Trip Reports
02-21-2007, 09:30 PM
Sue Holland - May 2006 - Boardwalk Villas Resort
Time of Year: Spring
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: BVR
Accommodations: Studio
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran, DVC member
Sue Holland -- May 2006 - WDW (BVR)
Who: Sue (47), DVC member
Dates: May 26 - 29, 2006
Resort: Boardwalk Villas Resort
INTRODUCTION:
This will be my last WDW trip for a while – we have FL Resident Seasonal Passes now, and the summer is blacked out. It’s really no big deal, as summer is too hot to enjoy the place, and I’ll be busy with other trips. Actually it’s already too hot, but with it being a holiday weekend I might as well be at WDW rather than staying home. The main purpose of this trip is to simply RELAX. I just got back from spending 5 nights with SB up north, a couple days after back-to-back business trips. I’m sick of flying, and I’m exhausted – so relaxing at WDW is especially appealing right now.
After I made my plans I found out my friends Tom & Leanne would be here, so we made a date for lunch at Mama Melrose. I’ve been wanting to try it again after many years, and when Leanne said it was one of her favorite places we booked a reservation. Her favorite item is no longer on the menu, but hopefully whatever she does order will be good. As usual, I booked a meal at LeCellier. I can’t go to WDW and not have that cheese soup and a glass of wine, lol! I decided to do this meal as an early dinner, so I’ve got more time to relax at the pool. Chefs de France is another place I wanted to return to. My last time was with SB almost 2 years ago, and I’ve never had a bad experience there (love the onion soup). Hmmm, I said the trip was about relaxing, but it sounds like it’s more about eating!
I’m staying at Boardwalk Villas this time, and have a boardwalk view studio. For this reason I might as well make use of the proximity to Epcot, as well as whatever might be going on along the boardwalk in the evening. I’ll be at Comedy Warehouse Friday night, but will most likely spend the other nights closer to “home”.
The plans so far are:
Friday 5/26: Work, Dentist, Drive to WDW, Check in Boardwalk, Comedy Warehouse
Saturday 5/27: MK, Lunch Mama Melrose, Pool or AK, Epcot/Boardwalk
Sunday 5/28: Soarin’ early, Pool, LeCellier
Monday 5/29: MK or Epcot, Pool, Chefs de France
Tuesday 5/30: Leave by 5am to get to work on time!
DAY 1 – Friday 5/26/06
Who:
Sue (47), DVC member
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Plan: Work, Dentist, Drive to WDW, Check in Boardwalk, Comedy Warehouse
Actual:
I worked until 11:45, went to the dentist, and was on the road by 1:30. For once traffic didn’t back up after highway 27 (near WDW) and I breezed on into the Boardwalk Villas by shortly after 4. I thought about valet parking but decided to self park because I can’t stand the thought of having to wait for my car to be brought up. That is a LONG walk from the parking lot – up the hill! There was a very minimal wait to check in (less than 2 minutes), and in no time at all I was on my way to my studio. As if the walk from the parking lot wasn’t long enough, I had another long walk to get to my room! Thank goodness for luggage with wheels!
My studio is one of the dedicated, studio plus units – meaning there is no door connecting to another unit and it also includes a small daybed in addition to the queen and sleep sofa. I’m right on the boardwalk, directly across from those 3 games out there. Everything looks fine, and there’s no sign of anyone ever having smoked in here (it’s a non-smoking room of course). I unpacked quickly and decided to walk to Epcot to see if there were any fastpasses left for Soarin. I thought about heading to Animal Kingdom since they were open until 7, but I didn’t want to be rushed to get back for Comedy Warehouse. The walk to Epcot was HOT, HOT, HOT. Man, I live in Florida and it feels miserable even to me – I will NOT be wandering around a park this time of day again!
To my surprise, the tip board said Soarin still had fastpasses so I walked over the Land and got one for 8:39 pm. I won’t be here at that time tonight, but I may use it tomorrow night. I may have to wait until almost that time for it to get cool enough to go to Epcot, lol! From there I headed over and rode Spaceship Earth, just trying to cool off some. It wasn’t quite as chilly as I’d like, but it was better than being out in the hot sun. I was surprised when I got off and found the sky had turned dark and the wind was whipping around – a storm was coming, and soon! I wanted a pretzel for dinner, and decided it would be safer to buy it at Test Track rather than walk all the way out to America (since the weather looked bad and I had no umbrella with me). I got the pretzel, and then learned the machine had run out of ink so I had to pay cash. I don’t think I’ve paid cash for anything here since 2005! Good thing I had a little money in my wallet. The pretzel was rather disappointing – somewhat hard on the outside, because it had been sitting a while. I ate half of it while walking quickly to the exit, trying to beat the storm. It started to rain lightly as I got to Canada, so I took the boat back to the Boardwalk to stay dry.
Getting off at the Boardwalk it was raining a bit heavier. I don’t understand why people just mosey along in the rain, slow as molasses, as if it was a bright sunny day! I hustled past them and got under cover, then entered the resort to return to my studio without looking like a drenched rat! Pretty soon it started to pour, with lots of thunder and lightning – glad I got back when I did! I got online for a while and listed to the pre-show and start of SB’s game on the internet until it was time to meet Leesa at Comedy Warehouse. SB was able to call briefly before the game started, so he knew I got here safely (and wanted to know what I’d done so far).
By 7 the sky was trying to clear, and I think the rain had stopped. Everything was soaked, but if this area is like the part of FL where I live, they needed the rain badly. I read Julie’s trip report on the aol boards and realized from what she’d written that I probably had an excellent view of the Illuminations fireworks from my studio. I walked over to the balcony to check it out, and sure enough – it should be a perfect view. One more reason to stay “home” some night!
I left for Downtown Disney around 7:15 – figuring 15 minutes to drive there, 25 minutes to walk from the studio to the car (lol) and 5 minutes to find Leesa <g>. I wasn’t sure whether I’d be staying for 3 shows or just 2, as I was still not feeling 100% and probably would have just spent the night in bed listening to SB’s game if I hadn’t told Leesa I’d be meeting her. The drive to DD was easy, but parking was a pain. The lot I usually use was completely filled, so I had to try the next one. This sort of thing really takes away from the “magic” and makes me wonder if it’s worth coming over. The strange thing is, Pleasure Island isn’t even busy, so what are all those cars doing filling up the parking lots???
I met Leesa inside Adventurer’s Club and we sat upstairs talking until it was time to head for Comedy Warehouse. Regulars Bob & Virginia, Larry & Phyllis, and David were already there. Carol Stein was working on the keys tonight. The 8:00 cast was Krista, John, Lisa, Jake & Matt. Jake led John & Matt in a scene where he’d stop the action to have them continue in a song of a specific style (using the last line of dialogue as the title). John & Matt were in a fish bowl – Matt was the filter and John was the last surviving fish. They did “I’m cutting you off” as an oldies tune, “Can you hear me Davey” as grunge rock, and “Sometimes home isn’t forever” as southern gospel.
Next was Up Your Alley, hosted by John as Witherspoon Smith. The topic was semi’s (as in trucks). Krista was Misty Waters, a state employee who works at the truck weigh station. Lisa was a hooker named Candy who works the truck stops, and Jake was a truck driver named Carl who takes drugs and was looking good to Lisa. Overall it was a good first show, even though the audience was very small. We chatted with a few of the cast on the way out, and soon it was time for the next show!
The 9:00 (or whatever time it is – I can’t believe I don’t know anymore) cast was Jake, John, Lisa, Krista & Robby. They opened with the name rhyming game, which Krista won. It was really nice seeing both Krista & Jake working tonight, as I usually seem to miss them – too bad Mary wasn’t working this weekend too! Since Krista won the rhyming game, she decided what they’d do next, and she set up a structure I hadn’t seen before. She took 3 suggestions from the audience and broke the stage into 3 physical sections. Each section represented one of the suggestions, and whenever an actor was in that section they had to follow that suggestion. The 3 were sad, ecstatic & stupid. The scene took place in a public library – it was a little strange but funny.
Madrigal was next, directed by John. The suggestions weren’t the greatest, and most of the new titles the actors created ended up being very similar. Next they did another new (to me anyway) structure – greeting cards. Suggestions for unusual reasons for a greeting card were obtained, and the actors then created the verse for the card. The suggestions were hangover, missed your flight, new car, getting lost – they did a good job. Finally, they did Should Have Said, with Robby ringing the bell. Lisa was breaking her husband (John) out of jail, and Jake was the prison guard. They also had time to do a short version of career day, where they demonstrate the worst of several suggested careers. Overall it was another great show.
I ran over to Ghiradelli between shows, hoping to get more of the foil-wrapped chocolate for my office. Unfortunately, they had NONE – just the squares, which I did not want. I made it back with about 5 minutes to spare. The 10:15 cast was Matt, Krista, Lisa, Robby & Joy. They did Styles, where Joy called out different suggested styles of music, tv, movies, books, etc and the actors had to continue the scene in that style. Robby & Lisa were new parents – she had only married him for his money & to get a child, but it turned out the baby’s father was really Robby’s blind brother Matt. They also did Cliché this show, which was an excellent way to finish my Comedy Warehouse night! Matt was tortured and had to guess he was in a college dorm, then guess a Scottish phrase that translates into “It’s a moonlit night tonight”. He had to guess it phonetically, using the Scottish words. It was funny, although he had no idea what he was saying.
I left right after this show, and Leesa stuck around for the rest of the evening. She’s more of a night owl than me, and I surprised myself staying up as late as I did considering I wasn’t feeling that great. SB’s game had ended so I talked to him on the drive back to Boardwalk. At the security booth the cast member told me after 11pm you also have to show a photo id or room key – which is so totally STUPID in my opinion. If I wasn’t staying there and was up to no good, I’d simply show my license but they don’t record it or anything. Their silly measures does nothing to provide any real security – not that I think any is needed here. Next time I’ll use the other lane, and put my key in the slot to open the gate and not be bothered with their silliness.
Back in the studio I microwaved a piece of the leftover pretzel & talked to SB again before turning in for the night. Overall it was a really nice day – except for that torrential rain storm we had. At least I avoided the worst of it, and I know now that it’s expected again each day of my trip. The weather is really unbearably hot – April was so gorgeous, and this weekend just really sucks in terms of weather/comfort. I’m glad I don’t have trips booked for this summer. It was great being back at Comedy Warehouse and seeing Leesa again – on my next trip we’ll probably do 2 nights there instead of just 1. We’ll see what tomorrow brings – I’m thinking I’ll be doing less than originally planned due to both the hot weather and not feeling up to par just yet. But hell, if you’ve got to be recovering from a cold, might as well do it here as opposed to hanging around the house!
DAY 2 – Saturday 5/27/06
Who:
Sue (47), DVC member
Tom & Leanne, DVC members, friends before DVC
Kim, their daughter, DVC Heiress
Chris, Kim’s 16-yr old son
Plan: MK, Lunch Mama Melrose, Pool or AK, Epcot/Boardwalk
Actual:
Today was intended to be my main “parks” day, with more park time than any other day. It probably doesn’t make sense to do it after my latest evening (Comedy Warehouse), but with a 12:10 lunch reservation inside a park it just made sense to plan it this way. I woke up around 7 but didn’t get up until it was time to call SB at 8. After laying down all night, a lot of crud had settled in my chest and I ended up coughing like a fiend for quite a while – and I’m going through Kleenex like you wouldn’t believe! SB decided to sleep another hour, so I got myself showered & dressed, then made an English muffin and cup of cappuccino for breakfast before I called him back at 9.
I opened the door to the balcony, thinking I’d sit out there for a bit, but the oppressive wall of humid heat took my breath away! Damn – I was hoping it’d be pleasant for a little while in the morning, but that’s not the case. I retreated back indoors. When I lay in bed, my view is a direct shot of Spaceship Earth, which is pretty cool. To watch Illuminations I’ll have to get out of bed and go sit on the balcony or the sleep sofa. Ah, what terrible problems to have, lol! I canceled any thought of heading to MK early this morning, and decided not to walk over to Epcot to pick up another Soarin fastpass either. Instead, I hung out online and finished up yesterday’s report – then drove over to Premium Outlets to be there when they opened at 10. SB & I will be visiting my Dad the day after Father’s Day, so I was looking for gift ideas.
I got to Premium Outlets just after they opened, and went directly to Character Premiere. I was able to find a nice golf shirt for Dad, and picked one up in another color for SB. He’s doing another sports celebrity charity golf tournament just after my June visit, so if he doesn’t wear a golf shirt with his sports logo he can wear this one. I also got myself a Beach Club Villas little tee – it’s got the BCV log embroidered on the chest and Disney Vacation Club embroidered on the sleeve. They also had the Saratoga Springs version, but it was the same color as the one I have from Hilton Head (BCV was red, SS was navy blue – both $13.99 marked down from $28). Mission accomplished, I put my purchases in the trunk and drove back to WDW. I stopped to fill up the tank with gas at the Hess station – tell me WHY people buy gas at the Chevron just outside WDW for $3.15/gallon when Hess on property is $2.74/gallon??? Talk about ripping off the tourists!
Back at BWV I found a great parking spot and thought perhaps I’d just leave the car parked the rest of the trip <g>. I went back to the studio briefly, wanting to check the hotel map to see if there’s a shortcut stairwell/exit to begin the walk to MGM – rather than going back to the lobby and walking along the boardwalk. Despite the very long walk to the room (and my room is NOT the furthest one), I am glad to be here. I love the boardwalk view, and although I can hear the boat horns and later I’ll hear that silly bell one of the games rings when someone wins, I don’t mind that kind of noise. Now if only parents would teach their little kids to not be shouting in the hallways at 7am, but unfortunately I know I’m asking too much there <g>.
Shortly after 11 I headed out – tried a stairwell near the room and walked down the 5 flights to see where it would take me. It was a good move – I came out by the main pool and quickly joined the path to MGM. Luckily there were lots of period of shade so it wasn’t terribly bad. There was also a slight breeze, which helped. As I neared MGM I could hear them announcing stuff for the Star Wars weekend motorcade – but it meant nothing to me. The park was mobbed – lots of Star Wars fans I guess. In some spots it was almost impassable, so I knew I wouldn’t be sticking around after lunch or returning this weekend.
I got to Mama Melrose’s shortly after 11:30 and decided to wait there since there really wasn’t time to do anything else before lunch. A couple were looking at the menu, so I went over next to them so I could see the menu too. As I’m looking at it, the gentleman says “well, what do you think, Sue?” I looked and saw the couple was Kim and her son Chris! I wasn’t sure they’d be here, so this was a pleasant surprise. We stepped inside (into the air conditioning) to wait for Tom & Leanne, and the restaurant was able to accommodate our change from a party of 3 to party of 5. They’d been to Animal Kingdom to start the day, and reported they’ve never seen it so busy. It IS a holiday weekend, of course – but I’ll take a pass on going over there after lunch in favor of some quiet time at the resort.
We were seated right on time or slightly early (12:10 ADR). The restaurant opens at noon, so it wasn’t too busy when we arrived but it was mobbed (lots of people waiting) when we left. They started us out with some bread, along with pesto/oil and some sundried tomatoes. The bread was just ok, and better when we got some Mickey butter to use instead. The others had soda to drink but I had a glass of the sangria. It was delicious, and at $3.95 a real bargain. I’d gladly order this again, or share a carafe with SB. The others all ordered the chicken parmesan, and it was excellent. I think all plates were pretty clean, thanks to some help from the teen Chris! I had the mozzarella & tomatoes, and it was perfect – 3 slices of each, some marinated onions – very light and refreshing. I ate 2 and took the 3rd back to the resort for later. This is another item I’d definitely return here to order. I was the only one to order dessert, but did get enough forks for the other women to help me. The warm chocolate truffle cake sounded wonderful – it was actually quite small, and although it was good it wasn’t good enough to justify the calories (so it won’t be ordered again). I think my favorite part was the pistachio Florentine stuck on the top, while Leanne enjoyed the fresh raspberries (neither Kim nor I eat hairy fruit). Overall I’d rate this meal as excellent but could have done without the dessert. Everyone else really enjoyed their food as well.
We said our goodbyes outside and I fought my way out of the park and rode the boat to the Swan/Dolphin. From there I walked to the Boardwalk and used the closest side door to enter the building and climb the 5 flights up to my floor. My room was not far from that point, so this saved a great deal of walking over going to the elevators. I checked on SB’s game and changed into my swimsuit, then climbed back down the stairwell to spend some time at the pool. I found a single chair by the main pool, and once I got settled realized I should have gone to the quiet pool since I don’t use the slide or hot tubs (in fact I rarely even go in the water). Plus, the pool area was extremely noisy – not just loud happy noises, but a fair share of exhausted screaming/crying kids trying to compete for the “loudest” title. Ugh! Eventually they either shut up or I became immune to their noise. I’d brought Tim Larison’s report from his recent Med cruise, and spent an hour laying there reading his excellent report. I talked to the people next to me a little – very nice people, also from FL. Before I left I stopped at the pool bar and got a Ferris Wheel to bring back to the room. SB and I loved this drink in March, and made them at home several times (pineapple juice, cranberry juice, Malibu). This time I took the elevator up, since it was so close.
Back in the studio I found the other team had pulled ahead by 1 run – so I laid on the bed, blew my nose another 150 times or so (keeping pace with how the day’s gone so far, lol) and listened to the rest of the game hoping our team would rally before it ended. Thank goodness – in the top of the 9th they hit a 2-run home run <G>! They ended up winning the game, too. After I got changed back into regular clothes I sat out on the balcony for a while trying to warm up, and drank half of the Ferris Wheel. I really was still full from lunch, but bought it because I was right there at the pool earlier. I toyed with the idea of going over to Magic Kingdom, but when I saw it is open until midnight tonight I knew it would be mobbed. Animal Kingdom is still a possibility, for the last hour or 2 of the day (they close at 7). I really don’t want to be caught in a torrential downpour, but right now the sky looks good.
After the game I went to the bus stop and caught the bus over to Animal Kingdom. I was able to do Primeval Whirl with a very short wait, then headed to Dinosaur. The standby time was listed as 30 minutes, but in reality there were 6 people ahead of me waiting for the preshow doors to open! It was pretty congested after the preshow, as they only had one side running. After Dinosaur I thought about doing the safari but the tip board said 20 minutes and I didn’t want to walk all the way back there if that was true. I left the park about 6, and walked right onto a bus to Epcot.
Entering Epcot was a breeze, except for the clueless people ahead of me who could not operate the biometrics to save their lives. Eventually I helped the woman, as the cast member wasn’t much help. I headed to Mission Space, which had a 5-minute standby wait posted. They now give you either a green ticket (mild) or orange ticket (spinning), depending on which version of the ride you want to do. I chose green, as the spinning didn’t appeal to me. It takes a while to get on the ride once you’re inside, and there are constant messages encouraging people to switch to green if they’re at all unsure they can handle the other. This was my first time on the ride, and while it’s not terribly exciting I enjoyed it. I doubt I’ll do it every trip (since it takes so long) but I’ll do it once in a while.
I talked to SB after Mission Space – he questioned why I didn’t have a glass of wine, so I decided I might as well walk over to Germany and get one. Along the way I stopped at first aid and got some decongestant and some non-aspirin. My throat was killing me, and my sinuses were all clogged. The larger pills ended up getting caught in my throat and it took a while before they slipped past whatever was blocking them and were finally swallowed – I’ve never had that happen before. I continued walking and went into the wine shop at Germany, but found they were out of my favorite wine. I tried the Madonna spatlese, but it wasn’t nearly as good – next time I’ll just skip the wine here if my favorite isn’t available. I sat on a shady bench in Italy and listened to the Guess Who concert over in America. I ended up leaving Epcot around 8 and walked back to the Boardwalk.
I spent the rest of the evening finishing yesterday’s pretzel, finishing today’s report, talking to SB, sitting on the balcony, and watching the Illuminations fireworks. When the fireworks ended, I went to bed – ready to just sleep!
Today was a great day – I really enjoyed the meal at Mama Melrose’s and seeing those friends again. Mission Space was my other “new” thing for today – and I managed to get Father’s Day taken care of. Tomorrow I may head to Magic Kingdom briefly in the morning, depending on how I feel. I’ll also spend time by the pool and listen to SB’s game in the afternoon, then probably return to Epcot for the evening (depending on weather – tonight it was great).
DAY 3 – Sunday 5/28/06
Who:
Sue (47), DVC member
Plan: Soarin’ early, Pool, LeCellier
Actual: At one point during the night I woke up, and after coughing a while suddenly felt like the worst had passed. I woke again sometime after 7, and was up by 7:30 feeling pretty much normal (a little stuffy, but no big deal). I showered/dressed and had a half bagel and cappuccino for breakfast out on the balcony. It’s already hot/humid, and very foggy – from inside the room I wasn’t able to clearly see the railings on the balcony! By shortly after 8 though, it had burned off and it was a gorgeous-looking day. Since I was feeling so well I decided to get to Magic Kingdom for opening and hit my favorites over there before I came back to the pool.
I left the studio by 8:30 and went to the bus stop. The MK bus arrived just after I did, then stopped at the Swan & Dolphin. We got to MK just as the train was pulling into the station for the preshow, and although it looked crowded it was pretty quick getting through security & the turnstiles. The key is to WALK a few extra steps and breeze right through turnstiles that people don’t bother walking to. They’d rather stand in line cluelessly, I guess. I ducked into the Emporium (avoiding the noise & music outside) to wake up SB and chat with him for a few minutes, then headed to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The line at Big Thunder extended well outside the building, but it kept moving pretty quickly. The posted wait was 10 minutes, and that’s probably how long it took. I was lucky enough to get the back row, which is my favorite, and I enjoyed the ride. The lines waiting were too long for me to consider a second attempt today, though. I walked through Fantasyland and was surprised to see it wasn’t that busy and the waits at the attractions were just a little more than a walk-on. I continued to Tomorrowland and went to Space Mountain. The standby time said 20 minutes but it was actually much less. I was off the ride and heading to the TTA between 9:30 and 9:45. The TTA was relaxing, and was the perfect way to end my Magic Kingdom time today. I’ve always enjoyed that ride for some reason.
I exited the park, surprised that it still was not as busy as it normally is at this time. You’d think on a holiday weekend it would be busier than normal, but so far that wasn’t the case. I was at the bus top at 10, and asked the driver at the BW stop if he was going to the Boardwalk (the bus still said Magic Kingdom). He said no, so I stepped back. I repeated this several more times, then finally approached a cast member and asked how I was supposed to get back to my resort when none of the buses at my stop were going there! I was furious – but found out there’s a white van with a cast member who “watches” the bus stops. If he sees someone waiting, he tells a bus to drop off there and pick up for that resort. Otherwise, he tells them all to drop off only, then they loop around the corner and sit in line waiting for deployment to pick up more guests. Well, there were so many buses lined up waiting I doubt he could see me, and it was 10:35 before FINALLY the driver at the next stop told me (and the family who had joined me) to come to his bus.
Now, my objective was to pick up a fastpass at Soarin’ before heading to the pool, and I figured a bus to the resort & walking in thru the Int’l Gateway would be faster than taking the local monorail, switching monorails, then getting thru the long lines at the main entrance. The bus fiasco blew all that out of the water, though. Disney really doesn’t handle people returning to their resorts early very well.
I got off the bus at Boardwalk and walked into Epcot. There was no wait at International Gateway, so at least I had been right about that, lol! The park was not very busy, and I easily made my way over to the Land to get my fastpass. At just after 11am the standby wait was 110 minutes and my fastpass return time was 3:30-4:30. That time worked perfect for me – I’ll ride after my early dinner. I didn’t bother to do anything else – honestly it was too hot to do much of anything – so I walked back to the Boardwalk. By the time I got there my clothes were damp, exposed skin was glistening, the back of my hair (short hair) was dripping down my back – it was disgusting! I cooled off in the room a bit and finished the tomato/mozzarella from yesterday. After changing into my swimsuit I headed down the stairwell expecting to go to the quiet pool but ended up staying at the main pool instead. I found a nice quiet section where you couldn’t see the pool but were not far away. They had Disney music playing, and were doing a hula hoop contest poolside. I settled on my chaise lounge and talked to SB before his game started, then read a couple of magazines in between trips to cool off at the elephant shower. I only lasted less than 1.5 hours before passing off the finished magazine to another guest and returning to my air conditioned studio for a nice cool shower!
I spent the next couple of hours listening to SB’s game and left around 3:30 to walk to LeCellier for an early dinner at 4. It was still very HOT and I was glad to reach LeCellier and be able to stand inside where it was cooler. A large number of parties came to inquire about having dinner there tonight and all were turned away – they were totally booked for the evening. In fact, as of 4pm the only full-service places in Epcot that had any availability were China (yuck) and Germany. I arrived at 3:50 and was told they’d start seating at 4:05. It was a very loooooong 15 minutes, thanks to the monster children of the family I was next to. They had a little boy with a damn toy machine gun! Why on earth do kids need machine guns – especially at a theme park??? The little girl was rambunctiously telling the 4 adults in the party (parents & grandparents) just exactly what they’d be doing & not doing the rest of the day. No child of mine would have been talking to parents or grandparents like that! Then, she starts running wild and the mother would say “Sarah come back here” or “Sarah don’t open the door” and of course darling Sarah just ignored the mother and of course the mother never did anything about it. Both parents looked totally disinterested in each other, and beaten down – it was pretty sad.
While we were waiting, the host asked if anyone knew the capital city of Canada. A couple of people guessed incorrectly, then there was silence. From the incorrect guesses I figured it had to be Ottawa, and said that. The host asked who said that, then said I’d be seated first, lol! Hey, being spared even 5 minutes of that family was a terrific prize to me! Sure enough, I was seated first and had a nice quiet meal. My server was a much older woman (older than me, but much older than the kids you usually see working in the international program) and she was very nice. Assuming she’s from Canada and working here for a year, I hope she’s having a great time! I had my usual – glass or Riesling and the cheddar cheese soup. I was out of there by 4:45, and it worked out great because SB called right as I was passing the McDonald’s French fry stand on my way to Soarin’.
Unfortunately, his team gave away a 4-run lead and then lost by another couple runs, so he was pretty bummed out. I continued walking to the Land and picked up a fastpass for Living with the Land. The standby wait was 30 minutes, and my fastpass return time was also about 30 minutes (5:25). From there I went to Soarin’ and enjoyed that attraction. The standby wait there was 150 minutes (2.5 HOURS) – people are nuts!
After Soarin’ I had about 10 minutes before I could do Living with the Land, so I walked over and rode Spaceship Earth. By the time I was off that ride it was time to return to the Land. Living with the Land now had a 60 minute standby wait, so I was really glad to have the fastpass! It was a nice ride, although some of the experimental greenhouse was a bit sparse as they’ve recently replanted some stuff. When I came out of the Land I saw the sky was very dark and it was quite windy. Severe weather was on the way, so I decided to leave the park. Before I saw the weather I’d planned to walk around World Showcase and pick up a chocolate mousse in Italy, but instead I walked to France and got the mousse there. I took it back to the resort, walking back to the Boardwalk from the International Gateway. Back in the studio I put the mousse in the fridge for later and checked in with SB.
The rest of the evening I spent watching a little tv, hanging out online, talking off & on with SB & trying to stay warm. The studio is so cold – I hear people complain they can’t get their rooms cold enough at some resorts, but I’ve adjusted mine warmer a couple times and it’s still chilly! I took the rest of yesterday’s Ferris Wheel drink and the chocolate mousse and sat on the balcony for a while getting warm and watching the activity on the boardwalk. I really do like this location and will definitely try to get it again at 7 months for a long weekend next April (after the Easter crowds have gone).
Tomorrow I’m going to just take it easy. Running out to the parks this morning really took a lot of time and it was so HOT it really wasn’t all that great. I enjoyed my rides at the MK and wouldn’t have been able to do Soarin’ this afternoon if I hadn’t made the trek over to Epcot earlier today, but it was all an awful lot of work! Also, by the time I got to the pool it was too hot to stay very long, so I’ll get out there earlier tomorrow – perhaps dashing over to Soarin’ for a fastpass early in the morning so I can ride it after my late lunch/early dinner.
DAY 4 – Monday 5/29/06
Who: Sue (47), DVC member
Plan: MK or Epcot, Pool, Chefs de France
Actual: Originally my Chefs de France reservation was at noon, but I decided to push it back to allow for some time at the pool. Calling just 5 days in advance, I had my choice of times for an early dinner or late lunch. No doubt being a party of 1 makes it easier than if I was a party of 4, 6 or more – but I was surprised they weren’t all booked up at that late date. I ended up booking it for 3pm, forgetting that SB’s game would still be going on at that time (5pm would have been better – but can’t change it now).
Something I meant to mention earlier is the noise from the boardwalk. With my balcony door closed I still hear quite a bit of noise from outside – ships horns, people laughing/clapping, the games, music, etc. If someone needs silence for sleeping, then a boardwalk view room would not be a good choice unless you bring ear plugs. I just look at it as a reminder of where I am, and it didn’t disturb me at all the first 2 nights. Last night however was another story – it sounded like I had 15-20 people standing IN my room yelling! It sounded like they were hanging out by the games, and cheering each other on to win – the games ended at 11:30 but these morons continued with their LOUD cheering & laughing until just before 2am. I’m sure I heard it that loudly, then everyone else facing the boardwalk did as well – and it was probably worse on the lower floors. Years ago I remember being in a boardwalk view studio over the restaurant and sitting on my balcony only to have a toddler at the restaurant start shrieking (parents ignored him). I went inside and shut my door, and his noise was eliminated, so I don’t understand why the noise is not blocked out now – but that will be an issue for the comment card.
I got up at 7:30 or so and sat outside on the (quiet) balcony with some cappuccino, deciding to have breakfast after I returned from my Soarin’ fastpass run. The news was full of stories about Brad & Angelina’s baby – I realize they’re the very first couple to ever have a baby, but don’t they still deserve some privacy?? I just don’t understand why the public need or wants to know about this, except perhaps as a passing “oh, they had a baby….next subject now).
The sky was completely overcast this morning, but the sun would be burning through later this morning. At 8:30 I left the studio and walked to Epcot to get a Soarin’ fastpass to use later. They held us a while at International Gateway, then let down that rope and held us at the top of the hill until 9. I called SB at 9 but he was already awake – hoping for a better day with the team today! I walked quickly over to Soarin, and it didn’t seem that crowded but it was enough to push the standby wait to 50 minutes within the first 10 minutes of being open! It was a steady mob of people entering the Land and being channeled down the stairs to get to Soarin. I got a fastpass with a 10:15 return time, and it said I could get another at 10:18. Since it was barely 9:15 now, and since it was so cloudy outside, I decided to stick around for a 2nd fastpass. I rode Living with the Land again, and enjoyed it even though it had only been 15 hours or so since my last time <g>.
I walked over to Test Track and did the single rider line. The posted wait for single riders was 20 minutes but it was really only about half that. I was hungry (no breakfast this morning) so I checked out the Electric Umbrella but really wasn’t interested in anything that big. Instead, I went back to the Land and went to the bakery counter at Seasons food court. I got a rice krispie treat for breakfast, and at the last minute decided on a butterfinger brownie for later. It was now time to get my next fastpass, so I did that and then ate my rice krispie treat while walking back to the Boardwalk.
After a brief stop in the studio I changed into my swimsuit and headed out to the pool. Today I laid by the hot tub, which was very sunny. I talked to a lady from Tennessee on the chair next to me, and did some reading. There was a slight breeze, and it didn’t feel quite as hot as it was yesterday. It’s still hot & humid, but I didn’t feel miserable! I talked to SB and hope the “meeting” they had with the players does some good today. Around 12:30 I headed back up to the studio to shower and listen to the first half of his game on the internet. Unfortunately it was bad beyond belief – I was disgusted and knew SB would be in a foul mood after the game. I ended up leaving a bit earlier than planned, just to get away from the damn game.
I walked into Epcot and headed over to France, figuring I would check in early for my 3:00 lunch reservation and take my chances. They were able to seat me right away, and since I was only having soup and wine I was finished by 3pm! The soup was good, but it seemed like a bigger portion than I remembered, and tasted somewhat salty. Based on this visit, I can’t say I’ll be rushing back here. I had a glass of the chenin blanc, which wasn’t bad – especially since I normally am not a fan of French wine. My server was excellent, and had a sense of humor as well.
After lunch I decided to return to the resort and wait for it to cool off a bit before returning to Epcot. The boat was just arriving, so I rode that back and was in my studio by 3:20. I turned on General Hospital and got back to SB’s game as well. They’d scored some runs, but had given up more as well :::sigh:::. The really frustrating part is most of the earlier runs were the result of really STUPID errors on our part, plus giving up a couple of home runs (gee, thanks pitcher). Combine that with our getting runners to 3rd base but not getting them home, and you get the picture.
The butterfinger brownie turned out to be nothing special – looked better than it tasted. It won’t go to waste though – Chris will eat it, lol! Around 4:45 I headed back out, dropping my pool stuff off at the car, then walking into Epcot. I was so thirsty, I knew it wasn’t my imagination that the onion soup in France was saltier than before – looks like I’ve probably eaten there for the last time. SB called before I got to Int’l Gateway and was in surprisingly good spirits – guess I took the loss harder than he did. Now he’s got a 4-hour bus ride back to their home town. He did comment that I should have come to Portland instead of WDW, and he’s right – I really would have rather been there with him than here alone. Next year I’ll keep that in mind – I’ll book Memorial Day weekend here but if his baseball schedule makes it possible for me to be with him I’ll cancel the WDW room and come here another weekend.
Once I got inside Epcot I headed straight for the land and used my 2 Soarin’ fastpasses. The first time I got row 3 again, but the 2nd time I got row 2 (better than 3). I was hoping for row 1, but didn’t want to ask for any special favors. Both rides were great, and after the 2nd time I was ready to walk around World Showcase. I checked in Germany, but my wine was still not in, so I continued on. I ended up getting a glass of wine in Morocco, along with a small baklava pastry. I walked back to America and sat behind the merchandise carts – from there I could people watch but remain pretty much ignored. Mary’s voice was announcing the start of the Guess Who concert, and I stayed for the entire thing. I took a bite of the baklava and put it back in the container – it had no taste whatsoever. Last night I ate my chocolate mousse and couldn’t taste it at all either – it was like eating nothing. Yesterday in Soarin’ I noticed the smells (pine trees & orange trees) were not there – today was the same way, but I heard other riders comment about smelling the trees so I realize the problem is me! For whatever reason my sense of smell is gone (it’s been nice seeing smokers but not smelling them at all, lol) and with that so it a good portion of my sense of taste. Perhaps the butterfinger brownie really isn’t that bad, – but I’ll still give it to Chris.
After the concert ended and the crowds thinned out I got a pretzel in America and ate a portion of it while walking around. It was a gorgeous night once the sun went down! I’ll have some of the pretzel for breakfast in the morning, and take the rest home. I left through International Gateway and although a boat was just pulling in I decided to walk. I ended up beating it slightly – it was just pulling up to the dock as I walked by back at the Boardwalk. Let’s hope tonight is a quieter night, as I have the alarm set for 3:50 in the morning!
Today was a nice day, but I was left feeling like I’m just beginning to relax – and felt the stress of having to go back to work tomorrow! I really needed more time, but don’t have it. I’ve really enjoyed being at this resort, and will look forward to returning next spring when the weather is a bit cooler. 2 of my 3 meals were excellent, and although I won’t be returning to Chefs de France (for a long while at least) I don’t regret giving it a try. I enjoyed my time by the pool, and the time spent out on the balcony overlooking the boardwalk. It was also great laying in bed seeing Spaceship Earth!
My next WDW trip is scheduled for Labor Day weekend, and I’ve got the free Disney Dining Plan. I’d never pay for it – anyone who can make a $3.50 pretzel 3 meals is not likely to get her money’s worth out of a $37.99/day plan! However, since it’s free I figured what the hell! I had to book 3 nights at Pop Century since DVC members don’t get the dining plan for free, but I also have 2 nights at OKW. I’ll be checking into OKW a day before I check out of Pop – I’ve got rooms at both resorts on that night, but I did that purposely to avoid that “homeless” period between checking out and checking in. This leaves me with a room nobody will be sleeping in, but my convenience is worth it! Hopefully on the next trip I’ll spend 2 nights at Comedy Warehouse, and I do hope I won’t feel miserable from the feeding frenzy of the Disney Dining Plan!
Until then – thanks for reading
Sue Holland
Time of Year: Spring
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: BVR
Accommodations: Studio
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran, DVC member
Sue Holland -- May 2006 - WDW (BVR)
Who: Sue (47), DVC member
Dates: May 26 - 29, 2006
Resort: Boardwalk Villas Resort
INTRODUCTION:
This will be my last WDW trip for a while – we have FL Resident Seasonal Passes now, and the summer is blacked out. It’s really no big deal, as summer is too hot to enjoy the place, and I’ll be busy with other trips. Actually it’s already too hot, but with it being a holiday weekend I might as well be at WDW rather than staying home. The main purpose of this trip is to simply RELAX. I just got back from spending 5 nights with SB up north, a couple days after back-to-back business trips. I’m sick of flying, and I’m exhausted – so relaxing at WDW is especially appealing right now.
After I made my plans I found out my friends Tom & Leanne would be here, so we made a date for lunch at Mama Melrose. I’ve been wanting to try it again after many years, and when Leanne said it was one of her favorite places we booked a reservation. Her favorite item is no longer on the menu, but hopefully whatever she does order will be good. As usual, I booked a meal at LeCellier. I can’t go to WDW and not have that cheese soup and a glass of wine, lol! I decided to do this meal as an early dinner, so I’ve got more time to relax at the pool. Chefs de France is another place I wanted to return to. My last time was with SB almost 2 years ago, and I’ve never had a bad experience there (love the onion soup). Hmmm, I said the trip was about relaxing, but it sounds like it’s more about eating!
I’m staying at Boardwalk Villas this time, and have a boardwalk view studio. For this reason I might as well make use of the proximity to Epcot, as well as whatever might be going on along the boardwalk in the evening. I’ll be at Comedy Warehouse Friday night, but will most likely spend the other nights closer to “home”.
The plans so far are:
Friday 5/26: Work, Dentist, Drive to WDW, Check in Boardwalk, Comedy Warehouse
Saturday 5/27: MK, Lunch Mama Melrose, Pool or AK, Epcot/Boardwalk
Sunday 5/28: Soarin’ early, Pool, LeCellier
Monday 5/29: MK or Epcot, Pool, Chefs de France
Tuesday 5/30: Leave by 5am to get to work on time!
DAY 1 – Friday 5/26/06
Who:
Sue (47), DVC member
Leesa, Comedy Warehouse regular
Plan: Work, Dentist, Drive to WDW, Check in Boardwalk, Comedy Warehouse
Actual:
I worked until 11:45, went to the dentist, and was on the road by 1:30. For once traffic didn’t back up after highway 27 (near WDW) and I breezed on into the Boardwalk Villas by shortly after 4. I thought about valet parking but decided to self park because I can’t stand the thought of having to wait for my car to be brought up. That is a LONG walk from the parking lot – up the hill! There was a very minimal wait to check in (less than 2 minutes), and in no time at all I was on my way to my studio. As if the walk from the parking lot wasn’t long enough, I had another long walk to get to my room! Thank goodness for luggage with wheels!
My studio is one of the dedicated, studio plus units – meaning there is no door connecting to another unit and it also includes a small daybed in addition to the queen and sleep sofa. I’m right on the boardwalk, directly across from those 3 games out there. Everything looks fine, and there’s no sign of anyone ever having smoked in here (it’s a non-smoking room of course). I unpacked quickly and decided to walk to Epcot to see if there were any fastpasses left for Soarin. I thought about heading to Animal Kingdom since they were open until 7, but I didn’t want to be rushed to get back for Comedy Warehouse. The walk to Epcot was HOT, HOT, HOT. Man, I live in Florida and it feels miserable even to me – I will NOT be wandering around a park this time of day again!
To my surprise, the tip board said Soarin still had fastpasses so I walked over the Land and got one for 8:39 pm. I won’t be here at that time tonight, but I may use it tomorrow night. I may have to wait until almost that time for it to get cool enough to go to Epcot, lol! From there I headed over and rode Spaceship Earth, just trying to cool off some. It wasn’t quite as chilly as I’d like, but it was better than being out in the hot sun. I was surprised when I got off and found the sky had turned dark and the wind was whipping around – a storm was coming, and soon! I wanted a pretzel for dinner, and decided it would be safer to buy it at Test Track rather than walk all the way out to America (since the weather looked bad and I had no umbrella with me). I got the pretzel, and then learned the machine had run out of ink so I had to pay cash. I don’t think I’ve paid cash for anything here since 2005! Good thing I had a little money in my wallet. The pretzel was rather disappointing – somewhat hard on the outside, because it had been sitting a while. I ate half of it while walking quickly to the exit, trying to beat the storm. It started to rain lightly as I got to Canada, so I took the boat back to the Boardwalk to stay dry.
Getting off at the Boardwalk it was raining a bit heavier. I don’t understand why people just mosey along in the rain, slow as molasses, as if it was a bright sunny day! I hustled past them and got under cover, then entered the resort to return to my studio without looking like a drenched rat! Pretty soon it started to pour, with lots of thunder and lightning – glad I got back when I did! I got online for a while and listed to the pre-show and start of SB’s game on the internet until it was time to meet Leesa at Comedy Warehouse. SB was able to call briefly before the game started, so he knew I got here safely (and wanted to know what I’d done so far).
By 7 the sky was trying to clear, and I think the rain had stopped. Everything was soaked, but if this area is like the part of FL where I live, they needed the rain badly. I read Julie’s trip report on the aol boards and realized from what she’d written that I probably had an excellent view of the Illuminations fireworks from my studio. I walked over to the balcony to check it out, and sure enough – it should be a perfect view. One more reason to stay “home” some night!
I left for Downtown Disney around 7:15 – figuring 15 minutes to drive there, 25 minutes to walk from the studio to the car (lol) and 5 minutes to find Leesa <g>. I wasn’t sure whether I’d be staying for 3 shows or just 2, as I was still not feeling 100% and probably would have just spent the night in bed listening to SB’s game if I hadn’t told Leesa I’d be meeting her. The drive to DD was easy, but parking was a pain. The lot I usually use was completely filled, so I had to try the next one. This sort of thing really takes away from the “magic” and makes me wonder if it’s worth coming over. The strange thing is, Pleasure Island isn’t even busy, so what are all those cars doing filling up the parking lots???
I met Leesa inside Adventurer’s Club and we sat upstairs talking until it was time to head for Comedy Warehouse. Regulars Bob & Virginia, Larry & Phyllis, and David were already there. Carol Stein was working on the keys tonight. The 8:00 cast was Krista, John, Lisa, Jake & Matt. Jake led John & Matt in a scene where he’d stop the action to have them continue in a song of a specific style (using the last line of dialogue as the title). John & Matt were in a fish bowl – Matt was the filter and John was the last surviving fish. They did “I’m cutting you off” as an oldies tune, “Can you hear me Davey” as grunge rock, and “Sometimes home isn’t forever” as southern gospel.
Next was Up Your Alley, hosted by John as Witherspoon Smith. The topic was semi’s (as in trucks). Krista was Misty Waters, a state employee who works at the truck weigh station. Lisa was a hooker named Candy who works the truck stops, and Jake was a truck driver named Carl who takes drugs and was looking good to Lisa. Overall it was a good first show, even though the audience was very small. We chatted with a few of the cast on the way out, and soon it was time for the next show!
The 9:00 (or whatever time it is – I can’t believe I don’t know anymore) cast was Jake, John, Lisa, Krista & Robby. They opened with the name rhyming game, which Krista won. It was really nice seeing both Krista & Jake working tonight, as I usually seem to miss them – too bad Mary wasn’t working this weekend too! Since Krista won the rhyming game, she decided what they’d do next, and she set up a structure I hadn’t seen before. She took 3 suggestions from the audience and broke the stage into 3 physical sections. Each section represented one of the suggestions, and whenever an actor was in that section they had to follow that suggestion. The 3 were sad, ecstatic & stupid. The scene took place in a public library – it was a little strange but funny.
Madrigal was next, directed by John. The suggestions weren’t the greatest, and most of the new titles the actors created ended up being very similar. Next they did another new (to me anyway) structure – greeting cards. Suggestions for unusual reasons for a greeting card were obtained, and the actors then created the verse for the card. The suggestions were hangover, missed your flight, new car, getting lost – they did a good job. Finally, they did Should Have Said, with Robby ringing the bell. Lisa was breaking her husband (John) out of jail, and Jake was the prison guard. They also had time to do a short version of career day, where they demonstrate the worst of several suggested careers. Overall it was another great show.
I ran over to Ghiradelli between shows, hoping to get more of the foil-wrapped chocolate for my office. Unfortunately, they had NONE – just the squares, which I did not want. I made it back with about 5 minutes to spare. The 10:15 cast was Matt, Krista, Lisa, Robby & Joy. They did Styles, where Joy called out different suggested styles of music, tv, movies, books, etc and the actors had to continue the scene in that style. Robby & Lisa were new parents – she had only married him for his money & to get a child, but it turned out the baby’s father was really Robby’s blind brother Matt. They also did Cliché this show, which was an excellent way to finish my Comedy Warehouse night! Matt was tortured and had to guess he was in a college dorm, then guess a Scottish phrase that translates into “It’s a moonlit night tonight”. He had to guess it phonetically, using the Scottish words. It was funny, although he had no idea what he was saying.
I left right after this show, and Leesa stuck around for the rest of the evening. She’s more of a night owl than me, and I surprised myself staying up as late as I did considering I wasn’t feeling that great. SB’s game had ended so I talked to him on the drive back to Boardwalk. At the security booth the cast member told me after 11pm you also have to show a photo id or room key – which is so totally STUPID in my opinion. If I wasn’t staying there and was up to no good, I’d simply show my license but they don’t record it or anything. Their silly measures does nothing to provide any real security – not that I think any is needed here. Next time I’ll use the other lane, and put my key in the slot to open the gate and not be bothered with their silliness.
Back in the studio I microwaved a piece of the leftover pretzel & talked to SB again before turning in for the night. Overall it was a really nice day – except for that torrential rain storm we had. At least I avoided the worst of it, and I know now that it’s expected again each day of my trip. The weather is really unbearably hot – April was so gorgeous, and this weekend just really sucks in terms of weather/comfort. I’m glad I don’t have trips booked for this summer. It was great being back at Comedy Warehouse and seeing Leesa again – on my next trip we’ll probably do 2 nights there instead of just 1. We’ll see what tomorrow brings – I’m thinking I’ll be doing less than originally planned due to both the hot weather and not feeling up to par just yet. But hell, if you’ve got to be recovering from a cold, might as well do it here as opposed to hanging around the house!
DAY 2 – Saturday 5/27/06
Who:
Sue (47), DVC member
Tom & Leanne, DVC members, friends before DVC
Kim, their daughter, DVC Heiress
Chris, Kim’s 16-yr old son
Plan: MK, Lunch Mama Melrose, Pool or AK, Epcot/Boardwalk
Actual:
Today was intended to be my main “parks” day, with more park time than any other day. It probably doesn’t make sense to do it after my latest evening (Comedy Warehouse), but with a 12:10 lunch reservation inside a park it just made sense to plan it this way. I woke up around 7 but didn’t get up until it was time to call SB at 8. After laying down all night, a lot of crud had settled in my chest and I ended up coughing like a fiend for quite a while – and I’m going through Kleenex like you wouldn’t believe! SB decided to sleep another hour, so I got myself showered & dressed, then made an English muffin and cup of cappuccino for breakfast before I called him back at 9.
I opened the door to the balcony, thinking I’d sit out there for a bit, but the oppressive wall of humid heat took my breath away! Damn – I was hoping it’d be pleasant for a little while in the morning, but that’s not the case. I retreated back indoors. When I lay in bed, my view is a direct shot of Spaceship Earth, which is pretty cool. To watch Illuminations I’ll have to get out of bed and go sit on the balcony or the sleep sofa. Ah, what terrible problems to have, lol! I canceled any thought of heading to MK early this morning, and decided not to walk over to Epcot to pick up another Soarin fastpass either. Instead, I hung out online and finished up yesterday’s report – then drove over to Premium Outlets to be there when they opened at 10. SB & I will be visiting my Dad the day after Father’s Day, so I was looking for gift ideas.
I got to Premium Outlets just after they opened, and went directly to Character Premiere. I was able to find a nice golf shirt for Dad, and picked one up in another color for SB. He’s doing another sports celebrity charity golf tournament just after my June visit, so if he doesn’t wear a golf shirt with his sports logo he can wear this one. I also got myself a Beach Club Villas little tee – it’s got the BCV log embroidered on the chest and Disney Vacation Club embroidered on the sleeve. They also had the Saratoga Springs version, but it was the same color as the one I have from Hilton Head (BCV was red, SS was navy blue – both $13.99 marked down from $28). Mission accomplished, I put my purchases in the trunk and drove back to WDW. I stopped to fill up the tank with gas at the Hess station – tell me WHY people buy gas at the Chevron just outside WDW for $3.15/gallon when Hess on property is $2.74/gallon??? Talk about ripping off the tourists!
Back at BWV I found a great parking spot and thought perhaps I’d just leave the car parked the rest of the trip <g>. I went back to the studio briefly, wanting to check the hotel map to see if there’s a shortcut stairwell/exit to begin the walk to MGM – rather than going back to the lobby and walking along the boardwalk. Despite the very long walk to the room (and my room is NOT the furthest one), I am glad to be here. I love the boardwalk view, and although I can hear the boat horns and later I’ll hear that silly bell one of the games rings when someone wins, I don’t mind that kind of noise. Now if only parents would teach their little kids to not be shouting in the hallways at 7am, but unfortunately I know I’m asking too much there <g>.
Shortly after 11 I headed out – tried a stairwell near the room and walked down the 5 flights to see where it would take me. It was a good move – I came out by the main pool and quickly joined the path to MGM. Luckily there were lots of period of shade so it wasn’t terribly bad. There was also a slight breeze, which helped. As I neared MGM I could hear them announcing stuff for the Star Wars weekend motorcade – but it meant nothing to me. The park was mobbed – lots of Star Wars fans I guess. In some spots it was almost impassable, so I knew I wouldn’t be sticking around after lunch or returning this weekend.
I got to Mama Melrose’s shortly after 11:30 and decided to wait there since there really wasn’t time to do anything else before lunch. A couple were looking at the menu, so I went over next to them so I could see the menu too. As I’m looking at it, the gentleman says “well, what do you think, Sue?” I looked and saw the couple was Kim and her son Chris! I wasn’t sure they’d be here, so this was a pleasant surprise. We stepped inside (into the air conditioning) to wait for Tom & Leanne, and the restaurant was able to accommodate our change from a party of 3 to party of 5. They’d been to Animal Kingdom to start the day, and reported they’ve never seen it so busy. It IS a holiday weekend, of course – but I’ll take a pass on going over there after lunch in favor of some quiet time at the resort.
We were seated right on time or slightly early (12:10 ADR). The restaurant opens at noon, so it wasn’t too busy when we arrived but it was mobbed (lots of people waiting) when we left. They started us out with some bread, along with pesto/oil and some sundried tomatoes. The bread was just ok, and better when we got some Mickey butter to use instead. The others had soda to drink but I had a glass of the sangria. It was delicious, and at $3.95 a real bargain. I’d gladly order this again, or share a carafe with SB. The others all ordered the chicken parmesan, and it was excellent. I think all plates were pretty clean, thanks to some help from the teen Chris! I had the mozzarella & tomatoes, and it was perfect – 3 slices of each, some marinated onions – very light and refreshing. I ate 2 and took the 3rd back to the resort for later. This is another item I’d definitely return here to order. I was the only one to order dessert, but did get enough forks for the other women to help me. The warm chocolate truffle cake sounded wonderful – it was actually quite small, and although it was good it wasn’t good enough to justify the calories (so it won’t be ordered again). I think my favorite part was the pistachio Florentine stuck on the top, while Leanne enjoyed the fresh raspberries (neither Kim nor I eat hairy fruit). Overall I’d rate this meal as excellent but could have done without the dessert. Everyone else really enjoyed their food as well.
We said our goodbyes outside and I fought my way out of the park and rode the boat to the Swan/Dolphin. From there I walked to the Boardwalk and used the closest side door to enter the building and climb the 5 flights up to my floor. My room was not far from that point, so this saved a great deal of walking over going to the elevators. I checked on SB’s game and changed into my swimsuit, then climbed back down the stairwell to spend some time at the pool. I found a single chair by the main pool, and once I got settled realized I should have gone to the quiet pool since I don’t use the slide or hot tubs (in fact I rarely even go in the water). Plus, the pool area was extremely noisy – not just loud happy noises, but a fair share of exhausted screaming/crying kids trying to compete for the “loudest” title. Ugh! Eventually they either shut up or I became immune to their noise. I’d brought Tim Larison’s report from his recent Med cruise, and spent an hour laying there reading his excellent report. I talked to the people next to me a little – very nice people, also from FL. Before I left I stopped at the pool bar and got a Ferris Wheel to bring back to the room. SB and I loved this drink in March, and made them at home several times (pineapple juice, cranberry juice, Malibu). This time I took the elevator up, since it was so close.
Back in the studio I found the other team had pulled ahead by 1 run – so I laid on the bed, blew my nose another 150 times or so (keeping pace with how the day’s gone so far, lol) and listened to the rest of the game hoping our team would rally before it ended. Thank goodness – in the top of the 9th they hit a 2-run home run <G>! They ended up winning the game, too. After I got changed back into regular clothes I sat out on the balcony for a while trying to warm up, and drank half of the Ferris Wheel. I really was still full from lunch, but bought it because I was right there at the pool earlier. I toyed with the idea of going over to Magic Kingdom, but when I saw it is open until midnight tonight I knew it would be mobbed. Animal Kingdom is still a possibility, for the last hour or 2 of the day (they close at 7). I really don’t want to be caught in a torrential downpour, but right now the sky looks good.
After the game I went to the bus stop and caught the bus over to Animal Kingdom. I was able to do Primeval Whirl with a very short wait, then headed to Dinosaur. The standby time was listed as 30 minutes, but in reality there were 6 people ahead of me waiting for the preshow doors to open! It was pretty congested after the preshow, as they only had one side running. After Dinosaur I thought about doing the safari but the tip board said 20 minutes and I didn’t want to walk all the way back there if that was true. I left the park about 6, and walked right onto a bus to Epcot.
Entering Epcot was a breeze, except for the clueless people ahead of me who could not operate the biometrics to save their lives. Eventually I helped the woman, as the cast member wasn’t much help. I headed to Mission Space, which had a 5-minute standby wait posted. They now give you either a green ticket (mild) or orange ticket (spinning), depending on which version of the ride you want to do. I chose green, as the spinning didn’t appeal to me. It takes a while to get on the ride once you’re inside, and there are constant messages encouraging people to switch to green if they’re at all unsure they can handle the other. This was my first time on the ride, and while it’s not terribly exciting I enjoyed it. I doubt I’ll do it every trip (since it takes so long) but I’ll do it once in a while.
I talked to SB after Mission Space – he questioned why I didn’t have a glass of wine, so I decided I might as well walk over to Germany and get one. Along the way I stopped at first aid and got some decongestant and some non-aspirin. My throat was killing me, and my sinuses were all clogged. The larger pills ended up getting caught in my throat and it took a while before they slipped past whatever was blocking them and were finally swallowed – I’ve never had that happen before. I continued walking and went into the wine shop at Germany, but found they were out of my favorite wine. I tried the Madonna spatlese, but it wasn’t nearly as good – next time I’ll just skip the wine here if my favorite isn’t available. I sat on a shady bench in Italy and listened to the Guess Who concert over in America. I ended up leaving Epcot around 8 and walked back to the Boardwalk.
I spent the rest of the evening finishing yesterday’s pretzel, finishing today’s report, talking to SB, sitting on the balcony, and watching the Illuminations fireworks. When the fireworks ended, I went to bed – ready to just sleep!
Today was a great day – I really enjoyed the meal at Mama Melrose’s and seeing those friends again. Mission Space was my other “new” thing for today – and I managed to get Father’s Day taken care of. Tomorrow I may head to Magic Kingdom briefly in the morning, depending on how I feel. I’ll also spend time by the pool and listen to SB’s game in the afternoon, then probably return to Epcot for the evening (depending on weather – tonight it was great).
DAY 3 – Sunday 5/28/06
Who:
Sue (47), DVC member
Plan: Soarin’ early, Pool, LeCellier
Actual: At one point during the night I woke up, and after coughing a while suddenly felt like the worst had passed. I woke again sometime after 7, and was up by 7:30 feeling pretty much normal (a little stuffy, but no big deal). I showered/dressed and had a half bagel and cappuccino for breakfast out on the balcony. It’s already hot/humid, and very foggy – from inside the room I wasn’t able to clearly see the railings on the balcony! By shortly after 8 though, it had burned off and it was a gorgeous-looking day. Since I was feeling so well I decided to get to Magic Kingdom for opening and hit my favorites over there before I came back to the pool.
I left the studio by 8:30 and went to the bus stop. The MK bus arrived just after I did, then stopped at the Swan & Dolphin. We got to MK just as the train was pulling into the station for the preshow, and although it looked crowded it was pretty quick getting through security & the turnstiles. The key is to WALK a few extra steps and breeze right through turnstiles that people don’t bother walking to. They’d rather stand in line cluelessly, I guess. I ducked into the Emporium (avoiding the noise & music outside) to wake up SB and chat with him for a few minutes, then headed to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The line at Big Thunder extended well outside the building, but it kept moving pretty quickly. The posted wait was 10 minutes, and that’s probably how long it took. I was lucky enough to get the back row, which is my favorite, and I enjoyed the ride. The lines waiting were too long for me to consider a second attempt today, though. I walked through Fantasyland and was surprised to see it wasn’t that busy and the waits at the attractions were just a little more than a walk-on. I continued to Tomorrowland and went to Space Mountain. The standby time said 20 minutes but it was actually much less. I was off the ride and heading to the TTA between 9:30 and 9:45. The TTA was relaxing, and was the perfect way to end my Magic Kingdom time today. I’ve always enjoyed that ride for some reason.
I exited the park, surprised that it still was not as busy as it normally is at this time. You’d think on a holiday weekend it would be busier than normal, but so far that wasn’t the case. I was at the bus top at 10, and asked the driver at the BW stop if he was going to the Boardwalk (the bus still said Magic Kingdom). He said no, so I stepped back. I repeated this several more times, then finally approached a cast member and asked how I was supposed to get back to my resort when none of the buses at my stop were going there! I was furious – but found out there’s a white van with a cast member who “watches” the bus stops. If he sees someone waiting, he tells a bus to drop off there and pick up for that resort. Otherwise, he tells them all to drop off only, then they loop around the corner and sit in line waiting for deployment to pick up more guests. Well, there were so many buses lined up waiting I doubt he could see me, and it was 10:35 before FINALLY the driver at the next stop told me (and the family who had joined me) to come to his bus.
Now, my objective was to pick up a fastpass at Soarin’ before heading to the pool, and I figured a bus to the resort & walking in thru the Int’l Gateway would be faster than taking the local monorail, switching monorails, then getting thru the long lines at the main entrance. The bus fiasco blew all that out of the water, though. Disney really doesn’t handle people returning to their resorts early very well.
I got off the bus at Boardwalk and walked into Epcot. There was no wait at International Gateway, so at least I had been right about that, lol! The park was not very busy, and I easily made my way over to the Land to get my fastpass. At just after 11am the standby wait was 110 minutes and my fastpass return time was 3:30-4:30. That time worked perfect for me – I’ll ride after my early dinner. I didn’t bother to do anything else – honestly it was too hot to do much of anything – so I walked back to the Boardwalk. By the time I got there my clothes were damp, exposed skin was glistening, the back of my hair (short hair) was dripping down my back – it was disgusting! I cooled off in the room a bit and finished the tomato/mozzarella from yesterday. After changing into my swimsuit I headed down the stairwell expecting to go to the quiet pool but ended up staying at the main pool instead. I found a nice quiet section where you couldn’t see the pool but were not far away. They had Disney music playing, and were doing a hula hoop contest poolside. I settled on my chaise lounge and talked to SB before his game started, then read a couple of magazines in between trips to cool off at the elephant shower. I only lasted less than 1.5 hours before passing off the finished magazine to another guest and returning to my air conditioned studio for a nice cool shower!
I spent the next couple of hours listening to SB’s game and left around 3:30 to walk to LeCellier for an early dinner at 4. It was still very HOT and I was glad to reach LeCellier and be able to stand inside where it was cooler. A large number of parties came to inquire about having dinner there tonight and all were turned away – they were totally booked for the evening. In fact, as of 4pm the only full-service places in Epcot that had any availability were China (yuck) and Germany. I arrived at 3:50 and was told they’d start seating at 4:05. It was a very loooooong 15 minutes, thanks to the monster children of the family I was next to. They had a little boy with a damn toy machine gun! Why on earth do kids need machine guns – especially at a theme park??? The little girl was rambunctiously telling the 4 adults in the party (parents & grandparents) just exactly what they’d be doing & not doing the rest of the day. No child of mine would have been talking to parents or grandparents like that! Then, she starts running wild and the mother would say “Sarah come back here” or “Sarah don’t open the door” and of course darling Sarah just ignored the mother and of course the mother never did anything about it. Both parents looked totally disinterested in each other, and beaten down – it was pretty sad.
While we were waiting, the host asked if anyone knew the capital city of Canada. A couple of people guessed incorrectly, then there was silence. From the incorrect guesses I figured it had to be Ottawa, and said that. The host asked who said that, then said I’d be seated first, lol! Hey, being spared even 5 minutes of that family was a terrific prize to me! Sure enough, I was seated first and had a nice quiet meal. My server was a much older woman (older than me, but much older than the kids you usually see working in the international program) and she was very nice. Assuming she’s from Canada and working here for a year, I hope she’s having a great time! I had my usual – glass or Riesling and the cheddar cheese soup. I was out of there by 4:45, and it worked out great because SB called right as I was passing the McDonald’s French fry stand on my way to Soarin’.
Unfortunately, his team gave away a 4-run lead and then lost by another couple runs, so he was pretty bummed out. I continued walking to the Land and picked up a fastpass for Living with the Land. The standby wait was 30 minutes, and my fastpass return time was also about 30 minutes (5:25). From there I went to Soarin’ and enjoyed that attraction. The standby wait there was 150 minutes (2.5 HOURS) – people are nuts!
After Soarin’ I had about 10 minutes before I could do Living with the Land, so I walked over and rode Spaceship Earth. By the time I was off that ride it was time to return to the Land. Living with the Land now had a 60 minute standby wait, so I was really glad to have the fastpass! It was a nice ride, although some of the experimental greenhouse was a bit sparse as they’ve recently replanted some stuff. When I came out of the Land I saw the sky was very dark and it was quite windy. Severe weather was on the way, so I decided to leave the park. Before I saw the weather I’d planned to walk around World Showcase and pick up a chocolate mousse in Italy, but instead I walked to France and got the mousse there. I took it back to the resort, walking back to the Boardwalk from the International Gateway. Back in the studio I put the mousse in the fridge for later and checked in with SB.
The rest of the evening I spent watching a little tv, hanging out online, talking off & on with SB & trying to stay warm. The studio is so cold – I hear people complain they can’t get their rooms cold enough at some resorts, but I’ve adjusted mine warmer a couple times and it’s still chilly! I took the rest of yesterday’s Ferris Wheel drink and the chocolate mousse and sat on the balcony for a while getting warm and watching the activity on the boardwalk. I really do like this location and will definitely try to get it again at 7 months for a long weekend next April (after the Easter crowds have gone).
Tomorrow I’m going to just take it easy. Running out to the parks this morning really took a lot of time and it was so HOT it really wasn’t all that great. I enjoyed my rides at the MK and wouldn’t have been able to do Soarin’ this afternoon if I hadn’t made the trek over to Epcot earlier today, but it was all an awful lot of work! Also, by the time I got to the pool it was too hot to stay very long, so I’ll get out there earlier tomorrow – perhaps dashing over to Soarin’ for a fastpass early in the morning so I can ride it after my late lunch/early dinner.
DAY 4 – Monday 5/29/06
Who: Sue (47), DVC member
Plan: MK or Epcot, Pool, Chefs de France
Actual: Originally my Chefs de France reservation was at noon, but I decided to push it back to allow for some time at the pool. Calling just 5 days in advance, I had my choice of times for an early dinner or late lunch. No doubt being a party of 1 makes it easier than if I was a party of 4, 6 or more – but I was surprised they weren’t all booked up at that late date. I ended up booking it for 3pm, forgetting that SB’s game would still be going on at that time (5pm would have been better – but can’t change it now).
Something I meant to mention earlier is the noise from the boardwalk. With my balcony door closed I still hear quite a bit of noise from outside – ships horns, people laughing/clapping, the games, music, etc. If someone needs silence for sleeping, then a boardwalk view room would not be a good choice unless you bring ear plugs. I just look at it as a reminder of where I am, and it didn’t disturb me at all the first 2 nights. Last night however was another story – it sounded like I had 15-20 people standing IN my room yelling! It sounded like they were hanging out by the games, and cheering each other on to win – the games ended at 11:30 but these morons continued with their LOUD cheering & laughing until just before 2am. I’m sure I heard it that loudly, then everyone else facing the boardwalk did as well – and it was probably worse on the lower floors. Years ago I remember being in a boardwalk view studio over the restaurant and sitting on my balcony only to have a toddler at the restaurant start shrieking (parents ignored him). I went inside and shut my door, and his noise was eliminated, so I don’t understand why the noise is not blocked out now – but that will be an issue for the comment card.
I got up at 7:30 or so and sat outside on the (quiet) balcony with some cappuccino, deciding to have breakfast after I returned from my Soarin’ fastpass run. The news was full of stories about Brad & Angelina’s baby – I realize they’re the very first couple to ever have a baby, but don’t they still deserve some privacy?? I just don’t understand why the public need or wants to know about this, except perhaps as a passing “oh, they had a baby….next subject now).
The sky was completely overcast this morning, but the sun would be burning through later this morning. At 8:30 I left the studio and walked to Epcot to get a Soarin’ fastpass to use later. They held us a while at International Gateway, then let down that rope and held us at the top of the hill until 9. I called SB at 9 but he was already awake – hoping for a better day with the team today! I walked quickly over to Soarin, and it didn’t seem that crowded but it was enough to push the standby wait to 50 minutes within the first 10 minutes of being open! It was a steady mob of people entering the Land and being channeled down the stairs to get to Soarin. I got a fastpass with a 10:15 return time, and it said I could get another at 10:18. Since it was barely 9:15 now, and since it was so cloudy outside, I decided to stick around for a 2nd fastpass. I rode Living with the Land again, and enjoyed it even though it had only been 15 hours or so since my last time <g>.
I walked over to Test Track and did the single rider line. The posted wait for single riders was 20 minutes but it was really only about half that. I was hungry (no breakfast this morning) so I checked out the Electric Umbrella but really wasn’t interested in anything that big. Instead, I went back to the Land and went to the bakery counter at Seasons food court. I got a rice krispie treat for breakfast, and at the last minute decided on a butterfinger brownie for later. It was now time to get my next fastpass, so I did that and then ate my rice krispie treat while walking back to the Boardwalk.
After a brief stop in the studio I changed into my swimsuit and headed out to the pool. Today I laid by the hot tub, which was very sunny. I talked to a lady from Tennessee on the chair next to me, and did some reading. There was a slight breeze, and it didn’t feel quite as hot as it was yesterday. It’s still hot & humid, but I didn’t feel miserable! I talked to SB and hope the “meeting” they had with the players does some good today. Around 12:30 I headed back up to the studio to shower and listen to the first half of his game on the internet. Unfortunately it was bad beyond belief – I was disgusted and knew SB would be in a foul mood after the game. I ended up leaving a bit earlier than planned, just to get away from the damn game.
I walked into Epcot and headed over to France, figuring I would check in early for my 3:00 lunch reservation and take my chances. They were able to seat me right away, and since I was only having soup and wine I was finished by 3pm! The soup was good, but it seemed like a bigger portion than I remembered, and tasted somewhat salty. Based on this visit, I can’t say I’ll be rushing back here. I had a glass of the chenin blanc, which wasn’t bad – especially since I normally am not a fan of French wine. My server was excellent, and had a sense of humor as well.
After lunch I decided to return to the resort and wait for it to cool off a bit before returning to Epcot. The boat was just arriving, so I rode that back and was in my studio by 3:20. I turned on General Hospital and got back to SB’s game as well. They’d scored some runs, but had given up more as well :::sigh:::. The really frustrating part is most of the earlier runs were the result of really STUPID errors on our part, plus giving up a couple of home runs (gee, thanks pitcher). Combine that with our getting runners to 3rd base but not getting them home, and you get the picture.
The butterfinger brownie turned out to be nothing special – looked better than it tasted. It won’t go to waste though – Chris will eat it, lol! Around 4:45 I headed back out, dropping my pool stuff off at the car, then walking into Epcot. I was so thirsty, I knew it wasn’t my imagination that the onion soup in France was saltier than before – looks like I’ve probably eaten there for the last time. SB called before I got to Int’l Gateway and was in surprisingly good spirits – guess I took the loss harder than he did. Now he’s got a 4-hour bus ride back to their home town. He did comment that I should have come to Portland instead of WDW, and he’s right – I really would have rather been there with him than here alone. Next year I’ll keep that in mind – I’ll book Memorial Day weekend here but if his baseball schedule makes it possible for me to be with him I’ll cancel the WDW room and come here another weekend.
Once I got inside Epcot I headed straight for the land and used my 2 Soarin’ fastpasses. The first time I got row 3 again, but the 2nd time I got row 2 (better than 3). I was hoping for row 1, but didn’t want to ask for any special favors. Both rides were great, and after the 2nd time I was ready to walk around World Showcase. I checked in Germany, but my wine was still not in, so I continued on. I ended up getting a glass of wine in Morocco, along with a small baklava pastry. I walked back to America and sat behind the merchandise carts – from there I could people watch but remain pretty much ignored. Mary’s voice was announcing the start of the Guess Who concert, and I stayed for the entire thing. I took a bite of the baklava and put it back in the container – it had no taste whatsoever. Last night I ate my chocolate mousse and couldn’t taste it at all either – it was like eating nothing. Yesterday in Soarin’ I noticed the smells (pine trees & orange trees) were not there – today was the same way, but I heard other riders comment about smelling the trees so I realize the problem is me! For whatever reason my sense of smell is gone (it’s been nice seeing smokers but not smelling them at all, lol) and with that so it a good portion of my sense of taste. Perhaps the butterfinger brownie really isn’t that bad, – but I’ll still give it to Chris.
After the concert ended and the crowds thinned out I got a pretzel in America and ate a portion of it while walking around. It was a gorgeous night once the sun went down! I’ll have some of the pretzel for breakfast in the morning, and take the rest home. I left through International Gateway and although a boat was just pulling in I decided to walk. I ended up beating it slightly – it was just pulling up to the dock as I walked by back at the Boardwalk. Let’s hope tonight is a quieter night, as I have the alarm set for 3:50 in the morning!
Today was a nice day, but I was left feeling like I’m just beginning to relax – and felt the stress of having to go back to work tomorrow! I really needed more time, but don’t have it. I’ve really enjoyed being at this resort, and will look forward to returning next spring when the weather is a bit cooler. 2 of my 3 meals were excellent, and although I won’t be returning to Chefs de France (for a long while at least) I don’t regret giving it a try. I enjoyed my time by the pool, and the time spent out on the balcony overlooking the boardwalk. It was also great laying in bed seeing Spaceship Earth!
My next WDW trip is scheduled for Labor Day weekend, and I’ve got the free Disney Dining Plan. I’d never pay for it – anyone who can make a $3.50 pretzel 3 meals is not likely to get her money’s worth out of a $37.99/day plan! However, since it’s free I figured what the hell! I had to book 3 nights at Pop Century since DVC members don’t get the dining plan for free, but I also have 2 nights at OKW. I’ll be checking into OKW a day before I check out of Pop – I’ve got rooms at both resorts on that night, but I did that purposely to avoid that “homeless” period between checking out and checking in. This leaves me with a room nobody will be sleeping in, but my convenience is worth it! Hopefully on the next trip I’ll spend 2 nights at Comedy Warehouse, and I do hope I won’t feel miserable from the feeding frenzy of the Disney Dining Plan!
Until then – thanks for reading
Sue Holland