Beach Club again. When I got back to All Stars, the security guy was holding up a room key and indicating I was to flash mine at him. I pointed to the parking pass, and he gestured with the card again. I’m not usually one to do this, but I just drove on through – stopping to dig out my room key was NOT on the agenda! Plus, I’d seen him doing this and people just hold up their card from inside their car – he cannot see a name or date, so I could flash a card from a year ago and gain access with his blessing. Hopefully Mickey doesn’t issue a warrant for my arrest, but I’ll take my chances.
Back in the room I was disappointed to see the housekeeper hadn’t gotten there yet. Someone has to be the last room of the day, and it looks like this trip mine is at the end of the list. I changed into my swimsuit and headed down to the baseball pool. It wasn’t very busy there, although people came & went. I lasted about 1.5 hours before returning to the room for another shower. The housekeeper was knocking on the door as I arrived, so I just got new towels and some extras for the pool and gave her my dirty towels. I can live without the rest of the service.
I’m a bit concerned about SB’s ability to get up here at a decent time tomorrow, as he didn’t finish up there until about 2 today. They’ve got staff meetings, meetings with each individual player, plus the workouts – something I need to remember when scheduling trips next September! I don’t have a friend to eat his dinner tomorrow, so hopefully he makes it! Otherwise, I’ll be standing in Japan asking strangers to eat with me <g>.
After showering again I updated the report and did some reading online. Around 3 I was actually hungry, so I made a cup of cappuccino. I knew if I went and used a snack credit I would ruin dinner. It was a quiet, relaxing rest of the afternoon.
About 5 I headed out – driving my car to Animal Kingdom Lodge. This will be my “base” for bus transportation tonight, as the All Star bus stops are the furthest away and most likely to be mobbed later. I was surprised to see it rained while I was in the room. I didn’t hear any rain – just lots of toilets <g> from other rooms. I had to use my umbrella going into Animal Kingdom Lodge, and outside at some of the savannahs until the rain stopped for good. There were not many animals visible, which surprised me. Only one was really close, and that was a big giraffe.
I wandered by each savannah and then went inside and walked the hallways looking for more viewing. I tried to find a spot to get a good view of Kidani Village, but the end of the wing closest to it doesn’t have an outside stairwell. I plan to stay there next Labor Day weekend to give it a try and compare it to the original building. Eventually I went downstairs to check in at Boma, and Mary arrived shortly after that.
We sat on a bench when one emptied and were chatting quite a while when I realized it was odd my beeper hadn’t gone off. I checked with the desk again, and I think they accidentally deleted me after giving me the beeper. In any event, they seated us very quickly after that – about 30 minutes after the reservation time. The entire time this restaurant was absolutely mobbed, with a steady stream of people coming and going (and waiting).
Since Mary was due at work by 10 (she was in the last 3 shows tonight) she couldn’t drink so I skipped the wine also. I had checked the wine list and there wasn’t anything I wanted to try, so it was no loss. The line at the buffet was pretty long – I think maybe they squeezed in a few too many tables, creating the longer lines. Again I took no photos, as buffet food looks like buffet food and I would never remember what half of it was anyway! Between us we tried a lot of different things, but not eating a lot of anything. I did better than last night, as I didn’t leave feeling like I was about to explode! Mary loved the soups, and I was a little bummed they didn’t have any of the ones I really like tonight. They also didn’t have the Durban chicken I love, but I had part of a regular chicken breast with some Boma mustard that was pretty good. Mary loved the nut crusted salmon, and we both like the potatoes with afritude. One surprise to me was the watermelon & tomato salad – it had a light vinaigrette dressing and it was really good. I’d never think of watermelon and salad dressing but it worked.
The desserts were terrific, and one or both of us tried almost everything. I still don’t like Zebra Domes, but she did. I think I’m one of the very few who doesn’t, but that’s ok. They had banana bread pudding that was excellent, especially with the vanilla sauce. For me the best thing overall though, was the chocolate mousse crunch, which was simply chocolate mousse full of chocolate chunks. I should have just gotten a bowl of that, and the heck with dinner!
It was a great meal, and I enjoyed just sitting and catching up (between bites <g>). We ended up being there just over 2 hours, but it didn’t feel that long. Mary offered to give me a ride when I said I was going to catch the bus to Magic Kingdom, but I’m very glad I refused. I figured since only buses can pull into the MK, I didn’t want her going so far out of her way only to NOT really get me there. However, I later found out that traffic was a nightmare in the MK area, so we would have been sitting in gridlock.
I headed to the bus stop and thought it was a little odd that the MK stop was mobbed. We saw several other buses come, including 3 or 4 for Epcot. People were getting antsy, saying they had to be in the park by 9pm or they wouldn’t be let in. I don’t think they understand the bus takes TO the park itself, and not to a boat we’d have to ride for the last leg. They were going to see the special fireworks put on by some pyrotechnics convention, which is what my plans were as well. Supposedly this super-duper display would take place at 9:30 all around the lakes around the MK.
I got to the bus stop around 8:20 and was fed up by 8:40. People were saying they’d been there over 45 minutes without seeing a single MK bus. One of the drivers mentioned the terrible traffic by the MK.
When a Downtown Disney bus came I decided to get on and try switching to a monorail resort when I got to the Marketplace. However, once I got there it was another frustrating wait – evidently most of those buses were stuck as well. I finally got on the Grand Floridian & Fort Wilderness bus, but by now I realized I was not going to get to the MK in time, and would face awful traffic getting out. So, when the bus stopped at Pleasure Island I got off and hopped on the waiting Animal Kingdom Lodge bus! Back at the Lodge I got my car and drove back to All Star Sports. I spent almost 2 hours doing nothing but riding Disney buses for nothing!
I got some ice for the cooler to chill a couple bottles of water for SB tomorrow, then decided to take a walk down to the food court. The resort was relatively peaceful until I got to the food court. What a disaster this place is – and so ugly! It was very busy, with long lines at the registers. There was nothing I could possibly want to deal with that, so I went outside (the hallway is open now) and checked the bar to see if they had any interesting wines. LOL – what was I thinking? They did have wine, but it was nothing special and I didn’t want to bother. I should have stopped at Puck’s when I was there and had a glass of the 14 Hands Riesling, but it was so crowded at the bus stop I figured everything would be mobbed.
So, I walked back to the room and finished up the report before talking to SB for a while. I don’t have to get up early tomorrow, so that probably means I’ll be awake before dawn <g>. Hopefully he’ll make it up here before too late tomorrow – we’re both looking forward to trying Teppan Edo for dinner.
Today was a very nice day – except for not getting to Magic Kingdom tonight. Sometimes things don’t work out, but looking at the big picture – so what! There’s always next time.
DAY 3 – Sunday 9/21/08
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
SB (51), Sexy Boyfriend
Plan: Puck’s Express, Mini Golf, Outlets, Pool, Teppan Edo, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: I stayed up a little later than planned, and realized after I turned out the light that I hadn’t opened the drapes. I like the daylight to wake me when I’m here, and that didn’t happen this morning, so it was 7:40 when I woke up! At the dvc resorts it’s so much nicer because nobody can walk past your balcony/porch – especially on the upper floors. I sleep with the drapes and sheers wide open – it’s so pretty going to sleep seeing the lights reflecting off the water (at Boardwalk or Saratoga Springs), or the moon & the stars (everywhere else). I feel cooped-in at these motel-style rooms.
I took a shower and got dressed, then SB called. They were doing church services for the players – if church is so darn important, give them the day off I say! He’s hoping to be able to get out of there by 2, which would put him here around 5. Good thing our dinner is 7:15, but we’ll miss some of Comedy Warehouse.
Around 8:30 I headed out and drove over to Downtown Disney and parked near Wolfgang Puck’s Express. I was surprised by the number of cars already in the parking lot, considering the only thing open was Earl of Sandwich. I had a short wait for Puck’s to open, along with a few couples. I was the 2nd to order, and the ddp gets me an entrée and 2 beverages for breakfast. I got 2 bottles of water and the omelet with tomato, mozzarella and goat cheese (cost without the plan $18 or so). It was very good, but I barely ate half, knowing I’d need to eat again soon! The omelets really are big enough to share anyway – we (Americans in general) just do NOT need to be eating the quantities of food that we do.
After breakfast I want to Goofy’s Candy Co (speaking of eating badly, lol) and got 3 pretzel rods to snack on later. One had M&Ms, one butterfinger and one peanut butter cups. I had time to kill so I drove back to All Star Sports and relaxed in the room for a little bit.
A little before 10 I drove to the mini golf courses near Blizzard Beach – I think they’re called Winterland and Summerland. They’re both themed as Christmas, but the décor is either snowy or tropical. I got there a few minutes before they opened and was the first guest. I didn’t want to risk being stuck behind anybody, and I am a lot faster as a solo and didn’t feel like waiting at every hole! As it turned out the people who came behind me chose winter, and I was on the summer course. The golf course is cute, and very decorated. Some of the décor looked pretty cheap/cheesy, but that’s what you find at a lot of mini golf courses so perhaps that was intentional. I forgot to get a score card, but figured what the heck – I’m not competing with anyone so I didn’t bother to keep score. This course seems pretty forgiving – I made a number of lousy shots but the ball would roll into the hole anyway. I got one hole-in-one, on a very easy one.
When I finished it was only 10:20 and I was dripping wet from sweating. Even in the shade it was just HOT! One hole had a little bridge and when you step on it sprinklers start spraying you. I wasn’t impressed, as I had my camera out! When I turned in my club they gave me a golf ball with Goofy peeking out from behind a surf board. I assume they have a winter-themed golf ball for guests golfing the other side.
I decided to not bother returning to the room as there wasn’t much time before the outlets opened. I stopped for gas at the Hess station across from Pleasure Island, then drove over to the Premium Outlets. Traffic was a pain, and I forgot about Sunday church. This is such an awful location for an outlet mall and a huge church like that. When I got to the outlets the parking lot was mobbed, which surprised me. It was before 11 and the website said the stores didn’t open until 11 on Sundays. However, they were all open already.
I only went to the Character Warehouse, and found nothing. I was back at my car about 5 minutes after 11 and thankfully the traffic was light. I breezed right onto Disney property faster than ever before, which was a pleasant surprise! I stopped at Downtown Disney and hunted for one of the few remaining empty parking spots. Wolfgang Puck’s Express was now serving their regular menu so I ordered the half rosemary rotisserie chicken “to go”, along with another bottle of water and the crème brulee (cost without the plan just over $20). I figure if SB wants a snack when he gets in or after Comedy Warehouse, he can eat this – if not, I’ll drag it home tomorrow. I didn’t think though, that we don’t have a microwave here at the lovely All Stars. While I waited for his food I had a glass of the 14 Hands Riesling and sat outside on the patio.
Afterwards I drove back to All Star Sports and put the crème brulee into the cooler. Later I’ll change the ice and add the chicken dinner in there. I updated the report then changed into my swimsuit and went down to the baseball pool for a while. It wasn’t too busy, which was nice. There hasn’t been a lifeguard on duty and the fountain in the center hasn’t been operating since I’ve been here. I spent part of the time laying on my back on the shelf inside the pool with just a couple inches of water. It was so hot it was tough sitting on a lounge chair. A mom with a teenage boy with down syndrome were at the pool and he was the highest functioning person I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t thrilled when he started booming our national anthem and then Canada’s in his terrible singing voice, but he certainly had spirit. He was talking (flirting) with 2 young ladies several chairs down from me, so of course everyone on that side heard every word. He was really really intelligent, and even went over to the girls and shook their hands when he left the pool area with his mom. One of our baseball friends has down syndrome, but she’s not nearly as talkative & social as this young man! The people who live where I work function at the level of a toddler (or younger) for the most part, although biologically they’re middle-aged adults. So, it was interesting to see someone who functions at the extreme high end of the spectrum.
I was back in the room by 2:15 – just couldn’t take the heat any more! SB got on the road at quarter to 2, so hopefully he’ll be here a little before 5. I took another shower, got dressed, and dried my hair. It was time to empty the cooler and replace the ice, so I did that and placed the chicken dinner in a plastic bag and then set it on top of the ice in the cooler. I ate the crème brulee, knowing it would not still be good tomorrow. It was delicious! I wasn’t hungry but ate it anyway. We still have 3 counter service meals and 4 snacks left, on top of the meal in the cooler and tonight’s dinner at Teppan Edo!
I talked SB in the rest of the way, and saw him enter the parking lot, but then he walked up the wrong Coca-cola cup and I lost him, lol! Eventually we met at the middle of the building and went to the room. He thought the hotel would be a great place for spring training for the minor league guys, and liked the baseball theme. He also thought the room was awfully small, and missed the kitchen stuff and ceiling fan. But, it’s fine if all you want is a place to sleep & shower.
We headed out and drove over to Beach Club Villas to park. Most of his trips have been at this resort, so it feels like home to us. We walked into Epcot and went straight to Japan, arriving about 5:30 I think. We checked in and asked if we could be seated earlier than our 7:15 reservation time, so they said it would be 20-30 minutes and gave us a beeper. We asked if it would work outside of Japan, but they said no. They no longer have a lounge, so we were going to go elsewhere. Instead, we sat inside with the beeper and it went off after about 10 minutes or so.
This was our first time here and I was surprised by the many rooms. I think most rooms had 4 tables, with each table seating 8 around the grill. We were taken to one of the very last rooms, which had 2 tables per room. We were seated with a Japanese couple who live in Tokyo, and 2 couples traveling together from Pennsylvania & North Dakota. Everyone was very nice, and when one of the cast members asked if any of us had been to Tokyo, the Japanese couple and SB and one of the other men said yes. The other man was stationed there during his military time, and he asked if the same was true for SB so SB explained he was there to play baseball for 2 weeks. That led to further discussion about baseball, what team he was on & what his name was. The 2 men were big baseball fans – 1 Yankees and the other Red Sox.
We ordered drinks – a pinot grigio you can get anywhere (Ecco Domani) for me and Kirin beer for him. He ordered the steak & shrimp combination and I ordered the chicken and steak combo. The chef came in and started cooking – first vegetables and udon noodles. He made the volcano with the onion slices and everyone got a kick out of that. He even made I erupt, and then with one “volcano no more” he chopped it up, lol! The meats were cooked separately, with chicken, shrimp and scallops prepared first, then steak. Nobody ever had nothing on their plate. Everything tasted really good, and the portion was very generous. SB ate all of his and half of mine. He felt stuffed; I felt ok <g>.
For dessert we (& the Japanese couple who were also on the dining plan) had the soft serve ice cream. I guess the other desserts don’t really appeal to the Japanese, either <g>. One of the other men was celebrating a birthday so they bought him a chocolate thing – perhaps chocolate ginger cake with a candle in it. The men both asked SB for his autograph before we left, and one of them only had his restaurant check to write on, lol. They said having dinner with him was the highlight of their trip. Overall it was a great meal, good service, and enjoyable company.
We left the restaurant shortly after 7 and exited Epcot. I was sad leaving for the last time this trip, but we’ll be back here next Sunday. We drove over to Downtown Disney and found a really good spot in the Pleasure Island parking lot. There was a small line at Comedy Warehouse, so we sat at a table with Leesa until they opened the line. By counting (this was all new to SB) we got the row we like. A few other regulars showed up and joined us. SB was amazed that we got exactly what we hoped for <g>. Carol Stein was on the keys again tonight.
The 8:00 cast was Philip, Krista, Lisa, John & Christine. Lisa & Joy were washing dishes and the others would say “freeze” and replace one of the actors in the scene. Next was Forgotten Songs, which I thought SB had seen before, but he was astounded that they were actually making up the whole song. Philip & Krista were folk singers Rainbow Skittles and Amber Saffron singing “Cryogenics and You” – very funny. Christine played in a style I can’t identify – it was familiar but I can’t think of the name – singing “Blueberries in September” about some loser man who is no longer in her life. Lisa & Joy were 2 fat ladies singing “Whoopie Cushion”, an opera bout what time has done to their bodies. Lisa refused to take her costume off after the song, and sure enough she kept it on for the rest of the show. They also did Actor’s Nightmare, where Philip had to make sense of a scene where the other 3 actors read from the script of 3 different plays. Overall it was a very good show!
The 9:10 cast was Philip, Jennifer Broussard, Krista, Christine & Joy. Philip & Joy did a scene about kittens on sale and it was excellent. Next they took turns (each as a different character) telling the story about a drunken festival in some small town in Ontario. Lisa was the poor pole dancer who got her breasts stuck to the pole because it’s so cold, and other people thought she was a prepubescent boy. Krista was the bar owner, Philip was a riot as the Canadian Mounted Police who brought his horse into the bar when he went to warm up the air to release Lisa from the pole, then they fell & were rolling around in the steaming turd his horse dropped on the dance floor. It was very funny. They also did a scene where 2 actors are performing, 2 have their backs turned, and Philip would freeze the action and call for someone to replace one of the 2 in the scene – using that physical position but starting a new scene. Again, it was a great show.
The 10:25 cast was Mary, Lisa, Krista, Philip and Jennifer. They opened with the poem “My Panties are in an Uproar”. Next Krista & Lisa started a scene about seeing a car accident and had to continue it in 3 different musical styles when Jennifer called it. They did reggae, blues, and bluegrass and it was very funny.
They did a scene that started with Philip & Jennifer on their honeymoon in the Everglades where he got bit by a snapping turtle. Each actor was a certain character, and they rotated in & out so 2 were performing at any given time. Jennifer had lost a thumb, so her husband Philip donated one of his toes to replace it. She was shunned from her job as a hand model and he was fired from his job at Foot Locker for not being a whole man. It was a sick scene but very funny! Next they had 2 scenes running at the same time. A word or phrase spoken in one scene would trigger the other start up again. Jennifer & Philip did a scene about a beach ball, while Mary & Lisa were in the renaissance.
They also did Should Have Said, with Lisa ringing the bell. Philip was Walt Disney, designing Epcot. Mary was his wife and Jennifer was his brother Roy Disney. It was another great show. When it ended I verified with Carol that she’d gotten the job at Rose & Crown Pub, so we’ll have to stop in there some night next month to check it out. There were LOTS of people seeking photos taking with the cast, autographs, etc. We waited & saw Mary briefly – she told Floyd he loved his dinner the night she filled in for him, lol. We said we’d be back next Saturday, then headed out.
The drive back to All Stars seems so long! There were a lot of cars arriving at the same time so I went to the right-hand lane and never had to stop or show any id at all. Someone on another board used an appropriate term for the farce they call security here – Security Theater <g>. It’s not real, but they have a costume. It was midnight by the time we got in, and we were up for a while after that. SB set the alarm for 3:30 am – yikes!
Today was a great day once again. I’ve never mini golfed here before, and while it’s not something I’d pay to do (especially almost $12), I was glad to do it for free. I’m glad SB came up, although he was here only about 10-11 hours. Dinner at Japan was great, and we’d repeat it if we do free dining again next year. Comedy Warehouse was a great way to end the day – we’ll both really miss this place.
DAY 4 – Monday 9/22/08
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
Plan: Downtown Disney – using up remaining credits “to go”, Drive Home
Actual: The alarm went off at 3:30 am, but I was already somewhat awake. SB dressed, brushed his teeth and was out the door in about 10 minutes. He did take the Puck’s chicken dinner with him, so that’s one less thing for me to bring back! I finished yesterday’s report and ate the last pretzel rod, then took my shower and finished packing up my stuff.
Shortly after 6 I walked over to the food court, somewhat surprised to see others walking around as well. I love the early morning hours when most people are asleep and everything is so quiet. That’s one of the reasons I got up with SB this morning at 3:30! I heard a noise that sounded like some idiot whistling to his kids or wife, but it turned out to be a bird chirping <g>. At the food court a man and his kids were eating breakfast. Most of the stations don’t open until 7, but the bakery was getting stocked and the market was ready. I used a snack credit for a yogurt parfait and brought it back to the room. I only have 3 meals and 3 snacks left to use before I leave this morning, lol!
Sometime after 7 I took a load of stuff out to the car, then brought the cooler to the ice machine to refresh the ice in there. I figure I’ll eat a meal for a late breakfast, then bring 2 meals home for tonight’s dinner. Around 7:30 or so I went to the main building for my first All Star bus ride of the trip. Animal Kingdom opens at 8 for resort guests this morning, so I’ll do the safari and perhaps wander around a bit.
When I got the main building I was shocked (but shouldn’t have been) to see a ridiculously long line at the Animal Kingdom bus stop. It was easily 2-3 busloads of people! There’s no freakin’ way I’m putting up with the cattle mentality, so I walked back and got into my car and drove over there. I was parked in the very first row of guest parking, so it was an easy walk into the park.
Again, the clueless people were out in full force. It was very busy, so lines were long. At the bag check I noticed the line I joined was only using 1 side of the table, when they’re supposed to use both. I told the woman in front of me (with a stroller) that both sides were open, figuring I’d follow her. She just said “go ahead” – maybe she was afraid she’d be breaking a rule?? I got through in no time, then purposely headed to the turnstiles on the far right. Rather than pick a line with 20-30 people ahead of me I chose one of the 2 turnstiles that had about 2-3 people ahead of me. I rounded the corner to the bridge just as the characters were counting down to park opening.
It was a bigger crowd than I expected, and a lot of people were going to the safari. I figured they’d all go to Expedition Everest! It was a fairly slow walk, but I got to Kilimanjaro Safari and joined the standby line. The fastpass machines weren’t on, so they probably don’t start them until 9am. The line stopped at times, and it was the longest I’ve waited for this in years.
As I got near the boarding area they pulled a bunch of us out of line to board one of the handicapped trucks. That saved a little time on the front end, but you give it back at the end when it takes longer to get to the disembark area. Most of the animals were out, but surprisingly we only saw 1 elephant. Both lions were sleeping, as usual.
After the safari I headed back towards the entrance & left the park, passing the people lined up at the turnstiles waiting for 9am. I hope they don’t mind there are already lines in there! I walked back to the car and drove over to Downtown Disney, parking at the Puck’s end of the Marketplace parking lot. I went to Goofy’s Candy Co first, and got 3 of the Mickey rice krispie treats. One is for one of my staff, and the other 2 will go home and get eaten by Chris & me. These things are so good!
Next I went to Wolfgang Puck’s Express for breakfast to use up one of the counter service meals now that the snack credits were gone (on the rice krispy treats). There was a couple at the register, and I swear I’ve never seen 2 people take so long to order breakfast! Finally they stepped aside, and I ordered the cornflake crusted French toast. Today the person working said with the meal plan I get 1 bottled drink and 1 cup drink. I didn’t bother to challenge it, so I got a bottle of water and a cup of ice water. I don’t drink soda and didn’t want tea, coffee or milk.
I sat inside, since I had the chocolate treat with me and didn’t want the humidity to make them soft. The French toast was good, but it’s so darn HUGE! They serve 3 big pieces, and honestly 1 is plenty. 2 should be enough for a big appetite, and 3 is just insane. I ate one, and some of the fruit, then got a “to go” box for the other 2 pieces. Perhaps Chris will eat it tonight or tomorrow. I decided to head back to the resort so I got the car and drove back to All Star Sports. I hung out in the room relaxing a bit, and updated the report thus far. I noticed I never got the phone call welcoming me on check-in day, or the message saying goodbye yesterday. That’s pretty much standard at the dvc resorts, even though it’s a recording and not a personal message. Yet another nice touch that I guess they don’t bother with for value resort guests.
Just before 11 I left the room for the last time, and drove over to Coronado Springs. With 2 counter service credits left I figured this was a good place to spend them in terms of value and convenience. It had been a long while since I was at Coronado Springs, and it’s still as pretty as I remembered. It’s a definite step up from the All Stars – a big step. However, unless they’ve redone the rooms they are rather ugly inside. Here the beauty is all outside!
The Pepper Market was very busy – strangely busy. Breakfast was just ending and there were a lot of people in line trying to buy it. I decided to get a combo platter from the Asian stand, figuring that would travel the best. I got bourbon chicken and kung bao chicken along with an eggroll. The portion they give now is a lot smaller than before, and when you compare these prices to what you’d pay at a Chinese restaurant I felt I’d been taken advantage of! I mean it’s a good thing to have more reasonable sized portions, but adjust the price accordingly! I ended up ordering another one for SB, this one with bourbon chicken and beef stirfry. These will be our dinners tonight. Dessert here on the meal plan is any of the cheaper items like cookies or Danish. I got a cookie and a pecan roll, then 2 bottles of water. The total if I wasn’t on the dining plan was $48, which is ridiculous for what I had.
I got everything put away in the cooler and trunk, then headed home. It was an easy drive, except for being tired. SB finished work right before I got to the ballpark, so he waited for me at home to unload the trunk for me. Chris immediately ate the rest of the French toast, remembering it from last time, lol! He baked while we were gone – homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. And, sadly, our fish did in fact die. I think we’re not meant to have them, as coming into our home is the kiss of death.
Despite my negative (but true) comments about All Star Sports, it did serve it’s purpose. I slept well, was not disturbed by people noise (just toilets, showers and sinks <g>) and it was worth it for the “free” dining. I wouldn’t make a habit of staying here, because the resort is very important to me. However, if I was a person who spent all of my time in the parks and I only needed a place to sleep and shower – then the value resorts would be my first choice.
The dining was really good – at least the table service meals. Cape May, Boma and Teppan Edo were all excellent. I had terrific company at each meal too, which made it all the better. Some counter service meals I know I will never order again, but it was nice trying them for “free”. And, of course I love the snacks – those custom made rice krispie things!
The next trip is in just 5 days - overnight this Saturday at Pop Century. We won’t head up until after SB’s game, so we’ll have time to check in and have dinner before Comedy Warehouse. It’s the final night, so it’ll be mobbed. Sunday we’ll hit Food & Wine Festival to sample food from the booths before heading home. The “real” Food & Wine trip isn’t until late October.
Photos from this trip can be found at:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=34p4jkm.4abaedkb&x=0&y=-kiuq6o&localeid=en_US
Until next time – thanks for reading.