Trip Reports
02-20-2007, 09:44 PM
Sue Holland - March 2003 - offsite, Beach Club Resort
Time of Year: Winter
Travel Method: Personal Car
Resort: Offsite, BCR
Accommodations: Standard
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran
Comments: A gathering of Internet friends gave Sue an unplanned reason to visit the resort for a short trip. Note: As Sue spend time at Pleasure Island and in other adult venues on this trip, this report has some information that may not be appropriate for young readers.
Sue Holland -- March 2003 – Walt Disney World (Offsite, BCR)
Note: As Sue spent time at Pleasure Island and in other adult venues on this trip, this report has some information that may not be appropriate for young readers.
Who/When/Where:
Who:
Sue (me), DVC member
Appearances by:
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Tracy & Tyger, Comedy Warehouse regulars
Kelly, Adie & Lisa, Mary Ellen, Jean - Fortress friends
Dates: March 28 - 30, 2003
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Leesa's condo (2nts), Beach Club Villas studio (1nt)
Experience: Extremely experienced
INTRODUCTION:
This is another fairly sudden, unplanned trip. I think it's also the 6th or 7th weekend in the past 2 months that I got to spend time at the Comedy Warehouse, which has been really nice. This time what lured me to WDW again is the chance to have lunch with a bunch of Internet friends. The lunch was scheduled for Sunday, so it made as much sense to spend Friday/Saturday up there as it did to stay home - well, actually I guess it made more sense to go up, otherwise I would have stayed home <g>. Originally I was going up Friday and returning home right after lunch on Sunday. However, since Mary at the Comedy Warehouse changed her nights off I haven't seen her in the past several trips because my trips have been so short. When she said she'd be working this Sunday I decided to stay over that night and drive directly to work from WDW (getting there a couple of hours late).
Leesa is always a gracious host, and doesn't seem to mind my frequent stays since we always go to Comedy Warehouse <g>. Kelly is arriving for a solo vacation from the hubby and kids, staying at the Beach Club Villas, and invited me to stay in her studio on Saturday and Sunday nights. I ended up deciding to spend the first 2 nights at Leesa's, so she'd get to spend 2 nights at CW and see Adie & Lisa on Saturday. If the weather is decent, I'll spend part of the day at Typhoon Lagoon while Leesa is sleeping and doing stuff around the house. On Sunday I'll move in to Kelly's studio, have lunch with everyone, and get one more night at Comedy Warehouse. It'll be a short trip, but I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.
The plans (subject to change) so far...
Fri 3/28: Work, Comedy Warehouse
Sat 3/29: Typhoon Lagoon, Atlanta Bread, Comedy Warehouse
Sun 3/30: Fortress lunch, Comedy Warehouse
Mon 3/31: Drive to work
DAY 1 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2003:
Who: Sue, DVC Member
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Tracy, Comedy Warehouse regular
Plan: Work, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: Last night Lisa (of Adie & Lisa) was whining about where my pre-trip report was, and I told her I'd post it this morning. This morning I was getting ready for work and saw both Adie & Lisa get online. Fearing a butt kicking (even though I'm "rugged and durable", I'm not a masochist <g>), I dropped what I was doing and tried to post the damn report. Of course, this was the time that AOL decided to have mail not functioning! I ended up shutting down and restarting AOL, which worked - whew!! I also forgot to include Leigh as one of the Fortress friends, who will be there on Sunday, so I'm batting close to zero so far <g>. I think all of the Fortress people who will be meeting Sunday are DVC members, too.
Work passed fairly quickly and I was on the road by 4. The first 15 minutes or so of the drive was spent dealing with a crisis at work (the phone rang just after I left the property) over tires for our big lawnmowers. This is why I went to college, after all <g>. I made a couple of calls and that was the end of it. Traffic on my side of the road was light, but there must have been an accident on I-75 southbound because it was a parking lot for several miles. I was very glad to be headed northbound! Leesa called just as I pulled onto Disney Property, and told me where she was waiting. Now that Pleasure Island doesn't open until 7pm, we can't get our wristbands early and bypass the line to get in at 7.
I parked in our usual lot and went to meet Leesa. It was only 6:45 so I ran down to Bongo's to get a beef empanada from the outdoor window. Thankfully nobody was in line, because this window is always so slow. The empanada was pretty good, though. The Wetzel's Pretzels place (in the old Forty Thirst Street) opens tomorrow, and also has Hagen Daz ice cream on the menu. By the time I got back the line at the turnstiles had formed, so we went over there to wait for 7pm. Dee (server at CW) was in line with some teens so we chatted briefly with her. Finally at 7pm the line started to move.
I met Tracy outside Comedy Warehouse as I was getting our passes from Susan. Tyger was not coming tonight (tough decision - boyfriend won out over CW even knowing the odds were good that Todd would be working <g>) so we added Tracy to our party for the night. It was nice to be able to see all the shows with her, instead of having her go thru the regular line and be seated far away. Once inside my phone vibrated, and I could see it was Tim - who KNOWS not to call me during Comedy Warehouse time. Since it was before the show I called him back and learned he'd found a house to buy - but then told him not to call me again tonight! I'm glad he had good news, but whenever the phone vibrates it scares the crap out of me, lol. I remember he called me during the first time I saw Fairy Tales, and I flew out of the theater thinking it was an emergency (it wasn't - he thought I was at CW and it was between shows) and then was locked out of the theater!! I had to find someone who worked there to let me back in - plus, since we'd gone with someone in a wheelchair I had no idea where the front door was because we'd been brought in past the kitchen to avoid stairs. Anyway, let's get back to this trip ;-)
Carol Stein was on the keys tonight. The 7:20 cast was Mary, Jenn Br, Rich, Chris & Krista. Mary opened the show and I was surprised to see her. The whole point of adding Sunday night to the trip was because I thought it would be my only chance to see her, and neither of us mentioned Friday or Saturday. Will I consider going home on Sunday now? Hell, no! Jenn & Chris did a ‘Fill in the Blank’ at a quilting show, using 2 audience volunteers. Unfortunately the scene went a little too long, and they hardly ever remembered to tap the volunteers for a suggestion. They gave good suggestions when asked, but there was too much time between them. Next they did ‘Up Your Alley’ about garage door installations. They used an audience volunteer - a cute young guy named Steve who was very much at ease onstage and very funny. Krista was the host Mrs. Holden (drinking, smoking) who thought Steve was pretty hot. Rich was Earl Sigfried, and Mary was a blonde named Remote. She kept coming up with really off the wall stuff (funny) - answering with a poem, etc, and Krista would cut her off abruptly, which was also funny.
Mary came over after the show, and I went down to talk to her. We sat inside between shows and I enjoyed catching up with her. I think Todd came out and was talking to Leesa & Tracy. Soon it was time to let people in, so we went back to our seats.
The 8:15 cast was Todd, Mary, Jenn Br, Krista & Matt. They opened with the ‘Name Rhyme Game’, and everyone did really well thinking of rhymes without repeating a word. Eventually Jenn Br won. Next was ‘Emotions’, with Matt & Krista as a couple planning their wedding. They're both very good, but Matt was really "on" tonight, and it was non-stop wild humor - over the top! Krista did great keeping up with him, and we were hysterical throughout most of the structure. We never knew what was coming out of his mouth next, and it was a lot of fun. They did ‘2 Forgotten Songs’ next. Todd & Mary were Brook & Shield, a couple of pretty bad lounge singers who sang "I'd cross any street for you." Jenn & Krista sang "The Fat Mom", which started out with as a lullaby and then turned into some other style that (as Jenn said) 'really kicked it up a notch'. Krista looked like a pregnant woman, but claimed to be not pregnant - just fat. It may not have been terribly sensitive, but it was funny.
They also did ‘Scene Freeze’, where each actor starts a scene about their word then the scenes get all jumbled up. Mary had diamond ring, Jenn had piano, Matt had video games, and Todd had boa constrictor. It was short, but very funny thanks to the positions they got frozen in. Overall this show was excellent! We went outside between shows, but only had about a 5-minute wait to be let back in.
The 9:15 cast was Mary, Rich, Jenn Br, Chris & Mark (the new sub - not the Mark who used to be a regular). Chris directed Mary & Rich in a ‘1-Act Play’. Rich was Mary's dad - he wanted her to play football since he didn't have a son, but she only wanted to make footballs. She makes them out of cat skin, and had a live cat living in her stomach (with plenty of meows, purring, & other cat noise thanks to the sound tech) until she went to the bathroom and got him out. It was a strange scene, with some surprising comments - things I'm afraid I can't repeat without the AOL police having a stroke.
Next they played ‘Schmeopardy’, hosted by Mary as Alice Quebeck. Chris was a potato picker named Irlene. Mark was an undertaker named Leroy Jackson, and was pretty funny. Jenn Br stole this scene as a beer cart girl named Hilda Beerstein - the original St Pauly Girl. She now had huge droopy boobs, which she or one of the others would move out of her way when she needed to find her buzzer <g>. Even though she had the boob humor in her character, her responses were not dirty or sexual - just very clever & funny. Overall this show was ok, but it might have seemed better to me if it hadn't immediately followed such a terrific show. We stayed inside after this show. Chris stopped by for a little while then Nancy came out on a break and spent time with us. She's been telling everyone to go try Hilton Head, where the cast members are so great.
The 10:30 cast was Krista, Matt, Todd, Mark & Jenn Br. Matt opened the show, and right from the start he got the audience pumped up by being so off-the-wall with his jokes and comments. Even the loud drunken guy behind us shut up shortly into the show, entertained by what he was seeing. Unfortunately, the next structure was ‘Story Telling’, so things took a dive for a bit. Jenn & Krista were high school girls talking about Sticky Stamps. They got some laughs, but I still can't stand this structure & wish they'd drop it. If anything is going to kill a show, this is it - even with excellent actors! Fortunately tonight it was a temporary lull. Next Krista rang the bell in ‘Should Have Said’. Matt was on a construction site, and Mark came in as his co-worker. Once again, Matt was hysterical, and it was a very funny scene. He would come out with funny stuff instantly, over and over again - it was great!
They did ‘Song Cue’, with Todd & Mark in a scene about juggling. They were interrupted 3 times to create a song from a line that was just spoken. The first was a country song called "Watching that guy juggle is like that" and it was painful. Todd pretty much screamed his lyrics without even pretending to sing, while Carol played some country music. Maybe he was trying not to carry a tune, but although we laughed a few times it was a relief when it ended. They did an impressionistic song called "Juggle" and a hip-hop song called "Role playing non-juggling friends forever." Poor Todd was teased about not being "cool", but took it well. Todd is a really nice guy, but he is not a hip-hop, rap, or country singer! It's funny watching him try hip-hop because it's just too unbelievable. It's like watching Richie Cunningham try to be Fonzie (on Happy Days) - it's funny because it's so preposterous. Overall it was a pretty good show (a mix of very good and not good).
We left after this show and walked out to the parking lot together. Leesa & I drove back to her condo, and I wrote the report to get it posted so I wouldn't have to listen to Adie & Lisa whine. It was 1:30 by the time the report was done, so I tried not to spend too much time online since I wanted to be up to head to Typhoon Lagoon in the morning.
Overall it was a great day. Although the drive up and back every week is getting really old, I love being here. Having Mary working was an unexpected treat, and we saw some really funny scenes tonight. I'm looking forward to 2 more nights!
DAY 2 SATURDAY MARCH 29, 2003:
Who: Sue, DVC Member
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Kelly, Adie & Lisa, Mary Ellen - Fortress friends
Plan: Typhoon Lagoon, Atlanta Bread, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: I got up at 7:30, showered, and fixed some cappuccino and a slice of toast & piece of turkey breast for breakfast. Larry from Scotland came online so we IM'd about some plans for this summer with our other friends Tom & Leanne (& Kim & Chris). Shortly after 9 I left Leesa's, stopping to fill the car up with gas (it's cheaper here than at home) and then went to Typhoon Lagoon. The weather looks PERFECT! At last I got a nice day, lol!
Typhoon Lagoon was mobbed, due to Blizzard Beach still being closed for rehab and the gorgeous weather today. I've never seen such big crowds here, right from the start. I got my chair in my usual spot by the wave pool, and didn't see any sign of that obnoxious bumblebee from last time. I still steered clear of that spot though, and it was just as well since one guy did claim that spot and then was overrun by families who crowded right in with him. I thought that was really rude, and I would have been pissed.
I spent the first hour reading in the water at the edge of the wave pool (lifting the magazine overhead when the waves came), then laid on my lounge for a while before spending 30 minutes in the wave pool while the bobbing waves were happening. Once that was done I got out of there before the big waves started, and spent the rest of the time on my chair reading. The families who were practically on top of me (2 of them traveling together) had a mom who was constantly too loud - that woman could not speak without yelling (not in anger - just too loud for the situation). Their kids were all well behaved & they seemed like nice people, but I was glad when the loudmouth finally went off to the slides because it was not relaxing at all with her around.
Lines at the food & drink places were incredibly long, so I didn't even bother trying to buy anything to eat or drink. I left around 1:45 and drove back to Leesa's. I took another shower, checked the weather for tonight & realized I'd sweat to death in what I brought to wear <g>, and got online to catch up there. We left Leesa's about 4pm, and went first to the SuperTarget in Hunter's Creek (I swear I'm getting like Darla and her Wal-Mart visits on vacation <g>). Next stop was Atlanta Bread Company, and once again I was not impressed with the people working here. The girl who took my order was more interested in flirting with her co-worker, and she screwed up my order. We had to wait for a manager to come out with his card to void the sale so she could start over - I ordered a ½ veggie sandwich, which is not very complicated. The sandwich was excellent though, as always. Leesa decided to get a smoothie and dessert, and that took forever. She ended up skipping the dessert, as the ingredient information on the item she was interested in was missing, and with a food allergy she wasn't going to take any chances.
We were on our way to Downtown Disney by 5, parking in the usual Pleasure Island lot. We wandered over to the Marketplace and ended up riding the boat to PO French Quarter, PO Riverside, back to FQ again, and then back to the Marketplace. Port Orleans FQ has been repainted and it's actually pretty now. I used to hate this resort, but I might be willing to give it a 3rd try some day. The weather was perfect, and it was a nice relaxing way to fill the time before we needed to get to PI. The driver did a good job talking as he drove, and was pretty funny. On the way to PI we stopped in Ghiradelli for a quick sample - and once again the air temperature couldn't have been more than 50 degrees! That place is soooo cold. It was too cold to look at anything, so we took our sample and left right away.
At the entrance to PI we saw Alan from Ft Pierce, and talked to him until they opened the entrance to the turnstiles (huge crowd of people and they open ONE turnstile - very aggravating). We'd agreed I'd head up to get the pass while Leesa took her time getting to the backdoor via the waterfront. With all those people waiting, she was further back in line than I was since I move quickly. Up at the Comedy Warehouse guests were starting to line up but none of the cast members were outside yet. I waited until Shannon came out to give me the passes, and I got to see Kelly from Ft Pierce briefly. Soon Kelly from Fortress arrived, and gave me my key to her studio for tomorrow - I'm moving up from "offsite scum" to "studio trash" <g>. Since the others hadn't arrived yet we added Kelly to our pass for the first show and went down to join Leesa at the door.
When they let the guests in we saw Adie, Lisa & Mary Ellen get seated about ½ way up. Kelly & I went up to see them and we had a mini-reunion. Lisa gave me a shirt I'd ordered for Layden, and purposely put it in a Wal-Mart bag so I'd have to carry around a Wal-Mart bag all night! Those girls are evil - they know I can't stand Wal-Mart, lol! They even took a picture of me holding it - afraid the others on Fortress wouldn't believe it (or perhaps to blackmail me at some point).
Jamie was on the keys tonight. The 7:20 cast was Chris, Eddie, Mark (new sub), Mary & Matt. It was a fairly tough show, with an audience that at times resembled coma patients. The actor taking information for the opening song seemed to spend too much time, which made things really drag for a while, and then the next structure was the dreaded ‘Story Telling’ - with 2 subs. Eddie & Mark told "The sweaty watermelon" and it actually turned out to be pretty good. Next was ‘Forgotten Songs’, which was also pretty good. Matt was very funny as the Disney evil queen looking in the mirror and singing "Girl you are too hairy" with Mark's help. Mary & Chris were Bunion and Cornelia singing "Foot Funk" as a really strange song. The lady who suggested the title loved it! Eddie came out on crutches, in a neck brace, eye patch & bandages to sing "Boy why'd you do that?" as an injured kid.
They also did ‘Fill in the Blank’ using the whole audience. Mary & Matt were mother & son in a scene about doing homework. Matt wanted to join the circus and his guidance counselor called to say his aptitude test showed the circus was the only thing he'd be good at. It also ran long, to the point that the technicians told the actors to end the show now - so the structure wrapped up and the show ended without a closing number. It's rare for them to lose track of the time in a show.
After the show we talked to Mary for a while. It's been so nice having her work on my nights this trip. We went outside briefly, and when we came back in cm Susan took a picture of the 6 of us in long row.
The 8:15 cast was Matt, Eddie, Krista, Mark & Mary. They opened with a poem called "Shazam, we're gonna bomb Sadaam." They've not been taking any suggestions that relate to the current war at all, but this time the audience response was so enthusiastic they decided to take it. They made the poem about Desert Storm though, not the current war. Eddie & Krista were in a scene Mary directed, which took place in a mall. They were a couple and Krista had a history of shoplifting. Matt & Mark came in as police officers, and arrested them both when Krista stole a candle. They were taken to court, where Judge Wapner (played by Mark) sentenced them both to life in prison - it was a crazy, funny scene. At one point Matt reached out & accidentally touched Krista's breast - she responded "that's not a candle" and Matt commented that they didn't used to hang that low! Nothing like some friendly teasing onstage <g>. Next they did ‘Cliché’, torturing Matt in a daycare. The cliché was "If wishes were fishes we'd all have a fry." The clues were great, and Matt was left with all of the sounds but not broken into the exact words. He struggled a while (to our amusement) and then finally the light bulb clicked. Krista created a couple of really funny characters when giving clues - she did a great hyper kid, and then was very funny as a person from Scotland (a tribute to Larry, I'm sure <g>). They had time for a closing number, and then the show was over. It was a really great show, and it flew by.
We all came back in for the next show, and Krista chatted from the hall next to the bar. I asked what her husband was doing these days (he was in the cast of the canceled Diamond Horseshoe Revue at MK) and he's now one of the Dapper Dans at MK. I'll bet he's great, and I'm glad Disney didn't just drop him when the other show closed.
The 9:15 cast was Mary, Philip, Matt, Chris & Eddie. The people in the opening song were from my college, which was kind of cool. I saw them after the show and it turns out we were at school together for a couple of years. Most of this show was ‘Conducted Story’, which I always enjoy. Chris was the conductor, and the story was called "I have a broad sitting next to me." Matt was the first to speak and stumbled on his 3rd or 4th word - and the audience yelled DIE. He was furious with himself, and we never would have pegged him as the first to die because he's so good! For his death he & Mary were Santa's elves making breakfast while Santa was away. He died by a large poptart. Mary died next, buy a lipstick in a type of death I don't see very often. Mary provided the physical movements, but Chris provided the dialogue. It was funny, with Chris (as Mary) saying stuff like "look at me - aren't I beautiful - don't I have great breasts, etc" and Mary had to just play along as an overly vain Avon Lady. Eddie came in wearing a dress as a woman needing a makeover, and Philip provided his dialogue. It was funny, and I hope to see them do that more often. That left Eddie and Philip, and both were doing very well without any mistakes. Chris changed their styles, and finally Philip said to just kill him. He died the death of Napoleon’s tinker, by a canon ball. Eddie then wrapped up the story in the style of porn, which was pretty funny. Overall it was another great show.
The others decided to leave, but Leesa & I were sticking around for 1 more. I commented that the last 2 shows were going to be a tough act to follow, and in hindsight I should have left then too. I could have been back at Leesa's working on this report by the time the 4th show started (because of the long gap between 3rd & 4th), but instead didn't get to start until after midnight.
The 10:30 cast was Krista, Philip, Mark, Eddie & Chris. They did ‘Emotions’, and getting the emotions from the audience was a chore. I think they had the same few emotions, but called several different things - and of course many people yelled out things or actions rather than emotions. People - "gynecology" is NOT an emotion as far as I know. Neither is smiling or laughing. The structure was fun to watch once it got started, though. Chris & Philip were at the mall working as people who give samples of cheese (Philip) & perfume (Chris) to customers.
They played ‘Schmeopardy’, hosted by Philip as Bob HeadLooksLikeANipple. Krista was an elderly lady named Eustis Walker (she was using a walker), a sales rep for an oxygen/med supply company. Eddie was Butch, who works for Merry Maids. Mark was a pro wrestler named Red White & Blue. It seemed to go on forever, although there were some funny things said. We left right after the show ended, and made the drive back to Leesa's.
I got online to finish up the report, and IM'd with Adie briefly. She & Lisa had gone with Mary Ellen to see Kelly's studio at Beach Club Villas and wanted to shortsheet my bed but thankfully Kelly & Mary Ellen wouldn't let them resort to such juvenile behavior. Besides, at my height it's possible I wouldn't even notice <g>. I wonder if they made the video Kelly's husband was hoping for, of this all-girl vacation. The strangest thing I'm willing to do though is carry a Wal-Mart bag.
Today was a terrific day - great weather, enjoyable time at Typhoon Lagoon and a great evening with friends at the Comedy Warehouse. I'm so glad I decided to come up this weekend!
DAY 3 SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2003:
Who: Sue, DVC Member
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Kelly, Adie & Lisa, Mary Ellen, Jean & Leigh - Fortress friends
Plan: Fortress lunch, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: I was up at 7:30 again, which gave me time to get ready without being rushed. Breakfast was cappuccino and another piece of toast. Although lunch is early, there is absolutely nothing on the menu that looks good to me, so like Kelly I'm there for the company rather than the food. Hopefully if I don't like their soup of the day I can order something small & push it around my plate for an hour <g> and then get some good food (like Puck's soup) later! Anyway, I got caught up online and was IM'ing with Maria when AOL decided to freak out and shut down, so I took that as a sign it was time to go. Sorry, Maria! I finished packing up my stuff and was out the door by 9:30.
Traffic near MGM was horrific, with both the left and right lanes being closed to force traffic into just the middle lane. Luckily I cut through the Exxon station to get to the Beach Club and avoided the worst of it. I found Kelly's studio easily and put my stuff in there. I really like the BCV studios - they're attractive and have everything I need for my trips. We've got a great view of Epcot, so if Kelly is ever in the room at night she can watch Illuminations from bed! We're right in the corner of the building though, so while on the balcony you're looking into another villa's bedroom.
Since it wasn't raining I decided to wander around the Boardwalk. By the time I got back I walked around inside Stormalong Bay for a little while and then discovered Adie with Leigh and her family. Soon Lisa arrived, and then Jean & Mary Ellen each showed up with their families. We all got introduced, and everyone seemed really nice for ax murderer families <g>. Adie was buying drinks, so Leigh & I each got a Stormalong. Yummm - those are so good, but it was also very filling (& potent).
It started to rain, and the wind picked up to make it downright cold! Everyone except me had brought gifts (when I arrived in the studio I realized I never even thought about bringing gifts, so now I was kicking myself). Adie & Lisa had individualized gift bags - mine had some chocolate covered oreos from a store they know I love, and a bag of Easter Bunnies from Ghiradelli. Mary Ellen gave us each a piece of gold ore, which Adie & Lisa misunderstood to be a gold whore. Kelly gave us all Mickey keychains, and Jean brought a sampling of favorite chocolates.
We headed over to the Dolphin portion of the Swolphin, taking the boat since it was raining. The Coral Café ended up not opening for lunch until noon so we headed up to the lobby and did some shopping. When we got back to the restaurant we were seated quickly and had lunch. Kelly & I shared a cheeseburger - not very exotic but it tasted good. Jean got a crab/couscous thing on a tomato slice that looked really strange and didn't impress her. Lisa & Adie enjoyed their beef brisket sandwich, and Leigh liked her pasta dish. Mary Ellen had some type of soup that was covered in a puff pastry. We had a good time, and got 20% off the check for being DVC members.
We rode back to the Beach Club and Jean, Leigh & Mary Ellen left to join their families. Adie, Lisa, Kelly & I decided to wander around Epcot for a while. Adie needed warmer clothes so she went out to the car to get some of the clothes she'd be wearing in Chicago tomorrow. Kelly gave her a key to the studio, which thrilled Adie. Lisa made an unsuccessful attempt at finding a sweatshirt in the gift shop. Kelly & I headed up to the studio, so I could drop off my chocolate and camera. Adie & Lisa arrived; disappointed that nobody was naked, and we sat around chatting while NASCAR was on the TV. The studio was much warmer than being outside! We took pictures of Adie & Kelly in bed together (for Kelly's husband's fantasy) and then headed out to walk to Epcot.
The security check was nothing - the guy glanced at my bag but never really looked inside or opened any of the zippered compartments. That didn't bother me, as I don't feel any less safe than I did before they started these "checks". The 4 of us just walked around World Showcase while talking and enjoying the day. After making the complete loop the others were ready to go back to the resorts to get warm, and I decided to stay in the park a bit longer. I headed to Future World and rode Spaceship Earth with no wait, then did another loop around World Showcase. By the time I got to Italy it was raining fairly steadily again, and my feet were cold enough that I decided to make this my last loop. I left Epcot via the International Gateway and went to the Boardwalk Bakery before walking back to Beach Club Villas. At the bakery I got a chocolate vanilla pretzel figuring I'd eat it for breakfast and while driving to work. If I decide to stop at Mara for a yogurt/granola thing I'll just put it in the cooler for lunch or dinner.
Back at BCV Kelly was staying warm in bed watching TV. I got online and updated the report, just relaxing until it was time for us to head to Downtown Disney. Once it got dark it got really cold very quickly.
Kelly & I drove to Downtown Disney and parked at the PI lot before walking over to West Side. At Wolfgang Puck's Express the soup listed was potato & leek, and when I asked if they could get the tortilla soup they said they didn't have any. That was ok - we were not that hungry anyway, so we went back to Wetzel's Pretzels and gave them a try. We decided to get 2 pretzels and share them, so we got a cheese meltdown and a sinful cinnamon. Kelly didn't really care for the cheese, but I liked it - and we both liked the cinnamon. It was still way too much food, and we had half of it left for later. We spent some time browsing in Basin over at The Marketplace, then returned to PI to meet the others at Comedy Warehouse.
We found Adie & Lisa watching ‘Frankie & the West End Boys’ perform, but no sign of Leigh. We counted people in line and joined the line in time to be seated in long row. David (one of the regulars) was there, so I went over and talked to him before the show started. Carol Stein was on the keys tonight.
The 8:15 cast was Jenn Br, Jake, John, Chris & Todd. They did ‘Fill in the Blank’ with 2 audience volunteers. Jake & Todd were working with an elephant, and created a funny scene. John came out next and created a song called "I need by test tubes tied" about working in a lab and trying to regrow his hair. It was very funny and I was impressed with his singing voice - he's very good! Todd rang the bell in ‘Should Have Said’, where Chris was a 40-something year old high school student playing soccer and John was the coach who cut her from the team because she's a better player than he is. It was also very funny - overall a really good first show.
When the show ended the others headed back up to get in line, while I talked to a few people. When I went up I was surprised to see NO line at all - with only 10 minutes until the next show. The manager Dave was out there, and we got in line to help get it started and he told us when to get out so we'd be in our preferred seats <g>. I think Adie or Lisa must have said something to him about wanting reserved seats because when we went inside for the 10:30 show I heard him tell them he had a seat for them - they just need to remember to latch the door on the stall, lol! The comedy begins before the show does here!
The 9:15 cast was Mary, Jake, Chris, John & Jenn Br. They opened with the ‘Name Rhyme Game’, which is always fun. The audience was a bit slow, but the actors did really well with their rhymes. Jake won, and decided next they'd do a dub scene, where he & Mary would act and John & Chris would do all the dialogue for them. She was a cheerleader and he wanted to date her but she wasn't interested until he proved he was cruel - since women don't really want nice guys. Here again the audience was a bit of a dud, even though what the actors were creating was very good. Next they did ‘Scene Freeze’, which ended up being just ok. John had taxes, Jake had unicycle, Jenn Br had kids, and Mary had abracadabra. They also did ‘Letters to the Editor’, writing about woodworking. Mary wrote to In Style, John to Mad Magazine, and Chris to Cosmo Girl. Overall it was a pretty good show, but it would have been more fun if the audience was a bit more life-like <g>. We talked to Mary & Jake for a while then went outside into the cold.
We ended up sitting near Dude inside The Adventurer's Club (but didn't dress him this time) to stay warm until it was time to get back in line. Since it was so cold, the line didn't really form until about 5-10 minutes before the show.
The 10:30 cast was Mary, Brian, Jake, Jenn Br & Todd. They opened with the poem "I killed my cat." They did ‘Emotions’, and had a hard time getting suggestions from the audience. I don't usually call things out, but I gave them several this time. The scene was Mary & Brian fixing a toilet. They'd met on the Internet and now he was at her house, where he'd filled up the toilet to the point it was clogged. It was really funny, and not just typical bathroom humor. They did ‘Actor's Nightmare’ next, where it was Jenn's nightmare. Everyone else read all their lines from 3 different real scripts and Jenn had to make it all make sense as one scene. She was an oral hygienist (known as dental hygienist to everyone except Mary <g>). The scene was ok - but this can be a tough one to make funny. Brian rang the bell in ‘Should Have Said’. Todd was mowing his lawn for the first time, Mary was his wife, and Jake & Jenn were neighbors. They ended up with Jake being killed and run over with the mower.
It was sad when the show ended, because it meant the end of Comedy Warehouse for Adie Lisa & me. Lucky Kelly has another 5 nights ahead of her! We walked out to the parking lot together, said goodbye, and drove back to our resorts. Kelly heated up the cinnamon pretzel and got ready for bed. I finished writing & posting the report, then went to bed as well. In my 6 years of being a DVC member I've never slept on the sleep sofa, so tonight I'll get to see how comfortable my guests have been over the years.
I'll get the rest of the Comedy Warehouse pictures posted soon and will send out the URL for the Ofoto album within the next couple of days. It was a great trip, and I'm so glad I came up and got to see everyone this weekend. I wish I could stay longer, but it'll be my turn to have a nice long trip in early May. I don't expect to be back at all in April since I'm on-call for the 2nd half of the month, and will be busy with minor league baseball and other plans beginning in 3 days. Until next time - thanks for reading!
Sue Holland
Time of Year: Winter
Travel Method: Personal Car
Resort: Offsite, BCR
Accommodations: Standard
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran
Comments: A gathering of Internet friends gave Sue an unplanned reason to visit the resort for a short trip. Note: As Sue spend time at Pleasure Island and in other adult venues on this trip, this report has some information that may not be appropriate for young readers.
Sue Holland -- March 2003 – Walt Disney World (Offsite, BCR)
Note: As Sue spent time at Pleasure Island and in other adult venues on this trip, this report has some information that may not be appropriate for young readers.
Who/When/Where:
Who:
Sue (me), DVC member
Appearances by:
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Tracy & Tyger, Comedy Warehouse regulars
Kelly, Adie & Lisa, Mary Ellen, Jean - Fortress friends
Dates: March 28 - 30, 2003
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Leesa's condo (2nts), Beach Club Villas studio (1nt)
Experience: Extremely experienced
INTRODUCTION:
This is another fairly sudden, unplanned trip. I think it's also the 6th or 7th weekend in the past 2 months that I got to spend time at the Comedy Warehouse, which has been really nice. This time what lured me to WDW again is the chance to have lunch with a bunch of Internet friends. The lunch was scheduled for Sunday, so it made as much sense to spend Friday/Saturday up there as it did to stay home - well, actually I guess it made more sense to go up, otherwise I would have stayed home <g>. Originally I was going up Friday and returning home right after lunch on Sunday. However, since Mary at the Comedy Warehouse changed her nights off I haven't seen her in the past several trips because my trips have been so short. When she said she'd be working this Sunday I decided to stay over that night and drive directly to work from WDW (getting there a couple of hours late).
Leesa is always a gracious host, and doesn't seem to mind my frequent stays since we always go to Comedy Warehouse <g>. Kelly is arriving for a solo vacation from the hubby and kids, staying at the Beach Club Villas, and invited me to stay in her studio on Saturday and Sunday nights. I ended up deciding to spend the first 2 nights at Leesa's, so she'd get to spend 2 nights at CW and see Adie & Lisa on Saturday. If the weather is decent, I'll spend part of the day at Typhoon Lagoon while Leesa is sleeping and doing stuff around the house. On Sunday I'll move in to Kelly's studio, have lunch with everyone, and get one more night at Comedy Warehouse. It'll be a short trip, but I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.
The plans (subject to change) so far...
Fri 3/28: Work, Comedy Warehouse
Sat 3/29: Typhoon Lagoon, Atlanta Bread, Comedy Warehouse
Sun 3/30: Fortress lunch, Comedy Warehouse
Mon 3/31: Drive to work
DAY 1 FRIDAY MARCH 28, 2003:
Who: Sue, DVC Member
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Tracy, Comedy Warehouse regular
Plan: Work, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: Last night Lisa (of Adie & Lisa) was whining about where my pre-trip report was, and I told her I'd post it this morning. This morning I was getting ready for work and saw both Adie & Lisa get online. Fearing a butt kicking (even though I'm "rugged and durable", I'm not a masochist <g>), I dropped what I was doing and tried to post the damn report. Of course, this was the time that AOL decided to have mail not functioning! I ended up shutting down and restarting AOL, which worked - whew!! I also forgot to include Leigh as one of the Fortress friends, who will be there on Sunday, so I'm batting close to zero so far <g>. I think all of the Fortress people who will be meeting Sunday are DVC members, too.
Work passed fairly quickly and I was on the road by 4. The first 15 minutes or so of the drive was spent dealing with a crisis at work (the phone rang just after I left the property) over tires for our big lawnmowers. This is why I went to college, after all <g>. I made a couple of calls and that was the end of it. Traffic on my side of the road was light, but there must have been an accident on I-75 southbound because it was a parking lot for several miles. I was very glad to be headed northbound! Leesa called just as I pulled onto Disney Property, and told me where she was waiting. Now that Pleasure Island doesn't open until 7pm, we can't get our wristbands early and bypass the line to get in at 7.
I parked in our usual lot and went to meet Leesa. It was only 6:45 so I ran down to Bongo's to get a beef empanada from the outdoor window. Thankfully nobody was in line, because this window is always so slow. The empanada was pretty good, though. The Wetzel's Pretzels place (in the old Forty Thirst Street) opens tomorrow, and also has Hagen Daz ice cream on the menu. By the time I got back the line at the turnstiles had formed, so we went over there to wait for 7pm. Dee (server at CW) was in line with some teens so we chatted briefly with her. Finally at 7pm the line started to move.
I met Tracy outside Comedy Warehouse as I was getting our passes from Susan. Tyger was not coming tonight (tough decision - boyfriend won out over CW even knowing the odds were good that Todd would be working <g>) so we added Tracy to our party for the night. It was nice to be able to see all the shows with her, instead of having her go thru the regular line and be seated far away. Once inside my phone vibrated, and I could see it was Tim - who KNOWS not to call me during Comedy Warehouse time. Since it was before the show I called him back and learned he'd found a house to buy - but then told him not to call me again tonight! I'm glad he had good news, but whenever the phone vibrates it scares the crap out of me, lol. I remember he called me during the first time I saw Fairy Tales, and I flew out of the theater thinking it was an emergency (it wasn't - he thought I was at CW and it was between shows) and then was locked out of the theater!! I had to find someone who worked there to let me back in - plus, since we'd gone with someone in a wheelchair I had no idea where the front door was because we'd been brought in past the kitchen to avoid stairs. Anyway, let's get back to this trip ;-)
Carol Stein was on the keys tonight. The 7:20 cast was Mary, Jenn Br, Rich, Chris & Krista. Mary opened the show and I was surprised to see her. The whole point of adding Sunday night to the trip was because I thought it would be my only chance to see her, and neither of us mentioned Friday or Saturday. Will I consider going home on Sunday now? Hell, no! Jenn & Chris did a ‘Fill in the Blank’ at a quilting show, using 2 audience volunteers. Unfortunately the scene went a little too long, and they hardly ever remembered to tap the volunteers for a suggestion. They gave good suggestions when asked, but there was too much time between them. Next they did ‘Up Your Alley’ about garage door installations. They used an audience volunteer - a cute young guy named Steve who was very much at ease onstage and very funny. Krista was the host Mrs. Holden (drinking, smoking) who thought Steve was pretty hot. Rich was Earl Sigfried, and Mary was a blonde named Remote. She kept coming up with really off the wall stuff (funny) - answering with a poem, etc, and Krista would cut her off abruptly, which was also funny.
Mary came over after the show, and I went down to talk to her. We sat inside between shows and I enjoyed catching up with her. I think Todd came out and was talking to Leesa & Tracy. Soon it was time to let people in, so we went back to our seats.
The 8:15 cast was Todd, Mary, Jenn Br, Krista & Matt. They opened with the ‘Name Rhyme Game’, and everyone did really well thinking of rhymes without repeating a word. Eventually Jenn Br won. Next was ‘Emotions’, with Matt & Krista as a couple planning their wedding. They're both very good, but Matt was really "on" tonight, and it was non-stop wild humor - over the top! Krista did great keeping up with him, and we were hysterical throughout most of the structure. We never knew what was coming out of his mouth next, and it was a lot of fun. They did ‘2 Forgotten Songs’ next. Todd & Mary were Brook & Shield, a couple of pretty bad lounge singers who sang "I'd cross any street for you." Jenn & Krista sang "The Fat Mom", which started out with as a lullaby and then turned into some other style that (as Jenn said) 'really kicked it up a notch'. Krista looked like a pregnant woman, but claimed to be not pregnant - just fat. It may not have been terribly sensitive, but it was funny.
They also did ‘Scene Freeze’, where each actor starts a scene about their word then the scenes get all jumbled up. Mary had diamond ring, Jenn had piano, Matt had video games, and Todd had boa constrictor. It was short, but very funny thanks to the positions they got frozen in. Overall this show was excellent! We went outside between shows, but only had about a 5-minute wait to be let back in.
The 9:15 cast was Mary, Rich, Jenn Br, Chris & Mark (the new sub - not the Mark who used to be a regular). Chris directed Mary & Rich in a ‘1-Act Play’. Rich was Mary's dad - he wanted her to play football since he didn't have a son, but she only wanted to make footballs. She makes them out of cat skin, and had a live cat living in her stomach (with plenty of meows, purring, & other cat noise thanks to the sound tech) until she went to the bathroom and got him out. It was a strange scene, with some surprising comments - things I'm afraid I can't repeat without the AOL police having a stroke.
Next they played ‘Schmeopardy’, hosted by Mary as Alice Quebeck. Chris was a potato picker named Irlene. Mark was an undertaker named Leroy Jackson, and was pretty funny. Jenn Br stole this scene as a beer cart girl named Hilda Beerstein - the original St Pauly Girl. She now had huge droopy boobs, which she or one of the others would move out of her way when she needed to find her buzzer <g>. Even though she had the boob humor in her character, her responses were not dirty or sexual - just very clever & funny. Overall this show was ok, but it might have seemed better to me if it hadn't immediately followed such a terrific show. We stayed inside after this show. Chris stopped by for a little while then Nancy came out on a break and spent time with us. She's been telling everyone to go try Hilton Head, where the cast members are so great.
The 10:30 cast was Krista, Matt, Todd, Mark & Jenn Br. Matt opened the show, and right from the start he got the audience pumped up by being so off-the-wall with his jokes and comments. Even the loud drunken guy behind us shut up shortly into the show, entertained by what he was seeing. Unfortunately, the next structure was ‘Story Telling’, so things took a dive for a bit. Jenn & Krista were high school girls talking about Sticky Stamps. They got some laughs, but I still can't stand this structure & wish they'd drop it. If anything is going to kill a show, this is it - even with excellent actors! Fortunately tonight it was a temporary lull. Next Krista rang the bell in ‘Should Have Said’. Matt was on a construction site, and Mark came in as his co-worker. Once again, Matt was hysterical, and it was a very funny scene. He would come out with funny stuff instantly, over and over again - it was great!
They did ‘Song Cue’, with Todd & Mark in a scene about juggling. They were interrupted 3 times to create a song from a line that was just spoken. The first was a country song called "Watching that guy juggle is like that" and it was painful. Todd pretty much screamed his lyrics without even pretending to sing, while Carol played some country music. Maybe he was trying not to carry a tune, but although we laughed a few times it was a relief when it ended. They did an impressionistic song called "Juggle" and a hip-hop song called "Role playing non-juggling friends forever." Poor Todd was teased about not being "cool", but took it well. Todd is a really nice guy, but he is not a hip-hop, rap, or country singer! It's funny watching him try hip-hop because it's just too unbelievable. It's like watching Richie Cunningham try to be Fonzie (on Happy Days) - it's funny because it's so preposterous. Overall it was a pretty good show (a mix of very good and not good).
We left after this show and walked out to the parking lot together. Leesa & I drove back to her condo, and I wrote the report to get it posted so I wouldn't have to listen to Adie & Lisa whine. It was 1:30 by the time the report was done, so I tried not to spend too much time online since I wanted to be up to head to Typhoon Lagoon in the morning.
Overall it was a great day. Although the drive up and back every week is getting really old, I love being here. Having Mary working was an unexpected treat, and we saw some really funny scenes tonight. I'm looking forward to 2 more nights!
DAY 2 SATURDAY MARCH 29, 2003:
Who: Sue, DVC Member
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Kelly, Adie & Lisa, Mary Ellen - Fortress friends
Plan: Typhoon Lagoon, Atlanta Bread, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: I got up at 7:30, showered, and fixed some cappuccino and a slice of toast & piece of turkey breast for breakfast. Larry from Scotland came online so we IM'd about some plans for this summer with our other friends Tom & Leanne (& Kim & Chris). Shortly after 9 I left Leesa's, stopping to fill the car up with gas (it's cheaper here than at home) and then went to Typhoon Lagoon. The weather looks PERFECT! At last I got a nice day, lol!
Typhoon Lagoon was mobbed, due to Blizzard Beach still being closed for rehab and the gorgeous weather today. I've never seen such big crowds here, right from the start. I got my chair in my usual spot by the wave pool, and didn't see any sign of that obnoxious bumblebee from last time. I still steered clear of that spot though, and it was just as well since one guy did claim that spot and then was overrun by families who crowded right in with him. I thought that was really rude, and I would have been pissed.
I spent the first hour reading in the water at the edge of the wave pool (lifting the magazine overhead when the waves came), then laid on my lounge for a while before spending 30 minutes in the wave pool while the bobbing waves were happening. Once that was done I got out of there before the big waves started, and spent the rest of the time on my chair reading. The families who were practically on top of me (2 of them traveling together) had a mom who was constantly too loud - that woman could not speak without yelling (not in anger - just too loud for the situation). Their kids were all well behaved & they seemed like nice people, but I was glad when the loudmouth finally went off to the slides because it was not relaxing at all with her around.
Lines at the food & drink places were incredibly long, so I didn't even bother trying to buy anything to eat or drink. I left around 1:45 and drove back to Leesa's. I took another shower, checked the weather for tonight & realized I'd sweat to death in what I brought to wear <g>, and got online to catch up there. We left Leesa's about 4pm, and went first to the SuperTarget in Hunter's Creek (I swear I'm getting like Darla and her Wal-Mart visits on vacation <g>). Next stop was Atlanta Bread Company, and once again I was not impressed with the people working here. The girl who took my order was more interested in flirting with her co-worker, and she screwed up my order. We had to wait for a manager to come out with his card to void the sale so she could start over - I ordered a ½ veggie sandwich, which is not very complicated. The sandwich was excellent though, as always. Leesa decided to get a smoothie and dessert, and that took forever. She ended up skipping the dessert, as the ingredient information on the item she was interested in was missing, and with a food allergy she wasn't going to take any chances.
We were on our way to Downtown Disney by 5, parking in the usual Pleasure Island lot. We wandered over to the Marketplace and ended up riding the boat to PO French Quarter, PO Riverside, back to FQ again, and then back to the Marketplace. Port Orleans FQ has been repainted and it's actually pretty now. I used to hate this resort, but I might be willing to give it a 3rd try some day. The weather was perfect, and it was a nice relaxing way to fill the time before we needed to get to PI. The driver did a good job talking as he drove, and was pretty funny. On the way to PI we stopped in Ghiradelli for a quick sample - and once again the air temperature couldn't have been more than 50 degrees! That place is soooo cold. It was too cold to look at anything, so we took our sample and left right away.
At the entrance to PI we saw Alan from Ft Pierce, and talked to him until they opened the entrance to the turnstiles (huge crowd of people and they open ONE turnstile - very aggravating). We'd agreed I'd head up to get the pass while Leesa took her time getting to the backdoor via the waterfront. With all those people waiting, she was further back in line than I was since I move quickly. Up at the Comedy Warehouse guests were starting to line up but none of the cast members were outside yet. I waited until Shannon came out to give me the passes, and I got to see Kelly from Ft Pierce briefly. Soon Kelly from Fortress arrived, and gave me my key to her studio for tomorrow - I'm moving up from "offsite scum" to "studio trash" <g>. Since the others hadn't arrived yet we added Kelly to our pass for the first show and went down to join Leesa at the door.
When they let the guests in we saw Adie, Lisa & Mary Ellen get seated about ½ way up. Kelly & I went up to see them and we had a mini-reunion. Lisa gave me a shirt I'd ordered for Layden, and purposely put it in a Wal-Mart bag so I'd have to carry around a Wal-Mart bag all night! Those girls are evil - they know I can't stand Wal-Mart, lol! They even took a picture of me holding it - afraid the others on Fortress wouldn't believe it (or perhaps to blackmail me at some point).
Jamie was on the keys tonight. The 7:20 cast was Chris, Eddie, Mark (new sub), Mary & Matt. It was a fairly tough show, with an audience that at times resembled coma patients. The actor taking information for the opening song seemed to spend too much time, which made things really drag for a while, and then the next structure was the dreaded ‘Story Telling’ - with 2 subs. Eddie & Mark told "The sweaty watermelon" and it actually turned out to be pretty good. Next was ‘Forgotten Songs’, which was also pretty good. Matt was very funny as the Disney evil queen looking in the mirror and singing "Girl you are too hairy" with Mark's help. Mary & Chris were Bunion and Cornelia singing "Foot Funk" as a really strange song. The lady who suggested the title loved it! Eddie came out on crutches, in a neck brace, eye patch & bandages to sing "Boy why'd you do that?" as an injured kid.
They also did ‘Fill in the Blank’ using the whole audience. Mary & Matt were mother & son in a scene about doing homework. Matt wanted to join the circus and his guidance counselor called to say his aptitude test showed the circus was the only thing he'd be good at. It also ran long, to the point that the technicians told the actors to end the show now - so the structure wrapped up and the show ended without a closing number. It's rare for them to lose track of the time in a show.
After the show we talked to Mary for a while. It's been so nice having her work on my nights this trip. We went outside briefly, and when we came back in cm Susan took a picture of the 6 of us in long row.
The 8:15 cast was Matt, Eddie, Krista, Mark & Mary. They opened with a poem called "Shazam, we're gonna bomb Sadaam." They've not been taking any suggestions that relate to the current war at all, but this time the audience response was so enthusiastic they decided to take it. They made the poem about Desert Storm though, not the current war. Eddie & Krista were in a scene Mary directed, which took place in a mall. They were a couple and Krista had a history of shoplifting. Matt & Mark came in as police officers, and arrested them both when Krista stole a candle. They were taken to court, where Judge Wapner (played by Mark) sentenced them both to life in prison - it was a crazy, funny scene. At one point Matt reached out & accidentally touched Krista's breast - she responded "that's not a candle" and Matt commented that they didn't used to hang that low! Nothing like some friendly teasing onstage <g>. Next they did ‘Cliché’, torturing Matt in a daycare. The cliché was "If wishes were fishes we'd all have a fry." The clues were great, and Matt was left with all of the sounds but not broken into the exact words. He struggled a while (to our amusement) and then finally the light bulb clicked. Krista created a couple of really funny characters when giving clues - she did a great hyper kid, and then was very funny as a person from Scotland (a tribute to Larry, I'm sure <g>). They had time for a closing number, and then the show was over. It was a really great show, and it flew by.
We all came back in for the next show, and Krista chatted from the hall next to the bar. I asked what her husband was doing these days (he was in the cast of the canceled Diamond Horseshoe Revue at MK) and he's now one of the Dapper Dans at MK. I'll bet he's great, and I'm glad Disney didn't just drop him when the other show closed.
The 9:15 cast was Mary, Philip, Matt, Chris & Eddie. The people in the opening song were from my college, which was kind of cool. I saw them after the show and it turns out we were at school together for a couple of years. Most of this show was ‘Conducted Story’, which I always enjoy. Chris was the conductor, and the story was called "I have a broad sitting next to me." Matt was the first to speak and stumbled on his 3rd or 4th word - and the audience yelled DIE. He was furious with himself, and we never would have pegged him as the first to die because he's so good! For his death he & Mary were Santa's elves making breakfast while Santa was away. He died by a large poptart. Mary died next, buy a lipstick in a type of death I don't see very often. Mary provided the physical movements, but Chris provided the dialogue. It was funny, with Chris (as Mary) saying stuff like "look at me - aren't I beautiful - don't I have great breasts, etc" and Mary had to just play along as an overly vain Avon Lady. Eddie came in wearing a dress as a woman needing a makeover, and Philip provided his dialogue. It was funny, and I hope to see them do that more often. That left Eddie and Philip, and both were doing very well without any mistakes. Chris changed their styles, and finally Philip said to just kill him. He died the death of Napoleon’s tinker, by a canon ball. Eddie then wrapped up the story in the style of porn, which was pretty funny. Overall it was another great show.
The others decided to leave, but Leesa & I were sticking around for 1 more. I commented that the last 2 shows were going to be a tough act to follow, and in hindsight I should have left then too. I could have been back at Leesa's working on this report by the time the 4th show started (because of the long gap between 3rd & 4th), but instead didn't get to start until after midnight.
The 10:30 cast was Krista, Philip, Mark, Eddie & Chris. They did ‘Emotions’, and getting the emotions from the audience was a chore. I think they had the same few emotions, but called several different things - and of course many people yelled out things or actions rather than emotions. People - "gynecology" is NOT an emotion as far as I know. Neither is smiling or laughing. The structure was fun to watch once it got started, though. Chris & Philip were at the mall working as people who give samples of cheese (Philip) & perfume (Chris) to customers.
They played ‘Schmeopardy’, hosted by Philip as Bob HeadLooksLikeANipple. Krista was an elderly lady named Eustis Walker (she was using a walker), a sales rep for an oxygen/med supply company. Eddie was Butch, who works for Merry Maids. Mark was a pro wrestler named Red White & Blue. It seemed to go on forever, although there were some funny things said. We left right after the show ended, and made the drive back to Leesa's.
I got online to finish up the report, and IM'd with Adie briefly. She & Lisa had gone with Mary Ellen to see Kelly's studio at Beach Club Villas and wanted to shortsheet my bed but thankfully Kelly & Mary Ellen wouldn't let them resort to such juvenile behavior. Besides, at my height it's possible I wouldn't even notice <g>. I wonder if they made the video Kelly's husband was hoping for, of this all-girl vacation. The strangest thing I'm willing to do though is carry a Wal-Mart bag.
Today was a terrific day - great weather, enjoyable time at Typhoon Lagoon and a great evening with friends at the Comedy Warehouse. I'm so glad I decided to come up this weekend!
DAY 3 SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2003:
Who: Sue, DVC Member
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Kelly, Adie & Lisa, Mary Ellen, Jean & Leigh - Fortress friends
Plan: Fortress lunch, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: I was up at 7:30 again, which gave me time to get ready without being rushed. Breakfast was cappuccino and another piece of toast. Although lunch is early, there is absolutely nothing on the menu that looks good to me, so like Kelly I'm there for the company rather than the food. Hopefully if I don't like their soup of the day I can order something small & push it around my plate for an hour <g> and then get some good food (like Puck's soup) later! Anyway, I got caught up online and was IM'ing with Maria when AOL decided to freak out and shut down, so I took that as a sign it was time to go. Sorry, Maria! I finished packing up my stuff and was out the door by 9:30.
Traffic near MGM was horrific, with both the left and right lanes being closed to force traffic into just the middle lane. Luckily I cut through the Exxon station to get to the Beach Club and avoided the worst of it. I found Kelly's studio easily and put my stuff in there. I really like the BCV studios - they're attractive and have everything I need for my trips. We've got a great view of Epcot, so if Kelly is ever in the room at night she can watch Illuminations from bed! We're right in the corner of the building though, so while on the balcony you're looking into another villa's bedroom.
Since it wasn't raining I decided to wander around the Boardwalk. By the time I got back I walked around inside Stormalong Bay for a little while and then discovered Adie with Leigh and her family. Soon Lisa arrived, and then Jean & Mary Ellen each showed up with their families. We all got introduced, and everyone seemed really nice for ax murderer families <g>. Adie was buying drinks, so Leigh & I each got a Stormalong. Yummm - those are so good, but it was also very filling (& potent).
It started to rain, and the wind picked up to make it downright cold! Everyone except me had brought gifts (when I arrived in the studio I realized I never even thought about bringing gifts, so now I was kicking myself). Adie & Lisa had individualized gift bags - mine had some chocolate covered oreos from a store they know I love, and a bag of Easter Bunnies from Ghiradelli. Mary Ellen gave us each a piece of gold ore, which Adie & Lisa misunderstood to be a gold whore. Kelly gave us all Mickey keychains, and Jean brought a sampling of favorite chocolates.
We headed over to the Dolphin portion of the Swolphin, taking the boat since it was raining. The Coral Café ended up not opening for lunch until noon so we headed up to the lobby and did some shopping. When we got back to the restaurant we were seated quickly and had lunch. Kelly & I shared a cheeseburger - not very exotic but it tasted good. Jean got a crab/couscous thing on a tomato slice that looked really strange and didn't impress her. Lisa & Adie enjoyed their beef brisket sandwich, and Leigh liked her pasta dish. Mary Ellen had some type of soup that was covered in a puff pastry. We had a good time, and got 20% off the check for being DVC members.
We rode back to the Beach Club and Jean, Leigh & Mary Ellen left to join their families. Adie, Lisa, Kelly & I decided to wander around Epcot for a while. Adie needed warmer clothes so she went out to the car to get some of the clothes she'd be wearing in Chicago tomorrow. Kelly gave her a key to the studio, which thrilled Adie. Lisa made an unsuccessful attempt at finding a sweatshirt in the gift shop. Kelly & I headed up to the studio, so I could drop off my chocolate and camera. Adie & Lisa arrived; disappointed that nobody was naked, and we sat around chatting while NASCAR was on the TV. The studio was much warmer than being outside! We took pictures of Adie & Kelly in bed together (for Kelly's husband's fantasy) and then headed out to walk to Epcot.
The security check was nothing - the guy glanced at my bag but never really looked inside or opened any of the zippered compartments. That didn't bother me, as I don't feel any less safe than I did before they started these "checks". The 4 of us just walked around World Showcase while talking and enjoying the day. After making the complete loop the others were ready to go back to the resorts to get warm, and I decided to stay in the park a bit longer. I headed to Future World and rode Spaceship Earth with no wait, then did another loop around World Showcase. By the time I got to Italy it was raining fairly steadily again, and my feet were cold enough that I decided to make this my last loop. I left Epcot via the International Gateway and went to the Boardwalk Bakery before walking back to Beach Club Villas. At the bakery I got a chocolate vanilla pretzel figuring I'd eat it for breakfast and while driving to work. If I decide to stop at Mara for a yogurt/granola thing I'll just put it in the cooler for lunch or dinner.
Back at BCV Kelly was staying warm in bed watching TV. I got online and updated the report, just relaxing until it was time for us to head to Downtown Disney. Once it got dark it got really cold very quickly.
Kelly & I drove to Downtown Disney and parked at the PI lot before walking over to West Side. At Wolfgang Puck's Express the soup listed was potato & leek, and when I asked if they could get the tortilla soup they said they didn't have any. That was ok - we were not that hungry anyway, so we went back to Wetzel's Pretzels and gave them a try. We decided to get 2 pretzels and share them, so we got a cheese meltdown and a sinful cinnamon. Kelly didn't really care for the cheese, but I liked it - and we both liked the cinnamon. It was still way too much food, and we had half of it left for later. We spent some time browsing in Basin over at The Marketplace, then returned to PI to meet the others at Comedy Warehouse.
We found Adie & Lisa watching ‘Frankie & the West End Boys’ perform, but no sign of Leigh. We counted people in line and joined the line in time to be seated in long row. David (one of the regulars) was there, so I went over and talked to him before the show started. Carol Stein was on the keys tonight.
The 8:15 cast was Jenn Br, Jake, John, Chris & Todd. They did ‘Fill in the Blank’ with 2 audience volunteers. Jake & Todd were working with an elephant, and created a funny scene. John came out next and created a song called "I need by test tubes tied" about working in a lab and trying to regrow his hair. It was very funny and I was impressed with his singing voice - he's very good! Todd rang the bell in ‘Should Have Said’, where Chris was a 40-something year old high school student playing soccer and John was the coach who cut her from the team because she's a better player than he is. It was also very funny - overall a really good first show.
When the show ended the others headed back up to get in line, while I talked to a few people. When I went up I was surprised to see NO line at all - with only 10 minutes until the next show. The manager Dave was out there, and we got in line to help get it started and he told us when to get out so we'd be in our preferred seats <g>. I think Adie or Lisa must have said something to him about wanting reserved seats because when we went inside for the 10:30 show I heard him tell them he had a seat for them - they just need to remember to latch the door on the stall, lol! The comedy begins before the show does here!
The 9:15 cast was Mary, Jake, Chris, John & Jenn Br. They opened with the ‘Name Rhyme Game’, which is always fun. The audience was a bit slow, but the actors did really well with their rhymes. Jake won, and decided next they'd do a dub scene, where he & Mary would act and John & Chris would do all the dialogue for them. She was a cheerleader and he wanted to date her but she wasn't interested until he proved he was cruel - since women don't really want nice guys. Here again the audience was a bit of a dud, even though what the actors were creating was very good. Next they did ‘Scene Freeze’, which ended up being just ok. John had taxes, Jake had unicycle, Jenn Br had kids, and Mary had abracadabra. They also did ‘Letters to the Editor’, writing about woodworking. Mary wrote to In Style, John to Mad Magazine, and Chris to Cosmo Girl. Overall it was a pretty good show, but it would have been more fun if the audience was a bit more life-like <g>. We talked to Mary & Jake for a while then went outside into the cold.
We ended up sitting near Dude inside The Adventurer's Club (but didn't dress him this time) to stay warm until it was time to get back in line. Since it was so cold, the line didn't really form until about 5-10 minutes before the show.
The 10:30 cast was Mary, Brian, Jake, Jenn Br & Todd. They opened with the poem "I killed my cat." They did ‘Emotions’, and had a hard time getting suggestions from the audience. I don't usually call things out, but I gave them several this time. The scene was Mary & Brian fixing a toilet. They'd met on the Internet and now he was at her house, where he'd filled up the toilet to the point it was clogged. It was really funny, and not just typical bathroom humor. They did ‘Actor's Nightmare’ next, where it was Jenn's nightmare. Everyone else read all their lines from 3 different real scripts and Jenn had to make it all make sense as one scene. She was an oral hygienist (known as dental hygienist to everyone except Mary <g>). The scene was ok - but this can be a tough one to make funny. Brian rang the bell in ‘Should Have Said’. Todd was mowing his lawn for the first time, Mary was his wife, and Jake & Jenn were neighbors. They ended up with Jake being killed and run over with the mower.
It was sad when the show ended, because it meant the end of Comedy Warehouse for Adie Lisa & me. Lucky Kelly has another 5 nights ahead of her! We walked out to the parking lot together, said goodbye, and drove back to our resorts. Kelly heated up the cinnamon pretzel and got ready for bed. I finished writing & posting the report, then went to bed as well. In my 6 years of being a DVC member I've never slept on the sleep sofa, so tonight I'll get to see how comfortable my guests have been over the years.
I'll get the rest of the Comedy Warehouse pictures posted soon and will send out the URL for the Ofoto album within the next couple of days. It was a great trip, and I'm so glad I came up and got to see everyone this weekend. I wish I could stay longer, but it'll be my turn to have a nice long trip in early May. I don't expect to be back at all in April since I'm on-call for the 2nd half of the month, and will be busy with minor league baseball and other plans beginning in 3 days. Until next time - thanks for reading!
Sue Holland