Sue Holland
10-05-2007, 04:17 PM
Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Dates: April 19 - 23, 2007
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disney’s Beach Club Villas Resort
Experience: Frequent Guest
INTRODUCTION:
Woohoo – at last I have a solo trip again! I absolutely LOVE the Florida weather in April (nice and warm but not humid or rainy yet) and wanted to get back for a solo trip while it would be so nice. SB left to report for baseball season (April until Sept), and since I pushed my first trip to see him back to early May, that left me time in the 2nd half of April to create a long weekend for WDW. Since I enjoy wandering around Epcot in the evening, and to have access to Stormalong Bay I decided to book at Beach Club Villas.
I booked a meal at LeCellier, which is my overall favorite Disney dining venue. With Alfredo’s in Italy closing August 31st of this year, I decided to also book a dinner there. It’s not a favorite, but it will be my last opportunity, and with the comfortable weather I’ll try for a table outside. Plus, it’s convenient from the resort – I like being able to get to dinner without needing a car, bus, boat or monorail! Some DVC friends are arriving on Sunday – wish our trips overlapped more, but at least we’ll spend a short time together & enjoy dinner at Spoodles. I used to love Spoodles when it was open for lunch, but I seldom go for dinner – especially now that they’ve done away with the tapas style menu. When I’m with SB we eat breakfast here frequently, as he loves their breakfast. There’s a new dinner menu now, so it’s a good time to be returning to Spoodles, plus it’ll be a lot of fun with my DVC friends.
I’ll hit my favorite attractions in the parks, but don’t expect to spend a significant amount of time there unless the weather is (unexpectedly) lousy. This trip will be a chance to lie by the pool relaxing, and just enjoy being here solo. Comedy Warehouse can’t be missed, but I’m only planning to be there on the night I arrive. The cast is great on Thursday nights, and it’ll give me a chance to see Leesa.
The Flower & Garden Festival is going on now (and during my next trip), but it’s never been a big deal for me. I don’t garden at all, and don’t even eat most vegetables. I like roses in a vase on my desk or dresser, but don’t want the responsibility of keeping them alive! The whole Pirates/Princess theme does nothing for me either – although I recognize there are far more people who love it! In any event, I enjoy wandering around Epcot and since I’m staying right outside the gate I’ll certainly spend some time walking around to see the extra-pretty flowers everywhere. I usually enjoy the concerts as well, but will do it my way – sitting on a bench with a glass of wine. It’s more fun to me to listen to the concert, watch the people walking by, and have an uncrowded bench to myself rather than sitting in a crowded theater watching the band/singer perform. That way if I lose interest I can move along without being rude.
My only other plans are to get to Saratoga Springs to see the models of the new DVC villas for Animal Kingdom Villas, since I purchased points at the new resort. I’ve seen photos, but want to see the models for myself in person.
The plans so far are:
Thursday 4/19: Work, Drive to WDW, AKV models, Comedy Warehouse
Friday 4/20: Magic Kingdom, Stormalong Bay, Alfredo’s, Epcot
Saturday 4/21: Epcot, Stormalong Bay, LeCellier
Sunday 4/22: Animal Kingdom, Pool or listen to SB’s game, Spoodles, Epcot
Monday 4/23: Drive to work
DAY 1 – Thursday 4/19/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Work, Drive to WDW, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: Today started out as a very stressful day, thanks primarily to some major computer problems at home. My primary laptop evidently picked up a Trojan and shut down, unable to get started again. Fortunately my boss is a very good friend and has a lot more expertise in this area than I do, so I brought the laptop to work and after spending all morning working on it he was able to get me up and running again! I had my secondary laptop packed for the trip, but now I don’t have to deal with the primary one later! Since I wasn’t exactly productive at work today, I decided to hit the road at 1 rather than 2 – plus I had another issue to deal with and I really needed that extra hour.
At 1pm on the button I was out the door, and the ride to WDW was boring but completely free of any traffic or accidents. It seemed to drag, until the last section – thanks to being on the phone with a work issue. That wrapped up shortly after I entered WDW property, so the timing was great! I parked in the Beach Club Villas lot and made the long walk over to the front desk to check in. Luckily I’d packed light, so I didn’t have to make a trip back to the car later. When I walked into the front desk there were 4 cast members and NO guests! I’ve never seen it like this, but I like it this way, lol! I was very promptly checked in, and got my requested non-smoking room on the top floor.
It was a much shorter walk over to the Villas, and I was thrilled to see my room was very close to the elevator. No long hallway walks for me this trip! SB will be jealous, as this room is a few doors closer than the one we had here last November, and he thought that one was terrific. The studio looks terrific – no problems noted. The view is the garden area and walkway to Epcot, along with some of the World Showcase country roofs.
I unpacked quickly, as I had a mission. My Disney Dining Experience (DDE) card had expired in late February, after our last trip. Why Disney can’t send a renewal either through the mail or by email is beyond me, but I got no notice and as a result accidentally let it lapse. I realized the problem on April 2nd and called to renew it then. They said to allow 3-6 weeks for the card to arrive, and as of yesterday it had not come – so I had to go pick up my temporary card from Epcot Guest Services. Unfortunately, it had to be the Guest Services at the front entrance, which was far from convenient! So, I walked into Epcot via the International Gateway, walked through Epcot to exit out front, went to Guest Services, then walked back through Epcot and to BCV – yikes! On my way in I stopped at International Gateway and picked up a 2007 jacket for my pass since there was nobody in line. Entering Epcot was a breeze, and I chose to not carry any bags so I could get back in quicker up front (or so I thought, lol). Chip and Dale were milling around to do photos and autographs, but I just waved and continued on my way.
Did I mention it was WARM in Epcot?? I was wearing work clothes, and I was sweltering – but moving quickly. The topiaries look great, but I really didn’t linger today. Once I left Epcot I was thrilled to see NO wait at Guest Services – what are the odds of that happening?? I got my temp card, then found long lines at all the turnstiles to enter the park. Plus, since the bag check is at the turnstiles this time of day, being bag-free gave me no advantage at all. At the turnstile, my pass would not work, which is exactly what I expected. I’d used it to enter a park just 15-20 minutes ago, and it was not going to let that pass be used to enter again so quickly. I tried explaining that to the little foreign man working at the turnstile, but he kept telling me to just keep trying, and try the other turnstile. Finally he said “she help you” and the female working nearby took care of it when I explained what I thought was happening. I had my DDE card envelope in my hand, and the name matched the name on my pass, so she trusted I wasn’t trying to scam my way into the park <g>.
After leaving through International Gateway I stopped at Guest Services there again (man, so far this trip I’ve been on a marathon of guest services visits, lol) to pick up a birthday button for my niece for my next trip, and a 1st visit button for one of the other people coming along. The cast member made the button with Erica’s name on it, then prepared a nice Magic Moment certificate for Erica’s 16th birthday. Her birthday is actually 5/1 but we’re celebrating it on one of the days of our trip in late May. That done, I finally got back to BCV shortly after 5pm. I figured I needed the extra hour to take care of getting this DDE card, and that’s pretty much exactly how it worked out.
I had thought about getting a pretzel by Imagination while passing through Epcot the 2nd time, but wasn’t hungry at all. However, 30 minutes later at the resort I was starving – guess once I slowed down I was able to realize I wanted something to eat. Oh well, no time now. Back in the studio I turned on the computer and updated the report, cooled of a little bit, then left around 5:45 to drive over to Saratoga Springs to see the models of the Animal Kingdom Villas rooms. I decided to give SB a call and just as I went to hit the button, he called me first. It’s not that remarkable, considering that with a 6:35 game he’s only going to be available briefly about 30 minutes before the game – so I’m not claiming to be psychic or anything! We always talk at least briefly before his games.
I parked by the sales center and realized the models were set up in the old Cinema building nearby. Quite a crowd was gathered in that area, but people generally didn’t stay long so it wasn’t bad. Outside they had a cast member dressed in African garb, playing some sort of instrument and humming or mumbling. On Thursdays in April they’re serving light snacks during the 5-7 open hour hours, and it was nicer/more than I expected. They had skewers of chicken sate, little things that looked like quiche at first but were actually custard tarts (the cinnamon on top gave it away), lots of cheeses and crackers, and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages. Some people were piling the chicken onto their plates, but most treated it as a snack rather than dinner <g>. Since I was hungry, I wolfed down a chicken skewer and little tart, then went inside to see the models. In the foyer they had artist’s renderings of the new resort, and a few guides were available to answer questions and talk to guests. The models were down the hall – you start in the studio and then move into the connecting 1br next door.
I’d seen photos on the internet already, and I have to echo what I’ve heard from others – in person the rooms are much nicer than they appear in the early photos! The wood is dark and the furniture is big, but it works. I love the flat-panel television, and the studio will meet my needs really well – I think SB will love it also. On the way out I stopped for another chicken skewer and bottle of water, then headed over to Downtown Disney (by car).
I got a great parking spot in the Pleasure Island lot, and thought about going to Raglan Road for that beef salad appetizer I enjoyed last time and a glass of wine. However, I stood in line for seating outside, and it just wasn’t moving. A big party was ahead of me, and they were having trouble getting the staff to push a couple tables together – I’m not sure what the problem was! I had barely an hour before the first show, so I ended up bailing out of line since it was taking so long. There were quite a few empty tables, but the staff was having trouble getting them cleared and I had no idea when they’d finally get it together.
I walked over to the Market Place and tried Earl of Sandwich, but the line was huge – extending way past the end of the ropes. I tried Wolfgang Puck’s Express next, but that line was completed filled in on the inside, and extended outside past where the menu is posted at the very entrance to the covered area! I ended up in Ghiradelli trying to buy the foil-wrapped chocolates for my office, but all they had were those damn squares. The entire store was different bags/boxes of those squares – how boring! I did pick up a chocolate sample for Leesa, but forgot to give it to her. After a quick walk through World of Disney (which surprisingly was not horribly crowded) I headed back to Pleasure Island. Passing Raglan Road I saw most of the same empty tables outside, and yet there was a line of people waiting to be seated still.
I figured I’d try the Bongo’s window, and as I got to the top of the hill Leesa called. We didn’t realize it, but we were about 10 feet from each other at that point, lol! I ended up skipping Bongos and hung out with her until the first Comedy Warehouse show. Carol Stein was on the keys tonight, so it was nice seeing her. The 7:45 cast was Missy, John, Krista, Brian & Robby. Brian pulled a kid up on stage for “Slide Show” – this was my first time seeing this. The kid was interested in guitars, so each slide had something to do with that. The lights would dim, and Brian would start talking about some scene from the kid’s life, then the lights would come on and we’d see the other actors posed with the kid while Brian explained what we were seeing. I probably didn’t make that sound very funny, but it really was! Brian did a great job with it, and I really enjoyed this structure.
Next Krista created a Forgotten Song called “Damn Dog Died” – as a country song. She is a great singer, and very funny. Robby & John created a scene in a boring NY town. It was very funny, and Brian came in as the mayor who is so bored he pretends to kill himself every Wednesday. They also did Actor’s Nightmare, with Brian the victim. In this structure every actor except Brian reads all of their lines from different scripts, and Brian is left to improvise his lines and make sense of all of theirs. It can be very funny, or very not funny – tonight it was sort of in the middle. Overall it was a great show, though.
The 8:50 cast was Lisa, Krista, Robby, Missy & Brian. They opened with a poem called “Vampires Eat Ice Cream”. Point Counterpoint was next, with Lisa as Miss Texas 1987 and Robby as a mildly flamboyant image designer/consultant named Michael. Krista moderated and as she gave each topic (previously suggested by the audience) Lisa and Robby would present the opposing view on each one – very funny! Next was Freeze Tag, where 2 actors start a scene and someone else yells “freeze”. They stop moving, and the actor who said freeze then tags an actor and takes his place (same position) but creates a different scene. Brian and Krista started the scene, and the brilliant audience suggestion on what they were doing was “standing”. Still, it was a funny scene, and evolved past just standing there, lol. The last big structure was the one where 2 actors go outside and the other actors get sayings from the audience. Each saying is written on a piece of paper, which is then folded and thrown on the floor. When Brian & Missy came back inside (they were outside) they began a scene and had to reach down and make a piece of paper the next line of their dialogue. When all the papers were picked up, the scene was over. I can’t remember the subject tonight, but I enjoyed the entire show so it must have been good.
After the show we talked a bit with Carol, then Missy. I hung out with Leesa until the next show, but decided to get something to eat before everything closed instead of going in for the 3rd show. I ended up walking to Bongo’s and got a chicken empanada without any wait. It wasn’t as hot (temp) as it could have been, but it was quite tasty and hit the spot. Also, at $1.25 it’s an incredible value at WDW. I ate it as I walked back through Pleasure Island to my car.
It looks like the construction at Pleasure Island is finally finished, and I have to admit it looks nicer than it did before. They have some outdoor seating areas scattered around, and even had a couple of musicians performing on a little stage outside the Comedy Warehouse. There’s a boat dock near the Rock & Roll Beach Club, too – but I didn’t check the sign to see whether the boats only went to the Market Place or also to Saratoga, OKW, or Port Orleans.
On the way “home” to Beach Club Villas I talked to SB and found his boys had played well and won the game, so he had a good night. He headed to the showers and I finished driving to BCV, then brought the last couple of items up to the room. Back in the studio we talked a little more on the phone, then I caught the last half of General Hospital on SoapNet and finished up the report. I decided not to get online, figuring I’d be better off getting to sleep at a decent hour since I wanted to get to a park in the morning. So, it was lights out by 11:30.
Today didn’t start out very well, but it certainly improved as the day went on. I’m very glad to be back here, and love being a dvc member! I don’t really feel like I’ve relaxed at all yet, and probably crammed too many things in to this afternoon/evening, but hopefully I can take it easier the next few days. Tomorrow will be Magic Kingdom at opening, then a brief stop at Epcot to get a Soarin’ fastpass, followed by some pool time, dinner at LeCellier, possibly meeting a friend at Epcot, maybe a concert, and hopefully catching some of SB’s game on the internet. Did I say I was going to relax???? LOL – doesn’t sound like it, but at least I won’t be at work <g>.
DAY 2 – Friday 4/20/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Magic Kingdom, Alfredo’s, Epcot
Actual: I slept REALLY well last night, as usual at a dvc resort. The bed is very comfortable, and so are the pillows. There’s no noise from outside or the hallway, and thanks to the door to the connecting 1br villa being down by the door at the hallway I don’t get noise from neighbors (unlike at OKW where the door is right in the sleeping area). At AKV the door is also out by the hall, so it’ll be nice & quiet there as well.
I realized after I got up that today is Alfredo’s – not LeCellier. Good thing I checked or I’d have been in the wrong place! It’s a gorgeous sunny day, and expected to be 80 degrees. I showered, dressed, and made some cappuccino and an English muffin for breakfast (gotta love having a toaster in the studios). Since it was so nice and I hadn’t gotten online, I took my breakfast out to the balcony and it was a very pleasant way to start the day. The weather isn’t any better here than it is at home, but here I don’t have to go to work or deal with “real life” too much <g>.
I left the studio around 8:30 or so, making the short walk to the bus stop. The bus stop was pretty crowded, and by the time the bus arrived it was even more crowded! There were also no seats, so everyone had to stand. Actually, there was one seat next to a dad who pulled his screaming just turned 2yr old daughter onto his lap, but I preferred to keep whatever distance I was able to get! The girl’s mom said she didn’t blame me – I sure hope for her sake the kid isn’t like this all the time. We got to the MK just after 9, and I was inside the park by 9:10. Entry was very crowded, but as usual there was at least 1-2 security lines with nobody in them, while other lines were 20 people deep. I opted for the empty line <g>. At the turnstiles I was delayed when the machine ate the pass of the guy in front of me. I’m not sure if he did anything wrong or if it was a machine malfunction, but I eventually moved to the end of another line to get inside faster.
Normally I head to Space Mountain first, and started in that direction today but then changed my mind and went to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It had a posted standby time of 20 minutes, which was completely wrong. We all walked quickly right onto a train that pulled in within seconds of hitting the loading area. It was a fun ride, as always. From there I headed across the hub into Tomorrowland to pick up a fastpass for Space Mountain. It was now 9:30 and the return time was 10:20 – very good. I thought about doing standby first, but decided I didn’t want to risk the line being backed up inside and losing time since I only planned to stay for part of the morning. I forgot to mention, on my way over to the hub a duck flew over me so low he almost hit my head – very strange!
I wandered back through the various lands, skipping the Pooh ride but stopping for a short wait at Peter Pan’s Flight. SB called as I was over the pirate ship, so once I got back outside I found a place to sit and chat with him before heading on to the Haunted Mansion. There were a total of 12 of us in the stretch room – 2 families, a couple and me. The cast member joked that we really needed to make room for everyone <g>. One boy was really scared, although his older and younger sisters weren’t fazed at all. He ended up doing ok, though.
I headed back across the hub to Tomorrowland and remembered the new Laugh attraction where the Timekeeper used to be. They were letting people in and the posted wait was only 5 minutes, but I decided to skip it for now. I could always see it with the extended family next month, or perhaps wait to see it for the first time with SB – I figure if it’s worthwhile it’ll be here for a while. I rode Tomorrowland Transit Authority, which is always a favorite. This time I was the only person in my train of 5 cars. I took off my sandals and sat back to enjoy the relaxing ride! By the time I got off, it was time for Space Mountain so I went there next. The line inside at the boarding area seemed slower than usual, but they had both sides open. I ended up with the last seat, and had a fun (but jerky) ride.
At this point I decided to head out of the park, but first stopped to return a phone call that came in while I was getting ready to board my rocket ship. I didn’t recognize the number, but it was Bill (Major Woody) from an internet newsgroup. We chatted for a while, and hope to meet for a drink tomorrow since it looks like today I’ll be heading out around the time he & his wife will be free. They recently moved to the area, and Bill is working part time driving boats for the Wishes cruises – cool job!
This morning I realized I failed to pack any earrings, and the pair I was wearing yesterday did not go with most of the clothes I brought with me. I figured I’d look for a new pair of Disney earrings, but ended up just wanting to get out of the park right now so I never looked along Main Street. The express monorail was not boarding from the MK, which always irritates me when they keep that closed. Instead I had to take the resort monorail, make an extra stop, then make the long transfer to the Epcot monorail. However, I hit the connections perfectly, and had no wait at either monorail (had to stand on the first one, though). I was at Epcot in very good time.
It was really busy entering the park, but once again by simply paying attention I was able to find a very short security line and an almost empty turnstile. I know I say this every time, but WHY are people so clueless that they stand in long lines when they don’t have to??? It’s amazing :::shaking head:::
Epcot was pretty busy inside, and the line for Spaceship Earth was extended almost to the back of the building. That’s pretty typical in late morning though, as people (mindlessly) line up at the first thing they see, not thinking that this will be a walk-on by the time they’re leaving the park. Oh well, if they’re standing in line they’re out of my way <g>. At the tip board I was concerned when they showed the list of attractions with fastpass and Soarin’ was not on the list! It was not quite 11:30 and I couldn’t imagine why all the fastpasses would be gone already. I decided to take a chance by walking over there, and didn’t see the sign they put outside when the fastpasses are gone for the day. I went inside and downstairs, and picked up a fastpass with a return time of 3:57-4:57. With my 5pm Alfredo’s reservation, this will be perfect, although I would have been happy with an evening return time.
I took a walk though the Sunshine Season’s food court, but didn’t buy anything. The mulligatawny soup would have been my choice if I had wanted to sit there eating lunch, but I wanted to leave the park & didn’t want to reheat the soup in the studio. The food court was very busy, too – although lines to pay for your food were not bad. Back outside I stopped at the pretzel cart on the way to Imagination, and bought a pretzel. It was not as good as the ones are in America, so this is a lesson learned. I ate half of it while walking back to Beach Club Villas. It was not BAD, but I think the ones in America must be a different brand and taste better to me.
As I got back to the resort SB called again, just before he was getting stuff ready for his players to practice/work out. He mentioned I needed to check his stats online, as his team is now #1 in the league for team hitting (batting). I know he’s and excellent hitting coach, but it’s always nice when the stats reflect that as well! When we finished talking I went inside to the store/market place at Beach Club and looked around. They don’t have pre-made cold food and I wasn’t in the mood to order anything since I had my pretzel. I did check out the earrings, but the selection was not impressive at all so I left empty-handed.
Back in the studio I put the rest of the pretzel away and changed into my swimsuit. Rather than walking over to Stormalong Bay at this hour, I just went to the quiet pool (around 12:20). It wasn’t very busy, and was nice & quiet to start out – then a loud group of families came and were rather rambunctious in the pool (the dads & the kids – just having fun). Before it got noisy, it was really nice being out there – with the music playing, the sun beating down on me, and the only sounds being the occasional footsteps or quiet conversation, it was just what I came here for! I stayed out until around 2pm, then headed back upstairs to the studio to get online for a while.
I got online and updated the report while having some wine and another piece of the leftover pretzel. At 3pm I watched most of General Hospital, knowing whatever I missed I could catch later tonight on SoapNet. It was a relaxing afternoon, and I originally planned to head back to Epcot around 3:30 to hit Soarin before dinner, but the timing worked out better to plan on riding it after dinner. That way I can hit a few other favorites in Future World while I’m there. So, I left around 4:05 or so for Epcot. As usual, entering at International Gateway was quick, even though I arrived at the tail end of a crowd that arrived via boat while I was walking over the bridge.
I walked over to Mexico to do the revamped boat ride – and wasn’t surprised to see the crowd had overflowed the queue area and were filling a new roped off area outside of the restaurant. It moved quickly, otherwise I never would have waited for this ride! They added the 3 caballeros (spelling??), who are Donald Duck and 2 other guys (I know, real helpful info here). Basically they updated some of the movie screens and on others superimposed images of the 3 cartoon characters. The sections where vendors used to call to you has been changed, thank goodness! I always hated that reality of being in Mexico, and now they show more of a celebration scene. Other than that, the ride is pretty much the same as it was. The changes are nice, but I still wouldn’t wait very long to ride it. Hopefully the crowds will die down at some point.
By the time I got out of Mexico I had 15 minutes to go until dinner, so I continued walking around to Italy. I discovered to eat outside you don’t need an ADR – my ADR was for inside, but I told them I preferred to eat outside. They sent me outside to the podium out there and told me if I had to wait just come back inside and they’d seat me at my original table. There had been nobody at the podium when I went inside, and of course now there was a dozen people in line! Fortunately some didn’t stay, so I was seated in just a few minutes – at a terrific table right at the railing. I had a nice view of everyone in the courtyard, and could see the rest of Epcot ahead. I’d brought the first 25 pages of Lisa Cubbon’s trip report from her recent cruise to New Zealand and it’s subantarctic islands and read most of it at dinner. I’ll bring more of it with me tomorrow (it’s 90+ pages).
My server was Rubens from Milan, and he was a little difficult to understand due to his accent. However, he was very friendly and provided excellent service – I just didn’t try to strike up any conversation! I looked at the wine list and noticed their glasses of wine start at $8.95 and go up from there – sorry, but charging that much for a glass of ordinary wine is just crazy. However, I’m on vacation and don’t feel like letting price keep me from having something if I want it. They had a pink pinot grigio, which I’ve never heard of before. I was torn between that and the sangria, and ended up going with the pinot since it was a lighter wine. It ended up being very good – I’m glad I tried it. For my dinner I had the appetizer portion of the fettuccine alfredo. When it came I was surprised how small the portion was, but it ended up being plenty for me. It tasted different than the alfredo I’ve had at other restaurants, and was very good. It wasn’t coated in sauce, and the pasta was a bit firmer than usual. I managed to eat it all, and was full but not over stuffed. Rubens brought over the dessert tray, and although the cheesecake looked REALLY good, I knew it was more than I could eat. Instead, I went with the chocolate mousse and thought it was really terrific. With the DDE discount but before tip it was $21-22 for my meal, so I’m thinking the chocolate mousse was the kids’ meal dessert (and that explains why he skipped it when he was telling me what everything on the dessert tray was <g>). In any event, it was an excellent dinner and I’m sorry it has to be my last one at this restaurant. Hopefully whatever comes into this location will be a restaurant I like.
As I started walking towards America I heard Mary’s voice announcing the concert was starting in 5 minutes. I was too full to sit on a bench with a glass of wine, so I went into the theater since there were several empty seats. I chose a seat towards the back, at the end of the row so when SB called I could step out of the theater without being disruptive. He called as soon as I sat down – just a quick call to say he misses me (awwwww) before he had to get back out on the field with his players. I went back into the theater and found another seat on the end of a row, and finished reading the portion of Lisa Cubbon’s trip report I’d brought into the park with me. The concert was the Turtles with Flo and Eddie. I stayed for 3-4 songs, and then left. They weren’t terrible, but I didn’t know their songs and they just didn’t thrill me.
I walked back to Future World and headed to the Land. Once inside I noticed there was absolutely no wait at all for Living With the Land, so I stopped there first. We barely filled the boat, which really surprised me. It’s a nice attraction, and I always enjoy it. Next I went to Soarin to use my fastpass, and was fortunate to get pulled out of line to take the last remaining seat. I ended up in row 2, but right near the center of the screen so it was very good.
I skipped Circle of Life, and went to ride Spaceship Earth. This was fairly busy, but the line moves pretty quickly. It stopped completely a couple of times near the end, and when I got outside it was pretty chilly & windy. I put on a light jacket, but was still rather cool. I went into MouseGear and looked at earrings – many really ugly ones, but I did find 1 pair that were ok so I bought those and a tin of Mickey mints to bring to SB on 5/2. Mousegear was really unbearably crowded, and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Surprisingly though, there was no wait to pay at the cash registers.
Outside I saw the butterfly garden so I went over to check it out. That’s not my thing, either – butterflies may be pretty, but they’re still bugs and I was glad they weren’t flying around <g>. I think I spent 20 seconds in there – that was enough for me!
I’d gotten a wristband for extra magic hours after leaving the Land, even though I figured I wouldn’t use it. Since it was feeling a bit chilly I decided to head back to the studio at least temporarily. I updated the report and listened to part of SB’s game – happy to find them leading but the other team tied it up while I was listening. Around 8:30 I changed into warmer clothes (including socks and sneakers) and wandered back over to Epcot. When I left it was really mobbed in World Showcase, and I figured if it’s still like that at 9pm I’ll just head back to the resort – it’s not worth fighting the crowds.
It was pretty busy, and I decided to head to Future World on the chance that everyone was in World Showcase waiting for World Showcase. Of course, I was wrong about that <g>. I checked the tip board over by Test Track and at 9pm the standby time was 60 minutes at Soarin’ and 100 minutes at Test Track. Even Nemo still had a 20 minute wait. Those waits were too long for me, and I could tell the crowd level overall was more than I wanted to deal with. I headed back to World Showcase, starting in Mexico. At Norway there wasn’t a wait for the Maelstrom, so I rode that. They weren’t even showing the movie at the end, but I’m not sure why.
When I got outside Illuminations had already started, so I walked around the countries while keeping an eye on the fireworks and listening to the music. It ended by the time I was approaching Morocco, so I stopped in France to let the crowds clear out some. On a previous trip I found a perfume I really liked at the Guerlain store. I ended up buying it online recently, and tonight went into the store to buy the body crème. It made me question my sanity paying $80 for a jar of crème, but it is a big jar. Probably not worth $80, but what the hell. Since I was purchasing at least $75 worth of merchandise, as a dvc member I got a free lipstick thingy that is supposed to go on first and then make your lipstick last longer.
The crowds had really thinned out by the time I came out of the store, but I figured it was still heavy in Future World and there really wasn’t any reason to put up with the crowds. I left through International Gateway and walked over to the Boardwalk before walking back to Beach Club Villas. Those surrey bikes are a menace in the dark!
SB’s game had just ended when I got into the studio, and unfortunately it was a loss tonight. I listened to the recap, then updated the report and lounged around until he called. I’m not really tired, but I’ll plan to get to bed before it gets too late.
Today was a much busier day than I’d planned, but I enjoyed every moment. Magic Kingdom was fun, I had some very good transportation experiences, enjoyed the time at the pool, had a great dinner, and got to do a few attractions at Epcot as well. I’m debating whether to bother going over to Animal Kingdom in the next couple of days, vs sleeping in and just going to Stormalong Bay. We’ll see what I feel like doing in the morning.
DAY 3 – Saturday 4/21/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Epcot, LeCellier
Actual: Last night I was still up when the 11:30 fireworks started – on Friday nights it’s extra magic hour at Epcot and they repeat Illuminations at 11:30 for resort guests. I could see the fireworks from my balcony, but since I’d already seen them earlier tonight I didn’t watch the 2nd time <g>. I’d actually decided to make today a Stormalong Bay day, so I turned off the alarm. I woke up at 7, then again at 8 – and realized it was darker than it should be. A quick check behind the sheers and all I could see were clouds! I’m not about to hang out by the pool in cloudy weather, so I quickly got ready to go and was going to drive over to Animal Kingdom instead. At the last minute I changed my mind – preferring to bypass the security lines by not carrying a bag, so I did not want car keys to deal with. I put my pass, room key and Disney Rewards card in one of those holders you wear around your neck, and headed to the bus stop.
The Animal Kingdom bus was there when I arrived, and I actually got a seat! In fact, very few people had to stand, which is nice. We pulled into AK just before 9, so I found a quiet spot to give SB a call in case he hadn’t already gotten up. We chatted a bit, then I was able to walk past the long lines at security and go right through an empty turnstile. The line of people waiting to buy tickets was HUGE – you could easily waste 30-45 minutes of your day standing there if you’re not smart enough to order your tickets online before you arrive! It always amazes me that so many people just don’t try to think ahead at all.
The preshow around the tree had just ended, so the big crowd of people was slowly dispersing. I stayed to the left and worked my way to Harambe. The fastpass return time for the safari was 9:45, so I went over and got one. By now it was 9:15 and the standby line was so congested I figured it could easily be an almost 30-minute wait. It was a no brainer to get the fastpass so I could do something other than stand in line for the next 30 minutes. Usually I would head over to Dinoland to do a couple of attractions there, but today I decided on the Pangani Forest Trail. It was a good choice, as there were hardly any other guests on the trail.
Most of my time was spent with the gorillas, who I had not really seen in quite a while. I was amazed at how much bigger the kids on the family side had grown – the oldest boy even has his silverback (hair on his back has turned silver) now. Only a couple were out on the bachelor side, including Spike. I was waiting to get his picture when he turned around a bit more, when 2 men came over with their cameras and started whistling to get his attention. After a couple of dirty looks I quietly told them they weren’t supposed to do that, but go ahead if they want the gorilla to turn around and leave. Sure enough, Spike turned his back to us and soon ambled off out of sight. Around the other side (where you exit the safari) one of the bigger guys was out, but I wasn’t sure who it was.
Around 9:40 I was finished so I went to sit on a bench to wait for my fastpass time. I no sooner sat down when a grandmother with a baby granddaughter in a stroller came over and sat next to me. The baby was sitting quietly, just relaxing. Grandmother immediately started clapping and talking baby talk at the kid, so I got up and left. I can see trying to distract the kid if she’s getting bored or fussy, but why act silly when the kid is peaceful and not looking for attention?? Or better yet, just talk quietly to the child to give her some attention without looking like a clown.
At 9:45 I went into the safari line, bypassing all the standby people. They only had 1 loading area operating, which I guess accounted at least partially for the line being so long. The safari was just ok this time. The driver was excellent, but several of the animals I usually see were not out this morning. Fortunately, it’s never a one-shot thing for me, so if I get a safari that’s somewhat of a dud, I know there’s always a much better one in my future.
I was hungry by now – this morning I was still full from dinner so I didn’t eat breakfast in the studio. I headed towards the exit, but didn’t want to wait 15 minutes for Flame Tree BBQ to open up so I could get their onion rings. Instead, I left the park and waited at least 15 minutes for the bus to Epcot <g>. The bus was crowded, with people having to stand! What’s up with that at barely 10:30 in the morning??
At Epcot I was really glad I had chosen to come without any bags, as I zipped right into the park in no time at all. There were huge crowds at the security area, thanks to a tram full of guests arriving just as I was approaching. Spaceship Earth was not as busy as I saw it yesterday, but still had a longer line than I care to experience. I went to the Land and picked up a fastpass for Soarin’ (I think it’s around 2:30-3:30) and then went to see the food selections at Sunshine Seasons. I ended up getting a chicken wrap from the cooler – I’d seen it yesterday and thought it looked good. I also got a chocolate chip cookie from the bakery.
I sat at a table and took out half of the wrap, figuring the other half could be lunch tomorrow. I ended up not finishing the first half – not that I was too full, but just that I wasn’t that impressed with it. It was somewhat bland/dry – it needed something but I don’t know what. I ate half the cookie, then headed out of the park through the International Gateway.
Back at BCV I stored the leftover food (not sure if I’ll actually eat the other half of the wrap tomorrow or not – it’s there if I don’t find something better) and updated the report. It’s mostly cloudy today, although the sun does shine through at times. When the sun is out it’s nice and warm, but when the sun can’t shine through, it’s a little bit chilly. I thought about driving over to the outlets, but decided to skip it – it’s too much of a zoo with traffic on a Saturday. I sat out on the balcony for a little while, then shortly after noon changed into my swimsuit and went downstairs to read by the quiet pool for about an hour. When I told SB I’d be seeing Dottie and Joe tomorrow night, he was bummed he couldn’t be there. I’m so glad he likes my friends, lol! He commented that “they’re always there” – but that’s the life of a dvc member I told him <g>. Before I went back upstairs I passed my magazine off to a lady nearby. She was killing time before heading to the airport, so now she has something to read.
I took a quick shower, then got online to listen to SB’s afternoon game for a while. I had an email from Bill suggesting we meet at Rose & Crown Pub at 4:30, so I left him a voicemail suggesting 4pm instead, since my dinner ADR is at 5. If I don’t hear from him I’ll get there at 4 and just wait for them to arrive. By 3:30 I couldn’t take any more of SB’s game – it was a train wreck today. I dressed warmly since it was so cloudy, and walked over to Epcot.
I had a little time so I walked over to France to check out the grand marnier slush drinks Dottie has said are so good. Turns out they’re sold at the stand I’ve bought stuff from before, but I never noticed them. If I have room later I might try one. I got back to United Kingdom around 3:45 and gave Bill a call – they were just coming in from the Boardwalk. A table outside Rose & Crown opened up, so I grabbed it and waited for them to arrive. I’d met his wife once before, and it was nice seeing them again. They’re both great people. They went inside to get drinks, which took forever – and Bill came out to let me know we’d gotten a table inside the pub. Unfortunately, we soon realized the people at the table next door were not only drunk, they were LOUD drunks. It went way beyond reasonable, and we went back to the outside table to get away from them. We spent a very pleasant hour visiting, and then I had to get to LeCellier and they were off to do other stuff at Epcot. Thanks again for the wine, Bill – and the company!
SB called just as I was about to check in at LeCellier, so we chatted briefly and then I returned to the podium right at 5pm. I was seated almost immediately, and had a very friendly & efficient server. Once she’d brought me a full glass of water and poured my glass of wine, I started reading more of the Cubbons’ trip report. The hostess was going to seat 4 young adults at the table next to me, and one of them accidentally bumped into my table. Immediately, everything on the table tipped over and flew at me – including the glass of water and the glass of wine. The holder for the breadsticks ended up in my lap, and the glasses & other tableware were either on my lap or the floor. They were horrified, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled to suddenly be so wet! My jacket was with my backpack on the bench seat next to me, so those both got wet – along with my jeans and my top. They apologized profusely, but since it was truly an accident I wasn’t angry with them at all. The cast members brought over several napkins so I could get the wetness out of my clothes and bag, and someone came right over to sweep up all the ice cubes. They brought me a new glass of wine at no charge, of course.
Once that excitement was over, the people were brought over to be seated again. This time the hostess said she was pulling my table aside for a minute, lol. They were nice people, and we actually chatted a little bit during the meal (when I wasn’t reading the report). Bill had mentioned they introduced a new menu at LeCellier recently, and I noticed the beef tenderloin kabob appetizer is now gone from the menu. I’m glad I ordered it last time, as it was very good.
Tonight I decided to get the field greens salad as an appetizer, and the cup of cheese soup as my meal. The salad was very good, and a better choice than the Caesar (people next door got that, and declared it mediocre at best). However, after the salad I was pretty much full – it wasn’t big, but I think the pre-dinner glass of wine did me in. I managed to eat the soup, but I was stuffed at that point and feeling uncomfortable. It was an excellent dinner, but I should have stuck with just the soup! In any event, there was no grand marnier slushie for me tonight!
I walked over to Future World to check the times on the tip board by Test Track. Test Track was posted as a 40 minute single rider wait, but it was actually more like 5. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great ride because it kept stopping. I was feeling overstuffed to start with, and when the car would suddenly screech to a stop the seatbelt was getting uncomfortable! After the high speed loop it screeched to a stop again before going into the building – the smell of burning rubber was really gross! While I was on this side I picked up a fastpass for Mission Space, but ended up not needing one.
It was about 15 before 7 and I decided to do Spaceship Earth before heading to the Land. This ended up being somewhat of a mistake, since I got to the Land 5 minutes after the boat ride closed. On Spaceship Earth I basically slept through the entire ride – I remember getting on, I saw the lights in the ceiling on the way back down, and that’s about it. I used my fastpass for Soarin and ended up in row 1 – the best one! It was wonderful, and I had more energy by this point.
I went back to Mission Space to ride the sissy side, and realized a fastpass wasn’t necessary for sissies. It would have been mildly helpful if I was riding the more intense side, but not really necessary. Next I wandered out to World Showcase and rode the boat thing in Mexico again. At this point I didn’t feel like making the whole World Showcase loop, so I turned back and exited out the International Gateway. Along the way Mary’s voice was announcing the start of Illuminations in just 30 minutes <g>.
I got back to the studio and got online. SB called and I told him about my dinner experience. I finished up the report, and will probably try to get to sleep at a reasonable hour (11-ish). Today was a great day in many ways – the only bad thing was the heavy clouds that existed all day. I wanted sunshine, and the lack of sun caused me to change my plans. Hopefully tomorrow should be a sunnier day. I’m also sad that tomorrow is my last full day – this trip has gone by way too fast, and I hate to see it come to an end.
DAY 4 – Sunday 4/22/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Animal Kingdom, Pool, Spoodles, Epcot
Actual: This morning I woke up around 7 and was happy to see a clear blue sky when the sun was fully out! It was only 57 degrees (brrr) but it should be warming up soon. I decided to take some pictures at Stormalong Bay, and wanted to check out the water there since friends who were here earlier in the week reported it felt cold to them. I cleaned up and got dressed, then headed out with my camera around 8-something. Cape May was quite busy – it’s hard to believe at one time I would have been getting up at the crack of dawn to get to a character breakfast before going to the parks. Not any longer, lol! There was nobody out at Stormalong Bay except a few ducks, and I half expected the entrances to be blocked off since it wasn’t open yet. However, it was clear so I was able to wander around taking a few pictures. After I was done I went out to the beach area to take a photo of the Boardwalk Villas since that will be my “home” next month – starting 5/24. A man was riding a tractor smoothing out the sand, and it was very nice and peaceful out there. Along the way I passed a mother duck with 3 tiny ducklings. A squirrel got too close to them and the mother went nuts chasing after and pecking that poor squirrel until he retreated. I kept my distance and used the zoom to take their picture, so I didn’t risk losing a toe in the process!
I headed back to the studio and made a cup of cappuccino. Today is trash & towel day, so hopefully they’ll come while I’m at Stormalong Bay. If not, I’ll have them just skip the service. When it’s just me, I don’t need my towels replaced this quickly, and I’m leaving tomorrow morning anyway. By 8:45 it was up to 62 degrees, so it IS warming up – hopefully by 10 it’ll be warm enough to go to Stormalong Bay. I hung out in the studio and got online, watching the Weather Channel to see the temperature rising (up to 73 by 9:45). After talking with SB for a bit before he got ready to head to work, I changed into my swimsuit and gathered up my stuff for the pool. I’d brought one of those floating noodle things from home, figuring I’d use it in the lazy river section of Stormalong Bay.
It was just after 10 and there were quite a few people at Stormalong Bay already. Many chairs just had towels or a mug on them, but I found a chair in a good spot facing the sun and put my stuff down while I went to get my towels. The cast member checked my resort id to see that I belonged here, and when I said I’d put the wristband on my bag she told me they no longer allow that. It has to be either on your wrist, ankle or swimsuit – so I opted for the swimsuit. She said they didn’t want to have to keep bothering guests while on vacation, but if your band was on your bag and you were in the pool they couldn’t tell that you were “legal”. I told her I was completely in favor of the policy, as anything that keeps out people who don’t belong there makes it that much nicer for those of us who do!
SB called as he was leaving for work, hoping for a better day today. It’s too bad he couldn’t be here, but somebody has to work while I’m playing <g>. Eventually I got up and went to float around the lazy river part of the pool. It was a little cool, but easy to adjust to. It was a little more crowded than I like, so I only stayed in for a couple of loops before returning to read on my lounge chair. I left around 12:15 after giving my magazines away, noticing that the 2 chairs next to me that had towels on them before I arrived still had never been used by people. In retrospect, I should have picked up the towels and disposed of them so someone could use the chairs (I know I’m not the chair police, but oh well – sometimes it doesn’t hurt to right a wrong) but I didn’t think of it until 2 hours later!
Back in the studio I ate a couple bites of the chicken wrap and threw the rest away. I still had leftover pretzel, and I’d rather spend my calories on that. I got dressed and walked into Epcot to get one of those grand marnier orange slush things in France. However, when I got there I realized this particular stand only takes cash and of course I didn’t have any cash with me at all. Maybe I’m not meant to ever try one of these??? SB said I could have just gone back to the resort to get some cash, but I knew I’d then have trouble getting back in and it wasn’t worth the headache. Since I was in Epcot I walked over to the Land and got a fastpass (5:15-6:15) for Soarin’. I originally hadn’t planned on riding today, but it will be a nice way to wrap up the trip later tonight.
I returned to Beach Club Villas – it was hot already, and it was only 80 degrees. How will I deal with the hotter weather on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends??? Back in the studio I took a shower and washed my hair, then settled down to listen to SB’s game. I finished up the pretzel and had some wine (whatever I don’t drink will get poured down the drain tonight). At 4:30 I left for the Boardwalk, even though it was the bottom of the 9th inning! I ended up arriving 15 minutes early, and sat at a table across from Spoodles. Soon Dottie arrived, then Joe, then Chris & her family. It was great seeing everyone again, although it was shocking to see her little son Mitch is now taller than us and a sophomore in high school! He’s a very nice young man, and didn’t mind being with all of us older folks (or he hid it well <g>).
Chris’ other friends were waiting inside, and soon her mom (Gram) arrived, so we were a party of 11. By booking the earliest seating we were able to get the table for 12 in the center of the room rather than having to break up into smaller groups. I won’t try to list everything that was ordered, because with 11 people probably just about everything was tried by someone. The menu now has 6 entrees, and a slightly larger number of appetizers. I went with the margherita flatbread, which is on the appetizer menu – along with a glass of sangria. Chris, dh Frank and ds Mitch were on the dining plan, but not anyone else. We were a bit surprised when the waitress brought 1 check at the end of the meal and announced she’d put it in the middle of the table. We ended up asking her to split the check, which she did – with a little bit of attitude, but she did it quickly. How many times do you have a party of 11 with clearly different size families and have them want 1 bill for everything?? Because of our party size, the 18% gratuity was already added to the check. As far as I know, all the food was good – people seemed to enjoy what they had, except Mitch’s steak kabobs were partly undercooked. It was such a huge portion though, they didn’t worry about it – he just ate the more cooked pieces.
After dinner Chris invited us up to their 2br villa for after dinner drinks. They have a boardwalk view with an oversized balcony in a good location. Unfortunately, it’s a handicapped accessible unit so it’s not as nice. The kitchen counters are low and not as wide, there’s no breakfast bar, there’s no tub, etc. It also looks so tiny compared to the OKW 2br villas – I hope I don’t hate mine next month when I’m here. The worst part is the refrigerator – the front had a bunch of rust and the side was very covered in rust. As Frank pointed out, their $40 night room last night was nicer than this one – and this would rent for over $700 per night!
We took chairs out to the balcony (Chris’ friends had gone to Epcot, so it was just 6 of us) and had more than enough room. The bicycling piano player came by and seemed like he knew Gram – but then, everyone knows Gram <g>. They bantered back & forth, and we enjoyed his song. Around 7:45 I figured I’d better get to Epcot if I was going to ride Soarin’ one last time, so I reluctantly said goodnight to everyone and left. I called SB while walking to Epcot – he’d called just after we got to Spoodles, but mostly talked to Joe <g>.
Getting into Epcot had no wait at all, and although it was still busy it did seem less crowded than the weekend nights. I went straight to Soarin’, which still had a 50 minute standby wait posted. It looked like it would be every one of those 50 minutes, too. I got the 2nd row this time, but it was the center section so it was still good. After it was over, I checked at the food court for the Mickey shaped rice krispie treats for my son Chris, but they don’t have them. I didn’t want to walk all the way out to America, so I just headed back to the resort.
At Beach Club I stopped at the front desk to make sure there wasn’t anything on my bill since I’d be leaving before the express checkout came. This trip I used dvc points for the lodging, my existing FL resident seasonal pass for my park admissions, my existing Pleasure Island annual pass for that admission, and a Disney rewards card for all my other expenses – so this trip was free. Even that expensive body crème and the earrings were covered by the rewards card, which I’ll have to reload before my next trip.
On the way to the room I swung through the store, and bought a couple of their rice krispie treats to take home. I tried a bite on the way up to the studio – not very good. There was a very long line of people waiting to pay, but I looked around at the other side and that cast member had nobody at his register. So, I paid and was out of there way before I would have been if I’d blindly just followed the crowd.
Back in the studio I got online, gave SB a call, then finished up the report. I set the alarm for 4am so I can be on the road by 5 to get to work on time. I have a meeting at 8:30 and another at 9:00, so going in late wasn’t really an option.
Summary: This was a wonderful trip, although it was really too short. I know a short trip is better than no trip, and I like being able to come frequently so short trips are necessary. Still, I so wish I was here for 7-10 days at a time (have the points – don’t have the vacation time). April is one of my favorite months at WDW, second only to my Food & Wine trips. The weather was beautiful (even the cloudy day – it was very comfortable for touring the parks), there was no rain, and no need for heavy coats! Crowds in the parks were not bad either, since Easter was a couple of weeks prior. I would NOT come up during the 2 weeks surrounding Easter unless I was planning to spend all my time at the resort and not bother with the parks except for a pre-reserved meal.
My next trip begins May 24th, and will be at Boardwalk Villas with extended family. I’ve booked a 2br villa for 5 of us for 5 nights, and a separate studio for my son Chris and his girlfriend who will be joining us for a few days. After that, I stay away from WDW all summer, until Labor Day weekend. I did take photos this trip, and will get them into an album online as soon as possible. I’ll be working all day and attending baseball games at night for the first couple of days, so it may not get done until mid week, but I’ll post the link.
Magical Stuff:
- The convenience of Beach Club Villas, and being able to walk back “home” after dinner in Epcot to change clothes for the evening just can’t be beat!
- The model rooms at the new Animal Kingdom Villas are even prettier than I expected. Can’t wait to start using those new points to stay there!
- Great meals and spending time with friends. I have the best of a solo trip (freedom to do only what I want), yet have enough time with different friends so it never gets lonely
- I just love, love, love DVC resorts – it’s such a pleasure being able to stay at such beautiful resorts without breaking the bank. There’s such a difference staying DVC vs using a value, moderate or even a regular deluxe room. Spoiled forever, I think.
UnMagical Stuff:
- Cloudy weather, but Disney can’t control that!
- Getting a sudden and unexpected shower of water & wine at LeCellier
- Missing SB, although at the same time I appreciate that he wouldn’t have wanted to do some of what I did, so I need some solo trips
- People who left their brains at home before coming on vacation – those who need instruction to get a fastpass or operate a turnstile, stop dead in their tracks at the top of an “up” escalator with lots of people behind them, let their kids go skating through crowds in the parks wearing those stupid shoes, and those who get off the bus and stand “right there” to wait for the rest of their people while blocking the way for everyone else.
- The absolute worst thing – the trip was just too damn short! I’ll be back soon, but that’s small consolation right now <g>.
Until next time – thanks for reading.
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Dates: April 19 - 23, 2007
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disney’s Beach Club Villas Resort
Experience: Frequent Guest
INTRODUCTION:
Woohoo – at last I have a solo trip again! I absolutely LOVE the Florida weather in April (nice and warm but not humid or rainy yet) and wanted to get back for a solo trip while it would be so nice. SB left to report for baseball season (April until Sept), and since I pushed my first trip to see him back to early May, that left me time in the 2nd half of April to create a long weekend for WDW. Since I enjoy wandering around Epcot in the evening, and to have access to Stormalong Bay I decided to book at Beach Club Villas.
I booked a meal at LeCellier, which is my overall favorite Disney dining venue. With Alfredo’s in Italy closing August 31st of this year, I decided to also book a dinner there. It’s not a favorite, but it will be my last opportunity, and with the comfortable weather I’ll try for a table outside. Plus, it’s convenient from the resort – I like being able to get to dinner without needing a car, bus, boat or monorail! Some DVC friends are arriving on Sunday – wish our trips overlapped more, but at least we’ll spend a short time together & enjoy dinner at Spoodles. I used to love Spoodles when it was open for lunch, but I seldom go for dinner – especially now that they’ve done away with the tapas style menu. When I’m with SB we eat breakfast here frequently, as he loves their breakfast. There’s a new dinner menu now, so it’s a good time to be returning to Spoodles, plus it’ll be a lot of fun with my DVC friends.
I’ll hit my favorite attractions in the parks, but don’t expect to spend a significant amount of time there unless the weather is (unexpectedly) lousy. This trip will be a chance to lie by the pool relaxing, and just enjoy being here solo. Comedy Warehouse can’t be missed, but I’m only planning to be there on the night I arrive. The cast is great on Thursday nights, and it’ll give me a chance to see Leesa.
The Flower & Garden Festival is going on now (and during my next trip), but it’s never been a big deal for me. I don’t garden at all, and don’t even eat most vegetables. I like roses in a vase on my desk or dresser, but don’t want the responsibility of keeping them alive! The whole Pirates/Princess theme does nothing for me either – although I recognize there are far more people who love it! In any event, I enjoy wandering around Epcot and since I’m staying right outside the gate I’ll certainly spend some time walking around to see the extra-pretty flowers everywhere. I usually enjoy the concerts as well, but will do it my way – sitting on a bench with a glass of wine. It’s more fun to me to listen to the concert, watch the people walking by, and have an uncrowded bench to myself rather than sitting in a crowded theater watching the band/singer perform. That way if I lose interest I can move along without being rude.
My only other plans are to get to Saratoga Springs to see the models of the new DVC villas for Animal Kingdom Villas, since I purchased points at the new resort. I’ve seen photos, but want to see the models for myself in person.
The plans so far are:
Thursday 4/19: Work, Drive to WDW, AKV models, Comedy Warehouse
Friday 4/20: Magic Kingdom, Stormalong Bay, Alfredo’s, Epcot
Saturday 4/21: Epcot, Stormalong Bay, LeCellier
Sunday 4/22: Animal Kingdom, Pool or listen to SB’s game, Spoodles, Epcot
Monday 4/23: Drive to work
DAY 1 – Thursday 4/19/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Work, Drive to WDW, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: Today started out as a very stressful day, thanks primarily to some major computer problems at home. My primary laptop evidently picked up a Trojan and shut down, unable to get started again. Fortunately my boss is a very good friend and has a lot more expertise in this area than I do, so I brought the laptop to work and after spending all morning working on it he was able to get me up and running again! I had my secondary laptop packed for the trip, but now I don’t have to deal with the primary one later! Since I wasn’t exactly productive at work today, I decided to hit the road at 1 rather than 2 – plus I had another issue to deal with and I really needed that extra hour.
At 1pm on the button I was out the door, and the ride to WDW was boring but completely free of any traffic or accidents. It seemed to drag, until the last section – thanks to being on the phone with a work issue. That wrapped up shortly after I entered WDW property, so the timing was great! I parked in the Beach Club Villas lot and made the long walk over to the front desk to check in. Luckily I’d packed light, so I didn’t have to make a trip back to the car later. When I walked into the front desk there were 4 cast members and NO guests! I’ve never seen it like this, but I like it this way, lol! I was very promptly checked in, and got my requested non-smoking room on the top floor.
It was a much shorter walk over to the Villas, and I was thrilled to see my room was very close to the elevator. No long hallway walks for me this trip! SB will be jealous, as this room is a few doors closer than the one we had here last November, and he thought that one was terrific. The studio looks terrific – no problems noted. The view is the garden area and walkway to Epcot, along with some of the World Showcase country roofs.
I unpacked quickly, as I had a mission. My Disney Dining Experience (DDE) card had expired in late February, after our last trip. Why Disney can’t send a renewal either through the mail or by email is beyond me, but I got no notice and as a result accidentally let it lapse. I realized the problem on April 2nd and called to renew it then. They said to allow 3-6 weeks for the card to arrive, and as of yesterday it had not come – so I had to go pick up my temporary card from Epcot Guest Services. Unfortunately, it had to be the Guest Services at the front entrance, which was far from convenient! So, I walked into Epcot via the International Gateway, walked through Epcot to exit out front, went to Guest Services, then walked back through Epcot and to BCV – yikes! On my way in I stopped at International Gateway and picked up a 2007 jacket for my pass since there was nobody in line. Entering Epcot was a breeze, and I chose to not carry any bags so I could get back in quicker up front (or so I thought, lol). Chip and Dale were milling around to do photos and autographs, but I just waved and continued on my way.
Did I mention it was WARM in Epcot?? I was wearing work clothes, and I was sweltering – but moving quickly. The topiaries look great, but I really didn’t linger today. Once I left Epcot I was thrilled to see NO wait at Guest Services – what are the odds of that happening?? I got my temp card, then found long lines at all the turnstiles to enter the park. Plus, since the bag check is at the turnstiles this time of day, being bag-free gave me no advantage at all. At the turnstile, my pass would not work, which is exactly what I expected. I’d used it to enter a park just 15-20 minutes ago, and it was not going to let that pass be used to enter again so quickly. I tried explaining that to the little foreign man working at the turnstile, but he kept telling me to just keep trying, and try the other turnstile. Finally he said “she help you” and the female working nearby took care of it when I explained what I thought was happening. I had my DDE card envelope in my hand, and the name matched the name on my pass, so she trusted I wasn’t trying to scam my way into the park <g>.
After leaving through International Gateway I stopped at Guest Services there again (man, so far this trip I’ve been on a marathon of guest services visits, lol) to pick up a birthday button for my niece for my next trip, and a 1st visit button for one of the other people coming along. The cast member made the button with Erica’s name on it, then prepared a nice Magic Moment certificate for Erica’s 16th birthday. Her birthday is actually 5/1 but we’re celebrating it on one of the days of our trip in late May. That done, I finally got back to BCV shortly after 5pm. I figured I needed the extra hour to take care of getting this DDE card, and that’s pretty much exactly how it worked out.
I had thought about getting a pretzel by Imagination while passing through Epcot the 2nd time, but wasn’t hungry at all. However, 30 minutes later at the resort I was starving – guess once I slowed down I was able to realize I wanted something to eat. Oh well, no time now. Back in the studio I turned on the computer and updated the report, cooled of a little bit, then left around 5:45 to drive over to Saratoga Springs to see the models of the Animal Kingdom Villas rooms. I decided to give SB a call and just as I went to hit the button, he called me first. It’s not that remarkable, considering that with a 6:35 game he’s only going to be available briefly about 30 minutes before the game – so I’m not claiming to be psychic or anything! We always talk at least briefly before his games.
I parked by the sales center and realized the models were set up in the old Cinema building nearby. Quite a crowd was gathered in that area, but people generally didn’t stay long so it wasn’t bad. Outside they had a cast member dressed in African garb, playing some sort of instrument and humming or mumbling. On Thursdays in April they’re serving light snacks during the 5-7 open hour hours, and it was nicer/more than I expected. They had skewers of chicken sate, little things that looked like quiche at first but were actually custard tarts (the cinnamon on top gave it away), lots of cheeses and crackers, and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages. Some people were piling the chicken onto their plates, but most treated it as a snack rather than dinner <g>. Since I was hungry, I wolfed down a chicken skewer and little tart, then went inside to see the models. In the foyer they had artist’s renderings of the new resort, and a few guides were available to answer questions and talk to guests. The models were down the hall – you start in the studio and then move into the connecting 1br next door.
I’d seen photos on the internet already, and I have to echo what I’ve heard from others – in person the rooms are much nicer than they appear in the early photos! The wood is dark and the furniture is big, but it works. I love the flat-panel television, and the studio will meet my needs really well – I think SB will love it also. On the way out I stopped for another chicken skewer and bottle of water, then headed over to Downtown Disney (by car).
I got a great parking spot in the Pleasure Island lot, and thought about going to Raglan Road for that beef salad appetizer I enjoyed last time and a glass of wine. However, I stood in line for seating outside, and it just wasn’t moving. A big party was ahead of me, and they were having trouble getting the staff to push a couple tables together – I’m not sure what the problem was! I had barely an hour before the first show, so I ended up bailing out of line since it was taking so long. There were quite a few empty tables, but the staff was having trouble getting them cleared and I had no idea when they’d finally get it together.
I walked over to the Market Place and tried Earl of Sandwich, but the line was huge – extending way past the end of the ropes. I tried Wolfgang Puck’s Express next, but that line was completed filled in on the inside, and extended outside past where the menu is posted at the very entrance to the covered area! I ended up in Ghiradelli trying to buy the foil-wrapped chocolates for my office, but all they had were those damn squares. The entire store was different bags/boxes of those squares – how boring! I did pick up a chocolate sample for Leesa, but forgot to give it to her. After a quick walk through World of Disney (which surprisingly was not horribly crowded) I headed back to Pleasure Island. Passing Raglan Road I saw most of the same empty tables outside, and yet there was a line of people waiting to be seated still.
I figured I’d try the Bongo’s window, and as I got to the top of the hill Leesa called. We didn’t realize it, but we were about 10 feet from each other at that point, lol! I ended up skipping Bongos and hung out with her until the first Comedy Warehouse show. Carol Stein was on the keys tonight, so it was nice seeing her. The 7:45 cast was Missy, John, Krista, Brian & Robby. Brian pulled a kid up on stage for “Slide Show” – this was my first time seeing this. The kid was interested in guitars, so each slide had something to do with that. The lights would dim, and Brian would start talking about some scene from the kid’s life, then the lights would come on and we’d see the other actors posed with the kid while Brian explained what we were seeing. I probably didn’t make that sound very funny, but it really was! Brian did a great job with it, and I really enjoyed this structure.
Next Krista created a Forgotten Song called “Damn Dog Died” – as a country song. She is a great singer, and very funny. Robby & John created a scene in a boring NY town. It was very funny, and Brian came in as the mayor who is so bored he pretends to kill himself every Wednesday. They also did Actor’s Nightmare, with Brian the victim. In this structure every actor except Brian reads all of their lines from different scripts, and Brian is left to improvise his lines and make sense of all of theirs. It can be very funny, or very not funny – tonight it was sort of in the middle. Overall it was a great show, though.
The 8:50 cast was Lisa, Krista, Robby, Missy & Brian. They opened with a poem called “Vampires Eat Ice Cream”. Point Counterpoint was next, with Lisa as Miss Texas 1987 and Robby as a mildly flamboyant image designer/consultant named Michael. Krista moderated and as she gave each topic (previously suggested by the audience) Lisa and Robby would present the opposing view on each one – very funny! Next was Freeze Tag, where 2 actors start a scene and someone else yells “freeze”. They stop moving, and the actor who said freeze then tags an actor and takes his place (same position) but creates a different scene. Brian and Krista started the scene, and the brilliant audience suggestion on what they were doing was “standing”. Still, it was a funny scene, and evolved past just standing there, lol. The last big structure was the one where 2 actors go outside and the other actors get sayings from the audience. Each saying is written on a piece of paper, which is then folded and thrown on the floor. When Brian & Missy came back inside (they were outside) they began a scene and had to reach down and make a piece of paper the next line of their dialogue. When all the papers were picked up, the scene was over. I can’t remember the subject tonight, but I enjoyed the entire show so it must have been good.
After the show we talked a bit with Carol, then Missy. I hung out with Leesa until the next show, but decided to get something to eat before everything closed instead of going in for the 3rd show. I ended up walking to Bongo’s and got a chicken empanada without any wait. It wasn’t as hot (temp) as it could have been, but it was quite tasty and hit the spot. Also, at $1.25 it’s an incredible value at WDW. I ate it as I walked back through Pleasure Island to my car.
It looks like the construction at Pleasure Island is finally finished, and I have to admit it looks nicer than it did before. They have some outdoor seating areas scattered around, and even had a couple of musicians performing on a little stage outside the Comedy Warehouse. There’s a boat dock near the Rock & Roll Beach Club, too – but I didn’t check the sign to see whether the boats only went to the Market Place or also to Saratoga, OKW, or Port Orleans.
On the way “home” to Beach Club Villas I talked to SB and found his boys had played well and won the game, so he had a good night. He headed to the showers and I finished driving to BCV, then brought the last couple of items up to the room. Back in the studio we talked a little more on the phone, then I caught the last half of General Hospital on SoapNet and finished up the report. I decided not to get online, figuring I’d be better off getting to sleep at a decent hour since I wanted to get to a park in the morning. So, it was lights out by 11:30.
Today didn’t start out very well, but it certainly improved as the day went on. I’m very glad to be back here, and love being a dvc member! I don’t really feel like I’ve relaxed at all yet, and probably crammed too many things in to this afternoon/evening, but hopefully I can take it easier the next few days. Tomorrow will be Magic Kingdom at opening, then a brief stop at Epcot to get a Soarin’ fastpass, followed by some pool time, dinner at LeCellier, possibly meeting a friend at Epcot, maybe a concert, and hopefully catching some of SB’s game on the internet. Did I say I was going to relax???? LOL – doesn’t sound like it, but at least I won’t be at work <g>.
DAY 2 – Friday 4/20/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Magic Kingdom, Alfredo’s, Epcot
Actual: I slept REALLY well last night, as usual at a dvc resort. The bed is very comfortable, and so are the pillows. There’s no noise from outside or the hallway, and thanks to the door to the connecting 1br villa being down by the door at the hallway I don’t get noise from neighbors (unlike at OKW where the door is right in the sleeping area). At AKV the door is also out by the hall, so it’ll be nice & quiet there as well.
I realized after I got up that today is Alfredo’s – not LeCellier. Good thing I checked or I’d have been in the wrong place! It’s a gorgeous sunny day, and expected to be 80 degrees. I showered, dressed, and made some cappuccino and an English muffin for breakfast (gotta love having a toaster in the studios). Since it was so nice and I hadn’t gotten online, I took my breakfast out to the balcony and it was a very pleasant way to start the day. The weather isn’t any better here than it is at home, but here I don’t have to go to work or deal with “real life” too much <g>.
I left the studio around 8:30 or so, making the short walk to the bus stop. The bus stop was pretty crowded, and by the time the bus arrived it was even more crowded! There were also no seats, so everyone had to stand. Actually, there was one seat next to a dad who pulled his screaming just turned 2yr old daughter onto his lap, but I preferred to keep whatever distance I was able to get! The girl’s mom said she didn’t blame me – I sure hope for her sake the kid isn’t like this all the time. We got to the MK just after 9, and I was inside the park by 9:10. Entry was very crowded, but as usual there was at least 1-2 security lines with nobody in them, while other lines were 20 people deep. I opted for the empty line <g>. At the turnstiles I was delayed when the machine ate the pass of the guy in front of me. I’m not sure if he did anything wrong or if it was a machine malfunction, but I eventually moved to the end of another line to get inside faster.
Normally I head to Space Mountain first, and started in that direction today but then changed my mind and went to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It had a posted standby time of 20 minutes, which was completely wrong. We all walked quickly right onto a train that pulled in within seconds of hitting the loading area. It was a fun ride, as always. From there I headed across the hub into Tomorrowland to pick up a fastpass for Space Mountain. It was now 9:30 and the return time was 10:20 – very good. I thought about doing standby first, but decided I didn’t want to risk the line being backed up inside and losing time since I only planned to stay for part of the morning. I forgot to mention, on my way over to the hub a duck flew over me so low he almost hit my head – very strange!
I wandered back through the various lands, skipping the Pooh ride but stopping for a short wait at Peter Pan’s Flight. SB called as I was over the pirate ship, so once I got back outside I found a place to sit and chat with him before heading on to the Haunted Mansion. There were a total of 12 of us in the stretch room – 2 families, a couple and me. The cast member joked that we really needed to make room for everyone <g>. One boy was really scared, although his older and younger sisters weren’t fazed at all. He ended up doing ok, though.
I headed back across the hub to Tomorrowland and remembered the new Laugh attraction where the Timekeeper used to be. They were letting people in and the posted wait was only 5 minutes, but I decided to skip it for now. I could always see it with the extended family next month, or perhaps wait to see it for the first time with SB – I figure if it’s worthwhile it’ll be here for a while. I rode Tomorrowland Transit Authority, which is always a favorite. This time I was the only person in my train of 5 cars. I took off my sandals and sat back to enjoy the relaxing ride! By the time I got off, it was time for Space Mountain so I went there next. The line inside at the boarding area seemed slower than usual, but they had both sides open. I ended up with the last seat, and had a fun (but jerky) ride.
At this point I decided to head out of the park, but first stopped to return a phone call that came in while I was getting ready to board my rocket ship. I didn’t recognize the number, but it was Bill (Major Woody) from an internet newsgroup. We chatted for a while, and hope to meet for a drink tomorrow since it looks like today I’ll be heading out around the time he & his wife will be free. They recently moved to the area, and Bill is working part time driving boats for the Wishes cruises – cool job!
This morning I realized I failed to pack any earrings, and the pair I was wearing yesterday did not go with most of the clothes I brought with me. I figured I’d look for a new pair of Disney earrings, but ended up just wanting to get out of the park right now so I never looked along Main Street. The express monorail was not boarding from the MK, which always irritates me when they keep that closed. Instead I had to take the resort monorail, make an extra stop, then make the long transfer to the Epcot monorail. However, I hit the connections perfectly, and had no wait at either monorail (had to stand on the first one, though). I was at Epcot in very good time.
It was really busy entering the park, but once again by simply paying attention I was able to find a very short security line and an almost empty turnstile. I know I say this every time, but WHY are people so clueless that they stand in long lines when they don’t have to??? It’s amazing :::shaking head:::
Epcot was pretty busy inside, and the line for Spaceship Earth was extended almost to the back of the building. That’s pretty typical in late morning though, as people (mindlessly) line up at the first thing they see, not thinking that this will be a walk-on by the time they’re leaving the park. Oh well, if they’re standing in line they’re out of my way <g>. At the tip board I was concerned when they showed the list of attractions with fastpass and Soarin’ was not on the list! It was not quite 11:30 and I couldn’t imagine why all the fastpasses would be gone already. I decided to take a chance by walking over there, and didn’t see the sign they put outside when the fastpasses are gone for the day. I went inside and downstairs, and picked up a fastpass with a return time of 3:57-4:57. With my 5pm Alfredo’s reservation, this will be perfect, although I would have been happy with an evening return time.
I took a walk though the Sunshine Season’s food court, but didn’t buy anything. The mulligatawny soup would have been my choice if I had wanted to sit there eating lunch, but I wanted to leave the park & didn’t want to reheat the soup in the studio. The food court was very busy, too – although lines to pay for your food were not bad. Back outside I stopped at the pretzel cart on the way to Imagination, and bought a pretzel. It was not as good as the ones are in America, so this is a lesson learned. I ate half of it while walking back to Beach Club Villas. It was not BAD, but I think the ones in America must be a different brand and taste better to me.
As I got back to the resort SB called again, just before he was getting stuff ready for his players to practice/work out. He mentioned I needed to check his stats online, as his team is now #1 in the league for team hitting (batting). I know he’s and excellent hitting coach, but it’s always nice when the stats reflect that as well! When we finished talking I went inside to the store/market place at Beach Club and looked around. They don’t have pre-made cold food and I wasn’t in the mood to order anything since I had my pretzel. I did check out the earrings, but the selection was not impressive at all so I left empty-handed.
Back in the studio I put the rest of the pretzel away and changed into my swimsuit. Rather than walking over to Stormalong Bay at this hour, I just went to the quiet pool (around 12:20). It wasn’t very busy, and was nice & quiet to start out – then a loud group of families came and were rather rambunctious in the pool (the dads & the kids – just having fun). Before it got noisy, it was really nice being out there – with the music playing, the sun beating down on me, and the only sounds being the occasional footsteps or quiet conversation, it was just what I came here for! I stayed out until around 2pm, then headed back upstairs to the studio to get online for a while.
I got online and updated the report while having some wine and another piece of the leftover pretzel. At 3pm I watched most of General Hospital, knowing whatever I missed I could catch later tonight on SoapNet. It was a relaxing afternoon, and I originally planned to head back to Epcot around 3:30 to hit Soarin before dinner, but the timing worked out better to plan on riding it after dinner. That way I can hit a few other favorites in Future World while I’m there. So, I left around 4:05 or so for Epcot. As usual, entering at International Gateway was quick, even though I arrived at the tail end of a crowd that arrived via boat while I was walking over the bridge.
I walked over to Mexico to do the revamped boat ride – and wasn’t surprised to see the crowd had overflowed the queue area and were filling a new roped off area outside of the restaurant. It moved quickly, otherwise I never would have waited for this ride! They added the 3 caballeros (spelling??), who are Donald Duck and 2 other guys (I know, real helpful info here). Basically they updated some of the movie screens and on others superimposed images of the 3 cartoon characters. The sections where vendors used to call to you has been changed, thank goodness! I always hated that reality of being in Mexico, and now they show more of a celebration scene. Other than that, the ride is pretty much the same as it was. The changes are nice, but I still wouldn’t wait very long to ride it. Hopefully the crowds will die down at some point.
By the time I got out of Mexico I had 15 minutes to go until dinner, so I continued walking around to Italy. I discovered to eat outside you don’t need an ADR – my ADR was for inside, but I told them I preferred to eat outside. They sent me outside to the podium out there and told me if I had to wait just come back inside and they’d seat me at my original table. There had been nobody at the podium when I went inside, and of course now there was a dozen people in line! Fortunately some didn’t stay, so I was seated in just a few minutes – at a terrific table right at the railing. I had a nice view of everyone in the courtyard, and could see the rest of Epcot ahead. I’d brought the first 25 pages of Lisa Cubbon’s trip report from her recent cruise to New Zealand and it’s subantarctic islands and read most of it at dinner. I’ll bring more of it with me tomorrow (it’s 90+ pages).
My server was Rubens from Milan, and he was a little difficult to understand due to his accent. However, he was very friendly and provided excellent service – I just didn’t try to strike up any conversation! I looked at the wine list and noticed their glasses of wine start at $8.95 and go up from there – sorry, but charging that much for a glass of ordinary wine is just crazy. However, I’m on vacation and don’t feel like letting price keep me from having something if I want it. They had a pink pinot grigio, which I’ve never heard of before. I was torn between that and the sangria, and ended up going with the pinot since it was a lighter wine. It ended up being very good – I’m glad I tried it. For my dinner I had the appetizer portion of the fettuccine alfredo. When it came I was surprised how small the portion was, but it ended up being plenty for me. It tasted different than the alfredo I’ve had at other restaurants, and was very good. It wasn’t coated in sauce, and the pasta was a bit firmer than usual. I managed to eat it all, and was full but not over stuffed. Rubens brought over the dessert tray, and although the cheesecake looked REALLY good, I knew it was more than I could eat. Instead, I went with the chocolate mousse and thought it was really terrific. With the DDE discount but before tip it was $21-22 for my meal, so I’m thinking the chocolate mousse was the kids’ meal dessert (and that explains why he skipped it when he was telling me what everything on the dessert tray was <g>). In any event, it was an excellent dinner and I’m sorry it has to be my last one at this restaurant. Hopefully whatever comes into this location will be a restaurant I like.
As I started walking towards America I heard Mary’s voice announcing the concert was starting in 5 minutes. I was too full to sit on a bench with a glass of wine, so I went into the theater since there were several empty seats. I chose a seat towards the back, at the end of the row so when SB called I could step out of the theater without being disruptive. He called as soon as I sat down – just a quick call to say he misses me (awwwww) before he had to get back out on the field with his players. I went back into the theater and found another seat on the end of a row, and finished reading the portion of Lisa Cubbon’s trip report I’d brought into the park with me. The concert was the Turtles with Flo and Eddie. I stayed for 3-4 songs, and then left. They weren’t terrible, but I didn’t know their songs and they just didn’t thrill me.
I walked back to Future World and headed to the Land. Once inside I noticed there was absolutely no wait at all for Living With the Land, so I stopped there first. We barely filled the boat, which really surprised me. It’s a nice attraction, and I always enjoy it. Next I went to Soarin to use my fastpass, and was fortunate to get pulled out of line to take the last remaining seat. I ended up in row 2, but right near the center of the screen so it was very good.
I skipped Circle of Life, and went to ride Spaceship Earth. This was fairly busy, but the line moves pretty quickly. It stopped completely a couple of times near the end, and when I got outside it was pretty chilly & windy. I put on a light jacket, but was still rather cool. I went into MouseGear and looked at earrings – many really ugly ones, but I did find 1 pair that were ok so I bought those and a tin of Mickey mints to bring to SB on 5/2. Mousegear was really unbearably crowded, and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Surprisingly though, there was no wait to pay at the cash registers.
Outside I saw the butterfly garden so I went over to check it out. That’s not my thing, either – butterflies may be pretty, but they’re still bugs and I was glad they weren’t flying around <g>. I think I spent 20 seconds in there – that was enough for me!
I’d gotten a wristband for extra magic hours after leaving the Land, even though I figured I wouldn’t use it. Since it was feeling a bit chilly I decided to head back to the studio at least temporarily. I updated the report and listened to part of SB’s game – happy to find them leading but the other team tied it up while I was listening. Around 8:30 I changed into warmer clothes (including socks and sneakers) and wandered back over to Epcot. When I left it was really mobbed in World Showcase, and I figured if it’s still like that at 9pm I’ll just head back to the resort – it’s not worth fighting the crowds.
It was pretty busy, and I decided to head to Future World on the chance that everyone was in World Showcase waiting for World Showcase. Of course, I was wrong about that <g>. I checked the tip board over by Test Track and at 9pm the standby time was 60 minutes at Soarin’ and 100 minutes at Test Track. Even Nemo still had a 20 minute wait. Those waits were too long for me, and I could tell the crowd level overall was more than I wanted to deal with. I headed back to World Showcase, starting in Mexico. At Norway there wasn’t a wait for the Maelstrom, so I rode that. They weren’t even showing the movie at the end, but I’m not sure why.
When I got outside Illuminations had already started, so I walked around the countries while keeping an eye on the fireworks and listening to the music. It ended by the time I was approaching Morocco, so I stopped in France to let the crowds clear out some. On a previous trip I found a perfume I really liked at the Guerlain store. I ended up buying it online recently, and tonight went into the store to buy the body crème. It made me question my sanity paying $80 for a jar of crème, but it is a big jar. Probably not worth $80, but what the hell. Since I was purchasing at least $75 worth of merchandise, as a dvc member I got a free lipstick thingy that is supposed to go on first and then make your lipstick last longer.
The crowds had really thinned out by the time I came out of the store, but I figured it was still heavy in Future World and there really wasn’t any reason to put up with the crowds. I left through International Gateway and walked over to the Boardwalk before walking back to Beach Club Villas. Those surrey bikes are a menace in the dark!
SB’s game had just ended when I got into the studio, and unfortunately it was a loss tonight. I listened to the recap, then updated the report and lounged around until he called. I’m not really tired, but I’ll plan to get to bed before it gets too late.
Today was a much busier day than I’d planned, but I enjoyed every moment. Magic Kingdom was fun, I had some very good transportation experiences, enjoyed the time at the pool, had a great dinner, and got to do a few attractions at Epcot as well. I’m debating whether to bother going over to Animal Kingdom in the next couple of days, vs sleeping in and just going to Stormalong Bay. We’ll see what I feel like doing in the morning.
DAY 3 – Saturday 4/21/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Epcot, LeCellier
Actual: Last night I was still up when the 11:30 fireworks started – on Friday nights it’s extra magic hour at Epcot and they repeat Illuminations at 11:30 for resort guests. I could see the fireworks from my balcony, but since I’d already seen them earlier tonight I didn’t watch the 2nd time <g>. I’d actually decided to make today a Stormalong Bay day, so I turned off the alarm. I woke up at 7, then again at 8 – and realized it was darker than it should be. A quick check behind the sheers and all I could see were clouds! I’m not about to hang out by the pool in cloudy weather, so I quickly got ready to go and was going to drive over to Animal Kingdom instead. At the last minute I changed my mind – preferring to bypass the security lines by not carrying a bag, so I did not want car keys to deal with. I put my pass, room key and Disney Rewards card in one of those holders you wear around your neck, and headed to the bus stop.
The Animal Kingdom bus was there when I arrived, and I actually got a seat! In fact, very few people had to stand, which is nice. We pulled into AK just before 9, so I found a quiet spot to give SB a call in case he hadn’t already gotten up. We chatted a bit, then I was able to walk past the long lines at security and go right through an empty turnstile. The line of people waiting to buy tickets was HUGE – you could easily waste 30-45 minutes of your day standing there if you’re not smart enough to order your tickets online before you arrive! It always amazes me that so many people just don’t try to think ahead at all.
The preshow around the tree had just ended, so the big crowd of people was slowly dispersing. I stayed to the left and worked my way to Harambe. The fastpass return time for the safari was 9:45, so I went over and got one. By now it was 9:15 and the standby line was so congested I figured it could easily be an almost 30-minute wait. It was a no brainer to get the fastpass so I could do something other than stand in line for the next 30 minutes. Usually I would head over to Dinoland to do a couple of attractions there, but today I decided on the Pangani Forest Trail. It was a good choice, as there were hardly any other guests on the trail.
Most of my time was spent with the gorillas, who I had not really seen in quite a while. I was amazed at how much bigger the kids on the family side had grown – the oldest boy even has his silverback (hair on his back has turned silver) now. Only a couple were out on the bachelor side, including Spike. I was waiting to get his picture when he turned around a bit more, when 2 men came over with their cameras and started whistling to get his attention. After a couple of dirty looks I quietly told them they weren’t supposed to do that, but go ahead if they want the gorilla to turn around and leave. Sure enough, Spike turned his back to us and soon ambled off out of sight. Around the other side (where you exit the safari) one of the bigger guys was out, but I wasn’t sure who it was.
Around 9:40 I was finished so I went to sit on a bench to wait for my fastpass time. I no sooner sat down when a grandmother with a baby granddaughter in a stroller came over and sat next to me. The baby was sitting quietly, just relaxing. Grandmother immediately started clapping and talking baby talk at the kid, so I got up and left. I can see trying to distract the kid if she’s getting bored or fussy, but why act silly when the kid is peaceful and not looking for attention?? Or better yet, just talk quietly to the child to give her some attention without looking like a clown.
At 9:45 I went into the safari line, bypassing all the standby people. They only had 1 loading area operating, which I guess accounted at least partially for the line being so long. The safari was just ok this time. The driver was excellent, but several of the animals I usually see were not out this morning. Fortunately, it’s never a one-shot thing for me, so if I get a safari that’s somewhat of a dud, I know there’s always a much better one in my future.
I was hungry by now – this morning I was still full from dinner so I didn’t eat breakfast in the studio. I headed towards the exit, but didn’t want to wait 15 minutes for Flame Tree BBQ to open up so I could get their onion rings. Instead, I left the park and waited at least 15 minutes for the bus to Epcot <g>. The bus was crowded, with people having to stand! What’s up with that at barely 10:30 in the morning??
At Epcot I was really glad I had chosen to come without any bags, as I zipped right into the park in no time at all. There were huge crowds at the security area, thanks to a tram full of guests arriving just as I was approaching. Spaceship Earth was not as busy as I saw it yesterday, but still had a longer line than I care to experience. I went to the Land and picked up a fastpass for Soarin’ (I think it’s around 2:30-3:30) and then went to see the food selections at Sunshine Seasons. I ended up getting a chicken wrap from the cooler – I’d seen it yesterday and thought it looked good. I also got a chocolate chip cookie from the bakery.
I sat at a table and took out half of the wrap, figuring the other half could be lunch tomorrow. I ended up not finishing the first half – not that I was too full, but just that I wasn’t that impressed with it. It was somewhat bland/dry – it needed something but I don’t know what. I ate half the cookie, then headed out of the park through the International Gateway.
Back at BCV I stored the leftover food (not sure if I’ll actually eat the other half of the wrap tomorrow or not – it’s there if I don’t find something better) and updated the report. It’s mostly cloudy today, although the sun does shine through at times. When the sun is out it’s nice and warm, but when the sun can’t shine through, it’s a little bit chilly. I thought about driving over to the outlets, but decided to skip it – it’s too much of a zoo with traffic on a Saturday. I sat out on the balcony for a little while, then shortly after noon changed into my swimsuit and went downstairs to read by the quiet pool for about an hour. When I told SB I’d be seeing Dottie and Joe tomorrow night, he was bummed he couldn’t be there. I’m so glad he likes my friends, lol! He commented that “they’re always there” – but that’s the life of a dvc member I told him <g>. Before I went back upstairs I passed my magazine off to a lady nearby. She was killing time before heading to the airport, so now she has something to read.
I took a quick shower, then got online to listen to SB’s afternoon game for a while. I had an email from Bill suggesting we meet at Rose & Crown Pub at 4:30, so I left him a voicemail suggesting 4pm instead, since my dinner ADR is at 5. If I don’t hear from him I’ll get there at 4 and just wait for them to arrive. By 3:30 I couldn’t take any more of SB’s game – it was a train wreck today. I dressed warmly since it was so cloudy, and walked over to Epcot.
I had a little time so I walked over to France to check out the grand marnier slush drinks Dottie has said are so good. Turns out they’re sold at the stand I’ve bought stuff from before, but I never noticed them. If I have room later I might try one. I got back to United Kingdom around 3:45 and gave Bill a call – they were just coming in from the Boardwalk. A table outside Rose & Crown opened up, so I grabbed it and waited for them to arrive. I’d met his wife once before, and it was nice seeing them again. They’re both great people. They went inside to get drinks, which took forever – and Bill came out to let me know we’d gotten a table inside the pub. Unfortunately, we soon realized the people at the table next door were not only drunk, they were LOUD drunks. It went way beyond reasonable, and we went back to the outside table to get away from them. We spent a very pleasant hour visiting, and then I had to get to LeCellier and they were off to do other stuff at Epcot. Thanks again for the wine, Bill – and the company!
SB called just as I was about to check in at LeCellier, so we chatted briefly and then I returned to the podium right at 5pm. I was seated almost immediately, and had a very friendly & efficient server. Once she’d brought me a full glass of water and poured my glass of wine, I started reading more of the Cubbons’ trip report. The hostess was going to seat 4 young adults at the table next to me, and one of them accidentally bumped into my table. Immediately, everything on the table tipped over and flew at me – including the glass of water and the glass of wine. The holder for the breadsticks ended up in my lap, and the glasses & other tableware were either on my lap or the floor. They were horrified, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled to suddenly be so wet! My jacket was with my backpack on the bench seat next to me, so those both got wet – along with my jeans and my top. They apologized profusely, but since it was truly an accident I wasn’t angry with them at all. The cast members brought over several napkins so I could get the wetness out of my clothes and bag, and someone came right over to sweep up all the ice cubes. They brought me a new glass of wine at no charge, of course.
Once that excitement was over, the people were brought over to be seated again. This time the hostess said she was pulling my table aside for a minute, lol. They were nice people, and we actually chatted a little bit during the meal (when I wasn’t reading the report). Bill had mentioned they introduced a new menu at LeCellier recently, and I noticed the beef tenderloin kabob appetizer is now gone from the menu. I’m glad I ordered it last time, as it was very good.
Tonight I decided to get the field greens salad as an appetizer, and the cup of cheese soup as my meal. The salad was very good, and a better choice than the Caesar (people next door got that, and declared it mediocre at best). However, after the salad I was pretty much full – it wasn’t big, but I think the pre-dinner glass of wine did me in. I managed to eat the soup, but I was stuffed at that point and feeling uncomfortable. It was an excellent dinner, but I should have stuck with just the soup! In any event, there was no grand marnier slushie for me tonight!
I walked over to Future World to check the times on the tip board by Test Track. Test Track was posted as a 40 minute single rider wait, but it was actually more like 5. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great ride because it kept stopping. I was feeling overstuffed to start with, and when the car would suddenly screech to a stop the seatbelt was getting uncomfortable! After the high speed loop it screeched to a stop again before going into the building – the smell of burning rubber was really gross! While I was on this side I picked up a fastpass for Mission Space, but ended up not needing one.
It was about 15 before 7 and I decided to do Spaceship Earth before heading to the Land. This ended up being somewhat of a mistake, since I got to the Land 5 minutes after the boat ride closed. On Spaceship Earth I basically slept through the entire ride – I remember getting on, I saw the lights in the ceiling on the way back down, and that’s about it. I used my fastpass for Soarin and ended up in row 1 – the best one! It was wonderful, and I had more energy by this point.
I went back to Mission Space to ride the sissy side, and realized a fastpass wasn’t necessary for sissies. It would have been mildly helpful if I was riding the more intense side, but not really necessary. Next I wandered out to World Showcase and rode the boat thing in Mexico again. At this point I didn’t feel like making the whole World Showcase loop, so I turned back and exited out the International Gateway. Along the way Mary’s voice was announcing the start of Illuminations in just 30 minutes <g>.
I got back to the studio and got online. SB called and I told him about my dinner experience. I finished up the report, and will probably try to get to sleep at a reasonable hour (11-ish). Today was a great day in many ways – the only bad thing was the heavy clouds that existed all day. I wanted sunshine, and the lack of sun caused me to change my plans. Hopefully tomorrow should be a sunnier day. I’m also sad that tomorrow is my last full day – this trip has gone by way too fast, and I hate to see it come to an end.
DAY 4 – Sunday 4/22/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Animal Kingdom, Pool, Spoodles, Epcot
Actual: This morning I woke up around 7 and was happy to see a clear blue sky when the sun was fully out! It was only 57 degrees (brrr) but it should be warming up soon. I decided to take some pictures at Stormalong Bay, and wanted to check out the water there since friends who were here earlier in the week reported it felt cold to them. I cleaned up and got dressed, then headed out with my camera around 8-something. Cape May was quite busy – it’s hard to believe at one time I would have been getting up at the crack of dawn to get to a character breakfast before going to the parks. Not any longer, lol! There was nobody out at Stormalong Bay except a few ducks, and I half expected the entrances to be blocked off since it wasn’t open yet. However, it was clear so I was able to wander around taking a few pictures. After I was done I went out to the beach area to take a photo of the Boardwalk Villas since that will be my “home” next month – starting 5/24. A man was riding a tractor smoothing out the sand, and it was very nice and peaceful out there. Along the way I passed a mother duck with 3 tiny ducklings. A squirrel got too close to them and the mother went nuts chasing after and pecking that poor squirrel until he retreated. I kept my distance and used the zoom to take their picture, so I didn’t risk losing a toe in the process!
I headed back to the studio and made a cup of cappuccino. Today is trash & towel day, so hopefully they’ll come while I’m at Stormalong Bay. If not, I’ll have them just skip the service. When it’s just me, I don’t need my towels replaced this quickly, and I’m leaving tomorrow morning anyway. By 8:45 it was up to 62 degrees, so it IS warming up – hopefully by 10 it’ll be warm enough to go to Stormalong Bay. I hung out in the studio and got online, watching the Weather Channel to see the temperature rising (up to 73 by 9:45). After talking with SB for a bit before he got ready to head to work, I changed into my swimsuit and gathered up my stuff for the pool. I’d brought one of those floating noodle things from home, figuring I’d use it in the lazy river section of Stormalong Bay.
It was just after 10 and there were quite a few people at Stormalong Bay already. Many chairs just had towels or a mug on them, but I found a chair in a good spot facing the sun and put my stuff down while I went to get my towels. The cast member checked my resort id to see that I belonged here, and when I said I’d put the wristband on my bag she told me they no longer allow that. It has to be either on your wrist, ankle or swimsuit – so I opted for the swimsuit. She said they didn’t want to have to keep bothering guests while on vacation, but if your band was on your bag and you were in the pool they couldn’t tell that you were “legal”. I told her I was completely in favor of the policy, as anything that keeps out people who don’t belong there makes it that much nicer for those of us who do!
SB called as he was leaving for work, hoping for a better day today. It’s too bad he couldn’t be here, but somebody has to work while I’m playing <g>. Eventually I got up and went to float around the lazy river part of the pool. It was a little cool, but easy to adjust to. It was a little more crowded than I like, so I only stayed in for a couple of loops before returning to read on my lounge chair. I left around 12:15 after giving my magazines away, noticing that the 2 chairs next to me that had towels on them before I arrived still had never been used by people. In retrospect, I should have picked up the towels and disposed of them so someone could use the chairs (I know I’m not the chair police, but oh well – sometimes it doesn’t hurt to right a wrong) but I didn’t think of it until 2 hours later!
Back in the studio I ate a couple bites of the chicken wrap and threw the rest away. I still had leftover pretzel, and I’d rather spend my calories on that. I got dressed and walked into Epcot to get one of those grand marnier orange slush things in France. However, when I got there I realized this particular stand only takes cash and of course I didn’t have any cash with me at all. Maybe I’m not meant to ever try one of these??? SB said I could have just gone back to the resort to get some cash, but I knew I’d then have trouble getting back in and it wasn’t worth the headache. Since I was in Epcot I walked over to the Land and got a fastpass (5:15-6:15) for Soarin’. I originally hadn’t planned on riding today, but it will be a nice way to wrap up the trip later tonight.
I returned to Beach Club Villas – it was hot already, and it was only 80 degrees. How will I deal with the hotter weather on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends??? Back in the studio I took a shower and washed my hair, then settled down to listen to SB’s game. I finished up the pretzel and had some wine (whatever I don’t drink will get poured down the drain tonight). At 4:30 I left for the Boardwalk, even though it was the bottom of the 9th inning! I ended up arriving 15 minutes early, and sat at a table across from Spoodles. Soon Dottie arrived, then Joe, then Chris & her family. It was great seeing everyone again, although it was shocking to see her little son Mitch is now taller than us and a sophomore in high school! He’s a very nice young man, and didn’t mind being with all of us older folks (or he hid it well <g>).
Chris’ other friends were waiting inside, and soon her mom (Gram) arrived, so we were a party of 11. By booking the earliest seating we were able to get the table for 12 in the center of the room rather than having to break up into smaller groups. I won’t try to list everything that was ordered, because with 11 people probably just about everything was tried by someone. The menu now has 6 entrees, and a slightly larger number of appetizers. I went with the margherita flatbread, which is on the appetizer menu – along with a glass of sangria. Chris, dh Frank and ds Mitch were on the dining plan, but not anyone else. We were a bit surprised when the waitress brought 1 check at the end of the meal and announced she’d put it in the middle of the table. We ended up asking her to split the check, which she did – with a little bit of attitude, but she did it quickly. How many times do you have a party of 11 with clearly different size families and have them want 1 bill for everything?? Because of our party size, the 18% gratuity was already added to the check. As far as I know, all the food was good – people seemed to enjoy what they had, except Mitch’s steak kabobs were partly undercooked. It was such a huge portion though, they didn’t worry about it – he just ate the more cooked pieces.
After dinner Chris invited us up to their 2br villa for after dinner drinks. They have a boardwalk view with an oversized balcony in a good location. Unfortunately, it’s a handicapped accessible unit so it’s not as nice. The kitchen counters are low and not as wide, there’s no breakfast bar, there’s no tub, etc. It also looks so tiny compared to the OKW 2br villas – I hope I don’t hate mine next month when I’m here. The worst part is the refrigerator – the front had a bunch of rust and the side was very covered in rust. As Frank pointed out, their $40 night room last night was nicer than this one – and this would rent for over $700 per night!
We took chairs out to the balcony (Chris’ friends had gone to Epcot, so it was just 6 of us) and had more than enough room. The bicycling piano player came by and seemed like he knew Gram – but then, everyone knows Gram <g>. They bantered back & forth, and we enjoyed his song. Around 7:45 I figured I’d better get to Epcot if I was going to ride Soarin’ one last time, so I reluctantly said goodnight to everyone and left. I called SB while walking to Epcot – he’d called just after we got to Spoodles, but mostly talked to Joe <g>.
Getting into Epcot had no wait at all, and although it was still busy it did seem less crowded than the weekend nights. I went straight to Soarin’, which still had a 50 minute standby wait posted. It looked like it would be every one of those 50 minutes, too. I got the 2nd row this time, but it was the center section so it was still good. After it was over, I checked at the food court for the Mickey shaped rice krispie treats for my son Chris, but they don’t have them. I didn’t want to walk all the way out to America, so I just headed back to the resort.
At Beach Club I stopped at the front desk to make sure there wasn’t anything on my bill since I’d be leaving before the express checkout came. This trip I used dvc points for the lodging, my existing FL resident seasonal pass for my park admissions, my existing Pleasure Island annual pass for that admission, and a Disney rewards card for all my other expenses – so this trip was free. Even that expensive body crème and the earrings were covered by the rewards card, which I’ll have to reload before my next trip.
On the way to the room I swung through the store, and bought a couple of their rice krispie treats to take home. I tried a bite on the way up to the studio – not very good. There was a very long line of people waiting to pay, but I looked around at the other side and that cast member had nobody at his register. So, I paid and was out of there way before I would have been if I’d blindly just followed the crowd.
Back in the studio I got online, gave SB a call, then finished up the report. I set the alarm for 4am so I can be on the road by 5 to get to work on time. I have a meeting at 8:30 and another at 9:00, so going in late wasn’t really an option.
Summary: This was a wonderful trip, although it was really too short. I know a short trip is better than no trip, and I like being able to come frequently so short trips are necessary. Still, I so wish I was here for 7-10 days at a time (have the points – don’t have the vacation time). April is one of my favorite months at WDW, second only to my Food & Wine trips. The weather was beautiful (even the cloudy day – it was very comfortable for touring the parks), there was no rain, and no need for heavy coats! Crowds in the parks were not bad either, since Easter was a couple of weeks prior. I would NOT come up during the 2 weeks surrounding Easter unless I was planning to spend all my time at the resort and not bother with the parks except for a pre-reserved meal.
My next trip begins May 24th, and will be at Boardwalk Villas with extended family. I’ve booked a 2br villa for 5 of us for 5 nights, and a separate studio for my son Chris and his girlfriend who will be joining us for a few days. After that, I stay away from WDW all summer, until Labor Day weekend. I did take photos this trip, and will get them into an album online as soon as possible. I’ll be working all day and attending baseball games at night for the first couple of days, so it may not get done until mid week, but I’ll post the link.
Magical Stuff:
- The convenience of Beach Club Villas, and being able to walk back “home” after dinner in Epcot to change clothes for the evening just can’t be beat!
- The model rooms at the new Animal Kingdom Villas are even prettier than I expected. Can’t wait to start using those new points to stay there!
- Great meals and spending time with friends. I have the best of a solo trip (freedom to do only what I want), yet have enough time with different friends so it never gets lonely
- I just love, love, love DVC resorts – it’s such a pleasure being able to stay at such beautiful resorts without breaking the bank. There’s such a difference staying DVC vs using a value, moderate or even a regular deluxe room. Spoiled forever, I think.
UnMagical Stuff:
- Cloudy weather, but Disney can’t control that!
- Getting a sudden and unexpected shower of water & wine at LeCellier
- Missing SB, although at the same time I appreciate that he wouldn’t have wanted to do some of what I did, so I need some solo trips
- People who left their brains at home before coming on vacation – those who need instruction to get a fastpass or operate a turnstile, stop dead in their tracks at the top of an “up” escalator with lots of people behind them, let their kids go skating through crowds in the parks wearing those stupid shoes, and those who get off the bus and stand “right there” to wait for the rest of their people while blocking the way for everyone else.
- The absolute worst thing – the trip was just too damn short! I’ll be back soon, but that’s small consolation right now <g>.
Until next time – thanks for reading.