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Thread: Steve Russo - January/February 2012 - Beach Club Villas

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    Steve Russo - January/February 2012 - Beach Club Villas

    January 29 February 3, 2012
    Participants
    Steve Your humble narrator.
    Barb My bride of 39 years.

    Beach Club Villas Studio

    Preamble (or Pre-Ramble might be more accurate)


    Has it really been a whole year?

    First, an admission I typically introduce myself in these reports as a strapping, virile, handsome epitome of masculinity. Sadly, Ive come to the realization that the years are becoming less and less kind. While I used to claim I was aging like fine wine, I fear the reality is Im aging more like milk. I wouldnt exactly say Im falling apart, but there are aches where there never were and I sometimes let out an Okey-doke when rising from a chair.

    Whats prompted this deterioration? Old age in general or, as Indiana Jones once said, Its not the years its the mileage. To top things off, last summer brought a torn meniscus, torn quadriceps tendon, torn patellar tendon and a small fracture in the patella in my right knee previously known as my good knee. Its a long, boring story but Ive managed to ward off surgery thus far. Im a little concerned with how the knee will hold up considering the amount of walking at Walt Disney World. There are good days and bad but Ive yet to determine what causes one or the other. Ive walked the golf course a few times after the diagnosis and continue to take 3-4 mile walks from home (on the good days and when the weather permits) so well see.

    This past year has also been big for major milestones: we survived an earthquake, a hurricane and two weddings. Our son, Stephen, tied the knot last July at a big wedding. Daughter, Stephanie, married just a couple of months ago in November at an even bigger celebration. Oh and did I mention Im retired? After a few false starts and two concessions to stay on a little longer, I managed to (finally) retire completely just prior to Christmas 2011.

    One might think that after raising three children, getting them through college, gainfully employed, out into the world and married, that Barb and I would now be done. Retired, empty nesters free to travel on a whim, right?

    Not so fast. You all remember Pop, my (now) 96-year old father? Hes still with us and despite being placed on home hospice last summer, hes doing reasonably well health-wise. We also had a number of issues with our black lab, Gunnar. He was also placed on a version of home hospice and the vets didnt expect him to last the summer; then the end of the year. But Gunnar was strong in heart and will and continued to brighten our lives.

    I tell you all that just to explain that vacations for us are hard to come by. Hell, getting out of the house for more than a couple of hours at a time has become a rarity. By my estimation, we havent been out of the house together for more than two hours in about 12 months with the notable exception of the two weddings I mentioned. Were REALLY looking forward to this trip.

    Unfortunately, just prior to the trip we were dealt a huge blow. I like to keep these trip reports somewhat upbeat and humorous but I need to get this in here. If you dont want to hear this sad news, please skip the next paragraph. I promise to try to mention this only once.

    The ravages of multiple tumors and laryngeal paralysis had really begun to take a toll on Gunnars quality of life. The escalating circumstances forced us to make a very, very difficult decision and Gunnar left us just a few days before this trip. The most difficult part was that, even though his body was failing him, his mind and spirit were still that of the pup we knew. Right to the end, he was Gunnar. I cant begin to describe the heartache; how much we miss him and how his passing has impacted our family. Barb and I briefly discussed postponing this trip but really felt we should go. Being here at home brings constant reminders of our life with Gunnar. Wed usually get out of bed each morning distributing the tasks: Ill make the coffee, you let Gunnar out. All around our home are reminders of his favorite chair, where he liked to lie in the sun on our deck, where he stood, wagging his tail, to greet us whenever we returned home from anywhere, etc. We knew Gunnar would always be in our thoughts and our hearts but truly believed a change of venue would help us begin the healing process. I know this might sound cold to some but its truly sincere. I feel this trip will truly be termed bittersweet. OK Ill try to be a bit more buoyant with the rest of the story thanks for listening.

    Planning
    This trip had originally been planned for the week just after Thanksgiving. We reserved a Boardwalk studio at the 11-month window and booked everything else months in advance. We were really looking forward to visiting during the Holiday season and all it has to offer. Just a couple of weeks prior to leaving, Pop took a fall. While he didnt do any serious or permanent damage, he was one large bruise. Neither Barb nor I felt comfortable leaving him so we canceled that trip and eventually rebooked it as this one.

    I had no difficulty rescheduling flights but this was my first experience with the DVC Holding Account where your points go to die when you cancel within the 30-day window. Its actually not that bad but you can only book a reservation within 60 days of arrival. I found there was no availability for a standard view studio at the Boardwalk. If I have to pay for the Boardwalk preferred view, my preference swings toward the Beach Club or, as a backup, Animal Kingdom Villas. I got a little lucky when the DVC agent on the phone found the last remaining Beach Club studio for me. Done!

    Youre probably wondering, and justifiably so, how I can financially justify a Disney trip so soon after two weddings and a retirement? First, we have our Annual Passes. Second, as DVC members, theres no real out-of-pocket cost for the room. Lastly, I signed us up for a Southwest VISA card and, for an annual fee of $39, received two free roundtrip tickets. My only costs will be food, beverages (uh, oh) and souvenirs. Therefore, this trip will be a frugal one not quite Disney on a Dime and I could never term a Disney trip as inexpensive but as close as we can get.

    Our two daughters, Michelle and Stephanie, will share the load of tending to Pop in our absence. Stephen would normally contribute as well but he recently earned a promotion that, unfortunately for us, mandated a move out of state.

    I made just a few Advanced Dining Reservations and were ready to go.

    Whoops, one more thing. I always check rental car prices before a trip. I somehow managed to hit on a full-size car with Alamo for $57 or $92 after taxes and fees. Thats a very good rate but, in the end, we decided to stay with Disneys Magical Express. Staying at the Beach Club means our only bus usage is to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney. We walk to Epcot and Disneys Hollywood Studios. I just didnt think the car would be worthwhile even at that great rate.

    Day One - Sunday, January 29, 2012 Molested by a TSA agent, Pizza and Oklahoma

    We set the alarms for 3:00am so, naturally, I was up at dark-thirty (1:44am). Barb didnt follow until 2:30 or so - still way too stupid early.

    I had loaded our luggage into the car last night so we headed out at 5:00. As I was driving up I-90 toward the airport, a car careened out of an entrance ramp in front of me. I dont often use the word careened but it fit here. When someones out at 5:00am on a Sunday morning, I wonder if theyre heading out early or coming home late. I fear this guy was coming home late. I gave him a wide berth which was a good move. I watched him repeatedly pull onto exit ramps then swerve back to the highway as he realized a mistake. Scary.

    I found a pretty good spot in the airport garage with only a short walk to the bridge to the terminal. Its unheated and cold but at least its a covered walkway. Im thinking more of the return trip when we could be in the middle of a blizzard.

    We joined a short line and checked our two bags then headed up through Security. Surprisingly, there was almost no line there. Since our last trip, Albany International Airport has installed those full-body scanners. I stood with my arms raised, was scanned and then notified that the image had shown something right around my right ribcage. It was explained that it could be caused by something as simple as a wrinkle in my shirt. Nevertheless, I received a very nice pat down, front and back, and refrained from saying aloud one of the several stupid jokes that were dancing around my head (Shouldnt you buy me dinner first?, This is the most action Ive had in months, etc.)

    Through Security, we re-dressed and hit McDonalds for a coffee, juice and a Sausage McMuffin. I know those things are awful for me but they sure do taste great.

    We made it to our gate at 6:20 and boarded around 6:50. As I mentioned, these flights were free and I paid the additional $10 for Southwests Early Bird Check-In. As a result, we had boarding passes with A23 (me) and A24 (Barb). Thats important for later.

    Southwest in Albany also offers something fairly unique: a jet way with a fork in it that allows passengers to veer left and board from the front or head to the right and board from the rear. The vast majority of folks want to sit up front so thats where most people head. Even when youre only 5th or 6th in line, as we were, it still slows you down because the first few people choose a seat in the first few rows then block the aisle attempting to lift those refrigerator boxes they call carry ons into the overhead compartment. Barb ducked to the right side and scooted up the aisle snagging us our seats the exit row that contains only two seats.

    After we pushed back from the gate, the plane needed about 15-minutes of de-icing so we left a bit late. We saw ground the entire trip so it was especially clear up and down the eastern seaboard. We had wi-fi on our plane. I didnt pay the $5 but used Southwests free Flight Tracker on my iPod Touch. It shows your location on a map and gives airspeed, elevation and ETA. Pretty cool to track progress and better than listening to the pilots garbled announcements that I can never quite understand anyway.

    After a very smooth flight, we landed early at 10:37 but another plane at was at our gate so we never actually docked until 10:50. We walked to the Disneys Magical Express area and had only a 1 minute wait before boarding but, we then sat for 10-15 minutes waiting for additional passengers. Once the door closed, our driver, Manuel, delivered a much too long spiel about the stops we were going to make. This was delivered in thick accent and accompanied by way too many shouts asking how happy we were to be here. Hey, Manuel, were tired and have been traveling for hours. Our goal is to get to Disney World and Im sure wed all be much happier if we were on our way.

    Barb talked to daughter Stephanie while we made the trip. She and Michelle were together at a baby shower for a friend and let us know that all was well at home.

    We made quick stops at Riverside and the Boardwalk before arriving at the Beach Club Villas at high noon. Just about 70 minutes from gate to check-in. Not bad. A very nice cast member greeted us as we got off the bus, asked our name and ushered us inside to the area for folks that had done the Advance Check-In. Within two minutes, we had our welcome package. As I asked if the room was ready the cast member glanced at the monitor and said it had just popped up as Cleaned. Wahoo!

    We were in room 250 which, unfortunately, didnt offer much of a view. We looked out at a grassy area and some foliage that blocked the roadway behind the Beach Club. I did have a similar view a few years ago but it was on the 5th floor (room 546). From that height, you get a pretty good view of Illuminations. From the 2nd floor Im thinking it wont be near as good. Well see.

    I unpack my backpack and hook up the laptop. I have trouble with the network cable and finally realize theres a broken connector at one end. We also notice that we have only a 4-cup coffeemaker. That wont do. I called Housekeeping and Engineering on the issues and, while we were freshening up, they delivered a bag with two network cables and a 12-cup coffeemaker. I hooked up the cable but there was some kind of issue and decided to leave it for later. Barb plugged in our coffeemaker and realized it wasnt working so we called for another replacement.

    Instead of waiting, we headed to Epcot using the side/back exit from the Beach Club Villas. We made it half-way down the path when I realized I had forgotten my camera so we headed back up. While there, we noticed a new 12-cup coffeemaker had been delivered so we plugged that in for a quick test success!

    While walking to Epcot, I called and chatted with Stephen. Hes taking the loss of Gunnar as hard as or harder than we are. While Gunnar was with us 24/7 for his (almost) 12 years, he was Stephens dog for most of that time. In his early years, he slept on Stephens bed every night and they were as close as a boy and dog could be. Just mentioning his name would give me that catch in the throat and I could tell Stephen was going through the same thing.

    We reached the International Gateway and the first thing I noticed was something missing. Do you know the grassy area with the large canopy that looks like a bus stop? The canopy is gone so now its just a grassy area. I checked with a cast member and he said it was removed about 6 months ago. Im not 100% certain but I think it was once used as a transportation stop when they ran trams over from the Yacht and Beach Clubs before the Boardwalk Resort was built.

    I had two goals here: pick up our new Annual Passes (APs) (which I renewed over the phone last October) and buy a new Tables in Wonderland (TiW) card. From past experience, I knew I could get the APs at either the ticket booth or Guest Relations but only Guest Relations could sell me the TiW card. To avoid having to go to both, we chose Guest Relations. We walked over and dealt with cast member Eliqua from Brazil. She made a very good suggestion that I took her up on. This would be easier to explain verbally but Ill try it here.

    Our APs were expiring last October. We had trips planned for November and May so I renewed the APs thinking wed get those two trips on them. As I said, the November trip was postponed and has become this trip, in January. We still have the May trip scheduled and have now reserved rooms in December for a family trip. Elicqua suggested purchasing a new AP rather than sticking with the renewal that was effective last October. For $46 each (with the DVC discount) wed have APs effective January 29 (instead of October 2011) and would be able to get three trips on them, assuming our plans dont change. Done, and thanks to Elicqua for suggesting that. I thought I had locked in the renewal when I purchased it back in October.

    We entered Epcot and made the Rose and Crown our first stop. Its not exactly tradition but Barb and I have made this the start of several of our solo trips. We take stupid pictures of ourselves sipping a beer to start our vacation. Barb quickly grabbed a small table and I went to the bar and ordered a Stella Artois for Barb, a Black and Tan for me and an order of Fish and Chips for us to share. They were $8, $8 and $8.19 respectively (and you know youre at Disney World when you pay $16 for two beers and it doesnt ruin your day I had to get that in here). I had a bit of a wait while the bartender searched for a manager to use the TiW card. He mildly admonished me for not telling him up front that I was using the card. Sheesh every time I mention it in a restaurant they always tell me to hold it until after the meal. Theyre starting to sound like Disney (or airport security) with constant policy changes.

    The bill came to $24 and change after TiW and including tip. He gave me the beers and a numbered sign for the table so the food server could find us. In less than five minutes a server delivered our Fish and Chips. The fish is a bit greasy but, overall, very good.

    We finished our lunch and beers, walked around the UK a bit, and then decided to head back to the Beach Club. We visited the Marketplace where I verified that beer was, again, $5.25 per bottle. We did buy two coffee mugs here. From experience, I know the coffee cups provided with the DVC villas are just that cups. They dont hold much coffee and I much prefer a larger mug. The beauty is that they become souvenirs after we get home our own version of the refillable mugs which we never buy anymore. We purchase two mugs with lots of Disney characters on them and the words Grandma and Grandpa on the handles. It just seemed fitting.

    I did spot some new DVC merchandise in the Marketplace but no resort merchandise at all and I had been hearing reports of an increase in the resort-specific clothing showing up.

    We headed up to the room and found our luggage had arrived. Good show for Disneys Magical Express. We spent a few minutes unpacking and storing our stuff. Michelle called and we chatted a bit. I tried the new cable but was still having difficulties getting online. I finally switched over to wi-fi and that worked fine. I wound up using it for the rest of our stay and had no problems at all with the laptop or the iPod Touch. I even found the speed more than acceptable.

    It was mid-70s and sunny so we changed into shorts, grabbed two of our canvas Disney bags and headed to the Hess station by the Boardwalk. You can guess where this is going. By now, everyone knows of my need for balcony time with an adult beverage. I picked up a 12-pack of Yuengling (let the Bud Light jokes fly), a bottle of wine (for Barb), some coffee creamer and a local Sunday newspaper. All that came to $21. This may be the first time Ive ever purchased wine from a gas station and, while Im sure it will be nothing special, it did at least have a cork (and hopefully its drinkable).

    We walked back to the Beach Club and stowed our loot, then headed out again for Epcot. I knew the British Revolution was playing in the UK because we could hear them clearly from our balcony. Predictably, by the time we got there and walked to that back street they were playing the Troggs Wild Thing, which would be the last song of the set. Ah, well.

    It was now around 5:00 so we decided to walk around WS slowly, making our way toward Italy where we had a 5:45 reservation at Via Napoli. Along the way, I noticed that one of our favorite spots to view Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (IROE), the wall by the lagoon in Morocco, had been compromised. There were a number of large planters placed against the wall completely blocking the view. Hmmm I wonder why theyve done that?

    We checked in at Via Napoli at 5:30. Gaia was our server and we were taken to a table by the window. Wow, this place is noisy. Its an open kitchen but the acoustics are such that you need to raise your voice to be heard by your dining companion(s).

    I do like an Italian beer, Peroni, but it wasnt on the menu so I ordered a Sam Adams lager which for some reason came in a Birra Moretti mug. Barb had water.

    We ordered the Family Style House Salad. Its Served Exclusively with Pizza - minimum 2 people; leaf lettuces, roasted red peppers, marinated mushrooms, olives, peperonicini, red wine vinaigrette. The cost is $6 per person and it could have easily fed four or five people. We had two servings each and consumed less than half.

    For a pizza, we chose the Piccante. I believe its new because its not listed on any of the online menus. It contains Spicy Italian Sausage, broccolirabe, tomato and mozzarella. By the way, I have no idea what broccolirabe is but Im sure its both healthy and tasty. The pizza was very, very good. We ordered a large ($30) and it was too much but the next size down, the Small ($16) is not enough for two people, in my opinion. We brought our leftovers back to the room.

    OK forgot to mention this. When I originally booked this trip it was for November, beginning about a week after our 39th Wedding Anniversary. When I booked it, the cast member asked if we were celebrating anything and I mentioned our anniversary. I cancelled that reservation and, weeks later, booked this one for January never mentioning the anniversary. Our welcome package at check-in, however, contained two Happy Anniversary buttons. Why? Im not sure. Did the note somehow follow our points into the Holding Account? Anyway, we said, What the hell and decided to wear them tonight.

    At several points during our meal wed hear a waiter begin singing loudly OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH. Heads would turn and hed be joined by several servers that would then launch into an Italian version of Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary. Which reminds me of a dinner Barb and I had many years ago in New York City. We were dining at Mama Leones and they had a stereotypical female opera singer roaming the dining room, singing Italian opera. I know as much about Italian opera as I do about neurosurgery but she sounded good and I figured it was classy. Anyway, she winds up at our table, inhales deeply and lets out a loud OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH. I expect this to be followed by something resembling Italian opera but instead get:
    klahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain

    This is complete with foot-stompin and arm swingin. I about spit my gnocchi across the room.

    Im easily distracted. Where was I? Oh, yeah Via Napoli. After we finished our dinner, I heard that familiar OOOOOOOOOOHHHH and see Gaia and a troop of servers coming bearing a dessert for us with two candles. They sang something Italian, we thanked them and Barb blew out the candles. It was totally unnecessary but appreciated. We each took a few bites of the dessert (a cookie and cream dessert with chocolate and raspberry sauce) but, to be honest, we were more than full from the pizza.

    We waddled out of Via Napoli and decided to head to Future World to check out the wait times on Soarin. The sign outside said 50 minutes and no FastPasses available but we decided to head in to see if that was a mistake and the wait was truly only 5 minutes. Inside, we followed a couple that looked to be 10-15 years older than us. The husband was tall, wore shorts and a light jacket. Exactly what I had on. The missus was shorter with silver hair and was carrying a Disney bag. Barb was taller but silver-haired and carrying that Disney bag (the leftover pizza) and we joked that was us in a few years. The Soarin wait time has miraculously jumped to 90 minutes so we decide to head instead to Spaceship Earth. As we begin leaving, we see the older us commiserating and they also start for the escalator. Barb said, Wouldnt it be funny if they follow us to Spaceship Earth?

    Spaceship Earth was a walk-on. We saw our photos on the globe in the post-show area but, no, we never saw older us again.

    Outside, we found a bench and took in a fountain show and some shopping at MouseGear. One of the observations Ill make is that theres not much for men anywhere. It seems the clothing selections for women and children are vast but guys get to choose from 3 t-shirts, 2 sweatshirts and a jacket.

    Fatigue was setting in so we decided to head back to the resort. There was a bonfire on the beach, presumably for some marshmallow roasting and they were projecting Lilo and Stitch on the inflatable screen. There looked to be all of two people viewing from lounge chairs. As we walked toward it, I noticed a woman sitting on a bench, playing a ukulele and singing softly. I couldnt hear much but she seemed to have a very nice voice. I filed that under Things You Dont See Every Day.

    We hit the room at around 8:00 and watched Once Upon a Time. That show is really growing on me. Just before it came on, we caught the end of Funniest Home Videos and one of the weekly finalists was a cute scene with a guy singing and his dog placing his paw over the guys mouth. Of course, the dog was a Black Lab so that caused a couple of bitten lower lips for us.

    We turned in at 9:00, dead tired. We learned we have a couple of noisy neighbors that, near as I could tell, were tossing their children against the adjoining wall. I didnt hear any screams but it sure sounded like the thud of bodies. I also determined we could hear the Illuminations fireworks explosions quite well. That wouldnt be an issue going forward because I didnt expect wed be turning in this early the rest of the week. I think I must have fallen asleep about 30 seconds after the last shell exploded.

    Miles Walked Today: 7.25

    Things I Think I Think: I know I said Id try not to mention this but I think Gunnar enters my thoughts randomly whenever Im not focused on something else. Its happening in queues, just walking around, waiting outside the ladies room for Barb. Hopefully it will get easier. I think I like the Beach Club Villas but Ill request upper floors from now on. I think we only hit one attraction all day well rectify that tomorrow. I think Via Napoli has very good, but somewhat pricey pizza and is very noisy. I think well retire the Happy Anniversary buttons for the remainder of the trip. I think we purchased an $8 bottle of wine from a gas station Ill bet its reeeeeeal goooood. I think were always exhausted at the end of our first day. Something about being up for 20 hours, traveling, etc. I think its been exactly one year since Ive been here and its like I never left. Welcome home indeed.

    Day Two - Monday, January 30, 2012 Disneys Best Burger, the most expensive margarita ever and frank-ettes

    I wake up, see its still dark out and guess its probably only 4:00am or so. Groan. I reach out and turn the iHome toward me and see its 10:45pm. What? Yuck. Something must have awakened me maybe another childs body hitting the wall next door. I turn over and fall back to sleep until 2:45am. Double yuck. Thats what I get for going to bed so early. I lay there trying to coax myself back to sleep until 3:45 when I decide Ive had enough.

    I throw on some sweat pants and sneakers, grab my iPod, and head out at 4:00 for a walk. Im trying to make exercise a daily thing (trying to strengthen the leg/knee) and have been switching between 4 mile walks (one hour) and 30 minutes on a stationary bike. This time of year, in Upstate New York, Id fully expect a steady diet of the bike due to freezing temperatures and/or the six feet of snow/ice pack covering the shoulders of the roads in my neighborhood. This year, however, Ive been walking more than riding and actually working up a sweat. Weve had more than a few January days with highs in the 40s and even the 50s and NO SNOW! Theres not a flake on the ground. Weve had 3 or 4 storms but the largest one was 4 that dropped on Halloween. It may all turn around tomorrow but this has been the mildest winter of my life (uh so far).

    When youre walking around Crescent Lake at 4:00am, things are pretty quiet. Youve got a few cast members cleaning up here and there, maybe some power washing, and the bakers are busy in the Boardwalk Bakery, but its very quiet. I have a real mix on the iPod but this morning I was listening to some Adele. Damn, that girl can sing. I just heard on the news that shell be singing at the Grammys her first appearance after vocal chord surgery last November. I hope her voice is as strong as ever.

    After 3 laps around Crescent Lake, Im back in the room at 5:00 and put on some coffee. I use the laptop to catch up on some news and update these notes. Barb stirs around 5:45 and we flick on the television. The news is filled with the tragic accident on I-75. Fog and smoke from a brushfire caused a massive high-speed pile-up early Sunday morning. 10 dead and many injured. One witness described it as the end of the world.

    I used the Disney supplied coffee and Barb doesnt like it this from the woman who knowingly drinks Nescafe. I head down to the Marketplace to bring back a coffee for her and some breakfast. While there, I learn from a fellow guest that the coffee is free until they open officially at 7:00. I pour a large cup and place a lid on it, then put it on the windowsill outside when I head back in 3 minutes later when theyre open. Cheap? Maybe, but I cant look a gift horse, or a free cup of coffee, in the mouth. Wait did I just mix a few metaphors there?

    Anyway, I purchase two muffins and bring them back to the room. Walking back, I take notice that its still quite chilly outside, even though the forecast is for 75 degrees today. I expect a jacket or sweatshirt will be needed this morning. Its sort of a typical January Disney day warm in the sun, but cool in the shade. Difficult to dress for.

    We get showered and dressed, then head around the lake to Thimbles and Threads at the Boardwalk. They dont open until 8:00 so we head inside to Dundys Sundries in the lobby. Here I see they have some new and very nice DVC merchandise t-shirts, fleeces, hats stuff I didnt see at the Beach Club. We also notice that the second little girl chair is back in the lobby. Was it out being refurbished or did it walk away on its own? We noticed last year that one chair had Paul on its back. We checked this one and it was Todd. Hmmmm.

    At 8:00, we head downstairs and notice some very nice Boardwalk Resort clothing there one jacket in particular really caught my eye (no I didnt buy it and I guarantee Ill regret it when I try to find it on my next trip).

    We used the walkway to Disneys Hollywood Studios, queued at the turnstiles for 3-4 minutes and then were let in at 8:50. We browsed the stores for a few minutes then hustled back to Star Tours The Adventures Continue.

    Ive always been a big Star Tours fan. That dates back to my first ride in 1990. That said, Ive also been vocal about the need for an update, even suggesting using the pod races from Episode I. Ive been eagerly awaiting my first ride on this new version and it didnt disappoint.

    We queued up at the ride at 8:57. While we were waiting, I snuck over for FastPasses for 9:25 just in case. At precisely 9:00, they let us in. We rode four times in all using Standby. It was mostly a walk-on. Interestingly, our first two rides were identical: Darth Vader, Hoth, Yoda and Couruscant. The next two offered several variations. By the end of the trip, we had seen all the possibilities except the Imperial Droid scene (we ALWAYS got Darth Vader) and the trip to Kashyyyk and the Wookiee forest. By the way, I looked those up Im not quite that geeky.

    In the store at the exit, we shopped for a red light saber for our six-year-old grandson, William. He has a blue one but wants a bad guy light saber. Somehow, hes become very interested in the whole Star Wars thing. His brother, Christopher, will be easier to shop for. He wants the aliens from Toy Story and weve already located them on Hollywood Boulevard. Unfortunately, the only red light sabers are ones that are purely manual no lights, sound effects, etc. Well keep looking.

    We walked over to Buy the Book (I know the name changed but I cant remember it now (Writers Stop! just looked it up)) for coffee. This place had the slowest clerks ever. It took me 5 minutes to get and pay for a single coffee. Then, I produced the needed change, a nickel and two pennies, after being rung up and the clerk couldnt handle the math. Sheesh! Give me back $3 instead of $2.93. This aint rocket surgery.

    Next up was MuppetVision. We walked in and entered the theater directly missing the entire pre show. This may be the only attraction where thats a bad thing.

    Have I mentioned there are lots of Brazilians here? Bazillions of Brazilians. Mostly teenage girls with backpacks, in groups of 20-25 with a flag carrying leader. I will say theyre mostly well-behaved. I only had to endure one instance of them walking 6 abreast through World Showcase while singing/chanting/clapping/cheering. They did provide a nuisance when theyd sit on the ground outside an attraction, presumably waiting for a FastPass window to open but, hey, I guess they have to sit somewhere.

    One of our to-dos on this trip is to take in the Beauty and the Beast show. We havent seen it since 1992(?) and we headed there now. We got there a little early for the 11:30 show and didnt feel much like standing in line outside the theater so we watched a bit of Streetmosphere (is it still called that?) a pretty funny show with three construction workers trying to measure a line on the street. It was very Laurel and Hardy-esque.

    The wait time for Tower of Terror indicated 40 minutes, and then dropped to 30 as we were watching so off we went. We were on the ride in 20. Another great ride - I love the theming in this attraction. Upon exiting, we took another stab at Beauty and the Beast but were turned away the theater was now full.

    Next, we stopped at 50s Prime Time. We had a late ADR this evening (7:45 at La Hacienda) so we had hoped for a later lunch. Our thinking was that would hold off the cravings in the early evening. I was hoping for 1:30-2:00. Prime Time could seat us now (12:00) or at 2:45. We passed.

    Next up was the Great Movie Ride. We caught the gangster again and even though this is a good ride that I like, upon exiting I decided I was done with it for about the next 5 years. Its not changing at all and, in my opinion, has lost its repeatability factor. Barb agreed. We may change our minds but, for now, well give it a wide berth.

    We then hit Star Tours one last time using the FastPasses I secured earlier. The Standby time was listed at 20 minutes but we did notice the entire queue that runs through the Ewok village was filled in.

    We decided to walk back to the resort but first stopped on the way out to purchase the Toy Story aliens for Christopher. We talked to a cast member there and asked about the red light sabers. He turned us on to a few other alternatives, including a new Bobba Fett blaster with a brand new stock. This guy knew way too much about Star Wars weaponry.

    Walking toward the walkway to the Boardwalk, Barb noticed buses for Epcot and Animal Kingdom from the Studios. Has this been an option there for a while? I cant recall seeing it before. The stops were located in the area by the walkway normally reserved for Downtown Disney resort buses.

    We decided on having our late lunch at Big River Grille and Brewing Works on the Boardwalk. We ordered two waters. I had a Swiss cheeseburger and Barb went for the grilled chicken sandwich. Both were excellent. I dont eat a lot of burgers but I am a bit of an aficionado. I still think the best are those I grill myself at home but this burger reinforced my opinion that Big Rivers are the best on property. I havent had one from Beaches and Cream in a few years so I should try that again. I also remember a trip report where someone claimed Le Celliers burger as the best ever. I may need a cholesterol-raising trip just to sample burgers.

    Big River now takes the TiW card (thank you) so we got out of there for $24.16 including tip.

    We stopped briefly at the DVC offices on the Boardwalk, hoping to view the Aulani rooms, but learned theyre only at Saratoga Springs. We were treated well and got a Welcome home but Barb was disappointed no one offered free taffy as in past visits. The woman would give up a kidney for free taffy.

    Back to the Beach Club Villas for quick naps. Ive found, in my senior years, that a quick, 20-30 minute power nap has rejuvenating properties. Any longer than that and Im a zombie for a while.

    We walked to Epcot around 4:30 and made a bee-line for Soarin. The Standby sign said 55 minutes but we were determined. I almost never get in a line longer than 15 or 20 minutes but we wanted to ride. We were visiting Patrick in the pre-show area in 37 minutes. As we entered the queue, the cast member gave me the first of many, many red cards I was asked to carry this trip. These are the cards they swipe at the beginning of the queue and again as you board to update the wait times. I was given 6 or 7 of these this trip and even a few in the Fast Pass queue (what are those used for?).

    While in line, we had a mom, dad and late-teens daughter in front of us. In front of them was a group of five. They were a bit of a problem in not moving the queue, leaving in groups of 2 or 3 and returning 5 minutes later, etc. As we neared the end of the queue, the mom was speaking on a cell phone. She then left and returned a few minutes later with five more people. Annoying? You bet. The woman in front of us complained to the cast member even pointing them out. He indicated he would tell someone but Im betting he didnt. We really need a better way to police this sort of thing without having guests confronting other guests I just dont know what it is.

    This was a good example of how its often hard to dress for Disney World in January. Its a cooler evening probably 50s or low 60s. Im wearing a t-shirt and sweatshirt (one of those zipper at the neck types) which is comfortable outside. In this queue, however, Im roasting. I remove the sweatshirt but now have to: a/ carry it a pain; b) tie it around my neck and pretend to be a preppie, or; c) tie it around my waist which always struck me as effeminate. I opted for c; I guess Im comfortable enough in my masculinity to handle it.

    As we exited The Land pavilion, we stumble on one of the spots that a tour group of young girls has chosen to sit on the floor waiting for something. As I said, they have to be somewhere but they could have made an effort to keep it to one side so guests moving through didnt have to step over them or detour around.

    Barb also asked why I always choose to go to the right when entering the building for Soarin when so many seem to go left. I had to think for a minute but it just makes sense. If you head down the ramp to the right, youre on the side with the staircase and down escalator. Going left means you have to cross in front of the up escalator to get to the stairs. It just clogs things up unnecessarily.

    Next up was Mission: Space which had a 10-minute wait for the green side (the only side I ride these days). We rode with another couple. In our capsule we were positioned with Barb on the far left, then me, the other gentleman and his female companion, respectively. When the ride ends and Gary Sinise is congratulating us and his cohorts are applauding, the guy on my right starts clapping exuberantly. They hes drumming his hands on the console and whooping. Now hes not a kid Id say my age, maybe older. Barb has left and Im in process of getting up when I see his outstretched hand offering me a high five. I high fived him but I thought it a bit peculiar. Im surmising he expected we would crash and burn if we didnt perform our jobs correctly during the flight sort of a video game. He was just excited we all pushed the correct buttons at the correct time.

    We picked up a couple of Test Track FastPasses but wound up never using them. This is a good time to bring up the Larry Wilmot story. If youve ever read one of Larrys trip reports, he brags about a scheme (scam?) he has to get multiple, unlimited FastPasses. Hes not shared his secret that Im aware of, but I have a couple of theories. I put a few to the test during this trip but was unsuccessful.

    My first theory is that things had unknowingly slipped back in time to the days when your Key to the World card could be used for a FastPass. No go. It spit out a ticket that said Your ticket was not used today for admission to Epcot. Curses. My second theory was that there might be a delay in registering the FastPass to the specific admission media and reinserting your ticket quickly would result in a second FastPass. Again, no go. This simply told me I already held a FastPass. I also tried inserting a ticket backwards and upside down without success. Any other theories?

    We hit MouseGear for some shopping but it was very crowded and very hot in there I was once again wearing the sweatshirt. I need to buy some sweatshirts with full zippers so theyre easier to take off and put on quickly.

    We were still a bit early for our reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel so we decided to waste some time in the Mexico pavilion. We walked up there and inside into La Cava del Tequila. Im not a tequila lover but I do enjoy the occasional margarita so we ordered two at the bar, learned they dont accept the TiW card and was shocked when presented a bill for $26 plus tax. $13 for a margarita in a plastic cup? Really? Did I mention I brought my own date?

    Another couple came in and slid in next to us. In 30 seconds the woman, while talking to the bartender, basically nudged Barb out of the way. We kind of stared at each other in disbelief. After she was served the bartender told us, Those glasses are to go which I took as a not-so-subtle indication that he didnt want us standing at the bar while we drank. Well, excuuuuuse me. Ive been tossed out of better places than this, amigo. I wish I hadnt already tipped this guy.

    I harrumphed a bit as we left and we took seats outside on a ledge. To be perfectly frank, because for this report Im no longer Steve, Im Frank, and if Im going to be Frank, I should be a perfect Frank. I dont think I like the Cave of Tequila. Theres something about the atmosphere, prices, rude guests and bartenders plus I dont like tequila. Other than that, its a fine establishment.

    We just sipped and people watched for a bit. Im always amazed how many people will don those huge sombreros, take a photo, and then return them to the rack. In some cases groups of 5 or 6 at a time are doing this. Its difficult to get that many sombreros framed without a good wide-angle lens. I also wonder what the incidence of transferred head lice is here.

    We finished off our $13 margaritas and walked across the promenade for our 7:45 reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel. We were directed to a bench in their foyer and given a pager. We were the only people in there when, five minutes later, the two girls at the desk (10 feet away), had a brief conversation, pushed a button and my pager went off. Theres something to be said for a consistent process but one of them could have just said softly, We have your table ready.

    We were seated at a banquette table next to a group of ten business folks (might have been from Coca Cola based upon a logo I saw on a golf hat). They talked about playing golf that day and they all sported cardboard crowns. Sort of like those hats they used to give out at Burger King. Im sure it had something to do with their corporate function but I never asked. Its so much for fun to imagine.

    I had booked this restaurant at this time for two reasons: 1) we wanted to try a new restaurant and 2) we wanted to watch Illumination from the restaurant. I will say the place is very nice high ceilings, lots of large windows looking out on World Showcase lagoon and nicely decorated. I would also say that, similar to Wishes viewed from the California Grill, viewing the fireworks here would be a novelty but its definitely not the best place to really enjoy the show. Dont get me wrong, theres a coolness factor to it but, for my money, Id rather watch Illuminations from the side of the lagoon where my view wouldnt be affected by angles, walls, etc.

    We have two Dos Equis (Equises?) Ambers. Our original plan was margaritas but the Cave has put us off our game. Our server was Gina from Guadalajara and she does a great job. Our servers on this trip were excellent across the board (except for the Cave). We were thinking about a Quesadilla appetizer but its no longer on the menu. We were then discussing the Botana, listed as a sampling of Mexican favorites: chicken tostado, Chilorio sope (marinated pork), and cheese empanada. It sounded good but, at this time, Gina brought over a large basket of chips and salsa a great spicy salsa and a chipotle sauce that was also very good. All of a sudden, appetizers didnt seem like such a good idea.

    We hemmed and hawed on the menu and finally decided on ordering the La Hacienda which serves two. Its a mixed grill offering flank steak, chicken al pastor, chorizo and vegetables, served with beans and fresh salsas for $49.95. We were both impressed. Everything was very good. The chorizo was excellent but reminded me of cocktail franks only much spicier. Speaking of cocktail franks, why are they called that? I think that practically speaking, franks should only be able to use the prefix 'cocktail' if they are actually served in a cocktail - or at least as a garnish. Picture a martini with a cocktail frank stuck on the side of the glass. I dont see much of a future for meat-based cocktails so we should probably just call them frank-ettes or frankinis. Im just saying.

    The bill, after TiW and including tip is $65. This is a pretty good value, in my opinion.

    We walked around World Showcase and finally settled on the bridge by France to watch Illuminations. When it ended, we headed back to the room for a little balcony time, some TV news and lights out around 10:45.

    Miles Walked Today: 2.72 (just me) in the morning. 9.35 all day.

    Things I Think I Think: I think Star Tours The Adventures Continue is a hit. Based on what I see as wait times, however, its not the huge winner I thought it would be. I think I should record the entire MuppetVision pre-show so I can enjoy it at home. I think Big River has the best burger on property. I think I totally take back all those times I didnt want to nap as a child. I think $13 for a margarita is outrageous. I think La Hacienda de San Angel is very good and Ill look forward to dining there again. I think we walked a lot today.

    Day Three - Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Ice cream, destination Michigan and a useless FastPass

    Im awake at 4:30 but up around 6:00. It should be 79 degrees today but its only 54 now. Im skipping todays walk the knee is barking just a bit. With all the walking we do normally, this extra shot in the morning may not be such a good thing.

    Today is primary day in Florida. Good. Im so sick of the non-stop ads from Romney/Gingrich attacking each other. I learn that today is the 33rd straight day without rain in Melbourne. I wish for rain for the locals sake but secretly hope it arrives after we leave. Selfish? Me?

    I head down to the Marketplace for a blueberry muffin and a banana and bring this back to the room for my breakfast. Barb has the muffin she saved from yesterday.

    We shower, dress and hit the bus stop at 8:04 just in time to see a Magic Kingdom bus pulling away. We chatted for a bit with a family at the bus stop. The child was a boy of about 8 or 9. He appeared to have some type of special need and wasnt handling the waiting too well. Mom and dad were very patient but firm in handling him. I had the impression they were used to it and very good at dealing with it.

    We saw two Animal Kingdom buses, then our Magic Kingdom bus (followed quickly by a third Animal Kingdom bus all in 5 minutes). On the trip to the Magic Kingdom, we chatted with another couple. The woman told a story of a trip last year when they were heading to Disneys Hollywood Studios via bus. Their bus tried to pull around another at the bus stop but wound up with a minor accident when the bumpers scraped. Naturally, both buses stopped and someone had to be called. She described people on the bus as livid due to the delay. One woman was screaming at the driver that she wouldnt get her Toy Story Mania FastPasses and demanded they be provided. As crazy as that sounds, its not that difficult to imagine, is it?

    We made it through security at the Magic Kingdom (Guests without Bags) and hung out waiting for the opening ceremony. We found and chatted again with the family from the bus stop. I noticed a group on my left: mom, dad, daughter of about 3, and the grandparents. Dad had the daughter on his shoulders and mom was taking a photo. Then grandma offered to take one with mom in it as well. I offered to take one of the whole clan if they desired it they did. The only problem here was dad was about 6 10 and, with his daughter on his shoulders, he was pushing 8. The rest of the clan topped out at about 5 8. My only shot was take a portrait shot so I asked them to squeeze in as best they could. They did and I managed to get all of them in the photo.

    We watched the opening ceremony and noticed there was no confetti at the end. Have they stopped that? Im betting it was too much trouble to clean up.

    Theres usually something special about walking under the train station each trip. You emerge, see Main Street and catch that first glimpse of Cinderellas Castle. This time, not so much. There was a large crane by the castle I think removing the ice lights but Im not certain. Theres also construction by the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor so theres a false faade there. Im normally OK with that but this one jutted out further into Main Street in order to provide a covered walkway for guests. The view up Main Street was now asymmetrical and part of the castle was blocked from view - just not the same.

    First up was Buzz Lightyear. . If you're keeping score (which I do, but then I'm a guy and everything is a competition with us - hard wired in the genes, it is.), for the first time ever, Barb beats me 124,000 to 114,000. I guess I buy lunch. She had nothing and all of a sudden jumped to 100k. Im betting she accidently hit a high-value target. Our car listed to the left and I was driving. Thats my story and Im sticking to it.

    The WedWay/PeopleMover was closed and we were told to try back later so we walked up to Fantasyland .

    Next we rode Snow Whites Scary Adventure. We havent ridden this in many years and I know it will be closing soon. I never got a chance to ride Mr. Toad before it closed so we gave this one more shot. Guess what? We both liked it. It was a walk-on and cute. It does a nice job of telling the story and presents an entertaining dark ride - in my opinion, of course.

    Next we Saw Mickeys Philharmagic. It was not crowded at all maybe full.

    We visited the Haunted Mansion next and spent a few minutes with the exhibits in the new queue. I thought this was well done. As we walked into the mansion, a butler and 2 maids stood in line near the door. Their faces where expressionless and as I passed I smiled and said, Why so somber? Not one of them moved.

    In the stretching room, after the lights went out, the butler positioned himself in front of a young girl (early 20s?) and her friend. Of course, as they lights came up, she was greeted with his face about 12 from hers. Man, she could scream.

    We really enjoyed the new features at the end. Our hitchhiking ghost popped off each of our heads and placed them back on the wrong body - a very cool effect.

    Back to Tomorrowland but the PeopleMover is still closed (they now suggest 15 minutes). Cars were running but there were no people in them.

    We took in Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. I like this show a little more each time I see it.

    We followed that with a spin on the Carousel of Progress. I dont particularly like or dislike this attraction but its part of the Walt legacy so I feel it must be seen every 3 or 4 years. I do think an upgrade is in order but doubt thats on the books right now.

    The PeopleMover is now up so off we go. Interesting that the couple in front of us decides to sit facing rearward in their car so, as we ride, were staring at each other. Hmmm. Space Mountain was down and the lights were on so I frantically grabbed my camera and fired off a couple of quick shots.

    We decided on Columbia Harbour House for lunch. I had my usual Anchors Aweigh and Barb gets the chicken nugget meal. As I bring the tray out, Barb starts complaining its not what she ordered. I see nuggets and fries and ask her what shes talking about. She thinks it looks like a kids meal. We finally figure it out that the menu states broccoli, apple slices OR fries not AND fries. I dont know what shes complaining about she hasnt finished a meal in 5 years so less food is better. Her reasoning was that she really wanted the broccoli and would have ordered it if she knew it was a choice, not all three.

    We next visited the old/new Enchanted Tiki Room. I thought it was fine. I was never married to the original. I thought the Under New Management version was fine shorter and more humorous. I know a lot of folks get their dander up with these changes but this one just seems a bit superficial to me.

    We next walked up to Frontierland to ride the Railroad back to the front of the park. It really doesnt provide any view of the new Fanatasyland construction but the billboards at the Toontown stop are nicely done.

    We exit and make our way to the bus stop for Yacht Club / Beach Club. A bus pulls in after just a few minutes. We wait to board, figuring someone is usually getting off the bus through the front door. After a few seconds, no one emerges and the driver motions us to get on. Theres a family of three still on the bus and showing no interest in getting off. As we walk past them, the driver asked Where are you headed?

    The response came back, Michigan. THAT caught my attention.

    The fellow had (hopefully) misheard the question as Where are you from? He and the driver then had a conversation and it turns out they were trying to get to Disneys Hollywood Studios. Now they boarded a bus at the Yacht or Beach Club where the bus stops are clearly marked with the destinations. They boarded a bus with a sign front and side that said Magic Kingdom. And they thought they were going to Disneys Hollywood Studios? Ive seen this happen before - folks will board a bus, apparently thinking each bus goes to every park. The driver gave them suggestions for what to do to get to Disneys Hollywood Studios and they exited the bus. People just a little research before the trip will go a long way.

    We exited at the first stop, the Yacht Club. We did a little window shopping in the store (found a nice Yacht Club jacket for $70 but didnt pull the trigger) and Barb bought taffy. We examined the lobbys globe looking for the Hidden Mickey. Even though weve seen the Hidden Mickey twice before, we couldnt locate it. We asked the greeter for help. If you ever need to find it, look for Madagascar and head due south. The Mickey is blue.

    Back to the Beach Club and out to the Villas building. Something I failed to mention earlier is that the arrows over both elevator doors were missing. These are the arrows that indicate which floor the elevator car is on. Theyre both back now so either someone stole them and these are new or they were out for a few days to be re-furbed. I wonder how much maintenance these arrows require.

    At 4:30, we grabbed a bus to Downtown Disney. The Marketplace bus stops are closed theres some construction there, so we exited at Pleasure Island. PI is just sad. The Comedy Warehouse has no signage and looks like a storage shed. The Adventurers Club also has no signage and a bunch of planters in front blocking the doors and the view. Paradiso 37 and Raglan Road are there, as well as Sammy Duvalls and some sort of boutique.

    We visited World of Disney where we purchased that Bobba Fett blaster for William. We recently broke a ceramic spoon rest so we picked up a Mickey version for us; then two more for Michelle and Steph. Well need something else to go with it as a thank you for them giving up their time this week. I know they both really like the caramel popcorn form Karamel Kuche so maybe.

    Next up is that tried-and-true Russo rule, the one you all want to emulate. During each trip, one meal may be replaced with ice cream. Kids, dont try this at home. I can do it because Im a professional and I have a decent medical plan.

    We headed to Ghirardellis for a Very Berry Sundae for me and a Hot Fudge Sundae for Barb. Ive had the Very Berry before and this one was a bit different not better or worse, just different. In any case, they were both very good. On the down side, we noticed they removed the tap from the sink in the dining room. They used to keep cups there if anyone wanted some water, now youve got to purchase a bottle.

    We did a little more walking and shopping around the Marketplace. You probably all know by now that I have a list of Park Peeves. One of them is what I term the Wide Walkers (or Rotated Caravan) that group of 3 or more that will walk abreast and not back off for anyone. If youre coming the other way, you need to fall into single file or pull to the side until this royalty has passed. We found a beauty here at the Marketplace four people walking abreast, with arms interlocked! I came very close to shouting Red Rover! and hurling myself between two of them.

    The buses from Downtown Disney to Crescent Lake are shared by all five resorts. We typically dont wait for the complete circuit and simply exit at the first stop, the Swan, and walk to our resort. Thats what we did here. At the Beach Club, we stopped in the Marketplace for Barb to get another coffee and picked up bagels for the morning.

    We stowed our haul in the room, freshened up a bit, and then head out at 7:00 for Epcot. We wound our way down toward Test Track by way of the Odyssey walkways. During this walk I head a revelation. There are no straight lines at Disney. Im not sure why this has taken 28 years to sink in but its true. You cant go anywhere in Disney by walking in a straight line (I know there are exceptions but give me this one its mostly true).

    While walking down a path, wide enough for four, we were blocked by two people strolling slowly hand-in-hand. They had themselves centered on the walkway leaving us no room to either side for the pass. Its not that big a deal because were not in any real hurry but they could have pulled to the side just a bit.

    Ive seen folks like this before at Disney World and Ive never known what to make of them. Hes in a white shirt, jeans and a straw hat and has a beard. Shes in a patterned dress to her ankles and wearing one of those bonnets with a string tied under the chin. Amish? Dont they eschew electricity? If so, is there anything at Disney World that doesnt use electricity? Im so confused. Im still trying to figure out why the Amish are so good at making electric fireplaces. Their Quality Control operation must suck without electrical outlets to test with.

    At Test Track, I was honest and showed the FastPasses from yesterday and asked the cast member if they could still be used. I admit I thought, just for a moment, about covering the date with my thumb when I entered. Unfortunately, she told me they had to be from the same day. We joined a Standby queue of 30 minutes and were on the ride in about 25.

    Barb wanted another spin on Soarin. The Standby queue was listed at 40 minutes and that proved accurate. For some reason, on this trip Im continually violating my personal rule of not entering a queue of more than 20 minutes. This was another frustrating queue with people sitting and not moving, trying to pass us in the line, etc.

    If youre at all familiar with the Soarin queue, you eventually reach a cast member at a podium. He or she will alternately allow guests through from the Standby and FastPass lines. Youre directed at that point to Concourse A or B for the pre-show. At that point, as we were the 3rd group in the Standby queue, a woman was being waved through on the FastPass side. She reached over the divider and deposited an extra FastPass ticket on our side. As it slid off the divider to the floor, she muttered something like One of you can use this and kept on trucking. What did she expect us to do with that single FastPass ticket? Lets see Ive waited for twenty minutes and have now reached the point where Im entering the pre-show. This would be a good time to leave my companions, walk back out of the Standby queue and re-enter the via the FastPass queue. Huh? What was she thinking?

    After Soarin, we left the Land at 8:50 and we would try to get out of Dodge before Illuminations started. We made it as far as the UK when the opening salvo fired so we stood and watched the opening sequence. When the globe began its trip out, we took that as our queue and left the park.

    We were going to try to make it back to our room in time to see if we had any view of the fireworks from our balcony. We should have sprinted because we heard the final volley of fireworks while we were in the stairwell heading to the second floor.

    I updated the notes and used the internet for a while. We watched a bit of news, determined Mitt Romney had won Florida and now the candidates were already in Nevada. Good riddance.

    Barb has suggested Animal Kingdom for tomorrow but its Extra Magic Hours (Morning) and Im holding out for Epcot tomorrow and Animal Kingdom Thursday. Well see.

    Miles Walked Today: 6.63.

    Things I Think I Think: I think the knee held up OK today but I may not try to push it with any extra walking this trip. I think that story of the Disneys Hollywood Studios bus breakdown illustrates how intense some folks are when they visit. I think I need to figure out Larry Wilmots system (Damn you, Wilmot!). I think some people should do just a little research on the transportation system before boarding the plane for Walt Disney World. I think ice cream sundaes are an excellent meal. I think people shouldnt walk more than three abreast on the walkways at the World and should be sensitive to oncoming walkers dont expect the world to move over for you.

    Day Four - Wednesday, February1, 2012 Mission: Space bites me.

    Were up at 6:40 for coffee and bagels. I check the weather and find its 55 now in Orlando and 52 in New York City. Weird. But its forecasted to break 80 today here. I see a great quote by Herb Caen this morning: I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there." I resemble that remark.

    There was a time when making it to a park by 8:00 was easy-peasy. Not so much anymore so I win and itll be Epcot today and Animal Kingdom tomorrow.

    We walk over to Epcot and are held at a rope by the Security tables until 8:50. A group of 13 people come to the front and explain they have a reservation for the Princess breakfast at Norway. No problem. The guards do their thorough (cough) search of all bags and in they go. Except for the one woman (with a small child) thats frantically searching her purse for park passes. Sorry but wouldnt you check that before leaving your resort? After 5 minutes she gives up and heads back to the Guest Relations booth muttering something over her shoulder to the other 11 people about having her passes validated. Im not sure what that meant.

    Naturally, two older women see this occur and saunter up from well back in the line to ask the Security guard why those people got in and they cant. He explains it to them and they seem to buy it and, of course, they hold their ground at the front of the line never returning to their original spot. I love creative line jumpers.

    At 8:50 they drop the ropes and we enter. Is there anything better than walking through World Showcase with no one around? I take a few photos in the UK when Barb suggested she take one of me. Im usually the guy behind the camera so there are precious few photos of me actually in Walt Disney World. I decide it would be fitting to pose in front of the Rose and Crown. I take up a spot in front of the doors, under a sign that reads, Pub. Naturally, Barb frames it so the sign is not visible. Its basically just me standing in front of a door any door. Oh, well.

    We make it to Soarin at 8:57. I grabbed FastPasses for 9:45 (Damn you, Wilmot!) and we rode twice via Standby queue both times getting the top row.

    Next was a walk over to Test Track where the sign indicated a 10 minute wait. It was a complete walk on. The pre-show wasnt even running, we just walked on through.

    Next up: Mission: Space. We rode green again. Barb and I were the only two in our module this time. When our mission ended, I tried to be cute and started applauding like the guy yesterday. Barb giggled (shes easy) and I leaned up a bit to ask for a high five. At that point, the shoulder harnesses released. My recollection is that you needed to raise these yourself but these things flew up abruptly and violently. It caught the bottom of my glasses and drove them up into the bridge of my nose, opening a cut just at the edge of the eye socket. Barb saw this and asked if I was OK. I said Yes and put a finger up to the wound and saw it was bleeding.

    Someone contact Martin, Harding and Mazzotti (or Dewey, Cheatum and Howe) because this has law suit written all over it. Dare I say it? Mission: Steve? The Experimental Prototype Community of Steve? Steve Russo World? The skys the limit. Barb handed me a tissue and I dabbed at the gaping hole in my head for several minutes before the copious flow of blood abated. I took a photo of the tissue as evidence.

    Still a bit wobbly from my brush with death, we hit Soarin using our FastPasses. The FastPass queue was a complete walk-through.

    Barb needed to satisfy her caffeine addiction here so we got her another coffee from Seasons and yes, it was Nescafe.

    It was about 11:20 so we headed toward World Showcase. We have an early ADR this evening (5:05 actually) for dinner at the Kona Caf. Because of the early dinner, we wanted to avoid a large lunch so we thought some grazing through World Showcase would be appropriate.

    We stopped in Norway and I can recall hearing many positive reviews on the School Bread so we shared one ($2.69). I thought it was good and something I would get again. Its more dessert than snack though so our grazing will be a bit out of sequence.

    We hit China next and spent some time with the Terra Cotta Warriors and then browsing the shops. Then it was off to the Lotus Blossom Caf where we split pot stickers and egg rolls ($9.57). I know this place gets panned a lot but I thought the food was fine. I guess its tough to screw up pot stickers and egg rolls

    To Italy where Barb sampled some perfume. She tried to spritz a bit on her wrist but managed to spray a quart or so directly on her neck and face. Ive seen her aim at Buzz Lightyear so this is not as surprising as you might think. We also purchased a bag of Amaretto cookies for Pop. Hes a big fan of cookies and a bigger fan of Amaretto so we thought this would be a winner of course, with Pop, one never knows.

    We enter the shop in the US pavilion and browsed for a bit. As we were leaving, a cast member stuck her head in the door and warned the cast member at the counter to watch out for the little ones. They come in the shop, steal chocolates and take them over to the bushes by the main entrance to eat. I didnt hear the entire exchange and thought she had a gang of children (or midgets) that was terrorizing Epcots shops. She was talking about squirrels stealing the chocolates. They take them into the nearby bushes to eat and then return for more. Not a bad life Epcot chocolates all day and Illuminations every night. Where do I sign up?

    At the kiosk outside, I took a photo of two t-shirts: one with a Turkey leg and the other showing Mickey bars which I termed entre and dessert. The cast member asked if I was going to buy one and I said I just wanted the photo.

    The temperature had passed 80 degrees and we were ready for some pool time. This is somewhat surprising but this is our 3rd stay at the Beach Club and we have yet to stick a toe in Stormalong Bay. Weve always used the quiet pool. Unfortunately, this trip would be only a little different. We hit Stormalong Bay but discovered a significant amount of construction there. The pool was actually cut in half by a construction wall. We got in and walked the sandy bottom of the Beach Club side but the lazy river part was blocked by construction.

    We sat for a while in some lounge chairs but between the construction noise, the music blaring and the sound of the lifeguards running a game for the three kids that were there, it wasnt at all relaxing. We packed up and headed to the quiet pool. We took a quick swim and went to the hot tub which unfortunately was closed. We did spend the better part of two hours in a couple of lounge chairs though.

    Then it was upstairs for showers and a change of clothes. Housekeeping had come and gone for trash and towel service while we were at the pool.

    We were off again at 3:45 for a quick bus and a quicker monorail to the Polynesian. Our plan was to be a bit early to have a drink in the Tambu Lounge before it filled up with guests waiting to be seated at Ohana.

    We arrived right around 4:30 and grabbed a couple of barstools on the quiet side furthest from the Ohana check-in desk. The bartender came over and offered a couple of drink menus. We had thought hard about ordering something out of a pineapple or with an umbrella and a straw but, after reviewing the 37 pages of the drink menu, I stuck with my usual Manhattan. Barb also went vanilla with a gin and tonic. Yeah, were really adventurous.

    We were chatting with the bartender when I happened to notice his nametag: Clinta. Thats a distinctive name and one I remember from several Sue Holland trip reports. I asked if he was a friend of Sues and we spent the next 15-minutes chatting about her DVC Diva-bility. Just kidding most of our conversation was about the weather, travel, etc.

    At 5:00, we checked in at the Kona Caf and were given the mandatory pager. It buzzed in 5 minutes and we were ushered in, given a tour of the dessert table and seated in the far reaches of the restaurant, near a window. We both heard our hostess say Ill be your server as she handed us the menus. What she really said was, Thuyll be your server. And Thuy did a great job.

    Ill include some food porn in the photos (link coming at the end of this tome). We started by sharing Pot Stickers (wok-seared pork and vegetable dumplings with creamy ginger-soy sauce $7.49). They were very good.

    Barb ordered the Sustainable Fish, which tonight was Mahi Mahi with black rice, swiss chard, and spicy cashew-cucumber relish. It was listed as Market Price and a bargain at $18.99. She really enjoyed it.

    I had the Teriyaki-style New York Strip, a sirloin strip grilled with pineapple teriyaki glaze served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes and stir-fried broccolini ($28.99). Two points: it came with a scoop of a sticky rice instead of the potatoes (the rice was good so no big deal), and; what the heck is broccolini? I hadnt heard of it until about six months ago and now I see it everywhere. Here are my guesses - Broccolini is:

    a) Thinner, longer broccoli (If broccoli is Jessica Simpson, then broccolini would be Uma Thurman. Get it?);
    b) Broccoli with dry vermouth and an olive;
    c) A green tightrope walker or a member of a family of acrobats.

    Cast your votes now (Psst its a).

    We concluded our meal by sharing a Crme Brulee and a presspot of Kona coffee both very good. We each had a glass of wine with dinner, choosing the recommended selections with each entre - a Riesling for Barb and a Simi cabernet for me. After TiW and including tip, the bill came to $92.

    We both liked Kona Caf. Its a notch below places like Narcoossees or the California Grill in its ambience but, in my opinion, it offers very good value. The food is better than good and the service is above average. Its a bit louder and more brightly lit than some of the signature restaurants but wed definitely dine here again.

    We rode the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, entered and walked up to Fantasyland. We were going to take in a showing of Mickeys Philharmagic. We were walking toward the door and had a group of six in front of us. They were an obvious group of business associates with one of the many conventions here this week. As we walked through the door, I was bumped (rather hard) by some idiot running to catch up with this group. I voiced my, uh, displeasure as he sped away. In 5 seconds, this same group was now blocking our way as they posed for pictures in the otherwise empty queue. One of them could sense my feelings about this and got everyone to move aside so we could pass through.

    The theater was only about full. It seems the majority of the people in the park tonight are on Main Street.

    In deference to Barb, I now agree to ride its a small world. We got to ride in our own boat. Yes, all alone amidst the hundreds and hundreds of dolls singing that damned song. Ahhh, romance.

    We moved down to the Hub, via the Tomorrowland bridge. It was about 7:35 and we were looking to take in the Magic, Memories and You show followed by Wishes. We were a bit closer to the castle than I like but I thought we could always move farther back later.

    There was a show with Mickey, Minnie, Peter Pan, Wendy, et al going on in the forecourt. We only caught the end so I had no idea what it was about but anything with Mickey has to be good, right?

    We waited only a few more minutes for the Magic Memories and You. Weve seen this show, and liked it, once before. We viewed it from way down toward the end of Main Street, by the Emporium. While the show is very good from that vantage point, from up close its GREAT! We could see so much more of the castle projections and special effects from here. I strongly recommend it to everyone.

    When the show ended, I expected a lot of folks to leave before Wishes if anything, the opposite occurred. More people come in later and it seemed no one was leaving the hub area. I would have preferred being a little farther back for Wishes but it simply wasnt worth fighting through the crowd.

    Wishes, as always, was great. Being closer and off to one side a bit, it appeared most fireworks occurred to the right side of the castle rather than directly behind it the effect if youre centered in Main Street. But it wasnt a big deal.

    A couple of peeves here during the Magic, Memories and You show, maybe 2/3 of the way through, a dad decided to lift his daughter onto his shoulders. Ive seen this so many times over the years. I was to one side so it didnt affect me but the folks directly behind him went from a fine view to no view. Please think about this before placing your child on your shoulders. Im all for giving the kids a better view but simply lifting the child to your hip would put their face next to yours; giving them the same view you have without disturbing those behind you. Its a small thing but a huge consideration.

    Then there are those who insist on leaving during the shows. The lights are dimmed, people are staring upwards and you push your stroller through this mass of humanity and then stop in front of me expecting me to move aside for you to get through? Aint happening. Either leave before the shows start, or wait until theyve ended. Please.

    After Wishes, we waddled with a huge crowd to the bus stops and managed to get seats on the first bus. Back at the Beach Club, I called Stephen as we were walking to the room. We discussed the ongoing saga of the stackable washer/dryer that Barb and I gave them as a Christmas present. Theyre STILL waiting for delivery but I wont bore you with those details (thanks, Lowes).

    We grabbed a beer and a glass of wine and sat on our balcony waiting for Illuminations. As expected, we could hear the music and narration, and see the higher fireworks fairly well. The lower fireworks were only visible through the trees. Not bad but the 5th floor is much better.

    We hung out there for a while chatting and trying to reach Stephanie. She returned from a business trip this evening and was relieving Michelle at home tonight. She and Paul had gone out for some food but she called when they returned. All was well at home.

    Miles Walked Today: 4.58.

    Things I Think I Think: I think Ill stop wearing my glasses the nose guard is rubbing against the cut keeping it open. I typically only wear them for distances anyway and a recent eye exam actually indicated my vision has improved rather significantly. Hopefully, I wont notice the difference. I think Ill have to pay attention next time I ride Mission: Space to see if the restraints always lift that abruptly (and forcefully). I think I liked the Kona Caf. I think people should stay put during the nighttime shows.

    Day Five - Thursday, February2, 2012 - African Fruit Bats?

    Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today.
    It's coooold out there every day. What is this, Miami Beach?

    Happy Groundhog Day! Im up at 7:04. Just couldnt get moving this morning.

    We make the bus stop at 8:15 just in time to see an Animal Kingdom bus leave. This is becoming a trend. Not to worry, another is along in 5 minutes. Were the only two on the bus (other than the driver, of course) and make a quick stop at the Boardwalk to pick up a family of 3. Then its off to the Animal Kingdom.

    After, we were held at the rope in front of the Tree of Life. I pulled out the camera for a shot and received an error message that it couldnt record the photo. It hit me then that I must have left the memory card in the laptop when I downloaded the photos last evening. Doh!

    Not to worry I have a backup thats safely stored in the front pocket of my backpack which, naturally, is safe and warm back in the room. I carry the camera in a very small case that attaches to my belt with a Velcro strap. Its so small, the camera just fits in there but it does have one of those elastic nets against one wall. YES! I stored the memory card that came with the camera there. That was the good news the bad is that it was only 128k. Hopefully that will suffice for this one morning at the Animal Kingdom.

    My goals here today were simple: I wanted to visit the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail for a visit (and photos) with the gorillas and the African Fruit Bats. Can anyone spot the obvious flaw in my plan?

    First, Barb wanted to ride Expedition Everest (ExE). Its not my favorite and the only time I ride is when were here solo. I just do it so Barb doesnt have to ride alone. When the kids are with us, Im off in search of coffee or something.

    At opening, the ride was basically a quick walk through the queue. Thats just a bit unfortunate because this is really one of the best queues on property. I overheard the young girl (13?) behind us say, Dad, did you see how old that computer was? Interesting that, with all the artifacts in that queue, she focused on a computer thats maybe 10 years old.

    I know that ExE has a great many fans but its not my cup of tea. I was never a fan of outdoor coasters that featured that long, slow ascent. I do have a fear of heights (sort of, anyway). Im also not thrilled with the backwards-in-the-dark part or the 85-degree drop outside the mountain. Other than that, I love ExE.

    Were off to Harambe and I grab Kilimanjaro Safari FastPasses for 10:05 (Damn you, Wilmot!). While waiting, we walked the Pangani trail. Similar to Stormalong Bay, there was construction in the middle so, rather than a continuous walk through, you entered what is normally the Exit and walked down to the gorillas and then retraced your steps backward. Then you could enter via the Entrance for the insects and aviary areas and backtrack again.

    We spent some time with the gorillas and saw the new baby. Unfortunately, s/he was way in the back behind some foliage and I couldnt get a good photo. We then walked the aviary side and when we finished, I found a cast member and asked, Where are the African Fruit Bats?

    There are none,

    Huh? Somehow, in my warped mind, these are African Fruit Bats which, naturally, should be in Africa. This particular cast member corrected me she worked the bat cage for over a year. They are Rodrigues Fruit Bats native to Asia. Theyre on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Boy, do I feel dumb. Ive only seen them a dozen or so times.

    It was time for a late breakfast so I hit Tamu Tamu for a ham, egg cheese flatbread (last year it was a ham, egg and cheese bagel). Barb went to Kusafari for coffee and a cheese Danish. We met up at a table in the Dawa Bar.

    Suitably nourished, we set off on our 3-week safari. This was a particularly good one as we saw lots of animals up close and personal. We saw the baby elephant, 3 cheetahs sitting up and awake and a black rhino sharpening his tusk on some ribs about 15 feet from our truck. The lions, however, were asleep and hiding. We saw only part of a paw up on the rock in the back.

    We walked the Maharajah Jungle Trek where I saw the non-African Fruit Bats. I was able to snap a picture of one bat, er to put this delicately pleasuring himself. Another photo filed under Things You Dont See Everyday. I got some close-up photos of the tigers but there were asleep as usual.

    We discussed taking in one of the 11:30 shows either Finding Nemo: the Musical or the Festival of the Lion King but, instead, opted for Dinosaur. We havent ridden in several trips so it was time. We walked past ExE and saw a Standby time of 5 minutes! At 11:00!

    We rode Dinosaur after a 10 minute wait. When we first walked in the building, I was immediately aware of how hot it was in there. Stifling, really, and I worked up a sweat in about 30 seconds. As we reached the podium, I overheard the cast member say air conditioning into the phone. As soon as we reached the pre-show, I could feel the welcome blasts of cold air. It made a huge difference very quickly.

    We did a little shopping on the way out but didnt purchase anything. We had about a 10-minute wait at the bus stops. We typically make Animal Kingdom a morning park and it always seems we have more of a wait here than the others. I also noticed incoming buses would invariably pull up to a stop that had no one waiting. Theyd discharge their passengers and then leave empty. I know theres a plan in place but that just makes no sense to me.

    While Im complaining, let me add another peeve. Ive seen this here at the Safari, ExE and both walking trails. Ive also seen it often at rides like Soarin, Test Track, and a number of others. Its the group of 4 to 8 people that hang out in the middle of the entrance. Ive seen it a lot in the FastPass queues where I surmise theyre waiting for their FastPass time to arrive. Geez, folks, can you wait off to the side so others can get through? The confusing thing is Ive also seen it at the entrance to Standby queues. Maybe not as prevalent but noticeable. Sometimes theyre chatting with the cast member; other times I cant figure out why theyre there.

    Back to the Beach Club where I straightened out the memory card issue. We changed into our swimsuits and headed down to the quiet pool. It was again low 80s and sunny. The hot tub was open today but only seemed to have two jets working. It seemed that the force normally driving a dozen jets was now funneled through those two because theyd just about push you off the seat.

    We took a few quick dips but mostly just lay in the lounge chairs and chatted.

    At 3:00 we went to the room for showers, got dressed then headed to the ESPN Club for a late lunch / early dinner linner, I guess.

    Steve was our server and we had a bit of fun with that. It reminded me of son-in-law Pauls bachelor party a few months ago. We played golf and I arrived with my son, Stephen. Paul was making introductions and we learned later he had been planning this for weeks. He introduced Stephen and me to his brother Stephen with a series of head bobs, saying Steve? Steve. Steve? Steve. Steve? Steve. It was funnier in person.

    We ordered iced tea for me and water for Barb. We split an appetizer of hot Dingers (boneless wings). Barb had the Chicken Caesar Salad and I deviated from my tried-and-true Dinger Sandwich. The menu had recently changed and I was intrigued by the Italian Hot Dog. The menu said it was topped with Fried Potatoes, Sauted Onions, Peppers, and Mustard ($10.99).

    A few words about my choice of entre. I can eat most anything. Heck, Ill eat a whole shoe if you batter and deep fry it, so take my opinions under advisement. I think Ive only had two bad meals at Disney World in all my trips: a Cuban sandwich at the ABC Commissary (blechhh!) and a too-thin, too-grisly excuse for a prime rib at (surprise!) Le Cellier. The Italian Hot Dog doesnt quite make this list but its close. It wasnt bad but I dont think Id get it again.

    We finished by 4:00 and set out for Disneys Hollywood Studios. We almost never take the boat it just involves too much waiting for two impatient people. We thought about it today mainly as just taking a nice boat ride. Regrettably, there wasnt a boat in sight so we started walking. It really was a beautiful day but hot if you spent a lot of time in the sun.

    We took 3 more turns on Star Tours (all walk-ons) and saw different combinations each time but still havent seen the Imperial probe droid or the trip to Kashyyyk. Maybe next time.

    We walked down to the Theater of the Stars and found excellent seats for Beauty and the Beast 15 minutes before the show. We settle into the row directly behind the director and sound boards, controls, etc. Again, its probably been twenty years since weve seen this and we both enjoyed it. The actors portraying Belle and Gaston were both very good.

    We left Disneys Hollywood Studios after the show and walked back to the Boardwalk. We stopped in at Seashore Sweets for vanilla and double Dutch chocolate waffle cones. You can probably guess which was mine. These cones werent replacing a meal at all this time; they were just a snack.

    We took our cones over to the Beach Club beach where Tarzan was playing tonight. We sat in one of the swings while we finished our ice cream. I remarked that the view across Crescent Lake tonight was a great photo opportunity but this is one of the rare occasions where I did not bring my camera.

    We headed for our room but made a quick stop in the Marketplace. The cone had made me very thirsty so I picked up one of those 20 oz. Nestea iced tea bottles (about $100 I think) and I drained it before we got to the room.

    We freshened up for a bit, grabbed the camera and headed back to the beach for more a few photos. I experimented a bit but got the best results when I used a railing post as a makeshift tripod.

    We enter Epcot at about 8:45 and try something different tonight. We walked into the UK and took the path alongside Yorkshire Fish and Chips. There was a private party in the small courtyard but the patio by the water was open. Folks had already laid claim to the benches but there was ample room leaning against the railings behind them. This is a great view, right at water level but the wind was toward us tonight but leading the smoke toward Crescent Lake, off to our right. A slight shift and this area would not be very pleasant.

    We were back in the room at 9:30.

    Another question that occurred to me on the walk from the International Gateway to the Beach Club: Why do the signs to/from the Beach Club and Epcot point you up the hill and over the bridge? Its more direct, and a whole lot flatter, to take the path along the water but the signs on both sides point you up the hill. Im just wondering.

    Miles Walked Today: 8.49.

    Things I Think I Think: I think I should carry the spare memory card in the camera case, not the backpack. I think I screwed up big time with the African Fruit Bats. It lost me a lot of Disney street cred. I think Dinosaur is a nice ride but I dont need to do it every trip. I think today was one of the best safaris Ive taken - ever. I think the Beach Club should fix that hot tub. I think Ill avoid the Italian Hot Dog on future trips. I think I should always have the camera with me at Disney World. I think today was our last full day. Surprisingly, Im not dreading the return home as much as usual.

    Day Six - Friday, February 3, 2012 Heading Home

    Were up at 6:30. Our boarding passes are in an envelope that was slipped under our door. Remember I paid for Early Bird Check-In on both ends of this trip? Somehow, Barb gets A20 while I get A37. Someone needs to explain this to me. Its not a big deal because Barb can board and grab our seats Im just wondering how this happens.

    Theres no room receipt on the door but I find its been emailed to me. I kind of like that.

    The forecast is for 80 degrees today but very windy all day (and night).

    This morning we decided that we needed a little more sustenance than a muffin or banana can deliver, so we sashayed over to the Captains Grille for breakfast. (I like to sashay, or meander, when I can, and at Disney World its not out of place at all, unlike say, New York, where sashaying is frowned upon.) Its French toast for Barb and Eggs My Way (over easy is my way) for me - with a full carafe of some very fine coffee. I do like this place.

    We head back to our room to finish packing. Barb opts for slacks today but I stick with shorts, tossing a jacket and a pair of Dockers into a carry-on bag. I figure Ill find some place to change before boarding Disneys Magical Express this afternoon.

    We roll our luggage outside to Resort Airline Check-in and were all set in about 3 minutes. I cant tell you how much I like this service. We then store our carry-ons (excepting Barbs shoulder bag/purse which she carries with her) with Baggage Services.

    We make it to Epcot at 10:00, walk through and I grabbed Soarin FastPasses for 11:00 (Damn you, Wilmot!). We then ride Standby with a 10 minute wait.

    We walked down and road the Seas with Nemo and friends and spent a few minutes in the aquarium areas.

    We then strolled through Innoventions West and East. There really was not much to do there. The Sum of all Thrills had a long line so we passed. Theres a new attraction in soft opening called Habit Heroes. It looked interesting but the cast member said it wouldnt open until this afternoon.

    Back to Soarin. The FastPass queue was a walk on but Standby is now 40 minutes. We spent time some extra time in the queue here, just prior to the pre-show. They had one load area completely filled while the other two were completely empty. Im not sure what was going on.

    We also waited several minutes for the ride to start as the cast members kept getting a seatbelt warning. Twice they asked one row of people to unbuckle and re-buckle. Finally, we were off.

    Knowing were flying out at 8:15 tonight, we were leaning toward a late lunch. I have no particular love for the food options at Orlando International. We thought about Le Cellier and walked down there but there was a huge line at the door. Our other choices were Rose and Crown of Les Chefs de France. I asked Barb her preference and she voted for France so off we went.

    Its now about 12:15 and Im looking for a table at 1:30-2:00. I walk up to the podium and see Caroline. Shes an absolutely stunning young lady but Ill soon find out most of the female servers in Les Chefs are equally beautiful. I need to find the guy that does the hiring here and high-five him.

    I explain to Caroline that Im looking for a table between 1:30-2:00. She says she can seat me now but cant guarantee a table later. Really? I thank her and move down to Morocco and we take seats on a ledge there.

    Barb calls home and talks with Stephanie. All is well and she learns that our daughters have a new-found respect for what we go through on a daily basis as caregivers for a 96-year old. I was actually expecting this. Its one thing to view as an occasional guest; its quite another to live it 24/7.

    While Barbs chatting with Steph, I call WDW-DINE. Im chatting with Pam and heres the situation: Im sitting 100 from, and looking at Les Chefs de France, while talking with Pam whos in another time zone altogether (never found out which one), getting a 1:30 reservation that the girl at the podium, again 100 away, couldnt give me. Whats wrong with that picture?

    I booked 1:30 put had my pick of 1:10, 1:30 or 1:50.

    We head to Germany and Karamel Kuche for two bags of chocolate caramel pop corn for Michelle and Stephanie. I was able to grab an AP discount here. As a matter of fact, I received an AP discount in almost every store all week including the Beach Club Marketplace. We did some window shopping and people watching in Germany, Japan and Morocco.

    Im discovering that Im not a huge fan of these evening flights home. Youre homeless for too much of the day. In the future, I guess well opt for the mid-morning flight even though well lose the whole day at Disney World (at least until Southwest changes their Friday schedule).

    We were by the miniature trains in Germany and we heard several people chatting about Hidden Mickeys. One fellow had just purchased a book (next door for $13.95) and was searching for one in the train layout. As we all helped him look, one of his party saw the three trees in the familiar Hidden Mickey pattern. We all looked and pointed it out to others.

    A woman remarked, Geez, its awfully hidden. I said, Thats why theyre called HIDDEN Mickeys. Another guy said, The Obvious Mickeys book is $35. She realized her faux pas and gave a Doh! She was carrying the remnants of a beer in a cup and I asked if it was her ninth of the day. She laughed (thank goodness, she couldve hit me).

    We next walked up and found a bench in the Americas Garden Theater. Heres another question why are there so many trees potentially blocking someones view in an outdoor theater? Does it strike anyone else as odd or a poor design?

    Its now 1:30 so were off to France where I announce to Caroline that we now have a reservation. By the way, her inability to honor my request has made her no less attractive to me. At the risk of being called a Dirty Old Man shes hot. She asks us to take a seat until were called, which we do.

    Six French speaking guys in swimsuits (yes, swimsuits) push their way up to the podium, leer at Caroline, and converse with her - rapidly and in fluent French. She seems a little taken aback but retreats to the restaurant and returns to give them an affirmative. Im not sure if this was simply for a table or something else but they were exuberant, and obnoxious. They surrounded the podium giving the seated guests waiting there an all-too-close-up view of the back of their swimsuits if you know what I mean.

    Were seated at 1:35 and our server is Nanon from Paris. Shes blond and gorgeous (this place has nothing but knockouts and why dont I eat here more often). To be fair, there are an equivalent number of young male servers here. Im no woman but they might be equally attractive. Wait nah theyre not.

    A few years ago, it was the French Menu and cost $14.95. Now its the Price Fixe for $23.99. Its onion soup. A grilled ham and cheese sandwich and salad, and crme brulee and, after having it once, we decided its way too much food for two people. Our compromise is that we share it, and order a second bowl of soup. Nonon did a wonderful job and the food was great. As good as the Kona Caf was the other night, this crme brulee beat theirs hands down.

    When we finished, we walked back to the Beach Club and took up some space in the Solarium waiting for the Disneys Magical Express bus. I worked on the laptop, Barb read a newspaper. I found a Mens room in the villas with a huge stall to change in. Why wont they put clothes hooks on the back of the stall doors? It would make it so much easier and remove the risk of dropping a pair of pants into the toilet. Ladies room stalls have them (or so Im told).

    Lets end this now. Somehow, Ive managed to stretch a 6-day trip into 23 pages. Disneys Magical Express was on time. I beeped through Security at the airport but was told it wasnt metal, I was just picked for a random check. They swabbed my hands then released me. Our flight was on time and mostly smooth (except for the last 40 minutes). The biggest surprise of the trip was stepping off the escalator at Albanys baggage claim to see both bags on the carousel. We found our car and walked in our door 40 minutes after stepping off the plane. Thats a new record by far!

    Miles Walked Today: 6.61.

    Final Thoughts: As I mentioned, we really needed this trip. Did it help? Yes. Did it work? Not really. As soon as we walked into a quiet house at 11:30pm, I could sense we both subconsciously expected to be greeted by the typically excited Gunnar. They say dogs have no concept of time but he seemed to know when we were gone for more than a few days. His greeting was more exuberant as he paced excitedly at our feet, running his body across our legs as if he just wanted the contact. I think I know why this is so difficult for us to get past but theres no point in hashing it through here. Its going to take time.

    It was a good trip even if a bit on the shorter side. We were able to get away together, relax a bit and enjoy a few of the newer things at Walt Disney World. Star Tours was certainly a hit with us, as was La Hacienda and Kona Caf.

    Next up, we scheduled for another solo trip in May for the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival were hopeful. After that, we have a whole family trip planned for December. We just learned that Stephen and Stephanie might not be able to make that one but its early yet. Were hoping.

    Thanks for reading.

    Ive uploaded just a few of the many photos to:
    https://picasaweb.google.com/srusso1...InJgKnKl43i4wE
    Steve

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  3. #2

    YEA, a Russo report!! What a wonderful way to start my day. I can't wait to start in, but sadly it will have to wait till tomorrow.

    Thanks SO much!!
    Ellen


  4. #3

    Hi Steve,
    I'm not going to be able to read the whole report today, but I want to tell you that I'm so sorry about Gunnar. I hope being away from home at WDW helped you to get through your pain a bit. I will never forget when I had to take my 19 year old yorkie (Mindy) to the vet to put her down. She had been yelping in pain for a few days, and I knew it was the right thing to do, but I couldn't stop crying. My parents came to drive me to the vet, and she licked away my tears the whole trip. It's so hard to lose someone who has been a constant friend in your life, and I'm sorry for your loss.

    I'm looking forward to reading your trip report. I've read so many others with the "wish" of being able to take a WDW trip someday, but this time I'll be reading it knowing that I will be visiting in May. It's also funny to see your trip report today, because I read your book last weekend to make sure I'm doing the things I need to do to plan our trip...

    - Betsy


  5. #4
    Registered User arnoldvb's Avatar
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    Hi Steve,

    Just finished reading through your report. Enjoyable as always, but sorry to hear about Gunnar. I'm more of a cat person, but know the feeling of losing beloved pets.

    Just a few comments on things that stuck out at me that again highlight similarities in our approaches to Disney World:

    - Googling the Star Tours details for reference in our trip reports.

    - The preference of going to the right at The Land because it's closer to the down-scalator.

    - The friendly battles with our wives on Buzz Lightyear.

    - Feeling that Under New Management was more humorous than the original Tiki Room, but accepting of both.

    Also, I couldn't help laughing at the discussion of "little ones" stealing chocolates from the store at the American pavilion. Helena and I could spend all day watching the antics of squirrels. Too bad we don't have any in the islands. We have iguanas instead.

    Hope you have a great trip in May, and will be looking forward to that report. We won't be at the World again until the week of December 14-21.


  6. #5
    Registered User srusso100's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by betsyrina View Post
    Hi Steve,
    I'm not going to be able to read the whole report today, but I want to tell you that I'm so sorry about Gunnar. I hope being away from home at WDW helped you to get through your pain a bit. I will never forget when I had to take my 19 year old yorkie (Mindy) to the vet to put her down. She had been yelping in pain for a few days, and I knew it was the right thing to do, but I couldn't stop crying. My parents came to drive me to the vet, and she licked away my tears the whole trip. It's so hard to lose someone who has been a constant friend in your life, and I'm sorry for your loss.

    I'm looking forward to reading your trip report. I've read so many others with the "wish" of being able to take a WDW trip someday, but this time I'll be reading it knowing that I will be visiting in May. It's also funny to see your trip report today, because I read your book last weekend to make sure I'm doing the things I need to do to plan our trip...

    - Betsy
    Thanks, Betsy. It's appreciated.
    Steve

  7. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by arnoldvb View Post
    Hi Steve,

    Just finished reading through your report. Enjoyable as always, but sorry to hear about Gunnar. I'm more of a cat person, but know the feeling of losing beloved pets.

    Just a few comments on things that stuck out at me that again highlight similarities in our approaches to Disney World:

    - Googling the Star Tours details for reference in our trip reports.

    - The preference of going to the right at The Land because it's closer to the down-scalator.

    - The friendly battles with our wives on Buzz Lightyear.

    - Feeling that Under New Management was more humorous than the original Tiki Room, but accepting of both.

    Also, I couldn't help laughing at the discussion of "little ones" stealing chocolates from the store at the American pavilion. Helena and I could spend all day watching the antics of squirrels. Too bad we don't have any in the islands. We have iguanas instead.

    Hope you have a great trip in May, and will be looking forward to that report. We won't be at the World again until the week of December 14-21.
    Thanks, Arnold. Yes, someday we'll meet up at Disney World and swap altar boy stories. I have a family of squirrels living in my yard that used to torment Gunnar daily. He'd chase them all the time but always come up empty.
    Steve

  8. #7

    I was sorry to read of your family's great loss.

    The trip report, of course, was a wonderful read. Being as I'm in my 2nd year of retirement, I had plenty of time to read it - and I was able to read it all in one go too!

    Already looking forward to the next trip report!

    “When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” - Roy Disney

  9. #8

    So I couldn't resist... I read the whole thing... if I get fired on Monday, it will be partially your fault - :-). I thoroughly enjoyed reading the trip report, and I'm glad you added those pictures of Gunnar in at the end. What a great dog. You will always miss him, I'm sure, but it will get easier with time.

    I loved your pictures of the fireworks (both Wishes and Illuminations). What kind of camera do you have that allows you to take such great pictures in the dark? I need to purchase a new camera, because my old Canon is just too slow these days. When I go in May it will be a trip with just my son (he will be almost 10). My husband has decided to stay home, because he's just not that interested in Disney trips.

    Thanks again for writing up this trip report.
    - Betsy


  10. #9
    Registered User srusso100's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Barberella View Post
    I was sorry to read of your family's great loss.

    The trip report, of course, was a wonderful read. Being as I'm in my 2nd year of retirement, I had plenty of time to read it - and I was able to read it all in one go too!

    Already looking forward to the next trip report!
    Thanks.
    Steve

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by betsyrina View Post
    So I couldn't resist... I read the whole thing... if I get fired on Monday, it will be partially your fault - :-). I thoroughly enjoyed reading the trip report, and I'm glad you added those pictures of Gunnar in at the end. What a great dog. You will always miss him, I'm sure, but it will get easier with time.

    I loved your pictures of the fireworks (both Wishes and Illuminations). What kind of camera do you have that allows you to take such great pictures in the dark? I need to purchase a new camera, because my old Canon is just too slow these days. When I go in May it will be a trip with just my son (he will be almost 10). My husband has decided to stay home, because he's just not that interested in Disney trips.

    Thanks again for writing up this trip report.
    - Betsy
    Thanks. I use a Canon PowerShot SX 120 IS. I bought it in 2009 and I know there are newer versions out there now. It's 12.0 MP but one of the big selling points to me was the 10x zoom. For fireworks, I use 3 different settings:

    The Auto setting seems to work well and recycles quickly. If there are white lieghts, however, it tends to was out the color;
    There's a "Fireworks" setting which produces vivid colors but slows the shutter down so you may get some streaking;
    Manual mode can give good results if I have something to rest the camera on.

    The key, for me, is to take lots and lots of photos and discard those that didn't come out well.
    Steve

  12. #11

    Thanks! I have an older Canon Powershot (that I loved!!!), but it's just slowing down. I thought your pictures were great, and I'm looking for something that can take good shots in low light. I decided to purchase the Canon SX 130 IS, based on your camera and other research. Just ordered it from Amazon.


  13. #12

    Thank you for the report Steve it was great to read!

    I always enjoy seeing the miles you walk each day. It only justifies eating more.
    I was also glad to hear the positive review of the cantina. I am considering this for an upcoming trip.
    How annoying that you call to make a reservation when clearly there were available tables. FYI the male wait staff at Chefs de France is totally HOT!
    Why were those guys wearing bathing suits?

    Great pictures thank you for posting and Gunnar was very handsome

    Formerly tinkinparis

  14. #13

    Our pets do ..... What am i saying you lost a member of your family . I am so sorry . Rose & crown yes, yes, yes. Would love to buy you a pint one day & swap war stories.
    Still miss my beloved british invasion. But the "revoulation " is growing on me. Ah the animal kingdom obsevered 2 monkeys doing what they do best one day & all the kids asking dad & grandma what are they doing . Your pic of the fruit bat priceless.
    A new disney commerical travel here for sex education .as someone who has had many knee injuries if it is not to personal { i feel i know you} how did you hurt yourself ? T-29 working days & counting till the guess who , pam brody , flower & garden & my buddy bob jackson.

    My best to you & your family, dusty


  15. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by tinkaparis View Post
    Thank you for the report Steve it was great to read!

    I always enjoy seeing the miles you walk each day. It only justifies eating more.
    I was also glad to hear the positive review of the cantina. I am considering this for an upcoming trip.
    How annoying that you call to make a reservation when clearly there were available tables. FYI the male wait staff at Chefs de France is totally HOT!
    Why were those guys wearing bathing suits?

    Great pictures thank you for posting and Gunnar was very handsome
    Thank you.

    To clarify, my review was for La Hacienda, not the Cantina (counter service nearby). And as to why those guys were in swimsuits??? Your guess would be as good as mine.
    Steve

  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by relaaxedwheniamthere View Post
    Our pets do ..... What am i saying you lost a member of your family . I am so sorry . Rose & crown yes, yes, yes. Would love to buy you a pint one day & swap war stories.
    Still miss my beloved british invasion. But the "revoulation " is growing on me. Ah the animal kingdom obsevered 2 monkeys doing what they do best one day & all the kids asking dad & grandma what are they doing . Your pic of the fruit bat priceless.
    A new disney commerical travel here for sex education .as someone who has had many knee injuries if it is not to personal { i feel i know you} how did you hurt yourself ? T-29 working days & counting till the guess who , pam brody , flower & garden & my buddy bob jackson.

    My best to you & your family, dusty
    Thanks, Dusty. I also share your views on the Invasion vs Revolution.

    I wish I could tell you how/when I damaged the knee... but I can't. There was no single event or trauma. I had a reaction to some medication which actually simulated Lyme disease - the first Lyme test actually came back positive. I had a lower leg rash and began retaining fluid. It's speculation but the extra fluid weight in the leg may have caused stress. When I stopped the medication, the Lyme disease symptoms went away but I was left with discomfort in the knee. A subsequent MRI revealed the torn tendons, etc. Like a said... a long, boring story.
    Steve

  17. #16

    Great report. I love the sense of family in all your reports. We are staying at the Beach Club for the first time this August and cannot wait! Great photos too. I am sorry for your loss. I have a 1 year old Golden Retriever, my sons dog and my first dog experience and already I cannot imagine losing him.

     

    If no-one out there understands, start your own revolution and cut out the middle man (Billy Bragg)

  18. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by scoobydooby View Post
    Great report. I love the sense of family in all your reports. We are staying at the Beach Club for the first time this August and cannot wait! Great photos too. I am sorry for your loss. I have a 1 year old Golden Retriever, my sons dog and my first dog experience and already I cannot imagine losing him.
    Thanks. I think you'll love the Beach Club.

    Gunnar was our first dog as well. Before him, the only "pets" I had were tropical fish - no comparison.
    Steve

  19. #18

    Sorry to hear about Gunnar. I know how tough that can be.

    Another question that occurred to me on the walk from the International Gateway to the Beach Club: Why do the signs to/from the Beach Club and Epcot point you up the hill and over the bridge? Its more direct, and a whole lot flatter, to take the path along the water but the signs on both sides point you up the hill.
    I hated that small but steep hill! The short walk back from Epcot to the Beach Club is great, but after a long day that hill is annoying! Wish I new there was a path along the water. Thanks for the tip, just kind of saw it on the map - next time we'll know!

    Thanks for another great trip report.
    Michael and Kellis August 2016 Trip with 25 Friends and family
    http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?234828
    Common Walt Disney World Wild Birds http://bochnik.com/disneybirds/disneybirds.htm
    Our other Disney Trips (including our Disneymoon): Kelli and Mike's Adventures http://www.bochnik.com/

  20. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by bochnikm View Post
    Sorry to hear about Gunnar. I know how tough that can be.



    I hated that small but steep hill! The short walk back from Epcot to the Beach Club is great, but after a long day that hill is annoying! Wish I new there was a path along the water. Thanks for the tip, just kind of saw it on the map - next time we'll know!

    Thanks for another great trip report.
    Thanks.

    Yes, after a long day of park touring, that hill always seems a little longer and steeper. The first time we tried the path by the water we were staying at the Boardwalk - we just took it to "see where it goes". We wound up climbing the hill on the other side. But we filed that away for future use and it sure comes in handy when you're heading to the Yacht or Beach Clubs. I'm just not sure why all the signage steers you away from it.
    Steve

  21. #20

    Steve,

    First I have been W....A......I....T....I.....N....G. for your trip report. From your last report my mom and I were figuring out when you will be going back again. I was off by several weeks. I am sooooo looking forward to reading it.

    At this moment I only got past about Gunnar and I had to give you my condolense. I truly know how heart breaking it is. Last year I lost my two cats. Brothers. Both 17 years old. Patches died on February 9th. Bonkers showed the same signs 5 weeks after (felt like I was been stabbed when I saw it) and died on August 27th (the day of hurricaine Irene). I've had animals my entire life (46 years old) and these two were litteral my sons. I still feel so lost that I even keep a bunch of things on the left hand side of my bed where they use to lay because it feels nice to "think" they are still there. It felt really strange that after all these years I could move to that side of the bed. There I admit it print. You have my deep felt condolense. We will never have another pet. That was determined. The only bright side (sorry to use the word bright) but now we can all travel on a trip together. Even though others have we would never, ever bring them to a facility for housing and we have no one really reliable to watch over them (they were so use to someone being at home). From March 12 - 23 my family dad, mom, sister (including my niece (5) and nephew (7)) will be going to Disney World and staying at OKW (my favorite resort). The last time I went on a vacation with my dad is 1974 when my grandparents use to live with us and could watch over our pets. I know the heartache you are feeling and the moments of as if they are still there.

    I am looking forward to your report so much. I am right now at work and "sneaking" in reading in as if I am reading a patients chart. Thank you for letting us know about Gunnar. We have read about him and your family for years. Now on to more reading.


  22. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by disneyokw1 View Post
    Steve,

    First I have been W....A......I....T....I.....N....G. for your trip report. From your last report my mom and I were figuring out when you will be going back again. I was off by several weeks. I am sooooo looking forward to reading it.

    At this moment I only got past about Gunnar and I had to give you my condolense. I truly know how heart breaking it is. Last year I lost my two cats. Brothers. Both 17 years old. Patches died on February 9th. Bonkers showed the same signs 5 weeks after (felt like I was been stabbed when I saw it) and died on August 27th (the day of hurricaine Irene). I've had animals my entire life (46 years old) and these two were litteral my sons. I still feel so lost that I even keep a bunch of things on the left hand side of my bed where they use to lay because it feels nice to "think" they are still there. It felt really strange that after all these years I could move to that side of the bed. There I admit it print. You have my deep felt condolense. We will never have another pet. That was determined. The only bright side (sorry to use the word bright) but now we can all travel on a trip together. Even though others have we would never, ever bring them to a facility for housing and we have no one really reliable to watch over them (they were so use to someone being at home). From March 12 - 23 my family dad, mom, sister (including my niece (5) and nephew (7)) will be going to Disney World and staying at OKW (my favorite resort). The last time I went on a vacation with my dad is 1974 when my grandparents use to live with us and could watch over our pets. I know the heartache you are feeling and the moments of as if they are still there.

    I am looking forward to your report so much. I am right now at work and "sneaking" in reading in as if I am reading a patients chart. Thank you for letting us know about Gunnar. We have read about him and your family for years. Now on to more reading.
    Thank you.
    Steve

  23. #22

    Thank you for sharing your awesome TR. I am so very sorry about ypur dog. we recently had to put down a dog of sound mind, bad body.

    I love all of your thoughts and opinions, I too agree about the loitering in the middle of a space....I too think they can be aware of others and move to the side!

    Thanks!

    Lisa


  24. #23
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    Steve, thank you for a great report! I had several moments of laughing out loud. Hopefully my co-workers didn't notice .

    In terms of the red cards you were handed, those are Flick cards. Not sure if they are still called that, but that was their name back in 2002/2003 when they came out. They are used to measure wait times. The castmember scans it at the standby greeter position and then it gets scanned again at the entrance to the ride. This is to see if the wait time posted is accurate with the amount of time the guest is in line.

    Sorry to hear about Gunnar. I look forward to your next trip report in May! I am headed there in two weeks for One More Disney Day (Leap Year), and seeing your pictures made me even more excited!

    Jennifer

    Jennifer

  25. #24

    Steve,

    Sorry to hear about Gunnar. You know he was loved and gave that love back 1000%. Are there any plans for a new baby?

    I don't blame you for sticking with DME. Rental car prices are excellent, but when you add in the post-9/11 fees, they end up almost twice as much. Shame.

    LOL @ Manuel with his thick accent over-spieling on the DME bus. Nothing like THAT to start a relaxing vacay, eh? I do think some of those drivers could use a refresher in correct Disney etiquette. Are they Disney or Mears employees?

    Funny - I'm a lifelong wearer of sweatshirts around my waist and I, too, have always thought of that as effeminate. But it never stopped me. Now that you wrote it, I'm feeling a little bit more self conscious.

    I have to agree: to date, I haven't found a better creme brulee on property than Chefs de France.

    Thanks for the fun report! ~Kelly


  26. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by lisalovesmickey View Post
    Thank you for sharing your awesome TR. I am so very sorry about ypur dog. we recently had to put down a dog of sound mind, bad body.

    I love all of your thoughts and opinions, I too agree about the loitering in the middle of a space....I too think they can be aware of others and move to the side!

    Thanks!

    Lisa
    Thanks, Lisa.
    Steve

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