wayne
10-18-2007, 01:42 PM
Wayne Goergen May 5-12, 2007 All Star Music / Boardwalk Villa Resort
CAST
Wayne: Father long time Disney vet (55)
Sue: Mother also vet and trip planner(?)
Jeff: Son in charge of air fare (36)
Kelly: Jeff’s wife in charge of dining (?)
Emily: granddaughter in charge of fun (7)
Kristin: Daughter(?)
Matt: Kristin’s boyfriend(30)
Planning:
We have been members of DVC since 1999 and had many trips to W.D.W These have been with both children, one at a time or probably the best when we combined a trip with our best friend, Steve Russo, his family and ours. This year Sue and Jeff got together and decided May would be a good time to go. (you will notice I have very little to say or do. I just retired so I do and go anywhere, anytime with no questions asked) upon hearing about our trip my daughter announced herself and Matt were coming. The more the merrier.
Rooms:
We have a 2 bedroom at Boardwalk Villas Resort for May 6 to May 11. We are arriving May 5 so Jeff suggested staying at the new bigger rooms at All Star music. At $220 for the night is good since I couldn’t get BW for less than $400 .
Dining:
Now tell me can you think of a better time to plan dinners at WDW than just after you finished Thanksgiving dinner. (which Sue did a great job again) That’s just what we did. With six adults we try to have at least one meal together at a theme park or Disney resort eatery. Now is Kelly’s time to step up to bat. Sunday we will be at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary resort. Here Emily will meet some characters which is a number 1 priority. The next day we have Le Cellier in the Canada pavilion for dinner. This will be my steak stop for the week. The next stop is Emily’s favorite. Cape May Café in the Beach Club Resort. it is one of the best seafood buffet ever. Our mid trip dinner will be on our major shopping day at Downtown Disney. I have to try the Irish pub. One of the better deals is the Fantasmic package at Disney MGM. Here we are eating at Mama Mel rose’s Restorante and then having seats reserved at the show. Our last meal will be at Liberty tree tavern which is in Magic Kingdom. This is where Sue and I used to eat when the kids were small and we stayed off site. (what were we thinking) So as you can see Kelly did a great job.
Flights
Jeff’s job. First half of trip he got us seats on Southwest out of Albany N Y for $57 a person. We arrive at 3:00 in the afternoon but I have never gotten my room before 4:00 anyways so I’ll take a $89 dollar per person savings anytime. The return flight home with great timing of getting on Southwest web page we were able to get flights for $77. Since we are leaving late in the day we will have time for EPCOT one more time
Thoughts
I love my vacations at W.D.W. and the DVC is the best investment I have made in a long time. I think it’s great how my family can plan a trip so smoothly and how we all get along. I hope Matt is ready for his first extended time with this group of Disney vets.( he thinks he can sleep in)
Day 1 Sat
This is really strange for my wife and myself because we are used to traveling early and being at the airport at 5:00am but since we are leaving later no rush. We already feel more relaxed. Jeff and Kelly are picking us up and Kristin and Matt are meeting us there. I always love watching people at Southwest gates. It’s like they think they are not getting on the flight. What a joke.
Emily is very excited about going to Disney World even though it is at least her 10th time in her 7 years. She is the reason I bought into the vacation club since originally she was living in Florida and I thought what better place to get together than at the happiest place on earth. This year we are celebrating 3 birthdays in WDW (Emily, Kelly and myself)so this is going to be a very special trip.
The flight down was uneventful and as I find we were early again. It seems we are always 15 to 20 minutes early. Our way to All Stars Music is Tiffany town car. I know Disney has a bus service to all resorts but we find it convenient to stop and pick up groceries and whatever else we need. It takes maybe an hour all together and for $110 round trip for seven to ride comfortable it's worth it. Sue and I are going to use Magical Express when we come in Jan.
Our first night is at All star Music in a room that sleeps 6. Check-in went very smoothly and in minutes we were on our way to our room. Now it's been a while since we stayed at one of these resorts, remember we have been members of DVC for 8 years. The room is really 2 rooms redesigned into one. It really is cool how they did it and with two baths I can see how a large family could enjoy this room. Our only problem came when Danial brought our luggage only half our groceries were there. Now the one thing the Goergen family knows is food and no one messes with our food. So off I go and who do I see but Danial coming along with his hands full .I help him to our room and he is very apologetic and he says something that makes me happy. He says it's the first time he can remember that everybody from oldest to youngest said thank you to him and that made him feel good.
Now all settled in we go to the food court for dinner. I know it's a food court but the selection was nothing to write home about. Hamburgers, salads, and drinks were what we had. Now comes the one thing you will hear a lot from me many times along the way. Why put people on cash registers that can't speak English? And when they charge you $27.00 for a hamburger, salad and soda it's even more aggravating as they seem to speak less English when they are wrong.
We all go back to our room and Emily cons her father into going swimming. The rest of us just lay back and get ready for our first day in the parks tomorrow. Jeff comes back in about an hour and says you could hardly move in the pool. Come to find out the main pool is closed so everybody is in one pool and later that night it got very noisy when we went to bed.
Now not really having enough for supper I decide to order a pizza. I ask everyone and Matt and Emily said yes. Sue was not feeling well so she said no. The other 3 said it was to late so I ordered 1 pizza pie. Now the price I can't remember but the pizza was a good size and for a resort I didn't think it was to bad. As soon as I opened the box it was like vultures everybody but Sue was after pizza. I should have known better. Now as I said I have been a DVC member for 8 years and Emily this week turns 8. So as only a child can ask” Poppy when are we going to the nice place you own”. Now not to sound uppity but I really do think the Boardwalk is the best place to stay.
Thoughts
All star Music was nice for one nigh(I know I'm spoiled)
Tiffany Town car is a good way to get to the resorts
English speaking people on cash registers can't hurt
Flying later in the day is less stressful since you don't have as big of crowds at the airport
Day 2 Sun
For some reason I was up at 5:30 in the morning. This hasn't happen since I retired a year ago Now for all who want to know Disney resorts will transfer groceries and luggage. We called the bellboys at7::00am and told them we had 17packages to be moved to Boardwalk Resort and they sent the littlest woman. We helped load her cart and get her started and went to get a cab for Contemporary Resort and breakfast at Chef's Mickey. There was a van cab sitting right in front and we were on our way. The cost was only $17.00 including tip so it was a lot easier than Disney transportation. Breakfast is a buffet but as I said we are into food so it was worth it. Emily got to get her picture taken and autographs from 5 characters with the mouse himself as a highlight. The cost was $106.00 for 6 adults and 1 child. We used the Disney dining experience and saved $20.00 off the bill. Now off to Magic Kingdom. We always start by going down Main Street and turn left. I don't know why but the crowds are always less there. We went to Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Thunder Mountain, Philharmagic and Splash Mountain with no lines more than 20 minutes. In all my trips I have never done Splash Mountain. I did this time with Kristin, Matt ,Sue and Kelly. They all said my nervousness over the ride made the ride more fun then they had in a long time. Now I can say I'm down to 3 thrill rides left. Two old and one new.
At 2:00pm Sue was still not 100% so she and I went to see if our room was ready. The kids stayed in the park and went to the right side. I have never gotten into my room before 4:00 but the gods were with us and our room was ready. The gods were really there for our room was just off the elevator. So now the problem starts. I call down for our luggage and was told it was not delivered yet to BW. The staff said that around 4:00 they should have them. In the meantime the kids all show up and Matt is impressed at the 2 bedroom we have. Like I said the gods are with us because not long after everybody shows up a major thunderstorm hits the area, last about 1 hour and then leaves a beautiful night. Now at 5:00 I call bell services again and no luggage .They call again and this time I'm told they are on the way. Sure enough a van shows up and we are the only luggage there. I think they forgot us. Dinner tonight is at ESPN Club. The food is good and for the seven of us only $80.00 with a $15.00 savings with DDE
For the evening we all go to EPCOT and do the American Adventure. We seem to do this about every other year. It is a good show but not something to do often. Next we go to Mexico to do the new ride. Now I don't have anything against the 3 caballeros but I think and so do the adults in our group feel you lose the meaning behind the ride when you add cartoon characters.
There is one thing Sue loves are fireworks and at EPCOT she is really in her glory. We always stand on the bridge by the International gateway and as always the show did not disappoint. A nice easy walk and we are back at BW. Matt is impressed how convenient it is . This is his first time at our DVC and he loves it
Thoughts
I love hearing “welcome home” and every cast member said that to us
Transferring bags not that hard as long as they don't forget you
Matt and I have a secret and everybody will know tomorrow
the Disney Dinning experience saves us Emily's meal plus part of the tip
* the Disney Dinning Experience is only available if you are an annual pass holder or a Florida resident
DAY 3 Monday
The morning starts with Jeff running in from his room looking for towels. It seems Emily did the thing all kids do look at her parents and announces” Mommy I think I'm going to______” all over the place. Right away we called down for guest services and they were very helpful and the room was back to normal in no time. Now for those who don't know a 2 bedroom suite at DVC resorts are made up of a 1 bedroom and a studio suite. Jeff and Kelly stay back with Emily so the rest of us head for EPCOT. First we hit test track with no line, people were getting off and back on. Next we head to mission space Kristin and Matt go to the orange and wilder ride Sue and I opt for the quieter green line. We stand in line maybe 10 minutes when Sue realizes we are the only ones in line. I look at the other line and state that no one is as old as us at 55. The ride was fine and we continue onto Energy. It is amazing how adding cartoon characters to an exhibit you can change the draw. This is what happened at Living Seas. This was a walk on 1 year ago and now there is a line. There seems to be not much changed just the beginning where you walk to a ride instead of getting on the imitation elevators as before.
Back to the room and lunch. Emily is feeling better but not up to going to the park. So as the great grandparents that we are we tell the kids to go and we will stay with Emily. Jeff, Kristin, Matt and Kelly are off to EPCOT for dinner at Le Celliar in Canada. All had steaks and said their dinner was very good .The cost was $150.00 and again a $30.00 savings with DDE.
Sue and I decide I should go down to the General Store and find something for dinner. This was supposed to be my steak night, wrong, pot pies instead Oh well. Again my pet peave another person on a register that barely speaks English. The kids come back and Emily is feeling a lot better and says she will pick where we go next. Everything back to normal.
Matt and Kristin go for a walk around the lake and as they get to the pavilion at BW they stop to watch and listen to the fireworks. This is where our secret is revealed. Matt turns and asks Kristin to marry him. Of course Kristin says yes. We are very happy to have Matt in our family. Seconds later Kristin comes in to tell usand we all go nuts. Sue and I take the newly engaged down to the Bel Vue Room for drinks and already the talk for the wedding starts
thoughts
having a sick child on vacation is difficult but by working together everybody still can enjoy themselves the staff at BW are very helpful
Matt and Kristin getting married is a great thing we have been waiting a long time
Day 4Tuesday
Emily's day to pick and it's EPCOT. We all really like this park the best. To make this short knowing most know the park Emily's favorites are Imagination with Figment, Living Seas, the ride the Land and Soarin. Now this ride baffles me. It has the longest lines sometimes up to 70 minutes. It's all right but to wait 70 minutes for a 5 minute ride that does nothing I don't get it. Plus the fast pass in this ride seems as long as standby. May be they should just use one side for one ride the other in the other ride.
For lunch we all went separate ways. Jeff, Kelly and Emily went to Mexico. Kristin and Matt went to the Electric Umbrella and Sue and I went to our room to relax. As you can see we always have time to relax in the afternoon. This is usually when pool time comes into play. This year with the weather it has been very comfortable not too hot or cold.
Dinner for tonight is at the Beach Resort at Cape May. This is another buffet but with seafood and regular buffet fare. Emily makes her whole meal out of shrimp and steamed clams. She has a way of getting me to do things for her and tonight it was pealing the shrimp. She ate them as fast as I could peal them. Now the rest of us ate to we were all full and tried everything to offer. This bill came to $155.00 with another savings of $25.00 with DDE After dinner we jumped a bus for MK and went to Tomorrow land to do the things Sue and I hadn't done. First we go to Buzz Lightyear and again Jeff beats me I think he cheats,. Then we go to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Kristin and Matt do Space Mountain. With this done we go to the new show Monster laugh floor. This is a comedy show for kids and adults alike. I don't know why but this show intermixes with the audience and my family was targeted. Maybe it was the salmon colored shirt I had on but it attracted whoever was running the camera. Too much to tell about the show but Kelly was in a skit with a mind reader, Jeff was in a skit where he was to buy churros for the audience and I was in a running gag of That Guy. As I left at least three times a stranger referred to me as that guy .It was fun. Now as I said before Sue loves Fireworks. So we go by the main entrance and wait for Wishes. This is a great show with fireworks and the castle changing lighting throughout. The show last 20 minutes and we're off to the bus stop. The gods are still with us because there is still room on the first bus. I must say that this time we never had to wait for a bus. Back to BW to find they are setting up an interactive show with preview of Disney's new movie Ratatouille. Ice cream, dough nuts and other goodies and it's off to rest for tomorrow.
Thoughts
I never understand the fascination in Soarin
quiet time in the afternoon is the best way to keep your trip running smoothly
I love being part of a Disney show. This is the 2nd time I have been picked for a show.Does anybody remember the street show in Italy at EPCOT?
Day 5 Weds.
Breakfast in our hotel room and then off to Animal Kingdom. Now this is the least favorite park. It is small and confusing to get around but at Disney it is still better than any place else. We enter the park and go directly to Expedition Everest. Like I said the gods are with us on this trip when we get to the ride there is a short line and the fast pass isn't even open. So every one but Emily and myself go on. Now if you remember in the old days there was a style of getting on rides called wall walkers . They would send in one to a long line, the rest go do other things and come back when their front man got close to getting in. today it's done with cell phones. Well as I sit and wait I watch 2 men enter the line. Now this line is not long and soon they are ready to go inside the ride . They make their call and ask the cast member if he will send their family in to meet them when they show up. The cast member says when they come they can go to the end of the line. I sat only so the cast member could see me I applauded him. Soon all riders came off with mixed feelings about the ride. Sue, Matt And Kristin loved it. Jeff thought it was great but a little to much for multiable rides And Kelly said done that and never again.
Next Sue, Matt, Kristin and I go to the Dinosaur ride Jeff, Kelly and Emily go to Triceratops spin. While on this ride Jeff and everybody else on the ride gets a dream fast pass .This is part of Disney's Where dreams come true promotion. So using this pass Kelly, Jeff And Emily go to Kilimanjaro Safari ride, Kristin, Matt and Jeff do Primeval Whirl, Kristin and Matt do Expedition Everest again and Jeff, Matt and myself, as the last ride at the park, go to Kali River Rapids. We got soaked and the walk to the buses dried us out a little.
The girls leave to Downtown Disney for a surprise for Emily. They take her to the Bibbity Boppidy Boutique. Emily is your typical little girl and loves being made up and let me tell you they did a great job and she had a good time. Meanwhile with the guys alone, off we go to the Big River Grille on BW for a cocktail. Matt officially became a family member when he says” I have this one” and bought the beer. Welcome. Next we go to a DVC meeting just to see what they are about. It kills time. Now to meet the girls for dinner at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney.
We all meet and get seated right away. All order an alcoholic beverage and order appetizers. These all are made for 2. A pint of prawns are the biggest shrimp ever, Dalkey Duo are stuffed hot dogs and Salmon forest are plenty for us. Dinner is a mix of different from Shepard pie, Irish stew, bangers and fish and chips . All is good and the price for this meal was @188.00 with a $33.00 saving with DDE. Now since we are here this is our big shopping trip. Believe it or not Sue does a lot of her Christmas shopping at this time but this year she takes it a little easy. Now the kids on the other hand they really shop and get plenty. One more bus ride back to BW and get ready for the next day.
Thoughts
Animal Kingdom we can do in about half a day
I love it when people who try to cheat and gets busted
Expedition Everest by most a good ride( the new one I haven't tried)
Hard to figure how shopping can be fun, only at Disney
Day 6 Thurs.
Today we are having a late dinner so the morning is free time. First everyone but myself planning on sleeping in. That's find but not for Sue. This has become a tradition that at around the end of the trip Sue and I go for a nice breakfast at Spoodles and reflect on how the trip has been. Back at the room every body gets ready and does whatever, swimming, more shopping and a quick trip to MK, And get back by 1:00 to go to MGM
We have an early dinner at Mama Melrose at 3:30 so we go do shows we haven't seen in awhile. Now the shows are very good and relaxing. We saw Beauty and the Beast and little Mermaid before dinner . Then after dinner we did The Great Movie Ride, Muppets 3-D,Star Tours, Indiana Jones and the Backlot Tour. This brings us to one of Sue's favorites Fantasmic. This is part of the dinner package and gets you reserved seats. You still have to get there early for seats but I don't think any seat is really that bad. All during Emily is giving me the play by play of characters that comes on before you. For some reason she thinks I don't know who they are, so I play along and it makes her feel good.
On the way back to BW I strike up a conversation with a young father here from Arizona and we talk DVC all the way back to the quiet pool. After he leaves Emily says, Poppy don't you know you are not supposed to talk to strangers. I tell her it is alright for grandfathers to do it. Later that night Kelly says Emily was afraid some one will take her poppy. As a smart---Jeff is he says, if they did in one hour they would be offering us money to take him back.
Thoughts
today was a very nice relaxing day
Sue and I love how our family enjoys each others company
I have always talked to strangers and find it very interesting how at Disney others talk as well with little urging DDE saved us $58.0
Day 7 Fri.
I have noticed that as we get older and more trips to WDW we tend to do things later in the day as the vacation goes on. This is not a bad thing since a lot of people are coming back as we go.
Kristin and Matt are going to do the “behind the seed tour” at the Land in EPCOT. We are to meet at the pin station at 12:30 so this gives Sue and I a little quiet pool time. Like I said the gods are with us. The weather is so nice even by 10:00am you can go to the pool. We all meet at the pin station and decide Electric Umbrella for lunch. Good idea bad timing. The whole parks looks like they are here . After a short wait holding table, our food gathers show up and we have a nice lunch of burgers and chicken.
We go on to Spaceship Earth where there is a good size line. Jeff says that they are going to do some remodeling and this is going to be closed for a while. I'm glad we saw it for the last time I just hope they don't change it by adding cartoon characters. Next we are on to Innovations. This is still a place to kill time but I wish they would do real innovations of the future.
Back to our room and we decide no more buses so we cancel our reservation for Liberty Tree. With this we decide to try .I believe was called Fresh Mediterranean Market. This is another buffet but not for us exactly. There was food we all would eat but not for the cost.This was $213.00 with a $48.00 discount for being DVC members.
On to EPCOT to listen to Davey Jones of the Monkees. Sue and I enjoyed it but Matt and Kristin left after one song. The show was alright but I had a girl about 30 who was screaming at every chance she had. She said she was a fan of the Monkees. Yeah right, when I asked if she knew the other's name she only knew Mickey Dolence.( Peter Tork, Mike Nesmieth)Sue and I took a nice slow walk back to BW and said how nice the trip had been. It really goes by fast and now we go back to pack for home and for some--WORK
Thoughts
I'm really starting to enjoy later starts as I get older`
These trips seem to go by to quick
Sue and I thinking our next trip may be just after New Year, Jeff, Kelly and Emily in May
Day 8 Sat.
This is the saddest day. We all get ready and pack, call for bell services and go to EPCOT for last time. Our flight is not till 5:55 so we have 4 hours more. We each pick want we want to do and as a group we do it. One thing I always do is have a hot dog and beer in Germany. This where my family originated from so I always come here and try to use my limited German with the cast members. Not fun for them but I enjoy it. Back at BW we meet our ride to the airport and off we go. As I have said many times about the gods there was no lines at check-in or through security. A quick bite at McDonald's and we are off to our gate. Final complaint. Why get a A pass on Southwest when there are more pre-boarders than the rest of the passengers. Now I don't mind a mother and family but aunts, uncles and cousins seem a little to much. The flight was find with a little bumpy over Maryland. (educated guess)
At Albany Matt's mom ,aunt and uncle meet them with a sign “Welcome home future Mr. And Mrs. Kurick” Very cute. Tomorrow is Mother's day and as we started the planning of our trip over a meal by Sue we end it with her lasagna.(This she made the night before we left. She thinks of everything)Again the best I have ever tasted.
Final Thoughts
Disney Dining Experience saved us $166.00 overall
vacationing with my family is a blast
welcome Matt to the family
anybody who can't have a good time here is in big trouble
2 months Las Vegas, In 7 months back to OKW, isn't being retied wonderful
CAST
Wayne: Father long time Disney vet (55)
Sue: Mother also vet and trip planner(?)
Jeff: Son in charge of air fare (36)
Kelly: Jeff’s wife in charge of dining (?)
Emily: granddaughter in charge of fun (7)
Kristin: Daughter(?)
Matt: Kristin’s boyfriend(30)
Planning:
We have been members of DVC since 1999 and had many trips to W.D.W These have been with both children, one at a time or probably the best when we combined a trip with our best friend, Steve Russo, his family and ours. This year Sue and Jeff got together and decided May would be a good time to go. (you will notice I have very little to say or do. I just retired so I do and go anywhere, anytime with no questions asked) upon hearing about our trip my daughter announced herself and Matt were coming. The more the merrier.
Rooms:
We have a 2 bedroom at Boardwalk Villas Resort for May 6 to May 11. We are arriving May 5 so Jeff suggested staying at the new bigger rooms at All Star music. At $220 for the night is good since I couldn’t get BW for less than $400 .
Dining:
Now tell me can you think of a better time to plan dinners at WDW than just after you finished Thanksgiving dinner. (which Sue did a great job again) That’s just what we did. With six adults we try to have at least one meal together at a theme park or Disney resort eatery. Now is Kelly’s time to step up to bat. Sunday we will be at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary resort. Here Emily will meet some characters which is a number 1 priority. The next day we have Le Cellier in the Canada pavilion for dinner. This will be my steak stop for the week. The next stop is Emily’s favorite. Cape May Café in the Beach Club Resort. it is one of the best seafood buffet ever. Our mid trip dinner will be on our major shopping day at Downtown Disney. I have to try the Irish pub. One of the better deals is the Fantasmic package at Disney MGM. Here we are eating at Mama Mel rose’s Restorante and then having seats reserved at the show. Our last meal will be at Liberty tree tavern which is in Magic Kingdom. This is where Sue and I used to eat when the kids were small and we stayed off site. (what were we thinking) So as you can see Kelly did a great job.
Flights
Jeff’s job. First half of trip he got us seats on Southwest out of Albany N Y for $57 a person. We arrive at 3:00 in the afternoon but I have never gotten my room before 4:00 anyways so I’ll take a $89 dollar per person savings anytime. The return flight home with great timing of getting on Southwest web page we were able to get flights for $77. Since we are leaving late in the day we will have time for EPCOT one more time
Thoughts
I love my vacations at W.D.W. and the DVC is the best investment I have made in a long time. I think it’s great how my family can plan a trip so smoothly and how we all get along. I hope Matt is ready for his first extended time with this group of Disney vets.( he thinks he can sleep in)
Day 1 Sat
This is really strange for my wife and myself because we are used to traveling early and being at the airport at 5:00am but since we are leaving later no rush. We already feel more relaxed. Jeff and Kelly are picking us up and Kristin and Matt are meeting us there. I always love watching people at Southwest gates. It’s like they think they are not getting on the flight. What a joke.
Emily is very excited about going to Disney World even though it is at least her 10th time in her 7 years. She is the reason I bought into the vacation club since originally she was living in Florida and I thought what better place to get together than at the happiest place on earth. This year we are celebrating 3 birthdays in WDW (Emily, Kelly and myself)so this is going to be a very special trip.
The flight down was uneventful and as I find we were early again. It seems we are always 15 to 20 minutes early. Our way to All Stars Music is Tiffany town car. I know Disney has a bus service to all resorts but we find it convenient to stop and pick up groceries and whatever else we need. It takes maybe an hour all together and for $110 round trip for seven to ride comfortable it's worth it. Sue and I are going to use Magical Express when we come in Jan.
Our first night is at All star Music in a room that sleeps 6. Check-in went very smoothly and in minutes we were on our way to our room. Now it's been a while since we stayed at one of these resorts, remember we have been members of DVC for 8 years. The room is really 2 rooms redesigned into one. It really is cool how they did it and with two baths I can see how a large family could enjoy this room. Our only problem came when Danial brought our luggage only half our groceries were there. Now the one thing the Goergen family knows is food and no one messes with our food. So off I go and who do I see but Danial coming along with his hands full .I help him to our room and he is very apologetic and he says something that makes me happy. He says it's the first time he can remember that everybody from oldest to youngest said thank you to him and that made him feel good.
Now all settled in we go to the food court for dinner. I know it's a food court but the selection was nothing to write home about. Hamburgers, salads, and drinks were what we had. Now comes the one thing you will hear a lot from me many times along the way. Why put people on cash registers that can't speak English? And when they charge you $27.00 for a hamburger, salad and soda it's even more aggravating as they seem to speak less English when they are wrong.
We all go back to our room and Emily cons her father into going swimming. The rest of us just lay back and get ready for our first day in the parks tomorrow. Jeff comes back in about an hour and says you could hardly move in the pool. Come to find out the main pool is closed so everybody is in one pool and later that night it got very noisy when we went to bed.
Now not really having enough for supper I decide to order a pizza. I ask everyone and Matt and Emily said yes. Sue was not feeling well so she said no. The other 3 said it was to late so I ordered 1 pizza pie. Now the price I can't remember but the pizza was a good size and for a resort I didn't think it was to bad. As soon as I opened the box it was like vultures everybody but Sue was after pizza. I should have known better. Now as I said I have been a DVC member for 8 years and Emily this week turns 8. So as only a child can ask” Poppy when are we going to the nice place you own”. Now not to sound uppity but I really do think the Boardwalk is the best place to stay.
Thoughts
All star Music was nice for one nigh(I know I'm spoiled)
Tiffany Town car is a good way to get to the resorts
English speaking people on cash registers can't hurt
Flying later in the day is less stressful since you don't have as big of crowds at the airport
Day 2 Sun
For some reason I was up at 5:30 in the morning. This hasn't happen since I retired a year ago Now for all who want to know Disney resorts will transfer groceries and luggage. We called the bellboys at7::00am and told them we had 17packages to be moved to Boardwalk Resort and they sent the littlest woman. We helped load her cart and get her started and went to get a cab for Contemporary Resort and breakfast at Chef's Mickey. There was a van cab sitting right in front and we were on our way. The cost was only $17.00 including tip so it was a lot easier than Disney transportation. Breakfast is a buffet but as I said we are into food so it was worth it. Emily got to get her picture taken and autographs from 5 characters with the mouse himself as a highlight. The cost was $106.00 for 6 adults and 1 child. We used the Disney dining experience and saved $20.00 off the bill. Now off to Magic Kingdom. We always start by going down Main Street and turn left. I don't know why but the crowds are always less there. We went to Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Thunder Mountain, Philharmagic and Splash Mountain with no lines more than 20 minutes. In all my trips I have never done Splash Mountain. I did this time with Kristin, Matt ,Sue and Kelly. They all said my nervousness over the ride made the ride more fun then they had in a long time. Now I can say I'm down to 3 thrill rides left. Two old and one new.
At 2:00pm Sue was still not 100% so she and I went to see if our room was ready. The kids stayed in the park and went to the right side. I have never gotten into my room before 4:00 but the gods were with us and our room was ready. The gods were really there for our room was just off the elevator. So now the problem starts. I call down for our luggage and was told it was not delivered yet to BW. The staff said that around 4:00 they should have them. In the meantime the kids all show up and Matt is impressed at the 2 bedroom we have. Like I said the gods are with us because not long after everybody shows up a major thunderstorm hits the area, last about 1 hour and then leaves a beautiful night. Now at 5:00 I call bell services again and no luggage .They call again and this time I'm told they are on the way. Sure enough a van shows up and we are the only luggage there. I think they forgot us. Dinner tonight is at ESPN Club. The food is good and for the seven of us only $80.00 with a $15.00 savings with DDE
For the evening we all go to EPCOT and do the American Adventure. We seem to do this about every other year. It is a good show but not something to do often. Next we go to Mexico to do the new ride. Now I don't have anything against the 3 caballeros but I think and so do the adults in our group feel you lose the meaning behind the ride when you add cartoon characters.
There is one thing Sue loves are fireworks and at EPCOT she is really in her glory. We always stand on the bridge by the International gateway and as always the show did not disappoint. A nice easy walk and we are back at BW. Matt is impressed how convenient it is . This is his first time at our DVC and he loves it
Thoughts
I love hearing “welcome home” and every cast member said that to us
Transferring bags not that hard as long as they don't forget you
Matt and I have a secret and everybody will know tomorrow
the Disney Dinning experience saves us Emily's meal plus part of the tip
* the Disney Dinning Experience is only available if you are an annual pass holder or a Florida resident
DAY 3 Monday
The morning starts with Jeff running in from his room looking for towels. It seems Emily did the thing all kids do look at her parents and announces” Mommy I think I'm going to______” all over the place. Right away we called down for guest services and they were very helpful and the room was back to normal in no time. Now for those who don't know a 2 bedroom suite at DVC resorts are made up of a 1 bedroom and a studio suite. Jeff and Kelly stay back with Emily so the rest of us head for EPCOT. First we hit test track with no line, people were getting off and back on. Next we head to mission space Kristin and Matt go to the orange and wilder ride Sue and I opt for the quieter green line. We stand in line maybe 10 minutes when Sue realizes we are the only ones in line. I look at the other line and state that no one is as old as us at 55. The ride was fine and we continue onto Energy. It is amazing how adding cartoon characters to an exhibit you can change the draw. This is what happened at Living Seas. This was a walk on 1 year ago and now there is a line. There seems to be not much changed just the beginning where you walk to a ride instead of getting on the imitation elevators as before.
Back to the room and lunch. Emily is feeling better but not up to going to the park. So as the great grandparents that we are we tell the kids to go and we will stay with Emily. Jeff, Kristin, Matt and Kelly are off to EPCOT for dinner at Le Celliar in Canada. All had steaks and said their dinner was very good .The cost was $150.00 and again a $30.00 savings with DDE.
Sue and I decide I should go down to the General Store and find something for dinner. This was supposed to be my steak night, wrong, pot pies instead Oh well. Again my pet peave another person on a register that barely speaks English. The kids come back and Emily is feeling a lot better and says she will pick where we go next. Everything back to normal.
Matt and Kristin go for a walk around the lake and as they get to the pavilion at BW they stop to watch and listen to the fireworks. This is where our secret is revealed. Matt turns and asks Kristin to marry him. Of course Kristin says yes. We are very happy to have Matt in our family. Seconds later Kristin comes in to tell usand we all go nuts. Sue and I take the newly engaged down to the Bel Vue Room for drinks and already the talk for the wedding starts
thoughts
having a sick child on vacation is difficult but by working together everybody still can enjoy themselves the staff at BW are very helpful
Matt and Kristin getting married is a great thing we have been waiting a long time
Day 4Tuesday
Emily's day to pick and it's EPCOT. We all really like this park the best. To make this short knowing most know the park Emily's favorites are Imagination with Figment, Living Seas, the ride the Land and Soarin. Now this ride baffles me. It has the longest lines sometimes up to 70 minutes. It's all right but to wait 70 minutes for a 5 minute ride that does nothing I don't get it. Plus the fast pass in this ride seems as long as standby. May be they should just use one side for one ride the other in the other ride.
For lunch we all went separate ways. Jeff, Kelly and Emily went to Mexico. Kristin and Matt went to the Electric Umbrella and Sue and I went to our room to relax. As you can see we always have time to relax in the afternoon. This is usually when pool time comes into play. This year with the weather it has been very comfortable not too hot or cold.
Dinner for tonight is at the Beach Resort at Cape May. This is another buffet but with seafood and regular buffet fare. Emily makes her whole meal out of shrimp and steamed clams. She has a way of getting me to do things for her and tonight it was pealing the shrimp. She ate them as fast as I could peal them. Now the rest of us ate to we were all full and tried everything to offer. This bill came to $155.00 with another savings of $25.00 with DDE After dinner we jumped a bus for MK and went to Tomorrow land to do the things Sue and I hadn't done. First we go to Buzz Lightyear and again Jeff beats me I think he cheats,. Then we go to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Kristin and Matt do Space Mountain. With this done we go to the new show Monster laugh floor. This is a comedy show for kids and adults alike. I don't know why but this show intermixes with the audience and my family was targeted. Maybe it was the salmon colored shirt I had on but it attracted whoever was running the camera. Too much to tell about the show but Kelly was in a skit with a mind reader, Jeff was in a skit where he was to buy churros for the audience and I was in a running gag of That Guy. As I left at least three times a stranger referred to me as that guy .It was fun. Now as I said before Sue loves Fireworks. So we go by the main entrance and wait for Wishes. This is a great show with fireworks and the castle changing lighting throughout. The show last 20 minutes and we're off to the bus stop. The gods are still with us because there is still room on the first bus. I must say that this time we never had to wait for a bus. Back to BW to find they are setting up an interactive show with preview of Disney's new movie Ratatouille. Ice cream, dough nuts and other goodies and it's off to rest for tomorrow.
Thoughts
I never understand the fascination in Soarin
quiet time in the afternoon is the best way to keep your trip running smoothly
I love being part of a Disney show. This is the 2nd time I have been picked for a show.Does anybody remember the street show in Italy at EPCOT?
Day 5 Weds.
Breakfast in our hotel room and then off to Animal Kingdom. Now this is the least favorite park. It is small and confusing to get around but at Disney it is still better than any place else. We enter the park and go directly to Expedition Everest. Like I said the gods are with us on this trip when we get to the ride there is a short line and the fast pass isn't even open. So every one but Emily and myself go on. Now if you remember in the old days there was a style of getting on rides called wall walkers . They would send in one to a long line, the rest go do other things and come back when their front man got close to getting in. today it's done with cell phones. Well as I sit and wait I watch 2 men enter the line. Now this line is not long and soon they are ready to go inside the ride . They make their call and ask the cast member if he will send their family in to meet them when they show up. The cast member says when they come they can go to the end of the line. I sat only so the cast member could see me I applauded him. Soon all riders came off with mixed feelings about the ride. Sue, Matt And Kristin loved it. Jeff thought it was great but a little to much for multiable rides And Kelly said done that and never again.
Next Sue, Matt, Kristin and I go to the Dinosaur ride Jeff, Kelly and Emily go to Triceratops spin. While on this ride Jeff and everybody else on the ride gets a dream fast pass .This is part of Disney's Where dreams come true promotion. So using this pass Kelly, Jeff And Emily go to Kilimanjaro Safari ride, Kristin, Matt and Jeff do Primeval Whirl, Kristin and Matt do Expedition Everest again and Jeff, Matt and myself, as the last ride at the park, go to Kali River Rapids. We got soaked and the walk to the buses dried us out a little.
The girls leave to Downtown Disney for a surprise for Emily. They take her to the Bibbity Boppidy Boutique. Emily is your typical little girl and loves being made up and let me tell you they did a great job and she had a good time. Meanwhile with the guys alone, off we go to the Big River Grille on BW for a cocktail. Matt officially became a family member when he says” I have this one” and bought the beer. Welcome. Next we go to a DVC meeting just to see what they are about. It kills time. Now to meet the girls for dinner at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney.
We all meet and get seated right away. All order an alcoholic beverage and order appetizers. These all are made for 2. A pint of prawns are the biggest shrimp ever, Dalkey Duo are stuffed hot dogs and Salmon forest are plenty for us. Dinner is a mix of different from Shepard pie, Irish stew, bangers and fish and chips . All is good and the price for this meal was @188.00 with a $33.00 saving with DDE. Now since we are here this is our big shopping trip. Believe it or not Sue does a lot of her Christmas shopping at this time but this year she takes it a little easy. Now the kids on the other hand they really shop and get plenty. One more bus ride back to BW and get ready for the next day.
Thoughts
Animal Kingdom we can do in about half a day
I love it when people who try to cheat and gets busted
Expedition Everest by most a good ride( the new one I haven't tried)
Hard to figure how shopping can be fun, only at Disney
Day 6 Thurs.
Today we are having a late dinner so the morning is free time. First everyone but myself planning on sleeping in. That's find but not for Sue. This has become a tradition that at around the end of the trip Sue and I go for a nice breakfast at Spoodles and reflect on how the trip has been. Back at the room every body gets ready and does whatever, swimming, more shopping and a quick trip to MK, And get back by 1:00 to go to MGM
We have an early dinner at Mama Melrose at 3:30 so we go do shows we haven't seen in awhile. Now the shows are very good and relaxing. We saw Beauty and the Beast and little Mermaid before dinner . Then after dinner we did The Great Movie Ride, Muppets 3-D,Star Tours, Indiana Jones and the Backlot Tour. This brings us to one of Sue's favorites Fantasmic. This is part of the dinner package and gets you reserved seats. You still have to get there early for seats but I don't think any seat is really that bad. All during Emily is giving me the play by play of characters that comes on before you. For some reason she thinks I don't know who they are, so I play along and it makes her feel good.
On the way back to BW I strike up a conversation with a young father here from Arizona and we talk DVC all the way back to the quiet pool. After he leaves Emily says, Poppy don't you know you are not supposed to talk to strangers. I tell her it is alright for grandfathers to do it. Later that night Kelly says Emily was afraid some one will take her poppy. As a smart---Jeff is he says, if they did in one hour they would be offering us money to take him back.
Thoughts
today was a very nice relaxing day
Sue and I love how our family enjoys each others company
I have always talked to strangers and find it very interesting how at Disney others talk as well with little urging DDE saved us $58.0
Day 7 Fri.
I have noticed that as we get older and more trips to WDW we tend to do things later in the day as the vacation goes on. This is not a bad thing since a lot of people are coming back as we go.
Kristin and Matt are going to do the “behind the seed tour” at the Land in EPCOT. We are to meet at the pin station at 12:30 so this gives Sue and I a little quiet pool time. Like I said the gods are with us. The weather is so nice even by 10:00am you can go to the pool. We all meet at the pin station and decide Electric Umbrella for lunch. Good idea bad timing. The whole parks looks like they are here . After a short wait holding table, our food gathers show up and we have a nice lunch of burgers and chicken.
We go on to Spaceship Earth where there is a good size line. Jeff says that they are going to do some remodeling and this is going to be closed for a while. I'm glad we saw it for the last time I just hope they don't change it by adding cartoon characters. Next we are on to Innovations. This is still a place to kill time but I wish they would do real innovations of the future.
Back to our room and we decide no more buses so we cancel our reservation for Liberty Tree. With this we decide to try .I believe was called Fresh Mediterranean Market. This is another buffet but not for us exactly. There was food we all would eat but not for the cost.This was $213.00 with a $48.00 discount for being DVC members.
On to EPCOT to listen to Davey Jones of the Monkees. Sue and I enjoyed it but Matt and Kristin left after one song. The show was alright but I had a girl about 30 who was screaming at every chance she had. She said she was a fan of the Monkees. Yeah right, when I asked if she knew the other's name she only knew Mickey Dolence.( Peter Tork, Mike Nesmieth)Sue and I took a nice slow walk back to BW and said how nice the trip had been. It really goes by fast and now we go back to pack for home and for some--WORK
Thoughts
I'm really starting to enjoy later starts as I get older`
These trips seem to go by to quick
Sue and I thinking our next trip may be just after New Year, Jeff, Kelly and Emily in May
Day 8 Sat.
This is the saddest day. We all get ready and pack, call for bell services and go to EPCOT for last time. Our flight is not till 5:55 so we have 4 hours more. We each pick want we want to do and as a group we do it. One thing I always do is have a hot dog and beer in Germany. This where my family originated from so I always come here and try to use my limited German with the cast members. Not fun for them but I enjoy it. Back at BW we meet our ride to the airport and off we go. As I have said many times about the gods there was no lines at check-in or through security. A quick bite at McDonald's and we are off to our gate. Final complaint. Why get a A pass on Southwest when there are more pre-boarders than the rest of the passengers. Now I don't mind a mother and family but aunts, uncles and cousins seem a little to much. The flight was find with a little bumpy over Maryland. (educated guess)
At Albany Matt's mom ,aunt and uncle meet them with a sign “Welcome home future Mr. And Mrs. Kurick” Very cute. Tomorrow is Mother's day and as we started the planning of our trip over a meal by Sue we end it with her lasagna.(This she made the night before we left. She thinks of everything)Again the best I have ever tasted.
Final Thoughts
Disney Dining Experience saved us $166.00 overall
vacationing with my family is a blast
welcome Matt to the family
anybody who can't have a good time here is in big trouble
2 months Las Vegas, In 7 months back to OKW, isn't being retied wonderful