Who/When/Where:

Who: Sue (48), DVC member
SB (50), boyfriend
Dates: Oct 12 – 18, 2007
Travel Method: Personal car
Resort: Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Experience: Extremely experienced


INTRODUCTION:

This is our primary Food & Wine Festival trip – the one I look forward to most of all. I wish it was lasting 10-14 nights (like the “old” days), but while I would love to be there that long I have 2 obstacles. The first is limited vacation time (and wanting to use some of that time to visit SB during the 5 months he is away working) and the second is SB having a short vacation span. He’s great for short trips, but doesn’t do as well on longer trips. He prefers to get home, while I’m happy being away from home for long stretches of time! So, we’re doing 6 nights this time, which is almost a week. I make the plans, and he just found out 6 days prior that we’d be going for 6 nights. Happily, his response was initial shock but then he was ok – perhaps even pleased <g>.

We took a last-minute trip just 2 weekends ago, which happened to be the opening weekend of Food & Wine. It was a great chance to try many of the festival offerings, and we hope to revisit the favorites and continue trying new items. Hopefully we’ll do that while pacing ourselves. He generally prefers “real” meals, meaning meals where you get an entire plate of food served all at once. I prefer the festival items – smaller portions so I get to try more and not get stuffed. We’ll do a mix of meals and snacks to keep us both happy. The only advance dining reservation we have is for lunch at 50’s Prime Time Café, at his request for the fried chicken. We’ve talked about possibly skipping it, but decided to hold onto the reservation until we know for sure – which may not be until that morning. I don’t care one way or the other if we eat there – if we do, I’ll get my usual fried cheese but if we don’t that’s ok too. We are having breakfast with friends one morning. They booked us into Fresh at the Dolphin, which is supposed to be good. It will be a new restaurant for SB & me. Other tentative eating plans include Beaches & Cream (repeat from last year) and possibly trying breakfast at Yacht Club Galley. SB loves breakfast at Spoodles, so I thought we might try the Galley since it’s on our side of the lake. We may try Trail’s End over at Ft Wilderness, most likely for lunch.

We should get to Comedy Warehouse twice, and have 3 different entertainers doing the Food & Wine concerts during our stay. Depending on the baseball playoff games I might end going to Comedy Warehouse twice, but not necessarily with him both times <g>. We hope to catch each of the different entertainers (Starship, David Cassidy, and Little Richard). They’ll all be new to us this year. I’d like to do at least 1 of the free wine seminars, since I haven’t done any in at least 3 years. A dvc friend who will be there at the same time is also interested, so we may ditch the men (who aren’t interested) and go together.

Hopefully we’ll spend some time at Stormalong Bay, since we’re staying at Beach Club Villas. I plan to bring a couple of those noodle things so we can float around the lazy river section. Mostly I like this resort for the easy access to Epcot – I just love walking “home” from there! A couple weeks ago when we were there but staying in Downtown Disney I really missed BCV as we passed the exit by International Gateway! This resort will be a huge improvement over the Best Western, too!

We’ll spend some time in the parks, but probably not a lot. Since SB only gets here from September through February, we should start out hitting the things he wants to do most. That will probably mean Soarin, lol. Usually we spend the morning in a park, then head back to the resort. It’s possible some day we might skip the morning, or I may go off solo for a little while if he’d rather sleep in. It’ll be pretty flexible, and spur of the moment. Whatever we don’t do this trip, we’ll do another time.

At the last minute (2 days prior) we learned my son Chris & his girlfriend Amanda would be in the area and wanted to join us. Chris starts a new part-time job on Monday, so I think this is his last getaway weekend for a while. They will be staying with Amanda’s dad in Lakeland from Wednesday night until Sunday, and plan to spend time at WDW once we arrive on Friday. I’ll add their names to our studio, in order to get their resort ID cards and a parking pass. They’ll sleep in Lakeland, but otherwise can enjoy the resort and avoid paying for parking at any theme parks they may drive to. Up to 4 adults can be registered in a studio, so we’re right at the legal limit.


The plans so far (and subject to lots of changes) are:
Friday 10/12: Work, Drive to WDW, Epcot/Food & Wine Festival
Saturday 10/13: MGM, lunch 50’s Prime Time Café, Fantasmic?
Sunday 10/14: Fresh, AK or Epcot, possible Comedy Warehouse
Monday 10/15: Possibly Yacht Club Galley, AK or Epcot, Pool
Tuesday 10/16: MK, lunchTrail’s End, Comedy Warehouse
Wednesday 10/17: Open
Thursday 10/18: Open, Drive Home


DAY 1 – Friday 10/12/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
SB (50), boyfriend
Chris (21), son
Amanda (19), Chris’ girlfriend

Plan: Work, Drive to WDW, Epcot/Food & Wine Festival

Actual: SB dropped me off at work today, returning to pick me up at 1pm. I was so ready to leave by that point, and happy to finally be leaving on a trip where I’d be missing more than just 1 day of work! The drive up was uneventful, and we arrived at Beach Club Villas at approximately 3:45. We checked in with the cast member in the villas lobby area, and added Chris & Amanda to our room. It only took a few minutes, and Chris called to say he was on the way, just passing MGM Studios at the time. They had spent the day at the Magic Kingdom. The cast member asked which room I wanted, saying she only had 1 studio left that wasn’t on the first floor. I hate 1st floor, and would never want to stay there, so I asked about the other studio. It’s on the 4th floor, and from the floorplan she showed me I saw it had a view of the quiet pool. It’s not my first choice, but it will do.

We headed upstairs and saw the laundry room was just a few doors down from our studio. That is so convenient, but this trip I purposely packed lots of extra clothes figuring I wouldn’t bother doing laundry <g>. Oh well, we may go home with clean clothes after all. The studio was in perfect condition, and the room is actually just beyond the hot tub, so we wouldn’t be bothered by any pool noise. The balcony is nice and long, and seems pretty private. Chris & Amanda arrived a few minutes later, and checked things out while I unpacked and SB helped by laying on the bed. He destroyed the towel hidden mickey the housekeeper had left, and I gasped when I saw what he’d done!

Finally we were ready to head over to Epcot, which was a very easy walk. Nobody was in line ahead of us entering through the International Gateway. Before we came up, the weather forecast was calling for cool weather, but it was just plain hot! When we were in the sun it was pretty miserable, but in the shade it wasn’t bad. We started with France, where Chris & I shared the quicheau fromage de chevre (goat cheese and sun-dried tomato quiche). We both liked it well enough, but I like the old goat cheese pastry from prior years much better. He thought it tasted like pizza. I won’t be getting it again, but liked it enough that I didn’t regret getting it today. The 4 of us stood in the shade watching the entertainer in France climb up several chairs. Chris hadn’t seen it in years, and I don’t think Amanda had ever seen him. He drew quite a big crowd!

We continued on to Oklahoma, which we all know is right next to France <g>. SB and Amanda wanted no part of the seared buffalo with scalloped wild onions, so I got one for Chris and me. I thought it tasted like steak – not bad, but no big deal. Chris liked it a little more than me and ate most of it. He was interested in some chocolate beer but we must have missed it.

Next stop was Australia, where SB and Chris each got the shrimp on the Barbie and I got a glass of the Rosemount Riesling. Everyone loved their choices here, and surprisingly the line wasn’t too long. In America Amanda got a pretzel from the wagon while Chris went back to the beer cart and got the cherry wheat beer from Samuel Adams. SB and I headed to Germany and then met the kids back in the theatre in America. At Germany we got 3 of the debriziner sausage on pretzel roll (without sauerkraut) – 2 for him, 1 for me (which Chris finished). At Germany they only had 1 person taking orders, so that line took forever! However, we both really like this item, so it was worth it. Italy also had a very long line, and their items definitely are not worth it!

Amanda had found seats for us in the shade, and we had about 15 minutes before the concert started. SB stopped for a popcorn and soda on our way back in. Just before the concert we sent Chris to the funnel cake stand to get a powdered sugar funnel cake and bottle of water. We all munched on that – last time when it was just SB and me we weren’t able to finish it, so it worked out well having Chris with us.

The concert was really good – probably the best one we’ve ever seen here. It was Mickey Thomas & Starship (formerly Jefferson Starship maybe??), and every song they performed was one we remembered. They ended with “We Built this City on Rock & Roll”, which seemed to be their biggest hit. Chris & Amanda bailed out during the 2nd to last song, heading to Norway with instructions for us to call them after the concert. Guess they weren’t crazy about the old music, lol.

Once the concert ended we started walking towards Norway & called Chris. SB & I had talked about what we wanted to do, and decided to head back to the resort for a swim and then watch the rest of the baseball game. Chris wanted me to buy him baklava, which was in Turkey. Funny how even as adults kids think it’s the parent’s job to pay for everything! We headed to Turkey, where Chris was waiting next to the food kiosk. The line was long, so I gave him $20 and told him he could keep the change. I wasn’t going to wait in that line. He & Amanda were staying in Epcot for the evening, and are planning to meet us back at the resort tomorrow morning to join us at Animal Kingdom.

We said our goodbyes, and SB & I continued walking around the rest of World Showcase. It was getting much busier by now, since it was evening. As we passed Argentina we realized a couple of items we wanted to try were there, so we decided to stop and try them. We shared the spicy beef empanada and the organic grilled beef sirloin with chimichurri sauce, and I got a glass of the Bodega Norton chardonnay. The grilled beef was excellent, and came over something that might have been polenta. It had a great taste, and was a healthy portion. The empanada was good, but not worthy of a repeat for either of us. SB was shocked at how small my wine was – barely an inch deep. When I tasted it, I didn’t mind, as I wasn’t impressed with it. At this point we were stuffed, so we headed out through the International Gateway back to Beach Club Villas.

As expected, once we got back to the studio we really didn’t feel like leaving, so we never made it to the pool. I called Disney Dining and booked Chris & Amanda for Chef Mickey’s during our January trip. I was able to get them 7:50, so this way they can make it to the Keys to the Kingdom Tour in MK after breakfast. I also canceled our lunch at 50’s Prime Time Café tomorrow, since we decided not to bother with it this trip.

After a while, SB was hungry again – all those food & wine samples don’t count for him. We went down to the Marketplace and picked up a sandwich and cup of clam chowder for him and a big chocolate chip cookie for me. The chowder was ok, but he was really impressed with the turkey sandwich with mozzarella on sourdough bread. In fact, he ate half and may have the other half tomorrow! The cookie was good too – your typical Disney cookie!

The rest of the night we relaxed in the studio, watching the American league baseball game and today’s episode of General Hospital. Today was a nice start to the trip, and I’m so glad to be back here (and staying in the right resort instead of slumming in a non-Disney hotel). The bed here is so comfortable, and I’m not hearing any noise from the hallway or outside. Tomorrow we’ll head to Animal Kingdom for part of the morning, and later will meet up with friends Dottie & Joe after they arrive to begin their vacation.



DAY 2 – Saturday 10/13/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
SB (50), boyfriend

Plan: MGM, lunch 50’s Prime Time Café, Fantasmic?

Actual: We turned the lights out at 11 last night, since Disney doesn’t seem to get the channel airing the national league ballgame. Oh, what a shame <g>. He would have been asleep early into the game, but it would have kept me awake longer, so I’m glad we couldn’t get it! I woke up a little after 6:30 (alarm was set for 7) and got up to take my shower. Breakfast was cappuccino and an English muffin for me. We left the studio around 8:20 and stopped at the Marketplace. On the way down I called Chris to let him know where we’d be, but his phone was not turned on so I just left a message. The Marketplace was very busy, but the line to get food moved very quickly. We got a ham & cheese omelet on a croissant for SB, and it was so large he didn’t finish it. I ate a couple of bites, and we threw the rest away – it was actually quite good. We gave Chris 10 minutes past our meeting time and then left for the bus stop. I left another message to let Chris know, then went about our business.

The bus came fairly quickly and it wasn’t too full. We got to Animal Kingdom right about 9am and got through the security and turnstiles with relative ease. We walked directly back to Harambe and got fastpasses for the safari. The return time was 9:55, which was about 45 minutes away. SB wanted to sit and relax, so I left him on a shady bench and I walked over to Dinoland. Primeval Whirl had a short wait, so I rode that. Afterwards I headed back to SB & the bench, where we had about 10 more minutes to wait for our safari. It was a great safari, and the female lion was pacing back & forth when we went by. The driver varied from the usual spiel, giving additional information on the animals.

We were off the safari around 10:30 or so, and planned to see the 11:40 Festival of the Lion King show. First we headed to Dinoland and rode Dinosaur. The standby wait was posted as 20 minutes, but we were inside the preshow in less than 5 minutes. It was a fun ride – we got to sit down, and it was air conditioned, lol. From there we wandered back to Camp Minnie Mickey and found a shady spot to wait for the Lion King. We got a chocolate ice cream waffle cone from a nearby booth, and it was very good – hit the spot on a warm day! We got in line about 15 minutes before the show, and were seated immediately. Chris called to say they weren’t going to come out after all, so we probably won’t see them again this trip.

The Lion King show was great – I think it’s SB’s favorite show at WDW. I don’t see it every trip, but I don’t mind seeing it once or twice a year with him. We left the park after the show, and had the longest bus ride ever to get back to the resort. We had to wait for it to arrive, which happens. Once it arrived we sat there for a long time while they changed drivers and then brought on 2 additional trainers. Other buses arrived after us and left before us – it was a bit ridiculous. The driver was fine, but one of the trainers was a total dork. He obviously felt he was a real big wig now that he’s a bus driver trainer instead of a bus driver, and made it a point of trying to impress everyone with how wonderful & witty he is. After stopping at Blizzard Beach, Swan, Dolphin, and the Yacht Club we were finally back home!

We hung out in the studio for a while, and I updated the report. Once I was finished we decided to get lunch at the Yacht Club Galley. I’d seen a tomato & mozzarella sandwich on the menu, but had never made it over there to give it a try. We checked the menu online before going over, so we were sure we’d both find something we liked. It was a nice walk (a little long to SB, who wondered why they couldn’t have provided an indoor walkway instead of having to go outside between resorts), and we had a short wait to be seated while they checked to be sure our table was ready. It was pretty busy, but still less than half full.

Our server was very good, and we had a terrific meal. SB ordered the clam chowder and the Yacht Club sandwich (like a club sandwich). He got the homemade chips as his side, and they were really good – not salty and very crisp. He loved the sandwich and enjoyed the chowder, although the chowder from the Marketplace yesterday was better. I got the tomato & mozzarella sandwich, with cole slaw as my side. It was very good, but about twice as big as it needed to be. I ate one half and took the other half (along with the rest of his chips) back to the room. There was a maple crème brulee on the menu, so I had to try that. I love the maple crème brulee at LeCellier, but this was not nearly as good. It was more pasty, rather than silky smooth. It had a nice flavor though, and came with a tiny biscotti. SB didn’t care for the crème brulee, so I brought most of it back to the room for later – we were both pretty full at that point. We used the DDE card here and saved almost $6 off the check – lunch was around $31 plus tip.

While we were eating, Dottie called to say she & Joe had arrived. Their room was not ready and they were starving so they stopped at the Markeplace for a sandwich. We were halfway finished with our lunch, or they could have come over & joined us. We stopped to visit with them on the way back, and heard about their un-magical non-express trip from the airport. But, since the transportation is free they didn’t mind much.

We sat outside the Marketplace catching up a bit, then Dottie & I left the guys to go off on our own for a bit. They were talking sports, so we weren’t missed <g>. Dottie checked at the desk, and their room was ready so she called Joe to give him the room number and dropped her carryon bags in the villa. I went up to our studio to get the car keys, then Dottie & I went over to the Character Premiere store and Publix. Parking was a nightmare at the outlets again, but it’s expected on a Saturday afternoon. I need to quit going then! We didn’t spend too much time in the Disney store, then drove over to Publix and split up to do our shopping.

As she was checking out she called Joe to see if he was going to help carry their groceries. He was with SB watching a game on tv, and he evidently told Dottie to have a bellman take it because he was watching a super exciting game, lol. He called her back later (after SB was gone) and offered to meet us at the front entrance, where he got a bellman once he saw how much stuff there was. I drove around & parked with my stuff, since it only took 1 trip.

When I got to the studio and SB found out Joe had gone down to help Dottie he was hysterical – saying Joe caved after acting like the tough guy, lol. We hung out in the studio until it was time to leave for Fantasmic – it was almost 5 by the time Dottie & I got back from Publix.

At 6:30 we left for MGM Studios to see Fantasmic. I think I’ve only seen it once before, and it was with my grandmother (deceased since 1998) and Chris when he was much younger. I wasn’t overly impressed with it, which explains why it’s been so long <g>. However, it’s the last nighttime park “event” SB hasn’t seen, and since it has seats I figured we might as well get it out of the way. We took the boat from the Yacht Club dock, and after a stop at the Swan/Dolphin we went to MGM. It was a breeze entering the park, since it was 1 hour before it closed!

We didn’t bother with anything else, but walked straight over to the ampitheater and saw that it was already over half full (at 1 hour prior to showtime). We sat at the end of a row near the top in the Pocahontas section, and had a perfect view of the whole show. SB went up to the snackbar and came back with 2 hot dogs (for him) and a pretzel (for me). The hot dogs were huge, and totally delicious. He didn’t realize they were that big when he ordered them, so one didn’t get eaten and is in the fridge in the studio now. The pretzel wasn’t that great, and I barely at any of it – the rest is in the studio now, too. It might be ok microwaving bits of it, and if not it’ll go in the trash.

The show started right on time, and was basically as I remembered it. I don’t know all of the characters (most, but not all) and didn’t really follow some of the story, but it was nice. I especially like when the water is flaming. SB enjoyed the show – one thing Disney knows how to do is put on a show! It was a madhouse leaving, but it thinned out once we got partway out of the theater. We started heading out immediately after the finale, which helped! There was a pretty long line for the boat, and SB asked about just walking back. It must have been pixie dust, as he hates walking! We walked back to the resort, beating the boat by quite a while. I had to work to keep up with him, too!

Back in the studio we settled in for the night and shared the rest of last night’s chocolate chip cookie. Today felt pretty busy, although when I look back we did 2 rides and saw 2 shows in 11 hours <g>. We spent a decent amount of park time (for us at least), and didn’t really have that much down time. Back when I used to run around the parks all day & into the evening I didn’t realize how much I was missing – we both enjoy ourselves taking the slower pace and doing some ordinary stuff.

Tomorrow we’re having breakfast with Dottie & Joe, then plan to spend time at Stormalong Bay. It looked so gorgeous out there today, and the weather is perfect for being at the pool. Tomorrow night we’ll join Leesa at Comedy Warehouse. It should be a nice relaxing (but fun) day!


DAY 3 – Sunday 10/14/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
SB (50), boyfriend

Plan: Fresh, AK or Epcot, possible Comedy Warehouse

Actual: I’d set the alarm for 7:30, but actually got up around 10 minutes prior. With SB I don’t leave the drapes wide open like I do when I’m solo, so the brightening sky hasn’t been wakening me this trip. I took my shower, made some cappuccino and sat out on the balcony for a while. SB was up by 8:30, and we were out the door to meet Dottie & Joe just before 8:50. They were waiting downstairs, and we walked over to the Dolphin together for our breakfast at Fresh.

They do quite a business hear, as they were still busy when we left. The restaurant is comfortable and the food was very good, but the layout was not the best. The main breakfast is the all-you-can-eat buffet for $17.99. The waiter said there was an ala carte menu but it was very limited and basically would cost the same unless you were only getting something small like the parfait. Well, that’s exactly what I was planning to get <g>. He was going to bring me the menu, but I got tired of waiting and decided to just do the buffet. The cold food is on an island table, with fruit (chunks of pineapple, honeydew & cantaloupe) at one end, and the breads/sweets/cereal on the other 4 sides. Along the wall was a kitchen area, and from there you got more juices, yogurt parfaits, meats (bacon & sausage), sliced potatoes, grits/oatmeal, made-to-order eggs/omelets, pancakes and waffles. It made for a long, slow-moving line and the food obtained at the beginning would be somewhat cold by the time the rest of the food was on the plate. Toast was ordered from the waiter, which beats having to stand at a toaster while your eggs get cold!

I tried some bacon, sausage & potato – didn’t care for the potato but the meat was good. They made me a 1-egg omelet with tomato & cheese, and it was delicious. SB & I shared some fruit and I later ate part of a piece of banana nut bread (not as good as what they used to serve at the Main Street Bakeshop at the MK) and a mini pecan sticky bun. I didn’t pay attention to what SB ate, but the plate was full & he seemed happy with it. Overall it was a very good breakfast, and we got 20% off for being DVC members.

After breakfast we split up – Dottie & Joe were headed to a park and we walked back to the resort. Back in the studio I changed into my swimsuit and headed down to Stormalong Bay. SB did some reading online and met me down there later. I arrived about 10:30, and set up our chairs near the lazy river. The water in the pool felt cold at first, but it wasn’t bad once you got in. It wasn’t crowded yet, so I floated around the lazy river a couple of times and then laid on my chair with a magazine. Although it had been sunny all morning, as soon as I got to the pool big clouds starting building up, so I was in shade about as much as I was in the sun. SB came down around 11:30 or so, and we floated around the big pool for quite a while. Eventually we went back to our chairs, then he went back in the pool near our chairs while I continued reading. About 1pm we went back up to the studio, since football games were about to begin.

He took a quick shower, and I made the mistake of fixing lunch. I was thinking of going in and wandering around Epcot solo while he watched football, but like an idiot I heated up half of the leftover hotdog and piece of the pretzel for myself – when I should have just eaten from the food & wine carts. SB had a sandwich and some Ruffles chips (from the Publix trip). He settled down to watch the game and I updated the report & did some things online.

I poured a small glass of wine (I’d saved the empty glass from the food & wine kiosks the other night) and sat out on the balcony for a while. It’s so peaceful & pretty here, yet Epcot is right around the corner. I love staying at this resort, and during Food & Wine I can’t imagine staying anywhere else (except perhaps Boardwalk Villas, but only with a boardwalk view). When we’re back in a few weeks we’ll be at Saratoga Springs, which isn’t nearly as convenient for Food & Wine – but good for Comedy Warehouse.

Around 2:30 I was showered & dressed, so I decided to wander around Epcot solo. I wanted to check out the Festival Center, and knew he wouldn’t be interested in that at all. He was set in the studio, between watching football and napping <g>. As I approached the International Gateway I ran into Rich & Deb, Becky & Gary, and Chris & Frank. I knew they were arriving today, but how funny we ran into each other by accident like this. I stayed with them as we slowly meandered our way around the countries, starting with United Kingdom. They had a dinner reservation in a few hours, so nobody went overboard with the food today. They tried the duck in Peru, and some of them got the frozen daquiri from a booth set up in that area (mango, passion fruit or banana). The other items tried included a couple of different beers, sha cha chicken, chilaquiles in Mexico, some rice thing in Spain, and I’m not sure what else.

We were interested in the Bailey’s frozen irish coffee in Ireland, but the line was way too long. It was also very long in Argentina, where Gary wanted to try the grilled sirloin with chimichurri sauce that SB & I had enjoyed so much. We basically skipped anything with too long of a line. Along the way I ran into my friend Nancy, and we made plans to get together on the trip after next – can’t wait! By the time we got to America we were shocked to see the very long line of people waiting at 3:55 for the 5:45 David Cassidy concert! I guess his shows will be “sold out” tonight – I hope we can get in tomorrow night, but if not I can hear just as well standing behind the last row of seats!

I left the others in America, as they were going to wait there for their dinner time in Italy. I continued around and got a glass of the Rosemount Riesling in Australia. While waiting for my wine I overheard a woman telling a couple of other women that the pecan pie in Oklahoma was really good. I decided to give it a try, but wanted to drink my wine first. I spotted a shady bench that wasn’t occupied and headed over, but as I got closer I saw Jasmine was standing next to it posing for pictures, so I didn’t stop there. Instead I went to Oklahoma to the Route 66 Diner and got the pecan pie. It looked like your basic mini round pecan pie (which always has been awful), but when I took a bite of it I was pleasantly surprised. It was delicious – easily my favorite dessert item of the festival. It wasn’t overly sweet and the crust was not pasty & nasty like I’ve had in the past. I’ll be sure to get this again, since I don’t expect to see Oklahoma back at the festival after this year.

I continued through the rest of the countries but did not get anything else. I went into Future World and headed to the Festival Center. This year it’s in the Wonders of Life pavilion, which is really out of the way in my opinion. I liked it better near Innoventions. People were lined up for the 5pm wine seminar, and it wasn’t even 4:30 yet – the line looked completely full to me. I wandered around inside, looked at the DVC display & talked to the guy working there for a few minutes, then headed back outside to return to the studio. Epcot was very crowded today, at least around World Showcase. Hopefully it’ll be much less crowded starting tomorrow, when the locals go back to work.

I stopped in the Beach Club store looking for a 2008 wall calendar, but didn’t see any. I’ll have to check some other bigger stores before we leave. Back in the studio SB pretended to be asleep, but I saw his feet move under the covers as I opened the door <g>. Always a kidder, lol. He was watching football, so I didn’t miss anything! We talked about dinner – he was hungrier than I was, as usual (the pecan pie didn’t help matters, but boy was it good <g>). He was in the mood for spaghetti & meatballs, so we decided to eat at Wolfgang Puck’s Café. I figured I can get the small salad there, or some other appetizer. We may have time to kill before Comedy Warehouse, but we need to eat fairly early to avoid having to wait for a table. So, we cleaned up and left shortly before 6 to drive to Downtown Disney.

Parking wasn’t a problem – perhaps because we parked over by Planet Hollywood. At Wolfgang Puck’s Café we had to wait in line to get to the hostess, but were able to be seated right away. It would have been a 20-minute wait for an outside table, so we opted to eat inside tonight. Our table was actually in a good location – not too far in and not near any loud children (just 1 very well behaved little girl at 1 table and another younger boy at the next table). Overall it was a very pleasant place to have a meal. I wasn’t hungry, so I stuck with just the small field greens salad, and that was plenty. I also had a glass of wine. SB had a Caesar salad and the pasta with meatball. It was a huge meatball – more like a baseball! He said it was just ok, so that means it is not worth getting again, especially when there are so many better choices. We skipped dessert, and headed over to meet Leesa a little after 7.

We found her in the Adventurer’s Club and spent time catching up on the upper level. She pointed out a couple of people downstairs, and eventually I realized it was the man and woman who had assaulted me inside the Test Track pre-show 2-3 years ago. I wasn’t sure it was them at first, as she was not in a wheelchair, but when they stood up for some reason I was positive it was him. Leesa had figured it was them based on seeing them at the Comedy Warehouse and seeing how volatile and nasty she was, and they were to each other at times (like fighting during a show – really rude). She has Down Syndrome, and generally people with that are very loving & gentle – not monsters like this one (obviously learned behavior). I thought they may be at Comedy Warehouse tonight, and I probably would have said something to him – prepared to call the cops this time if she or he tried anything physical. But, thankfully they never showed their nasty faces there tonight.

Leesa, SB & I headed over to Comedy Warehouse shortly before 8 for the first show. Carol Stein was on the keys tonight. The 8:00 cast was John, Krista, Chris, Matt & tall Mark. They opened with a poem called “I use a broom”. They did Styles, where the scene is interrupted to create a song in a certain style. Krista & Matt started a scene where she & 2 other co-workers had won a $14 million lottery but Matt had opted not to contribute that week. They did “I’d rather earn my money” as a country song, “Congratulations” as a reggae song, and “I picked up a 2nd job” as a mad song. Don’t ask what a “mad” song is – it didn’t make much sense to me when there were so many other real song styles to solicit.

Mark & John created greeting cards for different events. The suggestions were Arbor Day, vasectomy, fixing a flat tire, & cutting the grass. Next Chris & mark started a scene washing windows, and the others froze the scene and started a new scene. They also did Should Have Said, with Matt controlling the bell. Whenever the bell was rung, whoever had just spoken had to go back & say what they should have said. Overall it wasn’t the best of shows – SB gave it a 6 out of 10, and that was pretty accurate.

The 9:05 cast was Matt, David, Mark, Krista & John. They did Point Counterpoint, where 2 actors argue opposing sides of various topics. John was Gordon Timmons, from a think tank in Kissimmee, and David was associated with alternative learning. The topics were shoes, money, promotion, stiletto heels, & casket.

They did Forgotten Songs, which is almost always very good. Matt was funny singing “Wolf” about crying wolf. John & David were 2 guys making a horse, singing “My boss is a horse’s patoot”. Mark & Krista were 2 therapists singing about client in “A casket in this guy’s closet”. Next they did Should Have Said, but this time when the bell rang they had to change to speaking gibberish. This was not really funny at all, thanks to the gibberish. I come here to hear clever words – not gibberish. Overall, another disappointing show.

The 10:15 cast was Chris, Mary, David, Krista & Mark. They did Slap Happy, where another actor comes into the scene as a new character by tapping one of the 2 in the scene currently & replacing that person. It was a pretty funny scene, with Mary as a daughter & Krista as her mother. Mary was in the college program at Disney and was “experiencing the world” one foreign guy at a time.

The rest of the show was Cliché, with David being tortured. They had a hard time getting an acceptable cliché from the audience. They had numerous suggestions, but they were either too common, dirty or foul. Finally Leesa gave them something clean – “I’m not vertically challenged – I’m legroom gifted”. It was pretty good, but still not as good as the shows usually are. I guess tonight is just an off night, and I’m sure it’ll be great next time.

Leesa headed home & we headed back to Beach Club Villas. That ride back seemed so long – Saratoga Springs is definitely a good choice for the next trip, as getting home will be so much easier. When we got back to the studio I finished up the report and then we got some sleep. It was a really nice day today, as usual <g>. We both enjoyed having breakfast with friends & spending time at the pool instead of rushing out to a park. I didn’t mind going to Epcot solo while he watched football, but running into friends there was much more fun. Comedy Warehouse was still a good time even though the shows weren’t as great as they usually are. Tomorrow we’ll head to Epcot to finally ride Soarin’ and hopefully will see the David Cassidy concert tomorrow night.



DAY 4 – Monday 10/15/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
SB (50), boyfriend

Plan: Possibly Yacht Club Galley, AK or Epcot, Pool

Actual: I woke up around 7:30, showered & got dressed while SB was still sleeping. He was up by 8:30 and was in the mood for fruit. I went down to the Marketplace and bought a fruit cup, which he enjoyed. I had my cappuccino & a piece of biscotti. We’ll be heading to ride Soarin’ today but the rest of the day our plans are somewhat loose. There are several wine seminars that look interesting the next 4 days, but I only want to do 1 or 2. It just takes time away from other things, and I’d rather relax around the resort or be wandering food & wine. I even asked SB if he wanted to skip MK this trip, in favor of a leisurely morning at the pool, followed by Epcot the 2nd part of the day. We’ll figure it out for sure tomorrow morning.

Once he was showered & dressed we were on our way to Epcot, leaving the studio about 9:10. As always, entering Epcot was a breeze – it took seconds at most. It was sunny and warm, with a breeze. In the sun it was a little too warm, but in the shade it was beautiful. We went to the Land first, and picked up a Soarin fastpass with a 9:27 return time. The standby line had a posted wait of 20 minutes, so we got in line but soon abandoned the line when we saw how far it was backed up. No way would that wait be only 20 minutes! Instead, we rode Living the the Land, and were the only passengers in our boats. After that, we went upstairs to the Circle of Life Movie, then went back downstairs for a 12 minute wait for Soarin. We got the 3rd row, but it was still a great ride, and when we got off we picked up 2 more fastpasses for later (1:27pm). By now it was just barely 11am so we headed towards World Showcase, starting with Mexico.

In Ireland I got the potato pancake thing and the Bailey’s frozen irish coffee. The potato pancake was ok, but not something I’d get again. SB didn’t even want to try it, and he likes potato pancakes. The coffee was good, but a pretty small portion for $7 and also not something I’d get again.

There were hardly any people walking around the countries, so at every booth you could just walk right up to the counter and get what you wanted. In Germany we got 2 of the debriziner sausage in pretzel roll – 1.5 for him and only .5 for me after the Ireland stuff. In America we got another pork rib, which was just as good as last time. In Oklahoma I got a pecan pie to bring back to the room for later, then we exited the park and returned to the resort.

I made a call to member services about some future trips, then headed down to the quiet pool while SB watched tv and napped. It was not very busy, and all adults, so it was very peaceful. I went back upstairs around 1:30 and SB woke up when I came in. He was in the mood for the pool, so he went down for a dip while I updated the report and got cleaned up.

I ate a couple bites of the tomato/mozzarella sandwich and a bite of the crème brulee before leaving the studio. This morning I’d tossed the other half of the hotdog in the trash since today was trash/towel day and we won’t be eating that. I stopped down at the quiet pool to see SB and then go meet Dottie at the Festival Center for the 3pm chardonnay wine seminar.

I had the time, so I stopped at MouseGear and found the 2008 wall calendar I’d been looking for. I stood in line to pay for it, but the cashier was painfully slow and the guests were no better. I was the 2nd person in line, but the party ahead of me was making 2 separate purchases, with 2 mugs to be wrapped, and much discussion on whether to send the stuff to the gate or carry it themselves. I was so frustrated when their first order (2 mugs and a scrapbook thing) took over 10 minutes & still wasn’t completed, I bailed out of line and put the calendar back. I went over to the Life pavilion and arrived shortly before Dottie. We got in line for our seminar about 30 minutes in advance. We weren’t the first ones there, but were near the front.

The seminar was about un-oaked chardonnay, and they had 3 wines from different California wineries. It was conducted by a WDW restaurant manager who is also a certified sommelier. The wines were pretty good, but I wasn’t impressed enough to want to buy any of them. I generally prefer a Riesling or pinot grigio over a chardonnay, though.

When the seminar was over we stopped at the wine store and Dottie bought me a bottle of the Rosemount from Australia as a thank-you for the Publix run the other day. We also stopped in MouseGear and I bought the calendar without a ridiculous wait this time. As we headed out of Epcot we ran into most of the others near the Rose & Crown, and walked out of Epcot together.

SB had finished using the pool, made a sandwich, and was watching tv in the studio when I got back. I updated the report and we talked about our plans for the evening. It seems once we get back to the studio it’s harder to get up and get out again. We have fastpasses for Soarin, but probably will let them go to waste – it seems too far to walk all the way back over there right now. While we were hanging out in the studio I snacked on part of the tomato/mozzarella sandwich leftovers. No sooner was I done than SB starts talking about Beaches & Cream. He’d been trying to think of where he wanted to eat tonight, and I told him any park restaurants would be all booked up. It was not even 4:30, he was hungry now, so we decided to go to Beaches & Cream for an early dinner.

It turned out to be a great time to go, as only 1 other table in the place was occupied! I wasn’t really hungry, but I’d never be hungry enough for a whole meal there anyway. We ordered a chili dog, single hamburger and chocolate shake. I cut off a sliver of the burger and ate that with some of the fries and part of the milkshake. It was all very good, and SB declared it the best chili dog he’s ever had. They take the DDE here, so we got 20% off.

We finished up by 5, and decided to head to Epcot to see David Cassidy’s first concert at 5:45. The boat was coming, so we rode it to the Boardwalk and then to Epcot. As we came up the hill into World Showcase, we found a couple and gave away our Soarin’ fastpasses. On the way to America there was no line at Australia so I got a glass of the Riesling. We found pretty good seats for the concert at 5:22, without having to stand in any line. As always, I was amazed by the people (even families of 5 people) who arrive 5 minutes before the concert, see the full theater, and walk around near the front expecting to find seats!

The concert was great, and David Cassidy looks wonderful. It’s hard to believe he’s as old as he must be, as he looks much younger. The music was good, his voice was good – overall it was a terrific concert and the audience loved it. There were some women screaming near the stage, but he was pretty good about that. During the show a squirrel evidently wanted to get to the trees in the center of the audience, but was scared a bit by all the people. We were near the end of a row, and watched him going nuts running around and stopping short, not sure if he dared go to the trees. After about 10 minutes he finally made a run for it.

After the concert we walked back towards International Gateway. SB headed back to the resort to watch the 7pm baseball game, and I stayed in the park a while longer. I rode the boat ride in Mexico, with about a 5 minute wait. In Norway I went into the Maelstrom queue but backed out when I saw how far back inside it extended. In South Africa I got the Durban chicken and a chardonnay that had been recommended. The chicken wasn’t nearly as good as I remembered it, and I didn’t really care much for the wine. I ate it as I continued walking, and stopped in America for the next David Cassidy concert (he was about 2 songs into the show at this point). This time I had a seat right on the center aisle, towards the back. His songs were the same, but the banter between them was different. It was another very good show though, and once again the audience and the screamers loved it.

I exited through International Gateway and walked back to the resort, seeing a woman smoking on her patio just as I got on the walkway. She’s not supposed to be smoking there, and deserves a $500 fine for her rule-breaking, but I’m not the smoking police since she’s nowhere near my room. Back in the studio SB was watching the ballgame, so I finished up the report & read email. Hopefully the game will be over by 10 so we can watch General Hospital on SoapNet <g>.

Today was another really nice day – little hot, but nice & relaxing. We’re going to push our main food & wine trip back a bit next year, hoping for cooler weather. Tomorrow will probably be Magic Kingdom briefly in the morning, then Stormalong Bay and later Comedy Warehouse!

DAY 5 – Tuesday 10/16/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
SB (50), boyfriend

Plan: MK, lunchTrail’s End, Comedy Warehouse

Actual: I was up at 7 to shower, dress, and make some cappuccino and an English muffin for my breakfast. SB was awake just before 8, saying he hadn’t slept well and didn’t feel good. Had I known at 7 I wouldn’t have gotten up. We decided I’d run over to the MK solo and then meet back up with him here for Stormalong Bay. I really just wanted to do Space Mountain and the refurbished Haunted Mansion (Big Thunder is closed).

At 8:30 I went to the bus stop, and had a short wait for the bus. By the time it came, it was pretty crowded (standing room only) with most of the people getting on at the Beach Club. I didn’t carry a bag today so I entered the park with no wait at all just before 9am. As I passed through Tomorrowland Terrace the rope drop happened, and I followed the crowd to Space Mountain. I was near the front of the group, so I just did standby – riding in the 4th or 5th rocket of the day. Afterwards I headed through Fantasyland and rode Peter Pan’s Flight with no wait at all. From there I went to Haunted Mansion, but it was not operating. The cast members said to check back later, but that wasn’t going to work for me. It was about 9:30 so I left the park to get back to Stormalong Bay.

I was concerned there would be a long wait for the bus, but there ended up being 9 of us waiting for Beach Club so they guy in the white van sent us a bus in about 10 minutes. I was back in the studio shortly after 10, and SB was in the shower. Once I got changed into my swimsuit and he dressed, we were ready for Stormalong Bay.

We got there about 10:30 or so and it wasn’t too busy at all. I went for a ride around the lazy river section (using a noodle – we brought 2 from home) and then joined him on the chairs. Just before 11 we went over to Hurricane Hanna’s to wait for them to open for lunch. We were the first customer (couple big groups behind us), so that meant we had a long wait for the food because nothing was pre-made yet. SB got the cheeseburger and fries, and I had the grilled chicken salad. The salad had big chunks of chicken, cheese, diced apples, cranberries, croutons, and a nice balsamic dressing. It was very big too, but SB finished it up for me since I ate some of his fries. He really liked it too, and he’s not a big salad lover.

While we were eating, SB mentions after a certain baseball thing he has to do in early February he’d like to take us on a 4-5 day cruise. I just about fell out of my chair, as I love cruising but he hasn’t been that hot about it. He also has no passport right now, so I’m not sure February would be possible – but a 7-night in September would be fun <g> (he agreed). So, we’ll see what comes of that! It would mean less time here, but we always have short weekends.

We went back to the chairs and he napped while I read. Around 12:30 he went back up to the studio and I stayed at the pool for another hour. I got to talking to the woman next to me, who was here solo right now. Last weekend her husband out of the blue said “we’re going to dinner – in Disney World”. So, Friday night they flew down from Michigan & stayed in a suite at the Yacht Club. He flew home Sunday, but is coming back this weekend because 1 of their kids is doing a food stand at the Party for the Senses….how nice!

I was back in the studio around 1:30 and spent about 30 minutes online before going to sit on the balcony with a magazine for a while. We watched General Hospital, and after we were both showered & dressed we began talking about dinner. Food & Wine kiosks would have been fine for me, but he was in the mood for a real meal at a real restaurant. He asked about Japan over in Epcot, and Whispering Canyon Café at Wilderness Lodge. I stifled my laughter and explained the 180 days ADR thing <g>. I did call Disney Dining for a couple of non-parks locations, but all we could get was 9pm at Spoodles. I asked about walk-up and they told me they do not do any walkups, which I know is bullcrap. But, we went to Big River Grille and walked right in.

It was humid outside, so we sat inside. I never knew this restaurant was so small inside! Besides a bar, I don’t think there were even 10 tables in there. I thought the food came out way too fast, but SB didn’t mind. I ordered a glass of wine and a bowl of the cheese beer soup. SB got a coke, side salad & chicken alfredo. The meal came out when he was barely through his salad, which is why I felt it was too quick. Everything was very good, although of course the soup doesn’t rank as high as the soup at LeCellier. They don’t do any discounts, so we actually paid the menu price – what a shock, lol. It was a good meal and I could see us returning here again in the future. Without a reservation booked months in advance at a Disney restaurant, there really aren’t that many other choices <g>.

We sat on a bench on the boardwalk for a bit, then went into Epcot. It was almost time for the 5:45 David Cassidy concert, so we went to see it again. On the way in the funnel cake stand was calling to us – so we got one to share during the concert. He actually quit before me, and I finished the rest of it. I felt like such a pig, but it was so tasty! The concert once again was wonderful. David Cassidy puts on a terrific show, and I would love to have him back during our trip next year. In fact, if he is back on a weekend I’d book a weekend trip for us to attend his concerts. He really was just that good!

When the concert ended we made our way back towards the International Gateway. We stopped in Oklahoma so I could get a pecan pie for later. However, after that funnel cake I think that pie probably won’t get eaten tonight! There was some cowboy guy demonstrating swinging a lariat rope, and was doing a good job. Cowboys are so NOT my thing, though. The girl (also dressed like a cowboy – yuck) talking about the performance was telling people to come visit Oklahoma since they have “everything”. I don’t believe they have any nice beaches – I don’t count sand around a lake as a beach. Oklahoma may be a very nice state, but I don’t see us taking vacation time to go there.

We left Epcot and walked back to the resort, enjoying the easy access. So many people end up with a bad impression of WDW because they stay in Kissimmee at some fleabag motel and have to commute in, then spend all their time standing in lines at attractions for 12 hours before driving back through traffic to the motel. Slowing down and enjoying a resort like this, taking time to sit & enjoy a concert or just sit on a bench or sit on your balcony make it a totally different kind of trip (a much better one in my opinion).

Before we got here, I kind of figured SB might want to bail out on Comedy Warehouse 1 of the nights in order to watch the baseball playoffs, and I was right. I think the combination of the shows not being very good the other night and there not being a ballgame to watch tomorrow night made him want to watch tonight’s game. No big deal – I’ll have Leesa to keep me company, and SB will have more Comedy Warehouse in a few weeks.

I left about 7:15 and drove to Downtown Disney and parked over by Planet Hollywood. It was almost 7:45 when I got to the Adventurer’s Club and I found Leesa and Karen (another regular) sitting by the railing. I joined them until it was time to head over to Comedy Warehouse. On the way out we saw Philip working as Hathaway Brown, and chatted with him briefly. Jim Roberts was on the keys tonight.

The 8:00 cast was Missy, tall Mark, Mark L, Mary & Brian. They opened with a poem called “My computer is killing me”. They did Styles, where Mary solicited various styles of music, movies, theater, tv, playrights from the audience and had the actors rotate from style to style while doing a scene. Brian & Mark were golf partners who had created a paperweight.

Next tall Mark was joined by Mary in a mud wrestling scene that was repeatedly stopped and put into forward or reverse. Each time they went forward they got a little further along, then at the end they have to reverse the entire scene. It’s pretty funny, but I think the audience was confused (most are not confused – this audience was the exception).

They also did Actor’s Nightmare, where everyone had a script to read from except Mary. She had to make sense of what was said, and this time they brought a girl up from the audience to read from a script. She was very comfortable up there and did really well. Overall it was a pretty good show, but the audience really sucked. Some funny things were said but nobody reacted at all – there was just silence. Even at the end the applause sounded more like polite applause – not like they really meant it. It was strange. I talked with Mary after the show – it’s a treat to be here on one of her nights for a change! Rich & Deb, Chris & Frank, and Becky & Gary came to the 2nd show, so I got to see them before it started.

The 9:05 cast was the same – Missy, tall Mark, Mark L, Mary & Brian. They got this lose of a guy on the phone for the opening interview. He was from Iowa, married for 1 year but they have a 2 year old son (oops), and he couldn’t remember where he & his wife met, where they went on their first date, or anything other than he likes to drink & will drink whatever is in front of him. He’s also a used car salesman – not for a legitimate dealership, but one of those no-name lots. His wife looked miserable – she’s a young nurse and when asked what attracted her to him (since he’s a drunk), she said “his harley”. Lovely.

The rest of the show was Conducted Story, led by Mark L. It was called “Thanksgiving at Christmas” and was an entertaining story. Brian died first, and did a soap opera death by the remote control. Mary died by a snowglobe in a weird sitting, standing, kneeling scene. With 3 actors in the scene, only 1 could be sitting, 1 could be standing, and 1 could be kneeling – so when anyone moves, the other 2 have to move also. Her death was well done, but I found the standing/kneeling/sitting somewhat distracting. Missy did a musical death by a tv, then tall Mark wrapped up the story in a Fill in the Blank style – pausing to get the next word from the audience. Overall it was another good show, and I was glad I’d come tonight.

Leesa was staying for 1 more show, but I wanted to get back to the studio with SB. I stopped at the Hess station along the way for some cheap gas (cheaper than where we live), then drove back to BCV. This resort is VERY nice – I love it more each time I stay here. Leaving tonight it was so peaceful & pretty – the only noise was the nice music they play, and the entire surroundings are just beautiful. Coming home, there was a family enjoying the quiet pool, and again I was struck by how nice it is here.

SB was watching Boston lose yet another game. Neither one of us cares who wins, so whatever happens is no big deal here. We watched the rest of it and researched some shorter cruises for next February. Once we get home (and away from a dialup internet connection) we’ll be able to plan my vacation days for next year.

Today was a nice relaxing day, which is just how I like them! It was disappointing to miss the Haunted Mansion, but I’ll catch it on a future trip. Stormalong Bay was really nice today, and I hope the weather holds for tomorrow. The trip is winding down, and I’m not looking forward to leaving on Thursday.

Tomorrow will be laundry, breakfast at Yacht Club Galley, Stormalong Bay, and the Little Richard concert at Epcot.


DAY 6 – Wednesday 10/17/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
SB (50), boyfriend

Plan: Open

Actual: I was up just before 7, and after getting dressed I put the clothes into the washer. The laundry room is just down the hall, so it’s very convenient. There are 2 washers and 2 dryers, and they’re all pretty big. They’re pretty hi-tech too, but I eventually figured out how to start the washers. The wash cycle is over 50 minutes long, so I went back to the room to shower & make cappuccino. SB was awake by 8, which is pretty much when I transferred the clothes to the dryer. We weren’t heading to any park this morning, so we weren’t in any rush. The laundry machines were a pain – one dryer kept stopping and I lost 1 of my socks somehow.

Around 9:15 we walked over to Yacht Club Galley for breakfast. We had no wait to be seated. They have a pretty big menu, just like at Spoodles. But they also have a buffet for $15.99 which includes the beverages. SB got the buffet, and enjoyed it. He had eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, toast, grits, fruit, & some other stuff (along with 2 big glasses of milk). He won’t need lunch – this was a very good meal. I got the yogurt parfait, which was surprisingly filling and pretty good. We fortunately left just after they seated a party with a noisy baby right next to us. There was another family a couple tables away, and they had a baby who sat quietly cooing & not bothering anyone. The one next to us was a different story – happy child, but noisy.

It was really HOT already, and SB was sweating just walking out to the car with me (we had more water in the car I wanted to bring in). He decided to stay in the studio to cool off – I doubt he’ll make it down to Stormalong Bay as hot as it is (supposed to be 90 and humid). I changed into my swimsuit, grabbed my stuff and headed down to my usual area. The lady from yesterday was there again today.

There was nobody else in the lazy river for a while, so I enjoyed floating around in peace. Eventually the pool got busier, but it was really nice & still peaceful. I was out there for about 2 hours, reading and relaxing. About 12:30 I passed the finished magazine off to the lady from yesterday, and went back up to the studio. There were a couple bites of the tomato/mozzarella sandwich left, so I ate that. I wasn’t sure it would still be ok, but it smelled and looked fine. We decided to go to Epcot after General Hospital, and just relaxed in the studio for the afternoon. I ate yesterday’s pecan pie, too – boy is that stuff good (too good – I’d be better off if it was awful <g>).

After General Hospital I left for Epcot. SB wanted to see Bill Cosby on the Oprah Winfrey show, which was on next, so I decided to do the 5pm Chateau Ste Michelle wine seminar. He would leave BCV at 5 and meet me in Australia. I ran into Tina (dvc friend) on my way into Epcot, and chatted with her briefly. This is a great time of year for seeing old friends! I got over to the Festival Center at 4:30 and saw the line was much longer than the other day. So much for the weekdays not being too busy at the seminars! I checked the sign and saw the wines were all merlot – and I hate red wine. I called Dottie to let her know, and left the building.

I wandered back towards World Showcase and thought about seeing the movie in France, However, the next showing was 20 minutes away and I didn’t feel like waiting. I got a glass of wine in Australia, then returned to a shady bench in Morocco to sit down. I was right next to the Mo Rockin’ stage, and wouldn’t you know – they came out to play a set. I don’t mind them, but I ended up having a crowd of people around me rather than being able to people watch. SB arrived shortly after they finished playing.

We walked over to America and he got a bacon double cheeseburger meal. I had a few bites of it – it wasn’t bad. We finished up around 5:30 and went to get seats for the Little Richard Concert scheduled for 5:45. I was surprised to see the theater was almost entirely full. We shared a bench in the very back with another couple, and then the cast members roped off the area to keep others from getting in.

There was a strange-looking man walking around (he stood out because he wasn’t dressed like a tourist), and I think he had something to do with the show. He was looking for certain people (tourists), and evidently had seats for them down front. He spotted some outside, and walked over & unhooked the rope to let them in, bringing them past guests who’d arrived sooner and were not permitted into the theater. The Disney babysitter (plaid vest guy) freaked, and ran over to calm the 2 cast members working at the rope after the guy & his people went down to the front. I just thought that was very poor – if you’re getting special seats, get your butt there ON TIME – or better yet, early. Don’t show up at the last minute and be given special treatment in front of everyone.

The 5:45 concert started right on time, as usual for Disney. However, Little Richard didn’t appear for the first 9 minutes, and then only sat & waved his arms around. He didn’t actually start saying anything or singing until 12 minutes into the half-hour concert. I was not impressed by that at all! He was wearing a glittery yellow suit, and looked much younger than 75 years old. He did a total of 5 songs. At one point he said he wanted a “big fat white lady” to come up on stage. Nobody was getting up, so he kept asking for a big fat white lady, saying he knows some are out there. He also asked for a “big fat juicy black lady” too. Eventually about 4 women got up onstage to dance to his next song. He commented “she’s squishing over here” as the white woman was walking across the stage, and said “oh she’s flopping all over the place” about the fat black lady. Honestly – I was appalled, both by Little Richard and by the women who got up on stage.

We stayed for the whole show, and while some of the 5 songs were enjoyable, Little Richard really was not. He was asking the audience “do you love me?” – gag. The difference between him and David Cassidy the nights before were just too great. David Cassidy was a class act, put on a good show, and didn’t take himself too seriously. Little Richard was a real piece of work, and not someone I’d bother to see again.

We walked around World Showcase after the concert, making our last rounds of the Food & Wine Festival for this trip. Our first stop was in Australia for another glass of wine for me. This time the person pouring the wine said “you were here before” – oops. Guess it’s time for me to go away for a while <g>. SB wanted an ice cream in France but the line wasn’t moving so we decided to try on our way back around. In Spain I got the potatoes & spicy sausage, but it wasn’t what I expected. It was ok, but not what I was in the mood for. SB tried it and ended up loving it! In Germany we each got the debriziner sausage in pretzel roll – delicious as always. I was done at this point!

We stopped in France on the way out and got his chocolate ice cream cone, then walked back to Beach Club Villas. Back in the studio we did some stuff online, watched some tv, and finished packing up. Tomorrow we’ll be heading home – he misses our home and is looking forward to getting back, while I’d be happy staying here for another 2 weeks! Before we go though, we’ll make a run to the Marketplace to get something to eat and hit a few shops.


DAY 7 – Thursday 10/18/07
Who: Sue (48), DVC member
SB (50), boyfriend

Plan: Open, Drive Home

Actual: Our final day, we didn’t have to be anywhere, and we were both awake before 7am! Doesn’t you hate when it works out that way? <g> We laid in bed watching the morning news show, then I got up and got the bill from the front entry. I was shocked by how low it was – just $167 for 6 nights of fun. I kept thinking they were missing stuff, but between using the rest of my Disney Rewards card (had a small balance left from my solo trips) and what SB paid in cash or his credit card, the bill seems to be right. It’s not like Disney to make a mistake in the guest’s favor, lol.

When I got up it was still dark so I opened the drapes. I wanted to enjoy the sun rising, but today it seems to be cloudy & humid. The windows fogged up, which hasn’t happened before – so it must be humid out there. I’m so glad we had nice weather for most of our trip – having weather like today would be a real shame.

We decided to leave here around 9 for the Marketplace, so I got up to shower shortly after 8. I finished packing up our stuff and we were out the door by 9:15. We parked at the Marketplace down near the toy store, and went to Earl of Sandwich for breakfast. SB got the Earl’s Club, which was very good. I decided to try the applewood bacon, egg & cheese sandwich which comes on a half loaf of their bread. It was ok, and plenty for me.

After we ate we went to World of Disney looking for the tea kettle with the Mickey body parts design. I’d seen them in MouseGear but we don’t get a discount there. They didn’t have any here, and hadn’t had any for weeks. We tried the Pantry store next to Earl of Sandwich and found it there. SB bought it as a birthday gift for me, so I told him I didn’t want to use it until then (just a few weeks).

Our last stop was Goofy’s Candy Co, where we had some stuff made. I got a rice crispie (mickey) dipped in milk chocolate, rolled in chopped m&m pieces, and drizzled with chocolate. I also got 2 orders of the pretzel rods dipped in chocolate, rolled in candy & drizzled with more chocolate for the people at work. Each order has 3 pretzel rods, so it works out perfectly. While we were waiting for everything to get made SB got a plain caramel apple to eat now. But, he wasn’t able to finish it and I didn’t want it to go to waste – so I ate it and regretted it later. I felt like I had a brick in my stomach all the way home!

We had an uneventful 3-hour drive home, wrapping up another terrific DVC vacation.

Final Thoughts:
We both really enjoyed ourselves this trip, and although we really didn’t do many attractions in the parks we don’t feel like we missed out on anything. I didn’t take any photos, so there won’t be an album for this trip. We were lucky to have great weather for most of the trip, and crowds weren’t too bad wherever we went. I’ve never wanted a room overlooking the pool but it worked out fine – we had no noise, and it was pretty to sit on the balcony with that view.

Our next trip will be a long weekend starting November 1st. We’ll be meeting up with some friends for meals, will spend 3 nights at Comedy Warehouse, and will hit Food & Wine Festival one last time for this year.

Until then – thanks for reading.

I'm am right now printing this out. I can't wait to read it.

83 days to WDW Villas at the Wilderness Lodge with my family.

NJ

sue as a disney vet. the LITTLE things are what add up for me . concerts , food & wine flower & garden, people watching. a suggestion bob jackson @ p.o.riverside & a blue moonshine for sb & narcoussee[ spelling] @ GR FL. GET THERE ABOUT 1 HR BEFORE DINNER & PEOPLE WATCH IN LOBBY & LISTEN TO PIANO PLAYER WITH A NICE GLASS OF ADULT BEV.

Sue - chronologically speaking, did we miss the Labor Day weekend trip mentioned in the May '07 report?

sue as a disney vet. the LITTLE things are what add up for me . concerts , food & wine flower & garden, people watching. a suggestion bob jackson @ p.o.riverside & a blue moonshine for sb & narcoussee[ spelling] @ GR FL. GET THERE ABOUT 1 HR BEFORE DINNER & PEOPLE WATCH IN LOBBY & LISTEN TO PIANO PLAYER WITH A NICE GLASS OF ADULT BEV.

Excellent suggestions - thank you! I haven't seen Bob at POR in many years, and that would be a fun evening.

Sue - chronologically speaking, did we miss the Labor Day weekend trip mentioned in the May '07 report?

It should be posted as Early Sept 2007 - unless I combined Labor Day & late Sept (food & wine opening) into just one Sept 2007 report.

Very informative and entertaining as usual Sue. Thank you so much for taking the time to write your reports.

Great trip report! We are staying at BCV in May!

Noodles? You need to bring noodle for the lazy river?

As usual, an entertaining and informative report! I've so enjoyed catching up on yours, Sue.

We're going to the festival next Sunday, just for the day. Are the World Showcase crowds hellacious on the weekends or what?

I love to read your trip reports! I just wish I could visit WDW as often as you do. I do have a question -- you mention many times in your reports of eating those giant preztels. Are all the preztels in WDW the same? If not, which ones are the best and why?

Thanks -- looking forward to reading your future trip reports!

Yes, those weekend crowds in World Showcase are nuts - especially in the evening!

Not all pretzels are the same. The ones in Germany seem to be made from the same dough as in LeCellier. I like the pretzels in America best. They seemed slightly different in Future World, and not quite as good.