Sue Holland
10-05-2007, 04:58 PM
Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Chris (20), my son
Amanda (18), Chris’ girlfriend
Dates: Aug 31 – Sep 4, 2007
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort (1nt) & Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas (3nts)
Experience: Extremely experienced
INTRODUCTION:
Time for another solo trip! The extended family trip last time (May 2007) was a good one, but I’m ready to get back to my usual style of vacationing. This trip I’ll be doing a couple of things I haven’t done in a long while. First, I’ve booked the dining plan for the first night of the trip. Last year I booked Pop Century for 3 nights to get free dining, and found it was way too much food, and only worthwhile since it was free (yes, I paid $74 for the room, but that’s low enough that I consider the food “free”). I did not want to repeat that mistake again! DVC members can buy the dining plan without having to purchase park passes, so I added the dining plan to the 1-night reservation at Saratoga Springs at the start of the trip. I figure Leesa can help me use the counter service at WG Puck’s Express before Comedy Warehouse on Friday night. The snack credit I can use for a pretzel the next day or something yummy from Goofy’s Candy Co. To use the table service I have Chef’s de France booked for the 2nd night, and can take any worthwhile leftovers back for lunch the next day. With the changes to the dining plan for 2008 I’m confident this will be my last time using the plan. Losing the appetizer and prepaid gratuity is not worth only a $1 price reduction.
The second “new” thing is staying at the new Animal Kingdom Villas for the next 3 nights! It’s been years since I stayed at AKL and I loved the model villas for AKV. I have a savannah view, so this trip is intended to include time relaxing on the balcony while hopefully watching the animals down below. In January I’ll be back here with SB, this time staying concierge in a studio. I did book LeCellier for another night, as I never get tired of that place! I also love the soups at AKL, so hopefully being so convenient to Mara that will round out my meals on this trip.
My son Chris & his girlfriend Amanda will be joining me for part of the trip. They saved a day of park hopping and a day of water parks from the passes they started on the Memorial Day weekend trip. I booked them a savannah view studio at AKV for Sunday night, and when they decided to come up a night earlier I checked into availability at the value resorts. Unfortunately, it was fairly last minute and the rate available was no “value”! Instead, I used hotels.com and booked them into a Howard Johnson’s in Kissimmee for $40 for the night. I was somewhat limited, as most of the hotels require the guest be age 21 to check in, and Chris won’t be 21 until September 19th. At this Howard Johnson’s the age requirement was only 18, so they’re all set. It won’t be fancy, but it should be clean and they won’t be spending much time there. I believe their plans are to do a water park on Saturday, Disney theme parks on Sunday, then relax at the resort pool Monday until they head back home. I think they’re figuring they can use MY studio to store their stuff and clean up before leaving <g>.
As usual, I’ll start the trip with a night at Comedy Warehouse with Leesa. Mornings will be spent in a park, afternoons by the pool, and then evenings will be spent either in Epcot or back at the resort. While a glass of wine while sitting on a bench in World Showcase is very nice, I’m thinking a glass of wine on my balcony if the animals are visible could be even nicer! My next trips will include SB, so I may try to hit anything I know he doesn’t care about, and save some of the newer stuff to see with him.
The plans so far are:
Friday 8/31: Work, Dentist, Drive to WDW, Wolfgang Puck’s Express, Comedy Warehouse
Saturday 9/1: Move to AKV, Epcot, Dinner Chefs de France
Sunday 9/2: AK, pool, Dinner LeCellier, Epcot
Monday 9/3: MK, pool, AKV
Tuesday 9/4: Drive to work (4:30 a.m.)
DAY 1 – Friday 8/31/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Work, Dentist, Drive to WDW, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: Some people have wondered why my WDW trips tend to start with a visit to the dentist, so I might as well explain for anyone else who just didn’t bother to ask <g>. I go quarterly for cleanings/perio, thanks to being “older” (bah, humbug). So, rather than leaving work early “to go to WDW” I leave work early “to go to the dentist” and that puts me on the road to WDW earlier than if I’d worked all day. Today my 12:20 appointment had me on the road at 1pm, which was about 30 minutes better than I’d hoped for!
The drive was easy, with on/off rain (mostly sprinkles) and little to no traffic. I was checking in at Saratoga Springs before 4pm. I had no wait to check in, and of course at this hour my studio was ready. I’d made my usual requests – upper floor, Downtown Disney view, and got exactly that. I’m in Congress Park, 3rd floor, directly across from Fulton’s so it’s the shortest possible walk to the Marketplace. I laughed when I got to the room, as it’s in the exact spot our “perfect” studio was last time I was here with SB (basically right at the top of the stairs – no extra walking required <g>). There was no point in unpacking, since I’m only here overnight. Originally I booked all 4 nights here, but then when it was announced Animal Kingdom Villas would open on September 1st I switched the last 3 night to that resort. Later AKV opened early, but since I’d decided to do the dining plan for the 1 Saratoga night I left the reservations the way they were. The only downside with AKV opening early is my studio there won’t be ready when I check in tomorrow morning, since it was likely occupied tonight.
I relaxed in the studio awhile (reading mail, talking to SB, talking to Chris, updating the report), and gave the rain a chance to end. It wasn’t raining hard, and it looked like it was almost moved out of the area. Around 5 I was getting ready to head out, when Leesa called to report she’d arrived early. We agreed I’d leave now and call her when I got past Pleasure Island. The rain had stopped, so I tossed a dry umbrella in my bag and walked over to Downtown Disney.
At the Marketplace I quickly browsed through the Ghiradelli shop, picking up a caramel chocolate square sample to share with Leesa, and commenting to the worker that I never find the foil wrapped milk chocolate candies in stock lately. She told me they were arriving tomorrow – Halloween themed items. So, I’ll try to remember to swing by on Sunday to buy some for my office. I went into World of Disney briefly, but even after being away for a while there wasn’t anything I really wanted to look at. I guess I’m over the Disney shopping thing.
I continued through Pleasure Island and into the West Side, figuring I’d check at Wolfgang Puck’s Express to verify that they take the Disney Dining Plan (DDP). I found Leesa sitting there eating some soup, since she was too hungry to wait for me. I confirmed the DDP was accepted, then ordered the macadamia nut chicken breast dinner along with a piece of carrot cake. The only beverage included was soda, and since I don’t drink that and Leesa had already bought a bottle of water, I skipped the beverage – opting for tap water & ice.
They bring the food out to you when it’s ready, which is a better system than I remember years ago. The chicken was a really big meal – honestly way too much for 1 person to eat for 1 meal. There were 2 large boneless chicken breasts sitting on top of a big mound of mashed potatoes. Between the 2 of us we couldn’t finish it! It was very good, and a great value for a counter service meal. The carrot cake was a slightly smaller portion of the same cake served in the full-service restaurant ($4.95) and it is absolutely delicious! We managed to stuff that down, but we were both pretty uncomfortable by that time. The idea of 1 person actually eating that whole meal plus the whole piece of cake, along with a soda is truly disgusting to me. Even SB couldn’t do it. Without the DDP the meal (with a soda) would have cost about $23, and it was restaurant quality (not fast food). As an aside, they have outstanding macaroni & cheese here – but I’d pay cash for that rather than use a counter service credit.
After dinner we waddled back towards Pleasure Island and sat inside the Adventurer’s Club until it was time for Comedy Warehouse. Chris called to let me know he & Amanda weren’t coming to Pleasure Island tonight, and asked if they could come over and spend the night with me. If I had a 1br I would have said ok, but I don’t do 3 adults in a studio! Plus, they’re at Amanda’s dad’s house in Lakeland, which is not far away.
Carol Stein was on the keys tonight, and several of the regulars were there. It was nice to see everyone again! The 7:45 cast was tall Mark (sub), Missy, Morgan (sub), John & Christine. They did Styles, which I always like. John & Christine created a scene about peeling bananas and had to change the “style” of the scene to reflect various styles of movies, tv, music, books, etc. Styles keeps a fast pace, and can be quite funny. Next they did Up Your Alley, with Missy hosting as Sally Jesse Raphael. The topic was comic books and they had an expert from the audience as one of the contestants. Mark was Smellor Man, an ex comic book character who can smell something and tell you what it is. Morgan was Mrs. June Beaver, who is against comic books. It was a funny scene. The overall show was just ok – the middle was good, but the opening and closing wasn’t quite there. However, the 2nd show was much better!
The 8:50 cast was Lisa, Matt, Missy, Christine and John. They did a structure where John & Missy created a scene about her doing a crossword puzzle and John came in as the 3rd person. They’d get past a couple lines, and would be told to redo it in reverse, then forward, reverse, etc. Each time was after more lines were added, and it ended by them having to perform the entire scene backwards. It was quite funny!
Schmeopardy was next, hosted by Lisa. John wore a big fat piece of black duct tape on his upper lip and was Yakov Smirnoff from Branson, MO. He reminded me a lot of the Borat character from the movie, which I really enjoyed <g>. Christine was Julie Rawley, who works for both her male spouse and female spouse. Missy was funny as Cicily, a medical student. Overall it was a lot of fun, and a very good show. The audience was bigger than normal (to me at least) for both shows, which was a good sign.
I left after this show, and Leesa stayed for 1 more. I made the very pleasant walk back to Saratoga Springs, glad to have this option. I left the ghiradelli square with Leesa, as I was still too full to think about eating any of it. Back at Saratoga Springs I checked on SB’s game and saw they were playing really well tonight. I updated some key stats for the closest competing teams while waiting for SB’s call. We talked for a while (despite a car alarm at the ballpark going off almost the entire time) and said our goodnights. I had General Hospital on SoapNet and was able to catch some of today’s highlights between talking to SB and finishing up the report.
It feels strange to be leaving in the morning, but I’m looking forward to moving into AKV for the next 3 nights. I still have my table service and snack credit to use, and I’m hoping the portions at Chef de France are smaller than Wolfgang Puck’s! Today was a terrific day – the dental appointment went quickly, the drive up was easy, my studio is perfect, dinner was very good, and spending time at Comedy Warehouse with Leesa was fun. Hopefully the shows I catch Sunday night will be even better!
Tomorrow Chris & Amanda are going to Blizzard Beach, then will check into the lovely Howard Johnson Resort & Spa (ok, hint of sarcasm there – for $40/night the spa probably consists of the front desk person slapping you <g>). They’ll probably call at some point tomorrow night. My only priorities for tomorrow are getting settled at AKV, getting a fastpass to ride Soarin’, and getting to dinner at Chefs de France. I decided to NOT set the alarm, and will wake up whenever I wake up (with the drapes open so the sun will wake me). If I make it out early enough to hit a park at opening that’ll be great, but if not that’s ok too.
DAY 2 – Saturday 9/1/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Chris (20), my son
Amanda (18), Chris’ girlfriend
Plan: Move to AKV, Epcot, Dinner Chefs de France
Actual: I woke up several times (briefly) but didn’t get up until 7. When I checked the computer I was surprised to find SB up so early, and we chatted a while. I’d decided since it was early and I would be “homeless” until my AKV studio was ready, I’d try to hit the Magic Kingdom for a few favorites at opening, then hop over to Epcot before the Soarin’ fastpasses would be gone for the day.
I forgot to mention that yesterday I noticed the people in the villa next to me but 1 floor down had strung a clothes line on their balcony and had their laundry hanging out there! It looks really tacky to me – I couldn’t believe it. If they have a washer, they have a dryer, and if they don’t have either – hang your stuff up INSIDE where the rest of us don’t have to see it! This isn’t a public housing project, after all. They had the line going back & forth, making about 3-4 “lines” on there, lol.
Breakfast was cappuccino and an English muffin, and I was out the door by 8. AKV is about as far from Saratoga as you can get, but the drive wasn’t bad. Checking in was very quick, even though the cast member was “earning his ears”. There wasn’t any wait at all. As expected, the studio was not ready but the experienced cast member said it was a terrific studio. She also checked and saw that Chris’ studio would be right nearby tomorrow night. I left my laptop with bell services and headed to the bus stop. The Magic Kingdom bus was waiting, so I hopped right on and was at the park by 8:45. The bus was not crowded at all – not even half full.
At the Magic Kingdom there was no wait at security or the turnstiles! There was a big crowd waiting for the preshow to start/finish but it was really easy entering the park. It was already really HOT and it only got worse as the morning passed. I booked the 2008 4th of July long weekend already, and I’m glad I decided it would be a “no parks” trip as I can’t stand it this hot.
It was amusing watching the few guests who felt they had to be first no matter what. They are the ones jockeying towards the front, trying to run past the cast members, and generally looking stupid. Plus, they don’t really gain any time over the rest of us who just do what we’re told and walk patiently to the first attraction <g>. They’re just more stressed out, lol. I was so close to the front of the group I decided to ride Space Mountain standby, but the cast member there was saying it would be another 10-15 minutes before they would open. I wasn’t interested in waiting, so I went to the fastpass machines only to find they weren’t open yet so people had to stand in line there! That really annoyed me, as this stuff should be open & operating by 9am! I waited until I lost patience and left!
I walked over to Fantasyland and rode the Pooh ride with no wait, then returned to Space Mountain and was able to get a fastpass for 10:35. From there I walked on the Buzz Lightyear ride and achieved a most pitiful score. I really don’t care for that ride much, and do terribly, yet I keep trying it every so many trips <g>. From there I went back through Fantasyland but found the line at Peter Pan’s Flight longer than I like so I kept on walking. Haunted Mansion is closed for rehab, but I stopped to take a photo before continuing on to ride Big Thunder.
A friend’s husband is doing some wood carving stuff and wanted to recreate those Tiki statues near the Aladdin ride so I went there to take some photos to email to her after I get home. I decided to try Pirates of the Caribbean, and was pleasantly surprised to find no wait at all. The people in the boat before ours started taking pictures (in the boarding area) and a cast member came right over and told them “no flash pictures during the ride”. I was very glad to see that happen! I can’t count the number of rides that were ruined by some moron flashing away the whole time.
After Pirates I talked to SB while I walked back to Tomorrowland and got on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA). When it ended I still had 10 minutes before my fastpass time, and since TTA lasts 15 minutes I stayed on for a 2nd ride. Chris called towards the end, so I called him back once I got off the TTA and into a quieter area. Cell phones are great for keeping in touch, but it’s amazing how much background noise there is here!
I went back to Space Mountain and used my fastpass – great ride as always. By then I was melting in the heat, so I left the MK. To my surprise, the express monorail boarding station was open today, so I walked right onto the monorail. Unfortunately, the air conditioning wasn’t working and it was very hot & stuff y in there! I had a short wait for the Epcot monorail and that one was also stifling hot. I’m not sure what was up today, but the monorails were really uncomfortable.
At Epcot entry was a breeze, and I saw they still had fastpasses for Soarin so I headed to the Land right away. I was the only person walking down the stairs (next to the up escalator), and as I approached the #3 fastpass machine (people ahead of me were stopping at the 1st 2) a young boy darted in front of me and stood in front of the machine without any passes in his hand. I stopped short, but then said “excuse me” and put my ticket in to get my fastpass. As I left, his mother politely said to me that she was there first – implying that I had cut her in line or something. I politely replied that she couldn’t have been first since she was behind me. Anyway, the fastpass time was 2:03 so it’s not like her family was in danger of being left out from riding because I got my fastpass before they were at the machine.
I left the Land and walked over to France, thinking I might see if I could change my dinner to lunch. When I booked the dinner, I was interested in the filet mignon that was only on the dinner menu. Now it’s not on the menu, so I checked to see if the lunch menu was missing any of my “plan B” items (plan B meant after the filet, which was plan A). Everything was there, so I asked at the podium if they could take me for lunch and it was no problem at all. I had 15 minutes to wait until they opened at noon, so I sat on a shady bench and talked to SB briefly before they started calling guests to be seated. I was pleased to receive a beautiful table right at the window, which was great for people watching. My server was very nice, but so tall!
With the dining plan (for 2007) the table service meal includes a non-alcoholic beverage, appetizer, entrée and dessert. I skipped the beverage, and paid out of pocket for a glass of chardonnay. My appetizer was the tomato and goat cheese flatbread, which was good but huge. So much for smaller portions, lol. This was a very thin pizza basically, filling a large dinner plate. Before and after the entrée was served I ate about half of it, and took the other half with me. My entrée was the braised short ribs with polenta. This was also a very large portion, especially considering this was lunch! It was very good – the ribs were tender like potroast, and fell apart with a fork. I ate about 1/3 of it and took the rest with me, lol. I’m thinking Chris and Amanda (or maybe just Chris) might eat it – I’m not sure when I’ll be hungry again. I looked over the dessert menu, and this time I ended up regretting my choice. I asked about the chocolate tart and decided to go with that, but should have just stuck with my original plan for crème brulee. The tart was a thin layer of chocolate with some bananas, which had a nice flavor. I didn’t care for the thick pastry of the tart though, and didn’t eat that part. There was a small scoop of chocolate ice cream, which was just ice cream – nothing special. I think the crème brulee would have been a better choice for sure!
I got my 20% discount on the wine using my DDE card, and the DDP paid for the rest. Without the DDP it would have been $8.25 appetizer, $19.95 entrée, $6.95 dessert plus 6% tax and 18% tip – I guess around $53-54. Do people really spend that much per person for LUNCH? LOL
I called AKV but the studio still was not ready. I decided to leave Epcot, as it was looking pretty cloudy and I didn’t want to deal with the rain. Chris called on my way out, so we coordinated our plans. As I passed Spaceship Earth (the hand/wand/EPCOT sign is all gone now), it started to rain lightly so I put up my umbrella. By the time I got to the bus stop it was a torrential downpour! The people getting off the arriving bus at the next stop were standing under cover waiting for it to pass if they didn’t have umbrellas. I can’t imagine going on vacation in FL this time of year and not carrying an umbrella with me at all times! It was raining so hard and blowing sideways, so I used my umbrella even though I was under the middle of the covered area!
Soon the AKL bus arrived, and it was still raining heavily back at the resort. I checked on the studio again, but it was still not ready (2pm). Chris & Amanda were headed to their hotel for showers and would meet me here afterwards. I retrieved the laptop from bell services and sat in the lobby to update the report. Around 2:30 I called again, and when they checked they came back and said it wouldn’t be ready until 4. I know dvc rooms aren’t guaranteed until 4, but typically studios are ready sooner than that. Now I’m glad I did my dinner for lunch, as it would have made me too pressed for time if I didn’t get into my room until 4pm. Unfortunately, I’m not terribly mobile right now, sitting in the lobby with a laptop and a bunch of lunch leftovers to carry around!
I wandered around a bit, and soon Chris & Amanda had arrived. It was not quite 3pm and they were hoping to see the studio before we headed out. I called again, but it was not ready. I think this time they told me the carpet had been cleaned and housekeeping would not release the room until 4pm. Another time they told me they never release dvc rooms until 4pm, which I know is not true. I put my laptop in the trunk, and then we went out back to the Arusha Rock viewing areas. We saw several zebra, along with other animals. Back inside I left the lunch food with bell services, but at the last minute Chris decided to eat the flatbread. We went down to Mara, where Amanda got a pawprint brownie and Chris finished off the flatbread. He liked it, but I didn’t tell him it was goat cheese until after he finished.
Around 3:45 we went upstairs and they helped me bring my stuff in from the car. At 4pm Chris called about the studio, and was told it still wasn’t ready. When he commented that it was 4pm, he was told that “housekeeping hasn’t called to tell us the room is ready”. Well – can’t they call housekeeping?? Chris & Amanda took my stuff and went to sit in the lobby, while I went over to concierge to ask someone to contact housekeeping to find out why I wasn’t able to get my room already! The cm went out back, then returned and told me her manager was calling housekeeping now, so I went to retrieve the lunch leftovers from bell services. Chris was starting to call about the room again, when a cast member came over to me in the lobby and gave me my room number – finally!
We went up to the 5th floor, Zebra Trail section. We LOVED the studio – it’s gorgeous! Chris loved the big flat tv <g> and Amanda loved all the dark wood. We went out on the balcony and saw 3 giraffes, some cattle & several birds. There’s an animal guide on the table, but I didn’t notice it until later. We spent some time watching the animals, then looking around the studio, then we left for Epcot.
The bus came quickly, and soon we were at Epcot Guest Services. Chris & Amanda had decided to upgrade their 4-day passes to FL Resident Seasonal Passes, thanks to her dad offering to pay for it. It only cost $25 per ticket, and that will get them a LOT of extra days between now and late May 2008!
Epcot wasn’t very busy, but the fastpasses were all gone for both Test Track and Soarin’. We went to Test Track thinking we’d do the single rider line, but once we got inside we decided it looked a bit longer than we wanted to wait. We went over to Mission Space so Chris could buy some freeze dried “space” food – mint chocolate chip ice cream. It actually tastes just like ice cream, if you can get past the strange texture! We wandered around a while, not really heading for anything specific. We stopped at Ice Station Cool (or whatever it’s called now) but they still don’t have the watermelon soda Chris likes. It was raining lightly off and on, but nothing like earlier!
We went out to World Showcase, and stopped in Canada so they could see the LeCellier menu but they decided it was way too expensive for dinner (& nothing that really appealed to Amanda). I would have tried to add them to my table tomorrow night. We continued walking, headed to America for Amanda’s pretzel and a turkey leg for Chris. SB called just before we got there, and while I was talking to him the kids went ahead and bought a pretzel & cheese sauce. I would have used my DDP snack credit, had I known. They didn’t have any salted pretzels, so Amanda had to get unsalted – and they had no turkey legs. It wasn’t busy, so I’m not sure why they were so limited. They got a table outside the America counter service place, and I went to Germany to get a glass of wine.
It seems every time I go in there to get a glass of wine I’m stuck behind really annoying people. This time I had a couple who were treating it like a bar – instead of taking their wine and moving away, they stood there at the counter! Next to them was a lady in a wheelchair and the jerk man she was with. He was talking like Mr. Big Shot and looking like a total *** – the cast member from Germany certainly didn’t seem impressed that he studied German in college but doesn’t remember any of it @@. I finally asked him to please pass me the wine list so I could select something and get out of there.
Back in America I used my snack credit on a pretzel, and took most of it back to the resort with me since I wasn’t really hungry yet. I sat with the kids until we were all ready to move on. They were continuing around with plans to ride Maelstrom in Norway, but I decided to head the other way to ride Soarin’ before leaving the park. They were staying for Illuminations, then would take the bus back to AKL to get their car. I wanted to catch some of SB’s final night game of the season, and get settled into the studio.
Soarin’ was great, even though I was in the 3rd row. Afterwards I left the park and boarded the AKL bus that arrived just before I did. Before going to Epcot this afternoon I’d changed from my sneakers to my Disney Crocs. Just wearing them from about 5pm until 8pm my feet were hurting and I had blisters starting on the top of both feet!
When I got to the studio I saw 3 big suitcases in my room. Unfortunately, they weren’t mine, and somewhere someone might be wondering why it’s taking so long to get their luggage (Magical Express)! I called bell services, but there was no answer. Disgusted, I called the operator and she put me through to someone who was able to take care of it. Evidently at one time those guests were blocked into this room – strange, since I checked in at 8am! Bell Services came up quickly to retrieve the bags.
From the balcony I could see a giraffe in the darkness, but I wasn’t sure what else might be out there. I’ve noticed the people in the hallways are very loud, and the noise carries right into the rooms. I’ve also had people on their balconies shouting to other guests, but mostly kids. They didn’t spend much on soundproofing here, unfortunately.
I updated the report, spent time online, and listened to SB’s game. I really missed having my “down” time in the studio this afternoon – being out from 8am until 8pm is hard, lol! I was exhausted, but needed to stay up until SB finished his game (which of course ran long, lol).
Today was a pretty nice day, but I wish my studio had been ready earlier. I understand the official time is 4pm, but it really messed up my day being “homeless” and with the rain it wasn’t like I could go lay by the pool or enjoy the parks. I’m less than impressed with some of the service seen so far (including delivering someone else’s luggage to me), but the resort & studio are absolutely gorgeous. Hopefully in the next 2 days I’ll get to spend more time here enjoying the resort. Tomorrow the kids are coming early to check in here, then we’ll head to Animal Kingdom to start the day.
DAY 3 – Sunday 9/2/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Chris (20), my son
Amanda (18), Chris’ girlfriend
Plan: AK, pool, Dinner LeCellier, Epcot
Actual: Last night it was lights out for me at 11. There’s a sign on the balcony door advising there are cameras and for privacy purposes to keep the drapes closed, but I’m not really sure how that works. Obviously with everything open a camera could see into the room, especially at night. But, will closing just the sheers work, or do I have to close the big heavy drapes too??? I like to let the daylight in, so I never close the big drapes when it’s just me.
I almost forgot – last night at Epcot Chris turned to me and said “thank you for never putting me in a leash”, lol. Evidently a family with a kid on a leash must have gone by and both he & Amanda are as horrified by that practice as I’ve always been <g>. I guess I don’t have to worry about any future grandkids being on a leash, either.
I slept with the drapes open last night (didn’t open the sheers until after I had turned off the lights – no point scaring whatever cast members monitor the cameras, lol) but since the sun comes up on the other side of the building it didn’t get light very early. I woke up at 7, and would have liked to just stay in bed a while longer, but I’d made plans with Chris & Amanda. Breakfast was cappuccino and another English muffin, and Chris called about 8:15 to say they were walking up to the entrance. They went to check in and he had to return to the car since he left his license there. I met them in the lobby and we went to the bus stop. Earlier today I took the stairwell near my room all the way downstairs and came out right by Mara – very convenient! I bought a yogurt & granola parfait for tomorrow’s breakfast, then climbed the 5 flights back up to the studio.
The Animal Kingdom bus came quickly, and the driver was full of personality. He said this was the bus for happy smiling people and any grumpy ones had to wait for the next bus. He pretty much joked around the entire time. We didn’t get to Animal Kingdom until about 9:15 or later, which was a shame. But, at some point when I really have a solo trip (maybe April 2008) I’ll get there early enough to do Primeval Whirl without a wait.
We went back to Harambe and got a fastpass for the Safari. It was just after 9:30 by now, and although the standby time was 20 minutes, the fastpass return time was 10:05. We decided to go with the fastpass and wander around. We walked the Pangani Forest Trail and spent time watching the meercats and the gorillas. When we finished we still had 10 minutes to wait, so we took the train over to Rafiki’s Conservation Station (or whatever it’s called these days). We walked through the exhibits, seeing lots of big ugly spiders and snakes, and some cute turtles before taking the train back. It was HOT once again, and very humid with very little air movement.
By now we were well within our fastpass window so we did the safari ride. The fastpass line was actually backed up further than I’ve seen it, but we were just glad we weren’t in the standby line! It was unbearably hot in the loading area, too. The safari was actually very good. I wasn’t expecting too much since it was so hot and it was late morning by now, but we saw just about everything. The driver did a great job, too – they can make or break the experience.
Next we went to Asia and did the trail over there. Chris took a lot of pictures of the bats, but Amanda & I just think they’re gross & waited for him in a shady area. We saw some tigers, but they were mostly sleeping in the shade – they’re not stupid <g>. We also stopped to watch the little monkeys that play in Asia – they were so cute & so active swinging around up above!
We left the park and caught the waiting bus back to the resort. Chris went to the parking lot to get the car – I think he left it with valet and carried their luggage in himself. I checked on their room, and it was ready. So much for the cast member yesterday telling me they don’t release the dvc rooms until 4pm <g>. It was barely noon! I also asked at the front desk about laundry facilities for dvc members, and learned our room hasn’t opened yet so we had to use one of the rooms nonmembers use. The only difference is our room will be free, and the others are not free. However, the resort pays us so it’s a wash – just not as convenient since we have to stop by the front desk to get the money.
We went up to the rooms – their studio is right next door to mine. Chris had run out of shirts for some reason, so they needed to do laundry and said to add whatever dirty stuff I had. We got it together and made the 12 mile hike to the laundry room at the other side of the resort. It made the Boardwalk Villas walk last May seem not so bad, lol! We put the clothes in a washing machine, and stashed Amanda’s bag in an empty dryer while we made the long walk back to Mara for lunch. The laundry room was really big, and nobody was using it except us.
At Mara the kids each ordered a kid’s meal – chicken strips for Amanda and macaroni & cheese for Chris. Both came with 2 sides and a small beverage (2 bottled waters). I brought the leftover short ribs & polenta from Chef’s de France, and added pawprint brownies for Amanda & me. Chris was the big eater, taking care of his meal, half of my leftovers and half of Amanda’s meal. Some things never change, lol! The entire meal (including Amanda’s powerade) came to only $16 and we were all full. I’m not crazy about the brownie, as I remember them being fudgier in the past. I should have gone with the cheesecake, as that looked really good.
We went back to the laundry, and as we came into the building we found another laundry room that is MUCH closer to our studio! I wish they’d told us about that one, since they asked for my room number and this is in the same wing as our rooms. We made the long walk to the other laundry room, moved the clothes to a dryer, then went back to our studios. Chris & Amanda headed to the pool and left me Chris’ key to their room. I have a 5pm LeCellier dinner and didn’t want to get all sweaty today. I relaxed in my studio listening to SB’s double header, and brought the laundry back when it was finished. Even during the peak afternoon hours we almost always had a couple of giraffe and some other animals grazing through our savannah, which was nice. Chris stopped over for a while, as Amanda was taking a nap before they went to the pool. She’s not the most “hearty” person, she’s more on the delicate side & can’t function like a parks commando. They’re heading back to Magic Kingdom for the late extra magic hours tonight, so we’ll see if they really make it up in time for a park opening tomorrow. I’d rather just sleep in myself, hit the pool in the morning, then relax the rest of the day – but I think they’re planning for us all to be at Epcot at opening.
SB’s first game ended just before 4, so I left then for Epcot. I had a short wait for the bus, and a long wait to enter the park. I don’t know why, but my line was probably the slowest one there – it was frustrating! Plus, the bus driver was the absolute slowest driver I’ve seen, so instead of taking 12 minutes or so, it was a full 20 minutes due to our creeping along below the speed limit.
Once I got inside Epcot I went straight to LeCellier, and checked in. They have a cast member outside intercepting people with no reservations and turning them away. They were completely booked, as expected. I had a very short wait and was seated before my 5pm ADR time. I ended up with the table I was at when other guests knocked everything onto me a few trips ago <g> but this time there were no spills!
I had my usual wine and cheese soup, and added the crème brulee sampler for dessert. Everything was excellent, but it seemed like the dessert was bigger than I remembered. It was a struggle finishing it, but it was too good to leave any. I did refrain from picking up the bowl and licking it clean, though <g>. The restaurant was quite busy, but the servers were doing a good job keeping up with it. People nearby were photographing everything before anyone could take a bite, lol, so I assume they must do “food porn” reports on DIS. Someone on the other side of the restaurant had an obnoxious screeching child and evidently their enjoyment of their meal took precedence over anyone else as they did not remove that child until just before I left. Luckily for me I was far enough away the noise was muffled. I pity the people seated near them, though.
After dinner I left Epcot, surprised that it hadn’t rained at all. When I arrived it was looking very stormy, and there was a lot of thunder nearby. While I was in LeCellier it basically skirted around the area. I had a bit of a wait for the bus back to AKL, and Chris called just before it arrived. He & Amanda had finally made it to the pool, but then lightning was spotted & they closed the pool! He saw some giraffe really close to the viewing area there, but they closed that as well. He & Amanda got changed and decided to head to MK – but he remembered his wallet was in my bag. He said he didn’t need it, but while I was riding back to the resort they decided to instead go to Epcot and ride the monorail to MK. So, they were at the resort bus stop when my bus arrived. I gave him his wallet and went up to the studio.
SB’s 2nd game was almost over, and they were winning (6th game in a row) by a wide margin (12-3). The poor Red Sox team <g>. I listened to the end of it, then talked to him a while after he was showered. He was heading to dinner with friends of ours up there, and I could hear the other guy in the background talking about something stupid that had happened. I hung out in the studio a while longer, enjoying the view of the animals on the savannah while it was still daylight. Tomorrow I’m going to park my butt out there more, and enjoy a glass of wine and something light to eat while watching the animals roam. SB’s last game is during the afternoon, so my evening will be free to enjoy the resort.
Around 7:45 I drove over to Downtown Disney, put gas in the car at the Hess station and parked by Pleasure Island. Parking was a nightmare again, as it usually is on a Sunday night. It took forever to find a parking space, and it was a lot or 2 over from where I started. I headed to the Marketplace first, to buy some foil wrapped chocolates from Ghiradelli for my office. Friday night the person working there told me they’d be put out the next day (Saturday 9/1). Now it was Sunday 9/2 and there was none to be seen. I asked a worker there and she told me they had them but they were not being sold until after Labor Day. I leave before the store opens that day, so I’m out of luck until mid October (she did go back and check to see if they could sell me some today, but no go). From there I wandered around until I met Leesa for the 2nd & 3rd Comedy Warehouse shows.
Carol Stein was on the keys again tonight. SB called before the show started, but the signal didn’t hold. I was surprised it even rang, but the only way to call him back was to head upstairs to the restroom. Usually I have to stand in the handicapped stall and lean against the window, but tonight I got a signal at the sinks (good thing, since people were using the restroom as a restroom rather than a telephone booth <g>) and was able to call him back. I got back to my seat a few minutes before the show started.
The 9:05 cast was Matt, Joy, Krista, Christine & John. The opening phone interview person was a real jerk – wouldn’t give a straight answer, was already somewhat drunk, and basically thought she was being funny. Matt handled her pretty well, but it’s still annoying when people act like that. They did the structure where 2 actors start a scene and one of the other 3 will tap one of them, saying freeze and then taking their spot as a different character. John & Krista got it started, as a couple at a zoo. It got a little kinky, but it was fun to watch. Next Krista asked for a fake song title and created a song called Spongecake. She was a dieter who just wanted that piece of cake, lol.
Joy & Matt left the building while the others took suggested short sayings from the audience. Each was written on a piece of paper, which was then folded in half and thrown on the stage floor. When Matt & Joy came back inside they started a scene in a greenhouse where he was a fired cast member obsessed with getting hired back by Disney. It was a very funny scene, and overall the whole show was great. I remember thinking it was really great for a first show, but later I realized while it was MY first show, it wasn’t THE first show of the night – duh.
The 10:15 cast was Joy, Mary, David, Krista & Christine. Most of the show was Storytime, which I always enjoy. This time David directed the 4 ladies in the telling of “Massachusetts goes to Hollywood”. Mary was the first to die, in Canada by chopsticks. Christine & David were funny as an asian couple arguing in Chinese while Mary was trying to eat her food. Christine died next, in a massage chair in a Brookstone store. Joy did a really good job with her death on a free canoe trip, performed as a techno song. Krista then wrapped up the story as a song, doing a beautiful job singing. Overall it was a great show, and it was a treat to finally catch one of Mary’s shows since my trips usually fall on her nights off!
After the show we visited with Mary, then headed out. I waited with Leesa for her ride and then headed over to my car and drove back to AKV. I talked to SB, ate some of the leftover Epcot pretzel, updated (but didn’t finish) the report, and checked for any animals out on the savannah (none visible). It was approaching 1am so I figured I’d better finish & post the report during the day on Monday instead of staying up longer.
We had another nice day today, except for the heat & humidity again. I enjoy touring with Chris & Amanda, as they’re both very easy going. I didn’t hear from them late tonight, so I don’t know how late they stayed at the Magic Kingdom (extra magic hours) or whether they’re still planning to start tomorrow at Epcot for park opening. I’m leaning towards skipping the parks and instead enjoying the resort, but we’ll see how I feel in the morning.
DAY 4 – Monday 9/3/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: MK, pool, AKV
Actual: Well, I woke up at 7, got up at 7:30, and called the kids at 8 to find they were still sleeping and were not planning to get to a park at opening. They might have been out til midnight last night, but so was I – this younger generation is so soft, lol! Breakfast for me was cappuccino and the yogurt granola parfait I bought at Mara yesterday. It was very good, although the granola was a big soggy from sitting overnight. The workers were out on the savannah laying out food, but the animals had not arrived just yet.
I left for the bus stop shortly before 8:30 and the bus was waiting when I arrived. The security line at Epcot was almost empty, but the turnstiles were a mess. I saw a line much shorter than the others, since many people don’t bother to look around them to do what makes sense <g>. We were let inside before 9 but held over by Innoventions until the 9am opening. I called SB just before 9 to wake him up, then walked with the crowd over to Soarin’. Chris called while I was in that line. They had already checked out and put their stuff in the car, and were headed to MGM Studios for the day. I had no interest in that park, so I told them to have a good time and drive home safely.
Soarin’ was great, and I got the front row this time! Afterwards I was going to ride Living With the Land before leaving, but the cast members there gave me the old “technical difficulties” story. Oh well, I wasn’t going to hang around waiting so I left the park about 9:25. This time I had a bit of a wait for my bus, but I think I was back at the resort by 10 or shortly after.
I talked to SB a while, then put on my swimsuit and was down at the pool by 10:30. It wasn’t crowded yet, and it would have been perfect if it wasn’t so hot! I ended up in the pool a couple times, just to cool off. I read a magazine and passed it off to someone else when I was finished. SB called again, and we discussed today’s game – the final game of the season. They blew their chance to be in the playoffs a while ago, due to some problems with the pitching. However, SB is responsible for the hitters and they are very close to winning the overall team hitting title for the league (.275736 for us, .275928 for the team they’re trying to beat). Both teams have 1 more game to play, this afternoon. So, I’ll be tuned to the computer this afternoon!
About noon I was tired of sweating, so I dried off and went into Mara. Since the brownie was such a dud yesterday I bought a piece of the cheesecake for a snack later and carried it up to my studio. I showered, dressed and packed up most of my stuff to get that out of the way. Initially nobody was out on the savannah, but soon the 3 giraffe and other animals were back. A couple of cast members in a truck were tying food up on the trees for the giraffe, and one giraffe went right over to the truck to wait for them to finish & get out of his way, lol! I saw another giraffe drinking water from the pond – he looked so funny with his front legs splayed out so he could lower his body down to reach the water.
Around 1pm I took part of my stuff out to the car, to make it a lighter load in the morning. Coming back in I stopped at Mara and was shocked to see the line of people waiting to pay extended all the way back into and around the food ordering area! They had ONE cashier working, which was ridiculous! The manager or whoever was in charge should have been out there if another cashier wasn’t available! Everyone’s food was getting cold while they were in line, and there’s no excuse for that. The lady making salads tried telling the other workers standing around to go open a register, but nothing happened. Finally another cashier showed up, but it took a good 15 minutes or so.
I ordered the potato bacon soup (soup of the day) “to go” and brought it up the stairwell to my studio. It was delicious, and not overly filling. I poured a small glass of wine (using the saved plastic wine glass from Germany in Epcot) to enjoy with my soup, and got ready for the ballgame. SB snuck into the clubhouse and called about an hour or so into the game, wanting to know how many hits that other team had gotten so far. It’s a very tight race, and both are hitting well.
At 3 I turned on General Hospital (but it was a repeat) – while listening to SB’s game, checking the other game, etc. It’s ordinary life stuff for me, but I can do it just as easily at WDW as at home – and when I’m done I’ve got giraffe to watch ;-) Strangely enough, my studio is on Zebra Trail yet I’ve never seen the zebra on this side of the building. The rooms across the hall see them, but not us.
Finally SB’s game ended, and although both teams got a lot of hits, his team did better and finished #1 in the league (.277185 vs .276654). Both teams can be proud, as overall team batting that high is outstanding! We talked off and on the rest of the day – he and the rest of the staff went out to eat (& drink) to celebrate. I took a walk around the resort, looking for any view of the new dvc construction but not finding anything interesting. It looks like they’re still in the “dirt moving” stage, unless there’s something in the ground behind a wall. I took a couple of pictures in that general direction, but I don’t know that they’ll really show anything.
One thing I noticed – the balconies on the 5th floor are deeper than those on the other floors, which means the nonDVC balconies are pretty small. I wouldn’t call mine large, but it’s bigger than the ones on the lower floors. It looks like we have an extra foot stool or ottoman thing out there, in addition to the 2 chairs and little table. Each DVC room also has a little DVC sign above the room number sign. Since I’ve been here I have not heard one single construction noise, and I’ve been in the studio at all times of the day/night. It looks like they might be working over on the other wing (to the left walking from the front desk, while my studio is in the wing to the right. There are a number of animal viewing areas with big rocking chairs along the 2nd floor, but if seeing the animals is important I would book a savannah view and watch them from the comfort/privacy of your own room/balcony.
By 6pm I was back in the studio. I wasn’t really hungry, and still had the cheesecake I bought earlier plus some of the Epcot pretzel. Another bowl of soup sounded good, so I figured I might as well make the trek to Mara to get it – if I don’t finish it I can always microwave the leftovers later if I’m hungry again. I don’t want to let the cheesecake go to waste though, lol. This time Mara was almost deserted, so I had no wait at all. SB was calling when I got back in the studio after climbing 5 flights of stairs. They were all still at the ballpark.
I poured a glass of wine and arranged the balcony furniture so I’d have my wine & soup on the table next to my chair and foot rest. It was really nice out there watching the animals moving through, and I stayed out there for almost 2 hours. My neighbors came out towards the end, but their conversation wasn’t disruptive. The other people with 2 whiny overtired and overstimulated children were another story but eventually they got the kids inside (& hopefully to bed). Then down on the 2nd floor a family left their balcony door open and the little brother & sister (preschoolers) were out there taking turns shrieking at the top of their lungs. THAT was really annoying, but soon Dad came out and when they didn’t listen to him telling them to stop he swatted each on the bottom and they shut up. I went back inside once the animals were gone, and finished up the report for today.
I’ve taken a bunch of photos, and most likely I have the same shot of the same animal taken several time over the few days <g>. I plan to get them off the camera and upload them (after weeding out some of the duplicates) Tuesday night after I get home from work, and will post the link separately once that’s done.
One of the hardest things was walking back from Mara tonight – passing people relaxing by the pool, in the hot tub, etc. Knowing I have to leave in the morning is killing me – how I wish I had the rest of the week to just stay here & relax! The only comfort is knowing I’ll be back, and since I bought points here I’m set until I’m 98 years old. I’ll worry about the rest of my life once I’m 99 <g>.
Final Thoughts:
Except for a few glitches, this was a terrific trip. I’m glad I did the dining plan one more time before it changes for the worse in 2008. However, it’s still way too much food for me and let’s be honest – it’s more food than anybody needs to eat. But, it can be a value for some, at least until 2008.
I enjoyed having Chris & Amanda along, and it was fun seeing what memories Chris has of the many little things we’ve experienced with him growing up at WDW. As I watch him and listen to him talking to Amanda about WDW it’s sort of like listening to myself all those years ago, lol!
I loved AKL when I stayed here in the past, but I love it even more now that it’s DVC. The DVC studio is so much nicer than the regular rooms and I look forward to spending the next 50 years here. I can’t wait to show it to SB in January, when we have the Sunrise Safari booked (we’ll be staying concierge in the DVC part).
The only negatives were not getting the studio until after 4 (and the lame excuses and misinformation given), the horribly long line at Mara at 1pm today (with only 1 cashier working), and the hallway noise (probably not Disney’s fault – some people are just too loud). The good far outweighed the bad, and I can’t wait to stay here again!
SB will be home later this month, and we’ve got several trips booked before he has to start next baseball season. He hasn’t been to WDW since our late February weekend before his work started, so he’s looking forward to getting back. Right now we have trips booked for October, 2 for November, and 1 for January. The first of those will be 6 nights at Beach Club Villas for Food & Wine Festival – my favorite “event” at WDW.
Until then – thanks for reading.
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Chris (20), my son
Amanda (18), Chris’ girlfriend
Dates: Aug 31 – Sep 4, 2007
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort (1nt) & Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas (3nts)
Experience: Extremely experienced
INTRODUCTION:
Time for another solo trip! The extended family trip last time (May 2007) was a good one, but I’m ready to get back to my usual style of vacationing. This trip I’ll be doing a couple of things I haven’t done in a long while. First, I’ve booked the dining plan for the first night of the trip. Last year I booked Pop Century for 3 nights to get free dining, and found it was way too much food, and only worthwhile since it was free (yes, I paid $74 for the room, but that’s low enough that I consider the food “free”). I did not want to repeat that mistake again! DVC members can buy the dining plan without having to purchase park passes, so I added the dining plan to the 1-night reservation at Saratoga Springs at the start of the trip. I figure Leesa can help me use the counter service at WG Puck’s Express before Comedy Warehouse on Friday night. The snack credit I can use for a pretzel the next day or something yummy from Goofy’s Candy Co. To use the table service I have Chef’s de France booked for the 2nd night, and can take any worthwhile leftovers back for lunch the next day. With the changes to the dining plan for 2008 I’m confident this will be my last time using the plan. Losing the appetizer and prepaid gratuity is not worth only a $1 price reduction.
The second “new” thing is staying at the new Animal Kingdom Villas for the next 3 nights! It’s been years since I stayed at AKL and I loved the model villas for AKV. I have a savannah view, so this trip is intended to include time relaxing on the balcony while hopefully watching the animals down below. In January I’ll be back here with SB, this time staying concierge in a studio. I did book LeCellier for another night, as I never get tired of that place! I also love the soups at AKL, so hopefully being so convenient to Mara that will round out my meals on this trip.
My son Chris & his girlfriend Amanda will be joining me for part of the trip. They saved a day of park hopping and a day of water parks from the passes they started on the Memorial Day weekend trip. I booked them a savannah view studio at AKV for Sunday night, and when they decided to come up a night earlier I checked into availability at the value resorts. Unfortunately, it was fairly last minute and the rate available was no “value”! Instead, I used hotels.com and booked them into a Howard Johnson’s in Kissimmee for $40 for the night. I was somewhat limited, as most of the hotels require the guest be age 21 to check in, and Chris won’t be 21 until September 19th. At this Howard Johnson’s the age requirement was only 18, so they’re all set. It won’t be fancy, but it should be clean and they won’t be spending much time there. I believe their plans are to do a water park on Saturday, Disney theme parks on Sunday, then relax at the resort pool Monday until they head back home. I think they’re figuring they can use MY studio to store their stuff and clean up before leaving <g>.
As usual, I’ll start the trip with a night at Comedy Warehouse with Leesa. Mornings will be spent in a park, afternoons by the pool, and then evenings will be spent either in Epcot or back at the resort. While a glass of wine while sitting on a bench in World Showcase is very nice, I’m thinking a glass of wine on my balcony if the animals are visible could be even nicer! My next trips will include SB, so I may try to hit anything I know he doesn’t care about, and save some of the newer stuff to see with him.
The plans so far are:
Friday 8/31: Work, Dentist, Drive to WDW, Wolfgang Puck’s Express, Comedy Warehouse
Saturday 9/1: Move to AKV, Epcot, Dinner Chefs de France
Sunday 9/2: AK, pool, Dinner LeCellier, Epcot
Monday 9/3: MK, pool, AKV
Tuesday 9/4: Drive to work (4:30 a.m.)
DAY 1 – Friday 8/31/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: Work, Dentist, Drive to WDW, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: Some people have wondered why my WDW trips tend to start with a visit to the dentist, so I might as well explain for anyone else who just didn’t bother to ask <g>. I go quarterly for cleanings/perio, thanks to being “older” (bah, humbug). So, rather than leaving work early “to go to WDW” I leave work early “to go to the dentist” and that puts me on the road to WDW earlier than if I’d worked all day. Today my 12:20 appointment had me on the road at 1pm, which was about 30 minutes better than I’d hoped for!
The drive was easy, with on/off rain (mostly sprinkles) and little to no traffic. I was checking in at Saratoga Springs before 4pm. I had no wait to check in, and of course at this hour my studio was ready. I’d made my usual requests – upper floor, Downtown Disney view, and got exactly that. I’m in Congress Park, 3rd floor, directly across from Fulton’s so it’s the shortest possible walk to the Marketplace. I laughed when I got to the room, as it’s in the exact spot our “perfect” studio was last time I was here with SB (basically right at the top of the stairs – no extra walking required <g>). There was no point in unpacking, since I’m only here overnight. Originally I booked all 4 nights here, but then when it was announced Animal Kingdom Villas would open on September 1st I switched the last 3 night to that resort. Later AKV opened early, but since I’d decided to do the dining plan for the 1 Saratoga night I left the reservations the way they were. The only downside with AKV opening early is my studio there won’t be ready when I check in tomorrow morning, since it was likely occupied tonight.
I relaxed in the studio awhile (reading mail, talking to SB, talking to Chris, updating the report), and gave the rain a chance to end. It wasn’t raining hard, and it looked like it was almost moved out of the area. Around 5 I was getting ready to head out, when Leesa called to report she’d arrived early. We agreed I’d leave now and call her when I got past Pleasure Island. The rain had stopped, so I tossed a dry umbrella in my bag and walked over to Downtown Disney.
At the Marketplace I quickly browsed through the Ghiradelli shop, picking up a caramel chocolate square sample to share with Leesa, and commenting to the worker that I never find the foil wrapped milk chocolate candies in stock lately. She told me they were arriving tomorrow – Halloween themed items. So, I’ll try to remember to swing by on Sunday to buy some for my office. I went into World of Disney briefly, but even after being away for a while there wasn’t anything I really wanted to look at. I guess I’m over the Disney shopping thing.
I continued through Pleasure Island and into the West Side, figuring I’d check at Wolfgang Puck’s Express to verify that they take the Disney Dining Plan (DDP). I found Leesa sitting there eating some soup, since she was too hungry to wait for me. I confirmed the DDP was accepted, then ordered the macadamia nut chicken breast dinner along with a piece of carrot cake. The only beverage included was soda, and since I don’t drink that and Leesa had already bought a bottle of water, I skipped the beverage – opting for tap water & ice.
They bring the food out to you when it’s ready, which is a better system than I remember years ago. The chicken was a really big meal – honestly way too much for 1 person to eat for 1 meal. There were 2 large boneless chicken breasts sitting on top of a big mound of mashed potatoes. Between the 2 of us we couldn’t finish it! It was very good, and a great value for a counter service meal. The carrot cake was a slightly smaller portion of the same cake served in the full-service restaurant ($4.95) and it is absolutely delicious! We managed to stuff that down, but we were both pretty uncomfortable by that time. The idea of 1 person actually eating that whole meal plus the whole piece of cake, along with a soda is truly disgusting to me. Even SB couldn’t do it. Without the DDP the meal (with a soda) would have cost about $23, and it was restaurant quality (not fast food). As an aside, they have outstanding macaroni & cheese here – but I’d pay cash for that rather than use a counter service credit.
After dinner we waddled back towards Pleasure Island and sat inside the Adventurer’s Club until it was time for Comedy Warehouse. Chris called to let me know he & Amanda weren’t coming to Pleasure Island tonight, and asked if they could come over and spend the night with me. If I had a 1br I would have said ok, but I don’t do 3 adults in a studio! Plus, they’re at Amanda’s dad’s house in Lakeland, which is not far away.
Carol Stein was on the keys tonight, and several of the regulars were there. It was nice to see everyone again! The 7:45 cast was tall Mark (sub), Missy, Morgan (sub), John & Christine. They did Styles, which I always like. John & Christine created a scene about peeling bananas and had to change the “style” of the scene to reflect various styles of movies, tv, music, books, etc. Styles keeps a fast pace, and can be quite funny. Next they did Up Your Alley, with Missy hosting as Sally Jesse Raphael. The topic was comic books and they had an expert from the audience as one of the contestants. Mark was Smellor Man, an ex comic book character who can smell something and tell you what it is. Morgan was Mrs. June Beaver, who is against comic books. It was a funny scene. The overall show was just ok – the middle was good, but the opening and closing wasn’t quite there. However, the 2nd show was much better!
The 8:50 cast was Lisa, Matt, Missy, Christine and John. They did a structure where John & Missy created a scene about her doing a crossword puzzle and John came in as the 3rd person. They’d get past a couple lines, and would be told to redo it in reverse, then forward, reverse, etc. Each time was after more lines were added, and it ended by them having to perform the entire scene backwards. It was quite funny!
Schmeopardy was next, hosted by Lisa. John wore a big fat piece of black duct tape on his upper lip and was Yakov Smirnoff from Branson, MO. He reminded me a lot of the Borat character from the movie, which I really enjoyed <g>. Christine was Julie Rawley, who works for both her male spouse and female spouse. Missy was funny as Cicily, a medical student. Overall it was a lot of fun, and a very good show. The audience was bigger than normal (to me at least) for both shows, which was a good sign.
I left after this show, and Leesa stayed for 1 more. I made the very pleasant walk back to Saratoga Springs, glad to have this option. I left the ghiradelli square with Leesa, as I was still too full to think about eating any of it. Back at Saratoga Springs I checked on SB’s game and saw they were playing really well tonight. I updated some key stats for the closest competing teams while waiting for SB’s call. We talked for a while (despite a car alarm at the ballpark going off almost the entire time) and said our goodnights. I had General Hospital on SoapNet and was able to catch some of today’s highlights between talking to SB and finishing up the report.
It feels strange to be leaving in the morning, but I’m looking forward to moving into AKV for the next 3 nights. I still have my table service and snack credit to use, and I’m hoping the portions at Chef de France are smaller than Wolfgang Puck’s! Today was a terrific day – the dental appointment went quickly, the drive up was easy, my studio is perfect, dinner was very good, and spending time at Comedy Warehouse with Leesa was fun. Hopefully the shows I catch Sunday night will be even better!
Tomorrow Chris & Amanda are going to Blizzard Beach, then will check into the lovely Howard Johnson Resort & Spa (ok, hint of sarcasm there – for $40/night the spa probably consists of the front desk person slapping you <g>). They’ll probably call at some point tomorrow night. My only priorities for tomorrow are getting settled at AKV, getting a fastpass to ride Soarin’, and getting to dinner at Chefs de France. I decided to NOT set the alarm, and will wake up whenever I wake up (with the drapes open so the sun will wake me). If I make it out early enough to hit a park at opening that’ll be great, but if not that’s ok too.
DAY 2 – Saturday 9/1/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Chris (20), my son
Amanda (18), Chris’ girlfriend
Plan: Move to AKV, Epcot, Dinner Chefs de France
Actual: I woke up several times (briefly) but didn’t get up until 7. When I checked the computer I was surprised to find SB up so early, and we chatted a while. I’d decided since it was early and I would be “homeless” until my AKV studio was ready, I’d try to hit the Magic Kingdom for a few favorites at opening, then hop over to Epcot before the Soarin’ fastpasses would be gone for the day.
I forgot to mention that yesterday I noticed the people in the villa next to me but 1 floor down had strung a clothes line on their balcony and had their laundry hanging out there! It looks really tacky to me – I couldn’t believe it. If they have a washer, they have a dryer, and if they don’t have either – hang your stuff up INSIDE where the rest of us don’t have to see it! This isn’t a public housing project, after all. They had the line going back & forth, making about 3-4 “lines” on there, lol.
Breakfast was cappuccino and an English muffin, and I was out the door by 8. AKV is about as far from Saratoga as you can get, but the drive wasn’t bad. Checking in was very quick, even though the cast member was “earning his ears”. There wasn’t any wait at all. As expected, the studio was not ready but the experienced cast member said it was a terrific studio. She also checked and saw that Chris’ studio would be right nearby tomorrow night. I left my laptop with bell services and headed to the bus stop. The Magic Kingdom bus was waiting, so I hopped right on and was at the park by 8:45. The bus was not crowded at all – not even half full.
At the Magic Kingdom there was no wait at security or the turnstiles! There was a big crowd waiting for the preshow to start/finish but it was really easy entering the park. It was already really HOT and it only got worse as the morning passed. I booked the 2008 4th of July long weekend already, and I’m glad I decided it would be a “no parks” trip as I can’t stand it this hot.
It was amusing watching the few guests who felt they had to be first no matter what. They are the ones jockeying towards the front, trying to run past the cast members, and generally looking stupid. Plus, they don’t really gain any time over the rest of us who just do what we’re told and walk patiently to the first attraction <g>. They’re just more stressed out, lol. I was so close to the front of the group I decided to ride Space Mountain standby, but the cast member there was saying it would be another 10-15 minutes before they would open. I wasn’t interested in waiting, so I went to the fastpass machines only to find they weren’t open yet so people had to stand in line there! That really annoyed me, as this stuff should be open & operating by 9am! I waited until I lost patience and left!
I walked over to Fantasyland and rode the Pooh ride with no wait, then returned to Space Mountain and was able to get a fastpass for 10:35. From there I walked on the Buzz Lightyear ride and achieved a most pitiful score. I really don’t care for that ride much, and do terribly, yet I keep trying it every so many trips <g>. From there I went back through Fantasyland but found the line at Peter Pan’s Flight longer than I like so I kept on walking. Haunted Mansion is closed for rehab, but I stopped to take a photo before continuing on to ride Big Thunder.
A friend’s husband is doing some wood carving stuff and wanted to recreate those Tiki statues near the Aladdin ride so I went there to take some photos to email to her after I get home. I decided to try Pirates of the Caribbean, and was pleasantly surprised to find no wait at all. The people in the boat before ours started taking pictures (in the boarding area) and a cast member came right over and told them “no flash pictures during the ride”. I was very glad to see that happen! I can’t count the number of rides that were ruined by some moron flashing away the whole time.
After Pirates I talked to SB while I walked back to Tomorrowland and got on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA). When it ended I still had 10 minutes before my fastpass time, and since TTA lasts 15 minutes I stayed on for a 2nd ride. Chris called towards the end, so I called him back once I got off the TTA and into a quieter area. Cell phones are great for keeping in touch, but it’s amazing how much background noise there is here!
I went back to Space Mountain and used my fastpass – great ride as always. By then I was melting in the heat, so I left the MK. To my surprise, the express monorail boarding station was open today, so I walked right onto the monorail. Unfortunately, the air conditioning wasn’t working and it was very hot & stuff y in there! I had a short wait for the Epcot monorail and that one was also stifling hot. I’m not sure what was up today, but the monorails were really uncomfortable.
At Epcot entry was a breeze, and I saw they still had fastpasses for Soarin so I headed to the Land right away. I was the only person walking down the stairs (next to the up escalator), and as I approached the #3 fastpass machine (people ahead of me were stopping at the 1st 2) a young boy darted in front of me and stood in front of the machine without any passes in his hand. I stopped short, but then said “excuse me” and put my ticket in to get my fastpass. As I left, his mother politely said to me that she was there first – implying that I had cut her in line or something. I politely replied that she couldn’t have been first since she was behind me. Anyway, the fastpass time was 2:03 so it’s not like her family was in danger of being left out from riding because I got my fastpass before they were at the machine.
I left the Land and walked over to France, thinking I might see if I could change my dinner to lunch. When I booked the dinner, I was interested in the filet mignon that was only on the dinner menu. Now it’s not on the menu, so I checked to see if the lunch menu was missing any of my “plan B” items (plan B meant after the filet, which was plan A). Everything was there, so I asked at the podium if they could take me for lunch and it was no problem at all. I had 15 minutes to wait until they opened at noon, so I sat on a shady bench and talked to SB briefly before they started calling guests to be seated. I was pleased to receive a beautiful table right at the window, which was great for people watching. My server was very nice, but so tall!
With the dining plan (for 2007) the table service meal includes a non-alcoholic beverage, appetizer, entrée and dessert. I skipped the beverage, and paid out of pocket for a glass of chardonnay. My appetizer was the tomato and goat cheese flatbread, which was good but huge. So much for smaller portions, lol. This was a very thin pizza basically, filling a large dinner plate. Before and after the entrée was served I ate about half of it, and took the other half with me. My entrée was the braised short ribs with polenta. This was also a very large portion, especially considering this was lunch! It was very good – the ribs were tender like potroast, and fell apart with a fork. I ate about 1/3 of it and took the rest with me, lol. I’m thinking Chris and Amanda (or maybe just Chris) might eat it – I’m not sure when I’ll be hungry again. I looked over the dessert menu, and this time I ended up regretting my choice. I asked about the chocolate tart and decided to go with that, but should have just stuck with my original plan for crème brulee. The tart was a thin layer of chocolate with some bananas, which had a nice flavor. I didn’t care for the thick pastry of the tart though, and didn’t eat that part. There was a small scoop of chocolate ice cream, which was just ice cream – nothing special. I think the crème brulee would have been a better choice for sure!
I got my 20% discount on the wine using my DDE card, and the DDP paid for the rest. Without the DDP it would have been $8.25 appetizer, $19.95 entrée, $6.95 dessert plus 6% tax and 18% tip – I guess around $53-54. Do people really spend that much per person for LUNCH? LOL
I called AKV but the studio still was not ready. I decided to leave Epcot, as it was looking pretty cloudy and I didn’t want to deal with the rain. Chris called on my way out, so we coordinated our plans. As I passed Spaceship Earth (the hand/wand/EPCOT sign is all gone now), it started to rain lightly so I put up my umbrella. By the time I got to the bus stop it was a torrential downpour! The people getting off the arriving bus at the next stop were standing under cover waiting for it to pass if they didn’t have umbrellas. I can’t imagine going on vacation in FL this time of year and not carrying an umbrella with me at all times! It was raining so hard and blowing sideways, so I used my umbrella even though I was under the middle of the covered area!
Soon the AKL bus arrived, and it was still raining heavily back at the resort. I checked on the studio again, but it was still not ready (2pm). Chris & Amanda were headed to their hotel for showers and would meet me here afterwards. I retrieved the laptop from bell services and sat in the lobby to update the report. Around 2:30 I called again, and when they checked they came back and said it wouldn’t be ready until 4. I know dvc rooms aren’t guaranteed until 4, but typically studios are ready sooner than that. Now I’m glad I did my dinner for lunch, as it would have made me too pressed for time if I didn’t get into my room until 4pm. Unfortunately, I’m not terribly mobile right now, sitting in the lobby with a laptop and a bunch of lunch leftovers to carry around!
I wandered around a bit, and soon Chris & Amanda had arrived. It was not quite 3pm and they were hoping to see the studio before we headed out. I called again, but it was not ready. I think this time they told me the carpet had been cleaned and housekeeping would not release the room until 4pm. Another time they told me they never release dvc rooms until 4pm, which I know is not true. I put my laptop in the trunk, and then we went out back to the Arusha Rock viewing areas. We saw several zebra, along with other animals. Back inside I left the lunch food with bell services, but at the last minute Chris decided to eat the flatbread. We went down to Mara, where Amanda got a pawprint brownie and Chris finished off the flatbread. He liked it, but I didn’t tell him it was goat cheese until after he finished.
Around 3:45 we went upstairs and they helped me bring my stuff in from the car. At 4pm Chris called about the studio, and was told it still wasn’t ready. When he commented that it was 4pm, he was told that “housekeeping hasn’t called to tell us the room is ready”. Well – can’t they call housekeeping?? Chris & Amanda took my stuff and went to sit in the lobby, while I went over to concierge to ask someone to contact housekeeping to find out why I wasn’t able to get my room already! The cm went out back, then returned and told me her manager was calling housekeeping now, so I went to retrieve the lunch leftovers from bell services. Chris was starting to call about the room again, when a cast member came over to me in the lobby and gave me my room number – finally!
We went up to the 5th floor, Zebra Trail section. We LOVED the studio – it’s gorgeous! Chris loved the big flat tv <g> and Amanda loved all the dark wood. We went out on the balcony and saw 3 giraffes, some cattle & several birds. There’s an animal guide on the table, but I didn’t notice it until later. We spent some time watching the animals, then looking around the studio, then we left for Epcot.
The bus came quickly, and soon we were at Epcot Guest Services. Chris & Amanda had decided to upgrade their 4-day passes to FL Resident Seasonal Passes, thanks to her dad offering to pay for it. It only cost $25 per ticket, and that will get them a LOT of extra days between now and late May 2008!
Epcot wasn’t very busy, but the fastpasses were all gone for both Test Track and Soarin’. We went to Test Track thinking we’d do the single rider line, but once we got inside we decided it looked a bit longer than we wanted to wait. We went over to Mission Space so Chris could buy some freeze dried “space” food – mint chocolate chip ice cream. It actually tastes just like ice cream, if you can get past the strange texture! We wandered around a while, not really heading for anything specific. We stopped at Ice Station Cool (or whatever it’s called now) but they still don’t have the watermelon soda Chris likes. It was raining lightly off and on, but nothing like earlier!
We went out to World Showcase, and stopped in Canada so they could see the LeCellier menu but they decided it was way too expensive for dinner (& nothing that really appealed to Amanda). I would have tried to add them to my table tomorrow night. We continued walking, headed to America for Amanda’s pretzel and a turkey leg for Chris. SB called just before we got there, and while I was talking to him the kids went ahead and bought a pretzel & cheese sauce. I would have used my DDP snack credit, had I known. They didn’t have any salted pretzels, so Amanda had to get unsalted – and they had no turkey legs. It wasn’t busy, so I’m not sure why they were so limited. They got a table outside the America counter service place, and I went to Germany to get a glass of wine.
It seems every time I go in there to get a glass of wine I’m stuck behind really annoying people. This time I had a couple who were treating it like a bar – instead of taking their wine and moving away, they stood there at the counter! Next to them was a lady in a wheelchair and the jerk man she was with. He was talking like Mr. Big Shot and looking like a total *** – the cast member from Germany certainly didn’t seem impressed that he studied German in college but doesn’t remember any of it @@. I finally asked him to please pass me the wine list so I could select something and get out of there.
Back in America I used my snack credit on a pretzel, and took most of it back to the resort with me since I wasn’t really hungry yet. I sat with the kids until we were all ready to move on. They were continuing around with plans to ride Maelstrom in Norway, but I decided to head the other way to ride Soarin’ before leaving the park. They were staying for Illuminations, then would take the bus back to AKL to get their car. I wanted to catch some of SB’s final night game of the season, and get settled into the studio.
Soarin’ was great, even though I was in the 3rd row. Afterwards I left the park and boarded the AKL bus that arrived just before I did. Before going to Epcot this afternoon I’d changed from my sneakers to my Disney Crocs. Just wearing them from about 5pm until 8pm my feet were hurting and I had blisters starting on the top of both feet!
When I got to the studio I saw 3 big suitcases in my room. Unfortunately, they weren’t mine, and somewhere someone might be wondering why it’s taking so long to get their luggage (Magical Express)! I called bell services, but there was no answer. Disgusted, I called the operator and she put me through to someone who was able to take care of it. Evidently at one time those guests were blocked into this room – strange, since I checked in at 8am! Bell Services came up quickly to retrieve the bags.
From the balcony I could see a giraffe in the darkness, but I wasn’t sure what else might be out there. I’ve noticed the people in the hallways are very loud, and the noise carries right into the rooms. I’ve also had people on their balconies shouting to other guests, but mostly kids. They didn’t spend much on soundproofing here, unfortunately.
I updated the report, spent time online, and listened to SB’s game. I really missed having my “down” time in the studio this afternoon – being out from 8am until 8pm is hard, lol! I was exhausted, but needed to stay up until SB finished his game (which of course ran long, lol).
Today was a pretty nice day, but I wish my studio had been ready earlier. I understand the official time is 4pm, but it really messed up my day being “homeless” and with the rain it wasn’t like I could go lay by the pool or enjoy the parks. I’m less than impressed with some of the service seen so far (including delivering someone else’s luggage to me), but the resort & studio are absolutely gorgeous. Hopefully in the next 2 days I’ll get to spend more time here enjoying the resort. Tomorrow the kids are coming early to check in here, then we’ll head to Animal Kingdom to start the day.
DAY 3 – Sunday 9/2/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Chris (20), my son
Amanda (18), Chris’ girlfriend
Plan: AK, pool, Dinner LeCellier, Epcot
Actual: Last night it was lights out for me at 11. There’s a sign on the balcony door advising there are cameras and for privacy purposes to keep the drapes closed, but I’m not really sure how that works. Obviously with everything open a camera could see into the room, especially at night. But, will closing just the sheers work, or do I have to close the big heavy drapes too??? I like to let the daylight in, so I never close the big drapes when it’s just me.
I almost forgot – last night at Epcot Chris turned to me and said “thank you for never putting me in a leash”, lol. Evidently a family with a kid on a leash must have gone by and both he & Amanda are as horrified by that practice as I’ve always been <g>. I guess I don’t have to worry about any future grandkids being on a leash, either.
I slept with the drapes open last night (didn’t open the sheers until after I had turned off the lights – no point scaring whatever cast members monitor the cameras, lol) but since the sun comes up on the other side of the building it didn’t get light very early. I woke up at 7, and would have liked to just stay in bed a while longer, but I’d made plans with Chris & Amanda. Breakfast was cappuccino and another English muffin, and Chris called about 8:15 to say they were walking up to the entrance. They went to check in and he had to return to the car since he left his license there. I met them in the lobby and we went to the bus stop. Earlier today I took the stairwell near my room all the way downstairs and came out right by Mara – very convenient! I bought a yogurt & granola parfait for tomorrow’s breakfast, then climbed the 5 flights back up to the studio.
The Animal Kingdom bus came quickly, and the driver was full of personality. He said this was the bus for happy smiling people and any grumpy ones had to wait for the next bus. He pretty much joked around the entire time. We didn’t get to Animal Kingdom until about 9:15 or later, which was a shame. But, at some point when I really have a solo trip (maybe April 2008) I’ll get there early enough to do Primeval Whirl without a wait.
We went back to Harambe and got a fastpass for the Safari. It was just after 9:30 by now, and although the standby time was 20 minutes, the fastpass return time was 10:05. We decided to go with the fastpass and wander around. We walked the Pangani Forest Trail and spent time watching the meercats and the gorillas. When we finished we still had 10 minutes to wait, so we took the train over to Rafiki’s Conservation Station (or whatever it’s called these days). We walked through the exhibits, seeing lots of big ugly spiders and snakes, and some cute turtles before taking the train back. It was HOT once again, and very humid with very little air movement.
By now we were well within our fastpass window so we did the safari ride. The fastpass line was actually backed up further than I’ve seen it, but we were just glad we weren’t in the standby line! It was unbearably hot in the loading area, too. The safari was actually very good. I wasn’t expecting too much since it was so hot and it was late morning by now, but we saw just about everything. The driver did a great job, too – they can make or break the experience.
Next we went to Asia and did the trail over there. Chris took a lot of pictures of the bats, but Amanda & I just think they’re gross & waited for him in a shady area. We saw some tigers, but they were mostly sleeping in the shade – they’re not stupid <g>. We also stopped to watch the little monkeys that play in Asia – they were so cute & so active swinging around up above!
We left the park and caught the waiting bus back to the resort. Chris went to the parking lot to get the car – I think he left it with valet and carried their luggage in himself. I checked on their room, and it was ready. So much for the cast member yesterday telling me they don’t release the dvc rooms until 4pm <g>. It was barely noon! I also asked at the front desk about laundry facilities for dvc members, and learned our room hasn’t opened yet so we had to use one of the rooms nonmembers use. The only difference is our room will be free, and the others are not free. However, the resort pays us so it’s a wash – just not as convenient since we have to stop by the front desk to get the money.
We went up to the rooms – their studio is right next door to mine. Chris had run out of shirts for some reason, so they needed to do laundry and said to add whatever dirty stuff I had. We got it together and made the 12 mile hike to the laundry room at the other side of the resort. It made the Boardwalk Villas walk last May seem not so bad, lol! We put the clothes in a washing machine, and stashed Amanda’s bag in an empty dryer while we made the long walk back to Mara for lunch. The laundry room was really big, and nobody was using it except us.
At Mara the kids each ordered a kid’s meal – chicken strips for Amanda and macaroni & cheese for Chris. Both came with 2 sides and a small beverage (2 bottled waters). I brought the leftover short ribs & polenta from Chef’s de France, and added pawprint brownies for Amanda & me. Chris was the big eater, taking care of his meal, half of my leftovers and half of Amanda’s meal. Some things never change, lol! The entire meal (including Amanda’s powerade) came to only $16 and we were all full. I’m not crazy about the brownie, as I remember them being fudgier in the past. I should have gone with the cheesecake, as that looked really good.
We went back to the laundry, and as we came into the building we found another laundry room that is MUCH closer to our studio! I wish they’d told us about that one, since they asked for my room number and this is in the same wing as our rooms. We made the long walk to the other laundry room, moved the clothes to a dryer, then went back to our studios. Chris & Amanda headed to the pool and left me Chris’ key to their room. I have a 5pm LeCellier dinner and didn’t want to get all sweaty today. I relaxed in my studio listening to SB’s double header, and brought the laundry back when it was finished. Even during the peak afternoon hours we almost always had a couple of giraffe and some other animals grazing through our savannah, which was nice. Chris stopped over for a while, as Amanda was taking a nap before they went to the pool. She’s not the most “hearty” person, she’s more on the delicate side & can’t function like a parks commando. They’re heading back to Magic Kingdom for the late extra magic hours tonight, so we’ll see if they really make it up in time for a park opening tomorrow. I’d rather just sleep in myself, hit the pool in the morning, then relax the rest of the day – but I think they’re planning for us all to be at Epcot at opening.
SB’s first game ended just before 4, so I left then for Epcot. I had a short wait for the bus, and a long wait to enter the park. I don’t know why, but my line was probably the slowest one there – it was frustrating! Plus, the bus driver was the absolute slowest driver I’ve seen, so instead of taking 12 minutes or so, it was a full 20 minutes due to our creeping along below the speed limit.
Once I got inside Epcot I went straight to LeCellier, and checked in. They have a cast member outside intercepting people with no reservations and turning them away. They were completely booked, as expected. I had a very short wait and was seated before my 5pm ADR time. I ended up with the table I was at when other guests knocked everything onto me a few trips ago <g> but this time there were no spills!
I had my usual wine and cheese soup, and added the crème brulee sampler for dessert. Everything was excellent, but it seemed like the dessert was bigger than I remembered. It was a struggle finishing it, but it was too good to leave any. I did refrain from picking up the bowl and licking it clean, though <g>. The restaurant was quite busy, but the servers were doing a good job keeping up with it. People nearby were photographing everything before anyone could take a bite, lol, so I assume they must do “food porn” reports on DIS. Someone on the other side of the restaurant had an obnoxious screeching child and evidently their enjoyment of their meal took precedence over anyone else as they did not remove that child until just before I left. Luckily for me I was far enough away the noise was muffled. I pity the people seated near them, though.
After dinner I left Epcot, surprised that it hadn’t rained at all. When I arrived it was looking very stormy, and there was a lot of thunder nearby. While I was in LeCellier it basically skirted around the area. I had a bit of a wait for the bus back to AKL, and Chris called just before it arrived. He & Amanda had finally made it to the pool, but then lightning was spotted & they closed the pool! He saw some giraffe really close to the viewing area there, but they closed that as well. He & Amanda got changed and decided to head to MK – but he remembered his wallet was in my bag. He said he didn’t need it, but while I was riding back to the resort they decided to instead go to Epcot and ride the monorail to MK. So, they were at the resort bus stop when my bus arrived. I gave him his wallet and went up to the studio.
SB’s 2nd game was almost over, and they were winning (6th game in a row) by a wide margin (12-3). The poor Red Sox team <g>. I listened to the end of it, then talked to him a while after he was showered. He was heading to dinner with friends of ours up there, and I could hear the other guy in the background talking about something stupid that had happened. I hung out in the studio a while longer, enjoying the view of the animals on the savannah while it was still daylight. Tomorrow I’m going to park my butt out there more, and enjoy a glass of wine and something light to eat while watching the animals roam. SB’s last game is during the afternoon, so my evening will be free to enjoy the resort.
Around 7:45 I drove over to Downtown Disney, put gas in the car at the Hess station and parked by Pleasure Island. Parking was a nightmare again, as it usually is on a Sunday night. It took forever to find a parking space, and it was a lot or 2 over from where I started. I headed to the Marketplace first, to buy some foil wrapped chocolates from Ghiradelli for my office. Friday night the person working there told me they’d be put out the next day (Saturday 9/1). Now it was Sunday 9/2 and there was none to be seen. I asked a worker there and she told me they had them but they were not being sold until after Labor Day. I leave before the store opens that day, so I’m out of luck until mid October (she did go back and check to see if they could sell me some today, but no go). From there I wandered around until I met Leesa for the 2nd & 3rd Comedy Warehouse shows.
Carol Stein was on the keys again tonight. SB called before the show started, but the signal didn’t hold. I was surprised it even rang, but the only way to call him back was to head upstairs to the restroom. Usually I have to stand in the handicapped stall and lean against the window, but tonight I got a signal at the sinks (good thing, since people were using the restroom as a restroom rather than a telephone booth <g>) and was able to call him back. I got back to my seat a few minutes before the show started.
The 9:05 cast was Matt, Joy, Krista, Christine & John. The opening phone interview person was a real jerk – wouldn’t give a straight answer, was already somewhat drunk, and basically thought she was being funny. Matt handled her pretty well, but it’s still annoying when people act like that. They did the structure where 2 actors start a scene and one of the other 3 will tap one of them, saying freeze and then taking their spot as a different character. John & Krista got it started, as a couple at a zoo. It got a little kinky, but it was fun to watch. Next Krista asked for a fake song title and created a song called Spongecake. She was a dieter who just wanted that piece of cake, lol.
Joy & Matt left the building while the others took suggested short sayings from the audience. Each was written on a piece of paper, which was then folded in half and thrown on the stage floor. When Matt & Joy came back inside they started a scene in a greenhouse where he was a fired cast member obsessed with getting hired back by Disney. It was a very funny scene, and overall the whole show was great. I remember thinking it was really great for a first show, but later I realized while it was MY first show, it wasn’t THE first show of the night – duh.
The 10:15 cast was Joy, Mary, David, Krista & Christine. Most of the show was Storytime, which I always enjoy. This time David directed the 4 ladies in the telling of “Massachusetts goes to Hollywood”. Mary was the first to die, in Canada by chopsticks. Christine & David were funny as an asian couple arguing in Chinese while Mary was trying to eat her food. Christine died next, in a massage chair in a Brookstone store. Joy did a really good job with her death on a free canoe trip, performed as a techno song. Krista then wrapped up the story as a song, doing a beautiful job singing. Overall it was a great show, and it was a treat to finally catch one of Mary’s shows since my trips usually fall on her nights off!
After the show we visited with Mary, then headed out. I waited with Leesa for her ride and then headed over to my car and drove back to AKV. I talked to SB, ate some of the leftover Epcot pretzel, updated (but didn’t finish) the report, and checked for any animals out on the savannah (none visible). It was approaching 1am so I figured I’d better finish & post the report during the day on Monday instead of staying up longer.
We had another nice day today, except for the heat & humidity again. I enjoy touring with Chris & Amanda, as they’re both very easy going. I didn’t hear from them late tonight, so I don’t know how late they stayed at the Magic Kingdom (extra magic hours) or whether they’re still planning to start tomorrow at Epcot for park opening. I’m leaning towards skipping the parks and instead enjoying the resort, but we’ll see how I feel in the morning.
DAY 4 – Monday 9/3/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
Plan: MK, pool, AKV
Actual: Well, I woke up at 7, got up at 7:30, and called the kids at 8 to find they were still sleeping and were not planning to get to a park at opening. They might have been out til midnight last night, but so was I – this younger generation is so soft, lol! Breakfast for me was cappuccino and the yogurt granola parfait I bought at Mara yesterday. It was very good, although the granola was a big soggy from sitting overnight. The workers were out on the savannah laying out food, but the animals had not arrived just yet.
I left for the bus stop shortly before 8:30 and the bus was waiting when I arrived. The security line at Epcot was almost empty, but the turnstiles were a mess. I saw a line much shorter than the others, since many people don’t bother to look around them to do what makes sense <g>. We were let inside before 9 but held over by Innoventions until the 9am opening. I called SB just before 9 to wake him up, then walked with the crowd over to Soarin’. Chris called while I was in that line. They had already checked out and put their stuff in the car, and were headed to MGM Studios for the day. I had no interest in that park, so I told them to have a good time and drive home safely.
Soarin’ was great, and I got the front row this time! Afterwards I was going to ride Living With the Land before leaving, but the cast members there gave me the old “technical difficulties” story. Oh well, I wasn’t going to hang around waiting so I left the park about 9:25. This time I had a bit of a wait for my bus, but I think I was back at the resort by 10 or shortly after.
I talked to SB a while, then put on my swimsuit and was down at the pool by 10:30. It wasn’t crowded yet, and it would have been perfect if it wasn’t so hot! I ended up in the pool a couple times, just to cool off. I read a magazine and passed it off to someone else when I was finished. SB called again, and we discussed today’s game – the final game of the season. They blew their chance to be in the playoffs a while ago, due to some problems with the pitching. However, SB is responsible for the hitters and they are very close to winning the overall team hitting title for the league (.275736 for us, .275928 for the team they’re trying to beat). Both teams have 1 more game to play, this afternoon. So, I’ll be tuned to the computer this afternoon!
About noon I was tired of sweating, so I dried off and went into Mara. Since the brownie was such a dud yesterday I bought a piece of the cheesecake for a snack later and carried it up to my studio. I showered, dressed and packed up most of my stuff to get that out of the way. Initially nobody was out on the savannah, but soon the 3 giraffe and other animals were back. A couple of cast members in a truck were tying food up on the trees for the giraffe, and one giraffe went right over to the truck to wait for them to finish & get out of his way, lol! I saw another giraffe drinking water from the pond – he looked so funny with his front legs splayed out so he could lower his body down to reach the water.
Around 1pm I took part of my stuff out to the car, to make it a lighter load in the morning. Coming back in I stopped at Mara and was shocked to see the line of people waiting to pay extended all the way back into and around the food ordering area! They had ONE cashier working, which was ridiculous! The manager or whoever was in charge should have been out there if another cashier wasn’t available! Everyone’s food was getting cold while they were in line, and there’s no excuse for that. The lady making salads tried telling the other workers standing around to go open a register, but nothing happened. Finally another cashier showed up, but it took a good 15 minutes or so.
I ordered the potato bacon soup (soup of the day) “to go” and brought it up the stairwell to my studio. It was delicious, and not overly filling. I poured a small glass of wine (using the saved plastic wine glass from Germany in Epcot) to enjoy with my soup, and got ready for the ballgame. SB snuck into the clubhouse and called about an hour or so into the game, wanting to know how many hits that other team had gotten so far. It’s a very tight race, and both are hitting well.
At 3 I turned on General Hospital (but it was a repeat) – while listening to SB’s game, checking the other game, etc. It’s ordinary life stuff for me, but I can do it just as easily at WDW as at home – and when I’m done I’ve got giraffe to watch ;-) Strangely enough, my studio is on Zebra Trail yet I’ve never seen the zebra on this side of the building. The rooms across the hall see them, but not us.
Finally SB’s game ended, and although both teams got a lot of hits, his team did better and finished #1 in the league (.277185 vs .276654). Both teams can be proud, as overall team batting that high is outstanding! We talked off and on the rest of the day – he and the rest of the staff went out to eat (& drink) to celebrate. I took a walk around the resort, looking for any view of the new dvc construction but not finding anything interesting. It looks like they’re still in the “dirt moving” stage, unless there’s something in the ground behind a wall. I took a couple of pictures in that general direction, but I don’t know that they’ll really show anything.
One thing I noticed – the balconies on the 5th floor are deeper than those on the other floors, which means the nonDVC balconies are pretty small. I wouldn’t call mine large, but it’s bigger than the ones on the lower floors. It looks like we have an extra foot stool or ottoman thing out there, in addition to the 2 chairs and little table. Each DVC room also has a little DVC sign above the room number sign. Since I’ve been here I have not heard one single construction noise, and I’ve been in the studio at all times of the day/night. It looks like they might be working over on the other wing (to the left walking from the front desk, while my studio is in the wing to the right. There are a number of animal viewing areas with big rocking chairs along the 2nd floor, but if seeing the animals is important I would book a savannah view and watch them from the comfort/privacy of your own room/balcony.
By 6pm I was back in the studio. I wasn’t really hungry, and still had the cheesecake I bought earlier plus some of the Epcot pretzel. Another bowl of soup sounded good, so I figured I might as well make the trek to Mara to get it – if I don’t finish it I can always microwave the leftovers later if I’m hungry again. I don’t want to let the cheesecake go to waste though, lol. This time Mara was almost deserted, so I had no wait at all. SB was calling when I got back in the studio after climbing 5 flights of stairs. They were all still at the ballpark.
I poured a glass of wine and arranged the balcony furniture so I’d have my wine & soup on the table next to my chair and foot rest. It was really nice out there watching the animals moving through, and I stayed out there for almost 2 hours. My neighbors came out towards the end, but their conversation wasn’t disruptive. The other people with 2 whiny overtired and overstimulated children were another story but eventually they got the kids inside (& hopefully to bed). Then down on the 2nd floor a family left their balcony door open and the little brother & sister (preschoolers) were out there taking turns shrieking at the top of their lungs. THAT was really annoying, but soon Dad came out and when they didn’t listen to him telling them to stop he swatted each on the bottom and they shut up. I went back inside once the animals were gone, and finished up the report for today.
I’ve taken a bunch of photos, and most likely I have the same shot of the same animal taken several time over the few days <g>. I plan to get them off the camera and upload them (after weeding out some of the duplicates) Tuesday night after I get home from work, and will post the link separately once that’s done.
One of the hardest things was walking back from Mara tonight – passing people relaxing by the pool, in the hot tub, etc. Knowing I have to leave in the morning is killing me – how I wish I had the rest of the week to just stay here & relax! The only comfort is knowing I’ll be back, and since I bought points here I’m set until I’m 98 years old. I’ll worry about the rest of my life once I’m 99 <g>.
Final Thoughts:
Except for a few glitches, this was a terrific trip. I’m glad I did the dining plan one more time before it changes for the worse in 2008. However, it’s still way too much food for me and let’s be honest – it’s more food than anybody needs to eat. But, it can be a value for some, at least until 2008.
I enjoyed having Chris & Amanda along, and it was fun seeing what memories Chris has of the many little things we’ve experienced with him growing up at WDW. As I watch him and listen to him talking to Amanda about WDW it’s sort of like listening to myself all those years ago, lol!
I loved AKL when I stayed here in the past, but I love it even more now that it’s DVC. The DVC studio is so much nicer than the regular rooms and I look forward to spending the next 50 years here. I can’t wait to show it to SB in January, when we have the Sunrise Safari booked (we’ll be staying concierge in the DVC part).
The only negatives were not getting the studio until after 4 (and the lame excuses and misinformation given), the horribly long line at Mara at 1pm today (with only 1 cashier working), and the hallway noise (probably not Disney’s fault – some people are just too loud). The good far outweighed the bad, and I can’t wait to stay here again!
SB will be home later this month, and we’ve got several trips booked before he has to start next baseball season. He hasn’t been to WDW since our late February weekend before his work started, so he’s looking forward to getting back. Right now we have trips booked for October, 2 for November, and 1 for January. The first of those will be 6 nights at Beach Club Villas for Food & Wine Festival – my favorite “event” at WDW.
Until then – thanks for reading.