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Thread: Sue (Holland) Rayford - Beach Club Villas & Boardwalk Villas, Oct 29 - Nov 6 2016

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    Sue (Holland) Rayford - Beach Club Villas & Boardwalk Villas, Oct 29 - Nov 6 2016

    Who/When/Where:

    Who: Sue (57-58), DVC Member
    SB (59), my husband
    Tiana (49), friend from work (10/30)
    Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
    Linda & Wiston, childhood best friend from Boston & her husband
    Chris (30), son
    Amanda (27), daughter-in-law
    Ari (3.5 months), grandson
    Dates: October 29 November 7, 2016
    Resort: Disneys Beach Club Villas Resort & Disneys Boardwalk Villas Resort
    Experience: Very Experienced 38th stay at BCV & 22nd at BWV

    INTRODUCTION:
    This is the real Food & Wine trip not just a weekend during a horrifically hot/humid time of year <g>. We always do Food & Wine with our friends Pete & Judy from NJ, and we always try to do it later rather than earlier in hopes of more comfortable weather. It looks like this year it should be pretty nice a million times better than our weekend a few weeks ago!

    Pete & Judy are both retired now, and theyll have a longer stay than us. As usual, they arrive on a Thursday and stay at least 10 days or so. Id normally arrive Thursday also, but I have a work event in the panhandle of Florida on Saturday. Since SB doesnt really do long trips, and since Chris & Amanda are limited to weekends, it was a no brainer to make the beginning of the trip a solo trip for me, and bring SB in later so wed all be together for the second weekend. Despite my work event involving a 7-hour round trip drive plus the time spent at the event, I decided to start the trip that evening. That way I have the whole next day without being homeless. I invited Tiana to join me for the first couple of nights, but as of a week prior to the trip she was thinking shed only be able to make a day trip on Sunday. I have a studio at Beach Club Villas booked for the first 3 nights, and included her in those fastpasses, but sometimes life doesnt follow the plan. I have no problem enjoying the studio myself!

    After those first 3 nights, I move into a 1-bedroom villa at Boardwalk for the final 6 nights. Pete & Judy will already be there, so I can stash my stuff in their 1-bedroom villa until mine is ready. SB will come down after work that day (Tuesday) and stay for 5 nights (the final night Ill be solo). I booked a studio at Boardwalk for Chris, Amanda & Ari for Thursday until Sunday, but later had to drop the Thursday night since Amanda couldnt get off work. Luckily she told me well ahead of 31 days in advance so the points werent compromised. Now theyll only get to be there Friday and Saturday nights.

    Later my childhood best friend Linda decided she & her husband wanted to come down then, and she booked them into the Swan starting Thursday. Later still she booked their flights for Wednesday night and added a room at All Star Sports for that night. I agreed to go pick them up Thursday morning to take them to Swan to check in. Just last week she changed their flights to earlier ones, so theyd arrive at 9:30 Wednesday morning instead of late at night. At that point we already had our plans with Pete & Judy, so Linda & Wiston will be on their own, although I did invite them to join us for lunch at Captains Grill that day (being a resort location, it shouldnt be a problem to change from 4 to 6 people). It looks like theyll tour the monorail resorts and enjoy some pool time as much as you can enjoy an All Star pool (theyll feel spoiled when they move over to Swan)!

    The priority for this trip is Food & Wine Festival, which is where we plan to spend most of our time. Hopefully that wont become a problem with Linda and Wiston joining us. Last time it was somewhat of a nightmare, and I told her afterwards that we never wanted to do a trip with them during Food & Wine again. I love her, and we enjoy them both, but it just did not work! At the time both of them were unemployed (I booked them a studio at Kidani Village) and between Linda having mobility issues (hip bothering her) and them discovering early how much cheaper it was to eat full meals at counter service restaurants rather than Food & Wine kiosks, it sucked for us. Wed be in the park early but not make it out to the kiosks before the crowds, then theyd want to sit at counter service places (where SB would order food too) very frustrating. She assures me this year will be different, so well see. I think one thing that will certainly be different is if they want to sit at a counter service Ill be saying ok text us (or me, if SB stays to eat, lol) when youre done and you can catch up with us. Since they dont get here that often, I want them to see everything they want to see but this is the wrong trip for us to be skipping what we do in order to tour like newbies. So, it will be a balancing act.give and take.

    Because its Food & Wine, restaurant meals are NOT attractive at all, and generally not wanted. There are 2 small exceptions. First, it seems (according to Pete) we (the 2 couples) alternate birthday meals one year they treat us for my birthday and the next year we treat them for his birthday. Evidently last year we treated them at Trails End for his Oct 28th birthday, so he insisted we needed my birthday meal. So, I booked Captains Grille for an early lunch one day, hoping we can still munch at Food & Wine later that evening <g>. They have a caprese sandwich on the menu that appeals to me, so Im looking forward to it although I wish our birthdays were not during Food & Wine, lol! The second exception is due to birthday credits that need to be used. The Levy Restaurants group gives a $25 birthday credit to people in their free loyalty program. So, Pete has one for his Oct 28th birthday, I have one for my Nov 4th birthday, and Amanda has one for her Nov 1st birthday. I need to tell Linda to sign up, for her Oct 29th birthday! We have lunch for all of us booked at Portobello to use those credits on Saturday (11/5), since Saturday is such a nightmare at Food & Wine. Its a great deal and Portobello is excellent, so its no hardship eating there!

    We have one other meal booked the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, on Friday 11/4. Chris & Amanda wont be joining us for that one, so itll just be the 3 older couples. We booked the earliest show, figuring it would be a late lunch and wed have some time to walk it down later (SB will most likely opt to lay down). Linda & Wiston are only buying 3-day hoppers, so this will be their non-park day. We may join Chris, Amanda & Ari in Epcot later, as this will be their arrival day & they have fastpasses over there.

    Other than that, our normal plan is to do some morning fastpasses in a park, retreat for some pool time, then head to Epcot by late afternoon for a Food & Wine evening & concert.


    The plans so far are:
    Saturday 10/29: Work event in FL panhandle, Drive to WDW, Possible Epcot late
    Sunday 10/30: Magic Kingdom, Food & Wine
    Monday 10/31: Epcot, Pool, Food & Wine
    Tuesday 11/1: Move to Boardwalk, Epcot, Pool, Food & Wine
    Wednesday 11/2: Hollywood Studios, Captains Grille, Pool, Food & Wine
    Thursday 11/3: Move Linda & Wiston from All Stars, Animal Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine
    Friday 11/4: Epcot, Hoop Dee Doo Revue, Epcot again?
    Saturday 11/5: Disney Springs, Portobello, Hollywood Studios, Boardwalk or Epcot
    Sunday 11/6: Magic Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine
    Monday 11/7: Drive to Gainesville


    DAY 1 Saturday 10/29/16
    Who: Sue (57), DVC Member

    Plan: Work event in FL panhandle, Drive to WDW, Possible Epcot late

    Actual: I went to bed at the usual time last night, but woke around 2am and wasnt able to get back to sleep. Finally at 3am I got up, even though the alarm wouldnt have gone off for another hour. I showered and had my cappuccino, then just before leaving I had a small bowl of cereal. I was out the door at 5:45 and we were on the road just after 6am 5 of us in a 7-passenger rental van so it was comfortable. The event was the Fall Festival, which is like a huge county fair except its held on the grounds of our sister facility up in Marianna, Florida. There were thousands of people there and it was HOT today! We rode in the parade, which was much longer than usual. Its 3.5 hours to get there and 3.5 hours to get back, and I was home at 5:30. Tiana had gone back and forth on coming tonight vs coming tomorrow, and finally she decided it would be tomorrow.

    With that settled, I said goodbye to SB, loaded the trunk, and hit the road. It was an easy drive, and I pulled onto Disney property around 7:30. I was irritated that Id never gotten a text or email telling me my room number, and I knew Id done the online check in right at 60 days and again last week when I got the last minute emails. One of the wheels on my suitcase was looking a bit wobbly, so I didnt want to be dragging it around any more than necessary, so I drove up to the front entrance and parked the car along the side. I told the valet guy I was just running in for a minute to get my room number, and left the key with him just in case. Thats their rule, and it doesnt bother me.

    Thankfully there was no wait at the front desk, and I had a delightful cast member who completely turned my irritable mood around. Somehow my phone number and email had been dropped by the system, which is why I never received a notification on the room. She asked if we were celebrating anything, and I told her several birthdays but mine would be after I moved to the Boardwalk. She pretended to be insulted that I was spending it there rather than here and joked that just for that she was going to fix it so I had to sleep in the lobby tonight. I got my room number, and its not too far from the main elevators, up on the 3rd floor. I was happy with that, especially for a short stay. SB would love this room, since he values proximity (meaning the least amount of walking) over anything else!

    I went back outside and got my key from the valet, then drove to the Villas parking lot. As expected, it was very busy but luckily I found what looked like the only visible spot and it wasnt too far away. I made a trip up to the studio, and then returned to get the rest of the stuff out of the car. I had stuff in a cooler, so I just brought the food up but not the cooler (and dumped the little bit of ice out). Id let Pete & Judy know Id arrived, and made arrangements to meet them over at Boardwalk tomorrow morning. Ill bring some of the items I wont need until I move there Tuesday, and leave them in their villa until mine is ready.

    I didnt bother to unpack, but instead shoved a gift card in my pocket, grabbed my phone and walked over to Epcot. I absolutely love the convenience of leaving my room and 5-10 minutes later being inside Epcot! I truly loathe that front entrance, so I really value my Beach Club and Boardwalk dvc points! There was no wait at bag check, and the couple other people entering along with me also had no bags. We all headed through the metal detector, which took no time at all, and there was no wait at the entry point.

    Up the hill I turned left towards United Kingdom and although World Showcase was very crowded, it wasnt that bad for a Saturday night. As I passed the Food & Wine kiosks I was pleased to see very short lines, and sometimes no line at all. I decided Canada might be an option after all, and when I got there I walked right in and had to wait behind one person to place my order, and then it might have been a minute waiting in line to pick up my order. They had both sides open, 3 registers on both sides, and 2 cast members on each side giving out the food, so it went very quickly. I had the cheese soup with pretzel roll and it was excellent really hit the spot! It was so crowded I started walking and was shocked to spot an empty table right by the big store near the lake.

    I finished eating at the table, and was joined by a woman and her young son who asked if they could share my table. He had the filet from Canada and she had the nachos from Greece. We chatted a little bit, and when I finished my soup I continued on my way. I detoured down the path to the Chocolate Studio (thinking Ghiradelli chocolate raspberry tart) but that place had a long line so I skipped it. I continued in that direction, but it was just after 8:30 and Id decided to skip my Spaceship Earth fastpass since I have done that so many times. I cut over near the Chew areas, and those werent very busy. In fact the whole evening, only the Chocolate Studio had a long line.

    I turned back towards World Showcase and turned left towards Mexico. It was really congested in the usual spots, and at times it was frustrating dodging the really slow walkers, but its much easier as a solo than it is as a group. I got to Norway around 8:45, and since my fastpass was for 9-10, I knew I could enter the queue at 8:55. I sat outside and played suduko on my phone to pass the time, then wandered back over there but the line was shorter than expected. When it was my turn to tap my magic band I knew it was only 8:54 so I told the cast member I was 6 minutes early. As expected, the lights were flashing blue (meaning not valid) but she looked at the screen and told me to go ahead inside.

    This time the queue was not backed up to the door it was empty until I got to the point where they merge the standby people (they had 90 minutes to wait) into the final stretch of queue. I checked my phone when my boat started moving, and it was exactly 9pm so 6 minutes from entering the building to starting the ride. The ride itself was about 6 minutes, which is longer than I thought it was. It is very pretty inside, and I liked it better than I did the first time. I would never wait much time for it, but when I book a fastpass Ill enjoy it. We have them again Tuesday night, so SB, Pete & Judy can do it for the first time.

    After Frozen Forever I continued walking left, towards China. I made a quick stop in Morocco for a baklava to take back to the studio, then exited the park via International Gateway. I made a quick stop in the Beach Club Marketplace to pick up a packet of pepper for my egg tomorrow morning, then went up to the studio and finally unpacked what Id need for the first 3 nights (before I move to Boardwalk). I had a bite of the baklava, but put the rest in the fridge for another day.

    Today was a very long day, with lots of time traveling by car. Its great finally being here, though. Im looking forward to seeing Pete & Judy again starting tomorrow hopefully itll be a great week! Tomorrow weve got morning fastpasses at Magic Kingdom, and will do Food & Wine later. Id like some pool time, but well see how that plays out since Tiana will be here just for the day.


    DAY 2 Sunday 10/30/16
    Who: Sue (57), DVC Member
    Tiana (49), friend from work
    Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ

    Plan: Magic Kingdom, Food & Wine

    Actual: It was 11:30 before I went to bed last night but I slept well. Id set the alarm for 5 but woke up and when I looked at my phone it was only 4:40 and got up when the alarm sounded. First order of business was a shower, and I like the new shower head in these bathrooms. After blow drying my hair I made my cappuccino and sat in bed under the covers to drink it while doing online stuff.

    Around 7 I made an egg and slice of bacon for breakfast, then had a couple bites of baklava for dessert. I figure if dessert works with lunch and dinner, it must be ok with breakfast too! Besides, theres not much difference nutritionally between baklava and a cinnamon roll or muffin, lol! Tiana pulled in shortly before 8, so I gave her the studio number and waited for her to park and come up. I figured Id give her the option of BC Marketplace, Boardwalk Bakery or Bellevue Lounge to pick up something for breakfast if she was hungry. All of those were kind of on our way to Pete & Judys villa at Boardwalk.

    I decided to wait for her downstairs, taking no chances shed get lost. I was outside looking for any alligators in the water, when she spotted me as she walked up from the parking lot. We stopped at Beach Club Marketplace, where she bought a croissant and heated it up in the microwave in my studio. Once she finished eating we gathered what I was bring to Pete & Judys and walked over to Boardwalk.

    It was great seeing them again, and they very nicely stored my extra stuff in their villa for a few days. We sat around chatting while they finished their coffee, then headed out for the bus to Magic Kingdom. I was wearing my birthday button, and Tiana wore the one that said Celebrating Sues Birthday. A cast member with the most annoying voice (and extremely high level of friendliness and perkiness) was there and started talking to us excitedly about birthdays and celebrations. She sounded like a cartoon, lol nice girl, but tough on the ears! Thankfully the bus arrived, but we were left with squeaky voice while the driver loaded a lady on a scooter.

    Pete absolutely HATES taking Disney buses, for a few reasons screaming kids, loud obnoxious guests, drivers who wont shut up and get off the microphone, and the crowds. But, going to Magic Kingdom the bus really is the best option, so I hoped for the best. The bus was empty when it arrived, and made no other stops and there were no screaming kids or loud guests. But, the bus driver began booming into the microphone and didnt let up for the entire trip, lol! It really was too loud, and Pete put finger in one of his ears. The driver did all the usual safety stuff, then talked about each park, then what bus stop numbers were for each other park plus Disney Springs, then the colors the first buses were, the colors of the next generation & the current plus the colors of uniforms the drivers wore for each one, then the planned but never built resorts in the MK area, Walts wifes favorite color, and then he burst into song for everyone, lol! It was so bizarre I found it amusing, but Pete would probably disagree <g>.

    We quickly exited the bus and I was pleased to see a new bag check area set up on that side, so we didnt have to walk down the hill to the center entrance. Pete didnt have a bag, so he went through the metal detector. The rest of us got through bag check very quickly, and entered the park without any wait. The only problem was nobody knew where Pete was! Judy eventually spotted his back he was watching for us but wed passed him by. She ran back out to get him, and we were good.

    The park opened at 8 today, but when Id booked fastpasses and made plans the hours were posted as 9. It wasnt a big deal, as we got to do plenty (for us). It was just after 9:15 now, but our first fastpass would be good until 10:15 so we decided to Haunted Mansion first. The standby wait was 10 minutes, but we walked right into the preshow room. It was full though! I noticed the black bird (or bat) up above at the end of the ride before entering the hitchhiking ghosts area was missing.

    We enjoyed the attraction, and then used our fastpass for Peter Pans Flight since it was right around the corner. Tiana had never ridden this before (again, I cant seem to ever find an attraction shes done before on her multiple visits before we met its so strange), and she loved it. We all enjoy this one! We had time before our Seven Dwarfs Mine Train fastpass so we rode Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It had a 10-minute wait posted, but we never slowed down until we sat in our clam mobiles. Its a cute & colorful little ride! At this point we were right on time for our 10:15 Mine Train, and left Pete in the shade with our bags since hed decided to skip it. However, my magic band flashed the blue light because the fastpass time was really 10:30 oops! Judy & Tiana grabbed a shady table by the ice cream place across from Mine Train while I went to retrieve Pete.

    He liked our new spot much better before he was in the stroller parking area, so lots of people coming & going. I shared my list of Food & Wine menu items & prices to pass the time, and then at 10:30 the women walked over to ride Mine Train. The fastpass queue was backed up outside the attraction, which Id never seen before! I watched to make sure it was still running, and it was. The line moved quickly and didnt take long at all. They were making announcements that all seats on the train would be filled, so if you were a party with an odd number of people one of them would be seated with someone from another odd numbered party. Tiana ended in the seat ahead of Judy & me, with a lady from another party of 3. It was a fun ride too bad it wasnt longer!

    We met back up with Pete at the table and sat chatting for a little bit, then walked into Tomorrowland and rode the People Mover. It was nice to see it didnt have a long queue for a change, lol! From there we crossed the hub and went to Adventureland for our Pirates of the Caribbean fastpass, but we had about 12 minutes to kill so we sat at a table in Pecos Bills. Pirates was another 1st time attraction for Tiana. She loved it, but how did she miss it all these years??

    Pirates was our last fastpass, and Pete & Judy decided to get something to eat in the park before heading back to enjoy their pool this afternoon. We agreed on a meeting time for later, and they said goodbye to Tiana. Tiana was heading home busy day at work tomorrow, and she was still tired from the work event yesterday. She & I headed towards Main Street and once there I spotted my friend Mary working as Miss Inga. We waited until Mary and her co-worker were finished with the guests they were talking to, and Mary was surprised when she spotted me. It was great seeing her, and we got to spend a little time talking. Hopefully well see her again on Sunday when were back with the whole gang! She & her co-worker sang Happy Birthday to me <g>.

    We left the park and rode the bus to Beach Club, where Tiana headed to the parking lot to get her car and I headed to Beach Club Marketplace for a kids cheese pizza for lunch. I learned the kids meals come with a drink and 2 sides (Id always just taken 1), so I got a small bottle of water, pack of grapes, and small chocolate pudding. With the new (temporary) DVC 20% discount lunch was $5.11 cant beat that! I ate the pizza but put the rest of the stuff in the fridge. After changing into a swimsuit and grabbing a frozen bottle of water I went down to the quiet pool for around an hour and a half. It was warm, but the breeze kept it from being unbearable. I did some reading, and just relaxed, heading back inside around 2:45.

    I wasnt meeting Pete & Judy until 4:30, so I spent the time relaxing in the air conditioning with HGTV running. I updated the report, checked email, etc. By 4:25 I wasnt hungry yet but left to meet Pete & Judy. Ill get something to eat later, but enjoy wandering around with them until that point. I got to the bridge first and was taking a picture of the Yacht Club Resort when my camera stopped working and gave me a lens error message. Basically the lens wouldnt retract back in. I tried everything I could think of, and while it eventually went partway back in, the camera was not working. Pete & Judy had arrived by then. This is terrible timing, with my grandson arriving soon and a cruise coming up! Trying to have SB find an older camera at home and whatever chargers & cords would be needed was too frustrating to think about, never mind attempt. I ended up taking the camera back to the studio and met up with Pete & Judy just inside the park.

    We walked up the hill and turned right towards France. There was a nice breeze and in the shade it was gorgeous outside! In the sun it was still a little warm, but better than earlier. In Brazil Pete got the pork belly with black beans, and Judy & I were able to grab a table in the seating area. It only had one chair, but a man at the next table brought his over (thinking it was just the 2 of us), and then he stood next to his wife at their groups table. That was very nice of him. When they finished & left they have us another chair, so we were all able to sit. Most of the chairs had been taken by a large group at a table in the corner there must have been close to 10 people over there at a table which had 4 chairs originally. Pete loved the pork belly, so that was a good pick.

    When he finished we continued walking, and as we got to America I noticed the theater was jammed full of people (even sitting on the walls along the side). The music group that sings during the afternoon was doing their final set, and I knew the crowds were not there for them <g>. Theyre good, but they dont fill the theater not by a long shot! The crowd was there for the first Hansen concert tonight, and they were sitting through the other group. We continued on our way, and in Italy Pete & Judy each got a pinot grigio and I got a prosecco (from the regular beverage stand). We went over by the lake and took a couple cell phone photos with our drinks to send to Judys friend Bonnie who wasnt able to make it this year.

    Continuing around, the crowds werent too bad for the most part, and the lines at the kiosks werent very long. There were a few spots where it felt congested, but thats normal. As we approached the entry to Future World we decided to wander along the rose garden path to check out the kiosks up there and ran into old DVC friends Donna & Joe Sharick! We knew each other would be there, but didnt expect to just run into each other like that. We stepped to the side and made introductions, then chatted for a bit. When we first met our kids were just kids, and now theyre all adults & Im even a grandmother time sure flies!

    We continued on our way, and there was no line at the chocolate studio but I wasnt ready to carry the torte around for another loop so I skipped it. We went over near the Chew Lab kiosk and Pete got the gazpacho with lump crab meat from the stand next door, while Judy & I waited for him at a tall table. I dont like crab, otherwise I would have tried this item. He seemed to like it, and it was a pretty decent portion. Once that was gone we walked back out to World Showcase, and when we got to International Gateway Pete left to return to their villa. Judy stayed in the park for another loop, so we meandered around. We got to America just before the next Hansen concert, so I decided to try the beef brisket on garlic toast from the Hops & Barley stand. The theater was packed, and lots of people were standing outside. The tables and most walls across the walkway were also occupied, but we found a spot on the wall of the fountain across from the entrance to the American Adventure and sat there. We heard the first half of the Hansen concert, but didnt know any of the songs. The brisket was pretty good Im glad I tried it, but I dont need to get it again. Id steered clear of it earlier because the reviews were not great, but I think it was better than what Id read about it.

    We didnt stay for the rest of the concert, since we had another couple nights and we didnt really know the group or the songs. I noticed lots of people in the audience were standing up, which is a huge turn off. Theres no point in going into the theater if we cant see anything but the butts and backs of people ahead of us. There are seats there sit the hell down, lol! Judy & I continued walking but didnt get any more food or wine. We did detour to the chocolate studio and each got a Ghiradelli chocolate raspberry torte to take back to our rooms. We agreed on a meeting time for tomorrow morning and parted company at the bridge.

    When I got back to the studio the message light was flashing, and I learned tomorrow there would be no electricity from 11:30 am until 2:30 pm. That sucks! I did call and confirm the door locks would still work, so I can get into my room. I just wont have lights, air conditioning, tv, computer, etc. Looks like Ill have to stay at the pool longer than planned. Beach Club Marketplace will be closed as well no power. Too bad this couldnt have been delayed a day, when I wouldnt be here, lol!

    I checked my camera, and had the same error message. My online research indicates I should send it to one of the Canon service places and in a week or so Id have an estimate on the cost to repair. I may check for a local camera repair shop in Gainesville, since the camera most certainly isnt under any warranty at this point. I finished up the trip report and it felt like it must be really late but it was only 8:30, lol! Hopefully tonight will be an earlier night!

    Today was a great day and so much more comfortable than that blazing inferno I experienced last trip. We got to do a lot in Magic Kingdom, thanks to fastpasses, and it was a treat to run into Mary without making plans to do so. I enjoyed my pool time, and evenings in Epcot are always a delight. The camera situation is a huge bummer it cost too much for me to just say oh well and buy another, but depending on the repair cost that might be what I should do. Well see.

    Tomorrow is a Food & Wine day, where well start out at Epcot, take a break, and return to Epcot. Im not thrilled with this power outage thing, but its beyond my control. Pete & Judy are excited to do the new Soarin tomorrow, and itll be fun to see what they think about it. We may give Hansen another try, too.


    DAY 3 Monday 10/31/16
    Who: Sue (57), DVC Member
    Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ

    Plan: Epcot, Pool, Food & Wine

    Actual: I turned in around 10:30 last night, and slept well. However, I was awake somewhere after 4, and when I finally checked the time it was 4:40. I may have dozed off again, as next thing I knew the alarm on the phone was going off at 5:30. I got up and showered, then checked the camera one last time but found the same lens error message. I made my cappuccino and took it back to bed to drink while I listened to the morning news and did some searching for camera repair places. Precision Camera came up as an authorized Canon repair place (their techs are trained by Canon Im sure by other camera companies as well). Im somewhat leery of mailing it off somewhat, and was pleased when another site led me to ONE camera repair shop in Gainesville. It happened to be a Precision Camera location & its just a couple miles from us! Ill call them when I get back, and see if I can run it over in person early next week.

    While showering the cap to my travel bottle of shower gel was stuck, and rather than opening properly the whole cap broke off. Now I have a bottle with about 3 ounces of shower gel and no way to close it or cover the open bottle. Since Im moving tomorrow, this is a pain and I dont feel like dumping it all out! Later today Ill just have to drive off site maybe a CVS or Walgreens will have something I can buy to replace this. Lets hope crap things dont keep breaking, lol!

    Just after 8:30 I shut down the computer (since the power would be going off), finished getting ready, and left around 8:45 to meet Pete & Judy at the bridge. I talked to SB on the way over and while waiting for them (I was early). We walked in through International Gateway, just beating an arriving friendship boat. Entry was a breeze, with no wait for anything. It was just after 9, so I guess wed missed the initial rush.

    It's so pleasant walking through a deserted World Showcase! How nice it would be if it was this uncrowded when we were trying to try the food & wine, but then the food wouldnt be fresh because it would be sitting waiting for customers! We walked into Future World and went straight to the Land, arriving around 9:15. We walked right onto Living with the Land and enjoyed that boat ride.

    Once that finished we were in our Soarin fastpass window so we went there and were directed to the new theater. We had a short wait and then were brought into the loading area, where they were loading the first side but the middle was empty. I asked if we could sit in the middle section, so they directed us there where we got the front row as well. This is really the optimum row! Soon we were soaring around the world, enjoying the sights. Afterwards I asked Pete & Judy what they thought, and they liked it but found the transitions annoying. The scenery and choice of locations is excellent, but those cheap trick transitions detract from what would otherwise be a great attraction.

    We left the pavilion at this point, and went to the passholder glass location to pick up their glasses. I was on my second 3rd visit and let them scan my band, expecting to be told Id already gotten my glass but its evidently not tracking that (or theyre not limiting it to 1 per passholder). We each got a glass, which was nice. From there we went to the Festival Center, because after all it is 5 oclock somewhere.

    Judy got a chardonnay, I got the prosecco, and Pete tried the light ale SB had really liked here (enough that he didnt gripe about the price-portion ratio, lol). Pete really liked it too. We sat at a table with our drinks and although it wasnt busy in the building, of course a woman with a noisy toddler in a stroller decided to stop right next to us. She was so annoying, the way shed let her kid shriek for no reason, and not do anything to redirect the behavior (or move away from people).

    Once we finished our drinks we got up and left the noisy mom/child. Judy noticed they had recipes out for several of the items featured in the culinary demonstrations so they looked through and took the ones they were interested in trying at home (Pete likes to cook). From there we wandered through the chocolate exhibit, where we got our samples and Pete took pictures of the elaborate displays. We continued our walk around and left the Festival Center at that point.

    We stopped at the outdoor pin place so Pete could check for any dvc or passholder pins, but there wasnt anything he liked enough to buy. I wasnt impressed with them either. It was now getting close to 11, and they needed to be back in the Festival Center by 11:45 for their noon demo, so we decided to part ways. They went to do our Nemo fastpass, while I headed out to World Showcase for a quick lunch. I went directly to France and had no line at all. Canada had several people in line, but not enough to call it crowded the other stands hardly had anyone in line.

    I ordered the beef shortribs over mashed potatoes and took it to a shady table by the lake. The potato portion seemed smaller than last year, but there was still a lot of beef. As usual, it was very tender and flavorful. I had a really nice breeze at my table, and it was very pleasant out there! I was texting with a friend from work, and telling him about my camera challenges, and had to be careful my plate didnt blow away. After finishing I left the park and went back to the resort.

    I expected to have no power, but the automatic doors were opening and lights were on. The elevators worked, too. Inside my studio the lights worked. Im not sure the power ever went off, so Im not sure what the voice mail was all about. I ate part of the chocolate raspberry torte, then changed into a swimsuit and went down to the quiet pool. They had signs at each entrance to the pool and the spa saying they were closed. Another sign said they were closed due to the power outage, but Stormalong Bay was open. As a result, nobody was in the pool and the only other people were a few quiet adults on the far side of the pool. It was heavenly!!!

    I spent nearly 2 hours out there reading and relaxing, listening to the music but otherwise not hearing any noise at all. I could see the ceiling light on in a studio on the 4th floor, and it never went out, so again I dont think we lost power in this building. I went back inside about 1:45 and when I got to my studio and picked up the remote control the tv came on. Since it was so close to 2pm (General Hospital) I decided to stick around to watch it and go look for a shower gel container afterwards. I cleaned up a bit, and joined General Hospital just after it began, updating the trip report while I watched.

    Id been texting back & forth much of the afternoon on a work issue that was really important to us, and it was taking longer and longer to resolve. I left the room as General Hospital ended, and just after I got in the car my friend called to share how it had all played out. Had I been at work I would have been there with him, and I wanted to know! We were on the phone as I drove to the Walgreens out on 192 (taking Sherberth Road) and the whole time I was in the store. I had the sense to answer the call by picking up my phone rather than talking through the car! I found a package of 4 travel bottles and picked them up, then wandered around the store until other people showed up to use the conference room he was calling me from and we ended the call. I paid for the travel bottles and drove back to the resort.

    Just after I got back to the studio he called again, and we finished that discussion and then chatted a while. Pete had texted during this time, so I replied to him after getting off the phone, then had about 30 minutes or so to relax before meeting Pete & Judy. This time they were going to ride the boat (from Boardwalk Epcot is the next stop) to save some steps and theyll text me again when they get on the boat so I can leave then and meet them at International Gateway. SB will love taking the boat everywhere when hes with just me we walk, but not without some level of grumbling on his part <g>. I wonder if he promised Pete a few beers or something, to get him to need the boats, lol!

    I was already ready to go, so I left as soon as I got the text. As I came out from the walking path I saw their boat headed under the bridge, but I still beat them since the boat has to turn around to dock. I breezed right through bag check and wasnt directed to the metal detector. I also had the whole bank of 4 card readers to myself, so no delay entering the park at all. I waited for Pete & Judy along the railing, and then we walked up the ramp. This time we turned left, and wandered through a nicely uncrowded World Showcase.

    Our first stop was just past Farm Fresh, where Pete & I held a shady table while Judy got the chicken & dumplings. It was a large portion, and they both loved it. It had 2 large dumplings, quite a few mushrooms, and chicken. If it wasnt for the mushrooms I might try it, but I hate those. We continued walking and stopped again at a shady table across from South Korea. This time Judy & I held it while Pete got the bbq beef over jasmine rice and a glass of raspberry wine. I thought about getting the beef again, but I could see the portion was larger than I wanted tonight. It would have been the only thing Id get! Pete loved the beef, and I think Judy did too. She & I werent crazy about the wine, but Pete liked it. It tasted more like sangria to me.

    While they were finishing the beef I went to Africa for buttered chicken, telling them Id be back. This was the only place with a little wait, thanks to only 1 register being open. I got my buttered chicken and it was a really large portion at least a few times as much as that piddly portion I had the first time. This was more like it, lol! As I went to walk back to Pete & Judy they showed up in Africa, so we had to find another table unfortunately this one was partly sunny and rather warm. The chicken was great, but it was a lot after this I was done with the food. Theyre both looking forward to getting it another day.

    When we got to America the Hanson concert was just starting, and although the theater was nearly full there werent several rows of people standing outside at the back. We wandered through the back rows thinking there might be seats, but then ran into a rope that prevented us from moving into the other side of the theater. We just left, going back to sit at a shady table outside the counter service place in America. We could hear the concert just fine from there.

    I ran over to Italy for a limoncello margarita, and Pete got them each a glass of wine from the regular stand in America. We enjoyed sitting there talking (and laughing) during the concert, and it was much better than sitting in the theater where people could have been standing up in front of us. We did finally hear one song that we recognized as having heard it on the radio, lol! Eventually we continued walking, and Pete stayed with us until we came around to Scotland (between UK and Canada) again. He got in the queue to get another potato pancake with salmon, and was then heading back to their resort. Judy & I continued for another loop, but neither of us were hungry for anything so we didnt make any stops. We did notice that Frozen Forever had a 105-minute standby wait.

    As we got back to International Gateway again it was only 7pm, but felt so much later! She headed back to Boardwalk, but I couldnt leave that early so I decided to make another loop. This time I stopped in Mexico and did the boat ride. I noticed an owl among the painted ceramic things they sell there, and after the ride I selected one for Amanda since she likes owls. Somehow my bag caught on something and knocked a ceramic bird to the ground, where a piece of it broke off. I picked it up and looked for a cast member, but one came over quickly when he must have heard it crash. I apologized, and he was quick to tell me I didnt have to pay for it (I knew that I was apologizing because I felt bad for breaking it). I brought him the owl Id selected, and paid for that he wrapped it up really well (perhaps thinking this lady is a klutz, lol) and I was on my way. The rest of the walk around the countries was pleasant but uneventful. People were starting to gather along the edge for Illuminations, which was just over an hour away.

    I left the park around 8 and made the quick walk back to Beach Club Villas. Once there I took the rest of the chocolate raspberry torte out of the fridge to warm up a bit and then ate it. That is SO good! After that I finished up the trip report and Im in for the night. Today was a pretty nice day a little warm for this time of year during the day, but beautiful at night. Food & Wine today was delightful, with such small crowds!

    Tomorrow I move to the Boardwalk, into a 1-bedroom villa for the next 6 nights. Moving is a pain, but itll be nice to have the extra space & feel more like a real home. The only bad part is being homeless for perhaps most of the day. SB arrives tomorrow night, too.


    DAY 4 Tuesday 11/1/16
    Who: Sue (57), DVC Member
    SB (59), my husband
    Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ

    Plan: Move to Boardwalk, Epcot, Pool, Food & Wine

    Actual: I was up until 11:30 last night, and then I dont think I slept very much. Maybe it was the chocolate thing, but if so, it was worth it <g>. I dont feel tired, so no big deal. I got up with the alarm at 5:30 and once again showered and then made my cappuccino. A cold front is coming through Friday, so I asked SB to bring me a sweatshirt (and one of his), so well see if remembers by the time he leaves this afternoon.

    I was watching the news and doing online stuff when at 7:11 I had the email telling me my Boardwalk villa is ready!!!! I couldnt believe it I really hope its not a handicapped room, since obviously it was vacant last night during a period of time that sells out far in advance. But, if it is I guess we can live with it. At least now I dont have to inconvenience Pete & Judy with using one of their magic bands to access my stuff in their villa while theyre having lunch with a friend.

    I made my egg and bacon, then finished gathering up my stuff so I could get settled before meeting Pete & Judy. I figured I could finish any online stuff over there. Im having an issue with one of the wheels looking like its come unscrewed from the base of the suitcase, so I made it as light as possible, hoping it wont fall off during the trip. I will need to fix it or replace the suitcase before the cruise next month no way can I keep it light then when its the primary bag Ill be dragging down the hallway!

    SB will love this villa its the 3rd door down the hall from the elevators, lol! Its a regular, refurbished unit, and everything looks great! There probably wont be an Illuminations view but thats ok. We have a long balcony that spans both the living room and bedroom, with a set of chairs and table at each end. Overall Im happy with it, and thrilled to be in so early! I texted Pete to see if I could come get my stuff, and waited for his reply. Wed agreed on 9am so I didnt want to just show up 30 minutes early. Once they texted back I went down to get my stuff and Pete helped me carry it down to my villa. I couldnt figure out how I got it all there in the first place, but they reminded me Tiana carried some of it! Duh!

    They werent ready to go yet, so I told them to just text me when they were and wed meet up. I put the rest of my stuff away and spent some time online. They texted a little after 9 and I beat them down to the lobby since my room is closer. A bride was there, and it looked like she was having trouble walking in her shoes. Its nice to look pretty on your wedding day, but if you cant walk it sort of takes away from it, lol!

    We rode the boat over to Epcot, and once again there was basically no wait to enter the park. This entrance is so much nicer than that godawful mess at the front of the park! We took our time walking over to Future World, and used our fastpasses at Spaceship Earth even though they really werent necessary at this point. I think we were able to bypass around 20 people <g>. The camera was working, and our pictures appeared on the screens at the end of the ride. Mine had part of my head missing (some tragic accident I guess) and Judy mentioned the same thing about hers.

    After our journey through communication we headed over to Imagination. We did the Disney Pixar short film festival first (where Captain E-O used to be. Its a 3-D series of 3 cartoons. I found the first one (with Mickey and many Disney characters) to be uncomfortably and unnecessarily violent. It was a major turn-off for me. The next 2 were far more appropriate, and the last one very funny/cute. From there we went up to the DVC member lounge so Pete & Judy could see it. They enjoyed some of the sodas from the machine, but I dont drink any of that stuff. While we were seated cast members came around with a cart offering snacks. I took a package of Chips Ahoy cookies for the villa, and they each got a bag of Cheez Its. Last time when Amanda & I were here we werent around long enough for the snack cart, lol!

    After they finished their soda we went downstairs and used our unnecessary fastpass for the Imagination ride. I sure miss the original one, but at least this one isnt as awful as the previous one. At this point it was 11, so that means time for Food & Wine Festival! Pete decided to head back to the resort to try to save his legs so hed be able to wander around tonight after SB gets here. Judy and I started on the Mexico side, since she had buttered chicken from Africa on her mind. I decided to get the bbq beef from South Korea, since they were so close to each other. I stopped in South Korea to get my beef, then walked over to meet Judy in Africa, where she was at the cash register.

    I found a table that was slightly shaded, and thats where we had our line. She had the buttered chicken and a glass of the shiraz. After our lunch we wandered back towards International Gateway, stopping at the Festival Shop briefly, and then again in Morocco so I could get a piece of baklava to bring back to the villa. We walked back to Boardwalk and agreed to meet up after SB got in around 6.

    I had some work stuff to do, but decided it could wait. I changed into a swimsuit and went down to the main pool, enjoying peace & quiet on a chaise lounge by the spa pool. While out there I called DVC member services and changed the reservations Id made last night from Boardwalk to Beach Club, and verified with Amanda that theyd be able to do 3 nights that trip. Itll be an early Food & Wine trip and I HATE that it will be miserably hot/humid, but with her job thats the only time they can do more than a short weekend.

    I was out at the pool from noon until 2, when I went inside to watch General Hospital and do some work. I also enjoyed some of the wine Id brought from home, which made working a bit more pleasant, lol! Once that was done I updated the report, and then finally around 4 had some time to just relax. I called SB just after 4 to see what time he got on the road and he wasnt on the road yet. He worked til 3:30, so I figured hed be here by 6. But, he knew a week ago he needed coolant and hadnt done it. He knew almost a week ago to get beer for Wiston and hadnt done it. Its so frustrating dealing with a procrastinator hes out there NOW doing this crap, along with getting gas (again, the car should have been filled up yesterday). He was honestly puzzled why I was irritated, too!

    I went out and sat on the balcony with the laptop, since it was shady & pleasant. Later he called again, saying he was at exit 1A. I know Id mentioned earlier his exit was 8, as it has been for years. He evidently zoned out and flew past it, lol and now had to turn around and find his way back to 8. I couldnt help him since I didnt know where the heck exit 1A was, having always gotten off at exit 8 <g>. Around 6:20-6:30 I saw him turning the corner to get to the parking lot entrance, and pretty soon he was walking up the hill (but not carrying all that he was supposed to bring this being after I said we were waiting so I could help him carry the stuff up. Pete & Judy were on their balcony watching for him and whistled to him as he passed. He was on the phone with me at the time, asking what room we were in.

    Once he got to the room I asked about the missing items and he said they were in the car. Im not sure WHY they were in the car, but I said wed go get them later tonight and just let it go. But, he ended up needing something that was out there so we both walked out to the parking lot and carried everything up. Once that was done we met Pete & Judy in the lobby and walked over to Epcot.

    It was later than wed planned, and therefore darker. It was also very crowded, most likely due to extra magic hours this evening. The food kiosks had lines some long, but many not too bad. We headed towards the Mexico side, as everyone wanted buttered chicken from Africa. As we approached there was an empty table with 4 chairs so Pete suggested Judy & I hold the table while he & SB got the food. Pete & Judy each got one, and thankfully SB only got one, which we shared. Everyone really liked it.

    We continued walking, this time stopping in Italy because SB wanted a margarita. While there he also wanted the chicken parmesan again. Pete & Judy sat on the steps to wait for us, while we joined the queue. The printer at the register I went to didnt work, so we ended up standing there while they tried unsuccessfully to fix it. Finally they told them to just give me the food, without my receipt. We used a tab from the sampler package to pay for the margarita, and had trouble finding a register that worked one out of 4 was working in that moment.

    As we approached Pete & Judy they got up and Pete motioned for us to follow him over the top and down the other side of the stairs. A woman with a couple screaming kids had parked right next to them, and she wouldnt do anything to calm the kids down. It was much quieter and more pleasant on the other side! The chicken was very good again large portion and real chicken. SB & I shared it, and it was plenty. We started walking again and stopped in France for Pete to get the escargot. This one wasnt a winner he gave a grade of C minus, which is not good. All he could taste was garlic.

    We left the park, as it was mobbed now. We rode the boat back to Boardwalk, and agreed on a meeting time/place tomorrow morning before Pete & Judy went up to their villa. SB got a chili cheese dog from the stand on the boardwalk and I took a peek inside the new AbracadaBar. The outside was definitely more my style than the inside, lol! As I walked over to SB I heard my name being called, and found Donna & Joe sitting at a table there. It was nice running into them again, and we chatted a bit until SB came over with his hotdog.

    The hotdog was gone by the time we got back to the villa, and we were in for the night. I turned on the world series for him, but can see him dozing off and on. I finished up the report and hope to watch some HGTV before turning in, but I dont think hes going to last out here with this game.

    Today was a nice relaxing day just how I like them! Food and Wine continues to impress with the quality of the food and the portion size. Tomorrow were spending part of the morning at Hollywood Studios, then having my birthday lunch at Captains Grille before enjoying time by the pool and more Food & Wine Festival.


    DAY 5 Wednesday 11/2/16
    Who: Sue (57), DVC Member
    SB (59), my husband
    Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ

    Plan: Hollywood Studios, Captains Grille, Pool, Food & Wine

    Actual: We were both in bed early last night, and I even turned off the tv before 10:30. He slept better than me, thanks to someone in the room snoring a bit. I wont name any names <g>. I got up with the alarm at 5:30 and went out to the living room, and he followed within the next hour.

    After my shower I made us breakfast eggs and sausage for him, egg and bacon slice for me. Id had my cappuccino before SB got up. Once breakfast was done he got in the shower, and I dealt with a problem at work. SB had brought one of my really old cameras, and I was able to charge it last night. Well see how it goes. I still want to try to get the broken one fixed, as its an expensive camera and I love the huge zoom. This old one only has 10x optical zoom, which at the time was a big deal <g>.

    We were out the door just before 8:30, meeting Pete & Judy by the boat dock. We sat on a bench there and once Pete & Judy arrived the boat was pulling in. So far weve had excellent timing for the boats. That doesnt usually happen! We rode over to Hollywood Studios and had no wait to get through bag check or entry. It was around 5 or 10 minutes after 9 so we decided to do Star Wars standby, figuring there would be no wait. Not only was there no wait, we were asked which row we wanted and then nobody else was put in our row, lol! It was a fun ride everyone enjoyed it.

    We were now just inside our Toy Story fastpass window so we walked over there and were surprised to see the standby wait was 15 minutes. It actually ended up being less than that! We did it standby, and when we got off we went right back around with our fastpasses. The standby wait was still posted as 15 minutes. Had I known it would be like this, I wouldnt have bothered with any Studios fastpasses and we could have done Soarin or Frozen again.

    I beat SB both times, so he s continued his flawless streak of being beaten by his wife every time on this attraction, lol! Next we stopped for the Mermaid show, which was new for SB and it had been a long time for the rest of us. Id forgotten about the rain inside, and frankly it was very annoying. The show was ok, but way below Disneys current standards. The girl playing Ariel had a beautiful voice, assuming she was really singing. Now that Ive done that again Im good for another 15 years or so <g>.

    We shopped a bit, and eventually made our way out of the park. The boat was waiting for us, so we boarded and rode over to Yacht Club. Linda & Wiston had arrived safely and were on their way to their resort for the night. The rest of us got to Yacht Club about 45 minutes before our lunch reservation, so we sat in the lobby to give Linda & Wiston time to get there (bus to Studios, boat to Yacht Club). Theyd said not to wait for them, and that theyd just join us late.

    We ended up being seated earlier than our time, so we ordered drinks. A cast member came over with a birthday card addressed to me, signed by all the cast members working at the restaurant that day. When the server asked if we were ready to order, Linda & Wiston were on the boat so we ordered an appetizer to share. They arrived and helped finish that off, and we all ordered our entrees. I had the tomato/mozzarella sandwich on focaccia bread and it was outstanding! Im so glad I tried this! I couldnt finish the 2nd half, but SB took care of it. He had the soup and sandwich chicken noodle soup with shrimp salad on a croissant. Pete & Judy had the same, except with tomato bisque. Wiston had the scallops salad and Linda got the fish tacos. Everything looked and tasted really good we were all pleased with this restaurant. Pete & Judy treated us for my birthday, so thanks again Pete & Judy!

    After lunch Linda & Wiston caught a bus to the Magic Kingdom in order to tour the monorail resorts. The rest of us rode the boat back to boardwalk, with plans to meet up at 5. SB settled down to watch CNN for a few hours, and I changed into a swimsuit & headed to the pool. Pete & Judy came down as well, enjoying pina coladas from the bar at a shady table. I think I was out there less than 30 minutes when a little shower started, and it looked pretty dark in that direction. Since it was going to be cloudy all day, I got up and went back inside, choosing to watch General Hospital in the bedroom rather than wait for the sun to possibly come back out. At 3 I went back out to the living room and did online stuff while SB watched his CNN.

    Around 4 I decided to head over to Epcot and walk around a bit before the others came over. I checked to see what Linda & Wiston were doing (shed been texting or sending pictures off and on) and they were on their way to Wilderness Lodge (or whatever its called now). They decided not to try to come back here, since they wouldnt have that much time after we got back from Food & Wine and before the transportation related to Hollywood Studios would be ending (park closed at 8 and they would have taken the boat from here to Studios, then bus to All Stars). Instead they decided to have a nice dinner, boat back to Magic Kingdom and bus back to their resort. That meant the rest of us didnt have cut our time short in Epcot, too.

    I made a complete loop of the countries and then came to wait on a bench along the International Gateway ramp. I ended up sitting with someone I know from the internet, and we spent the time chatting. Soon SB, Pete & Judy walked past me while SB was on the phone asking me where I was, lol. I said goodbye to Faith and joined the others. This time we headed towards United Kingdom, and made a number of stops as we worked our way through the countries.

    In Canada we shared the filet mignon (with SB eating all the mushrooms) and Pete & Judy shared the cheese soup with pretzel bread. Everything was delicious. In Hawaii Pete got the tuna poke, which he had not liked a few years ago but said this one was excellent. As anyone would get food, wed stop at a table or bench and relax a bit. SB got the chicken and dumplings from Farm Fresh, and really liked it. I thought it was ok, but its not something I would order for myself.

    Continuing on, we stopped in Mexico (Pete said we better hurry before they build the wall and we cant get in, lol) and were going to ride the boat ride but the line was longer than we felt the ride was worth. Instead, SB got into line at the tequila bar and although I thought hed come out with a margarita, instead he came out with a $9.38 cup of beer. Pete thought that wasnt any worse than any ballpark, but SB never paid for anything in most ballparks so he thought Disney was high. I would have to agree!

    We went back outside and stopped in Germany. Pete & Judy shared the schinkenudlen (mac & cheese w/ham) and Judy got one of the white wines. SB & I shared that and the sausage on wheat roll, along with a glass of kabinett for me. The sausage was actually very good. The pasta stuff was excellent, but I left most of that for him since it was so filling. At Sommerfest (Germanys counter service place) they sell this mac & cheese without the ham as a side item, and its excellent. Its a very cheap but filling meal for someone without a huge appetite.

    We stopped again in America, at the Hops & Barley stand. Judy & I held a picnic table while SB got the lobster roll and Pete got chardonnay for Judy and a grapefruit beer for himself. The lobster roll is small, but its full of lobster no filler, not a bunch of mayo, etc. SB liked it. At this point it was only 5 minutes until the 6:45 Soul Asylum concert, so we decided to get seats in the theater. It wasnt full or really busy, so we got good seats in the 3rd row of the 2nd section. SB detoured to buy a funnel cake, which wasnt so bad since there was 4 of us to eat it!

    The concert started, and nearly blasted us out of our seats. The speakers were not far from us, and they were LOUD. The group is a rock band, and wed never heard of them. SB thought they were ok, but none of the rest of us thought that highly. Im just not into the whole hopping up and down on the stage, shaking your head around to whip your too-long hair constantly and bending over forward while playing your guitar. Guess Im too old or maybe its really old enough to expect better, lol! That said, they werent horrible just not my cup of tea. After their last song the lead guy blew a kiss and they left the stage without saying a word. Oh well.

    We continued walking, but nobody was hungry at this point. After sitting for an hour Pete had lost his momentum, and no longer felt up to another loop. While at the concert hed stuffed napkins in his ears in an attempt to muffle the noise, lol. When we got to International Gateway Pete & Judy returned to Boardwalk, and we reversed direction to do one more complete loop. Neither of us wanted anything to eat or drink, but I did want a chocolate raspberry torte for the fridge.

    It was fairly congested in spots, but we maneuvered through the crowds and made good time walking around the world. I detoured to the Chocolate Studio while he waited outside the restroom, and then we finished the trek back to Boardwalk. The boat was nowhere in sight, so we just walked rather than stand around waiting. I put the torte in the fridge, and we settled in for the night. Hes flipping between the baseball game and whatever else he finds in the living room, while Ive got Property Brothers on in the bedroom.

    Today was another great day the only downside was not having nice pool weather. Hopefully thatll be better tomorrow. Ill pick up Linda & Wiston from All Star Sports and bring them to the Swan to check in, then well meet the others at Animal Kingdom in time for our 9:25 safari fastpass. If the weather is nice, Ill get some pool time then later well all head to Food & Wine. I know Linda wants to do Soarin, so well see how the standby queue gets later.


    DAY 6 Thursday 11/3/16
    Who: Sue (57), DVC Member
    SB (59), my husband
    Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
    Linda & Wiston, childhood best friend from Boston & her husband

    Plan: Move Linda & Wiston from All Stars, Animal Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine

    Actual: We were both tired early, and turned the light and tv off before 9:30. I slept better, although Im always awake a lot. SB on the other hand, sleeps like the dead except for getting up to use the bathroom. Id set the alarm earlier (5am) since I had to shuttle Linda & Wiston this morning, so I got up when the alarm went off. I made my cappuccino and did some online stuff. SB was up close to 6. After my shower I made breakfast the same as yesterday, but this time SB asked about grits and I remembered Id brought some with me. I had to hunt through the kitchen cabinets to find them, lol! I also finished the baklava for dessert.

    Breakfast was good love having the full kitchen. Heck, I love having a home instead of a room! I finished getting ready and was out the door by 7:40 to walk to the car and drive over to All Star Sports to pick up Linda & Wiston. They were going to have breakfast and be out front by 8. I arrived a little early, so I parked & went inside. I didnt see them in the food court, which wasnt a good sign. I went to the front desk and had our Hoop Dee Doo Revue tickets printed, then checked again.

    Eventually I texted them and Linda said they were just leaving the room, and they were all the way down in Baseball. I waited again, checking out the shop, wandering around outside, etc. Finally, I called. Wiston answered the phone and said Linda was almost done getting ready. I told him they no longer had time for breakfast, but wed try to find them a muffin at the park.

    Finally, they showed up, and we rushed out to my car. Linda would have been fine just going straight to the park, but then wed be standing around waiting for it to open. We drove over to Swan and they quickly dropped their bags off with bell services while I waited. On the way to Animal Kingdom they ate the sandwiches theyd packed for the plane yesterday, so it all worked out! We were parked at the far end of a row in the Dinosaur section, so we rode the tram t the entrance. All the bag check lanes were open, so it looked really busy but moved pretty well.

    Pete, Judy & SB were in the parkng lot getting on the tram as we entered the park, so we waited for them just past the entrance. Soon they were there, and we all headed back to Harambe. Bigger groups move more slowly, especially when one of the members is wearing a knee brace. So, we took a slower pace meaning I tried hard to consciously walk slower than I normally do. I didnt always succeed, but I tried to be considerate. When Pete, Judy, SB & I arrived at the safari (Linda had stopped to take a picture of the drummer/dancer) the standby wait was zero minutes, and we figured we might as well do it that way. However, while we waited for the rest of the group we watched the time change to 5 minutes, then 10, then 15 then 20, lol! At that point it made sense to wait the 8 minutes for our fastpass.

    People got some fruit or chips to snack on from the stand there, then right at 9:20 we entered the queue for our 9:25 fastpass. Wistons magic band didnt register his, but his card (pass) had it on there. We walked right into the loading area but then stood there about 10 minutes waiting for a truck. It seemed not many were out on the route yet. Our driver was excellent, and full of information we hadnt heard before. Most of the animals were out, with the exception of the cheetahs and white rhino. The male lion was up looking around and then walked up to the higher level. The 2 females were sound asleep, sprawled out on the rocks.

    After the safari we rushed (as fast as the group could rush) to the Lion King show, hoping to make it in for the 10am performance. I walked up ahead of them to see if wed make it, figuring if not then Id turn around and save them some steps. The cast member assured me we would, but then those doors closed and we had to walk around to the other side. The beginning of the show was just starting, so I stood there and waited for the others to catch up.

    We were seated in the lion section, and had good seats considering how late wed arrived. Everyone enjoyed the show, too. Pete & I noticed there were only 4 tumble monkeys we think there used to be 6. Also, there were only 2 stilt walkers we think there used to be 4. Not sure if those are cutbacks or cast shortages.

    From Harambe we walked over to Asia, since we were just inside the window for Kali River Rapids. The only ones riding were Linda & Wiston, so they decided to stop for a cup of coffee first. The rest of us left the park. Pete & Judy had lunch plans at Boardwalk with someone, I wanted to get to the pool, and SB hung out in the villa. The pool was nice, and the spa wasnt full of kids using it as a kiddie pool. It was cloudy for a while, but then the sun would peek out here and there. While out there I was able to book fastpasses for Soarin for tonight, for everyone except Wiston. I can sit it out and let him use mine.

    Around 1:30 it started to sprinkle, and although it would be temporary I took it as a sign to go inside. I was also hungry. After dropping off my stuff I went down to the Boardwalk Bakery and got a multigrain croissant. I forgot to bring my dvc card or annual pass, so I missed out on the 20% discount. While out I ran into Pete & Judy and let them know about Soarin tonight.

    My croissant was very good, and I spent time doing some work stuff during General Hospital. SB had gotten a chili cheese dog from the boardwalk stand, so he was set. After General Hospital he turned on CNN, which was all politics & election crap. I cant stand politics, dont follow it, and dont care to discuss it plus I was trying to get some work stuff done. He ended up irritated, just before Linda & Wiston arrived. They walked over from the Swan after getting settled.

    Wiston & SB sat in the living room watching tv & drinking beer, while Linda & I had wine on the balcony. He seemed fine with Wiston, thank goodness. Linda wanted to look in the shops on the boardwalk, so I went downstairs with her. The guys wanted to finish the episode of Gunsmoke or Bonanza they were watching, so we didnt leave for Epcot until 5.

    We took the boat over, and it was full (standing room only). Its a short ride so no big deal. I lost track of the different things they tried, and I wasnt with them part of the time. We started in the direction of United Kingdom, and I know we stopped at Canada because I had the cheddar cheese soup and was done (full). They each had that too, along with a chicken gyro from Greece. SB ate nothing he didnt want anything, and was being silent & moody. Linda & Wiston also tried the venison, which they loved. They tried to offer some to SB, and I commented we both tried it last year, and he insisted he did not. Ok, I probably have pictures, but its not worth arguing over.

    In Norway we decided to split up. Lindas knee was bothering her, and they wanted to look through the shops & stuff and knew we really werent into that. We agreed to meet up at 7, which was about an hour and a half away. SB & I kept walking in silence. Every time Id ask if he wanted something hed say no. When we approached International Gateway I expected him to say he was going back to the resort, but he kept walking. By Canada Id had enough, so we exchanged a few words and he went back to the resort. I found an empty bench near the Port of Entry shop and played with my phone until 7pm.

    Linda & Wiston had worked their way over to Germany and got a cup of coffee, then came back and were eating from the Farm Fresh stand. They wanted Islands of the Caribbean also, so I met them at Farm Fresh and we walked over together. Wiston & I held a table while Linda got the pork and the grouper they liked them both. By now Judy had just arrived at the Land, so we walked over there and I told Linda Id been able to get the Soarin fastpasses this afternoon. I had taken SBs extra band, when hed talked about possibly not staying for it, although when I booked it I planned to just sit it out since Ive done it more often than the others.

    Pete hadnt come over, so it was just Judy and the 3 of us. We were able to get the front row of the center section, and it was great! Linda & Wiston both loved it even better than the original. After Soarin we headed towards the exit, stopping at Chocolate Studio for a chocolate raspberry torte for Linda & Wiston to share. Hed brought an old multi day ticket he bought in 2004 that he thought still had an unused day, so they stayed to check it out at the ticket booth. Judy & I walked back to Boardwalk, while they caught a boat to go to the Swan (their dock must be open now).

    I finished up the report, and watched some HGTV in the living room since SB had a football game on in the bedroom. Tomorrow were meeting Pete & Judy for Soarin, and then later the 6 of us are doing Hoop Dee Doo Revue. Chris, Amanda & Ari arrive tomorrow too, so hopefully well get to see them in the evening.


    DAY 7 Friday 11/4/16
    Who: Sue (58), DVC Member
    SB (59), my husband
    Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
    Linda & Wiston, childhood best friend from Boston & her husband
    Chris (30), son
    Amanda (27), daughter-in-law
    Ari (3.5 months), grandson

    Plan: Epcot, Hoop Dee Doo Revue, Epcot again?

    Actual: This morning SB got up early (somewhere after 4am) since hed gone to bed so early last night, lol! I followed shortly after 5, and was pleased/relieved to find his mood was over. He suggested going out to breakfast for my birthday, which I didnt really care about one way or the other. We had plenty of time, so I booked us a 7:45 reservation at Captains Grille. He can have the buffet and I can order off the menu, and well have plenty of time to get back to meet Pete & Judy for Soarin afterwards. I made my cappuccino and enjoyed that while reading emails & birthday greetings, then took my shower around 6:30.

    We left just after 7:20 and walked over to Yacht Club. We got trapped in the pool area, but a cast member explained how to push the lock so we could get out. We were seated right away at Captains Grille, as it had just opened. We both decided to do the buffet, since nothing on the menu was that spectacular to me. Our server was very good, and we had a nice breakfast. The bacon was outstanding, as were the Mickey waffles. There were also a few frittatas, and a flatbread (besides all the usual stuff). We used Tables in Wonderland, which is probably the last time since it expires at the end of the month and were not likely to renew since they increased the price by 50%.

    We rode the boat back to Boardwalk, and found the housekeeper doing our trash & towel service when we returned to the villa. She was almost done, but we would have just stayed out of her way regardless. We went down to meet Pete & Judy at the boat dock at 9 and rode the boat to Epcot.

    Entry was easy, and we walked straight to the Land for our 9:15 Soarin fastpass. The standby wait was only 10 or 15 minutes, but we used the fastpass anyway. We got front row, and enjoyed the ride. Afterwards we went to Mission Space but SB remembered feeling claustrophic in there and opted to wait for us on a bench outside. On the way over we stopped to get his passholder glass. The rest of us did the green, or less intense version, which frankly isnt too exciting. I have no desire to do the intense version, though. We made it to Mars safely, then somehow when we stepped outside it looked exactly like Epcot amazing!

    The guys wanted free coke, so we went to Club Cool but it didnt open for another 10 minutes. Instead, we looked at Festival merchandise and then wandered out to World Showcase. The others seemed surprised to see the food kiosks already open, even though Id been saying they would at 10:30 on Friday & Saturday <g>. None of us got anything it was such a waste being here with no lines and not being hungry to eat anything, but thats due to the breakfast.

    We left the park and rode the boat back to Boardwalk. We stopped at Boardwalk Bakery, where we got a turkey club for Pete (for later) and a key lime tart for SB (for later). Once in the villa SB laid down on the couch, and likely wont move until we go out later. I changed into a swimsuit and headed down to the pool. I made 3 trips to the elevator before I stopped forgetting things and actually went down to the pool, though!

    Once I got down there I took my usual chair in the usual spot, and it was wonderful! More of a breeze would have made it perfect, but when it got too warm I just cooled off with the shower. I did some reading, and completely enjoyed myself out there. I went back inside around 1:30, and took a quick shower before spending a little time online. I gathered up the stuff belonging to Linda & Wiston (her birthday stuff, his beer) so we could bring it over to them. We planned to leave from the Swan at 2:30 to make the trek for the 4pm Hoop Dee Doo Revue. That would be plenty of time, right?

    We got to the Swan just after 2:30 and found our way up to their room. They have the heavenly beds here, which are very comfortable. Other than that, the room is nice but my big complaint about the Swan (and Dolphin I assume) is theyre just generic hotels that could be anywhere. They were really happy with it, and thats all that matters.

    Linda gave me a Minnie Mouse Alex & Ani bracelet, and a shirt from Yak & Yeti plus she got a onesie from there for Ari. I wore the bracelet I love it! We went to the bus stop, and had a bit of a wait for the bus, to the point I was getting nervous about making it on time. Finally it came, and then we stopped at the Dolphin before going to the Magic Kingdom. We were slowed down a bit by traffic, then the driver was directed to the bus stop furthest away, so we had a good long walk to the boat, and one of us doesnt walk very quickly.

    I was in the lead and saw the boat guy undoing the rope as I reached the entrance to the dock area. I looked back and the others were too far away for me to try to get the guy to stop sailing away, so we watched our boat leave. It felt like forever until another arrived (maybe 15 minutes), and by then Pete had texted to see where we were, since the line had formed & was already really long (at Hoop). I told him wed just got on the boat! This was 15 minutes until 4pm! Once we sailed, we had to stop for the ferryboat, then in Bay Lake we slowed/stopped due to some stupid guest in a rental pontoon boat getting in our path. FINALLY we arrived at Fort Wilderness and were among the last to check in.

    Fortunately, tables are assigned in advance so it didnt affect our seating. The doors opened and we went inside to our table towards the front & off to one side but in the category 1 section of the room. Salad and cornbread was on the table, and the cornbread was delicious! Our server took our drink orders included in the price is unlimited chardonnay, 2 types of beer, white or red sangria, soft drinks & tea.

    The cast came in an introduced the show, then left while we ate. The menu consists of fried chicken, ribs, corn, mashed potatoes & cowboy beans. Everything was excellent, and you can order more of whatever youd like. The cast continued the show towards the end of dinner, and eventually wrapped up temporarily in time for dessert strawberry shortcake. They then came back for the final segment, which included audience volunteers & lots of laughs. The show is full of music, singing & very corny humor, but its a lot of fun.

    After the show we rode back to Boardwalk w/Pete & Judy, as Linda & Wiston were going to check out Port Orleans French Quarter and who knows where from there. Chris & Amanda arrived while we were driving, and were put in the studio that connects to our 1-bedroom villa. Amanda was nursing Ari, so Pete & Judy came to our villa to wait until she was done so they could see everyone.

    They knocked on the connecting door when they were ready, and Pete & Judy got to meet Ari. Hes grown so much in the past month, and he smiles all the time now. Pete & Judy went back to their villa to turn in, Chris helped himself to a beer from our fridge, and we sat around for a little bit. SB decided to stay home tonight, but I went with the others over to Epcot. Amanda was starving, and they were already in their Frozen fastpass window so we headed left into United Kingdom. Chris got the fishermans pie from Ireland, along with some beer. He then went to the Islands of the Caribbean to get Amanda the grouper while she went to Hawaii for a pork slider. I took Ari and secured a table near the shop. It took Chris a while to get through the line, but eventually we met up again. Surprisingly there was no line when we passed Mexico!

    We continued to Norway, and they used their fastpass while I stayed with Ari in the shop by the exit. He seemed to like Olaf (stuffed animal). The whole time we were in Epcot he just loved it they had the seat turned so he was facing forward, and he really enjoyed looking at everything. Im not sure if we stopped again, but we ended up in America. Amanda was craving the chicken sandwich at the counter service place, and Chris met us there with a beer and the brisket from the Hops & Barley stand. Amanda found theyd changed the menu, and the chicken sandwich was different, so well see if she goes back there. After she ate, she fed Ari, then we continued walking.

    Chris got the baklava in Morocco and loved it. Amanda wanted the crme brulee in France but the line was too long. The chocolate raspberry thing was too far away, as they needed to get Ari back for his bath and bed. It was around 9:30, so way past his bedtime. But, he was having a good time, and hed slept a lot during the day. It turned out to be a good thing theyre in the connecting studio, because the lock on their door is dead. No lights come on, which means the battery needs to be replaced. That happened to me once at Jambo House. They knocked on my door and went to their studio through the connecting door tonight.

    SB was nearly asleep, already in bed. I was up for a while, finishing the report and reading as many emails as possible. The rest Ive saved for tomorrow. Today was a really nice day, other than the stress of possibly being late for Hoop! Its great having Chris, Amanda & Ari here. Im glad everyone enjoyed Hoop it was a good time! Overall it was a very nice birthday, and thank you for the birthday wishes.

    Tomorrow well take it easy in the morning, then have lunch scheduled at Portabello for the whole gang. Later in the afternoon we have fastpasses in Hollywood Studios. Other times of the day people are free to do whatever. Most likely Magic Kingdom will be on the list for several, due to the lights on the castle and the new castle show that just started.


    DAY 8 Saturday 11/5/16
    Who: Sue (58), DVC Member
    SB (59), my husband
    Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
    Linda & Wiston, childhood best friend from Boston & her husband
    Chris (30), son
    Amanda (27), daughter-in-law
    Ari (3.5 months), grandson

    Plan: Disney Springs, Portobello, Hollywood Studios, Boardwalk or Epcot

    Actual: This morning I was up first, at 5:30. I made my cappuccino and relaxed online, and SB was up around 6:30 (late for him). I made breakfast one last time, using up the rest of the eggs, sausage & bacon. I then showered quickly and we decided to both accompany Chris & Amanda over to Epcot. Originally Chris was going over to do Soarin standby, but I texted Amanda to say if they both wanted to ride, wed go with them and keep Ari. So, it was the 5 of us. Ari was all smiles and bubbly personality he really is a happy baby, thank goodness! Chris was too I dont know how people do it with babies who are miserable.

    We got through bag check and entry but were held at the International Gateway until 8:45, then we continued into the park and over to the Land. Ari was ready for a nap and fussing at this point, so SB & I walked him around between the Land & the Seas until he fell asleep. This area was shady and nobody else was around, so if he wanted to cry he wouldnt disturb anyone else. Once he was asleep we rolled the stroller back towards the Land and sat on a wall at the bottom of the ramp. Lots of noisy people went by, but he never stirred he ended up sleeping about 45 minutes.

    Chris & Amanda enjoyed Soarin but Chris said too much of it looked fake (computer created) and the transitions were a bit much. We walked over to Test Track, where Chris & Amanda did the single rider line while SB & I walked over to the Festival Center with Ari. I got a prosecco, we both got a Ghiradelli sample, and then we walked back to Test Track & arrived just as Chris & Amanda came back outside.

    She wanted to get a photo of Ari with characters since he was awake now, so she headed there after changing his diaper. Chris wanted to see the DVC member lounge so the rest of us went there. We went upstairs and looked around, but didnt have time to stay long. Amanda was waiting downstairs, as the lines were too long for the characters.

    We headed out of the park, and I noticed the food booth at Canada was open, with no line. I jumped in the queue and got 2 of the filet mignon (one for us, one for them). We cut them up and then ate while walking out of the park & back to Boardwalk, going straight to the bus stop. Pete & Judy met us there, abandoning their plan to drive to Disney Springs. Parking at Boardwalk is a pain this time of year, but especially on the weekend and it just wasnt worth the risk of taking your car out of the parking lot.

    We all rode the bus together to Disney Springs, after stops at Swan and Dolphin. Linda & Wiston were already there and waiting for us at a table outside Portabello. Our reservation was 11:30 and thats when they open, so there wasnt any need to get there early. At 11:30 we went inside and were seated, and Amanda changed Aris diaper. He was due for another nap, so he was fussy. Youve all heard me rant about parents letting their kids scream or cry in a restaurant while doing nothing about it, and there was some of that going on the restaurant today but not at our table. Amanda got up almost immediately and took Ari outside to walk him around until he dozed off, which didnt take too long. Even if it had taken a while, we would have waited or I would have gone out to relieve her so we could get our orders in. Theres no excuse to have a baby in our party disturbing any other diners. Thankfully the other crying or screaming kids didnt wake Ari up, lol!

    Chris, Linda & I each got the margarita pizza, and SB got the chicken parmesan. Pete got a pasta dish with sausage and other stuff, but switched it to angel hair. Amanda & Judy got the farfalle pasta with chicken, veggies & cream sauce but Amanda had hers without any of the veggies and Judy switched hers to angel hair like Pete. I dont remember what Wiston got, but it was some type of pizza. He & Linda started with Caesar salads, and none of us got dessert. For beverages there was an assortment of beer, wine, soft drinks, and an orange martini. Everything was very good, and as we left I commented that the entry looked like the stroller parking area in Fantasyland. There were a LOT of babies/toddlers eating there today!

    Amanda wanted to stop at Sprinkles so we all stopped there and got something. I got the dark chocolate cupcake and SB got a single scoop of the very overpriced butter pecan ice cream. The ice cream wasnt very good at all, especially for the price. Linda & Wiston got a couple cupcakes, and Amanda got her beloved salted caramel cupcake. Theyre fairly small, especially for $4.95, and after ordering you have to wait for your number to be called to get it. They also have a cupcake ATM machine outside, but that had a few people in line as well.

    We headed to the bus stop, except for Linda & Wiston who decided to hang around and shop a bit. Once back at the resort we had about an hour to relax before heading out to the Studios. Some of us got a little too relaxed Pete texted to say they were going to stay home and rest & pack (theyre moving tomorrow), and SB also decided hed rather stay laying on the couch. Hes been here 4 days now, so I realize hes pretty much at his limit for wanting to be doing stuff. I told him that was fine with me. Hell enjoy relaxing in the villa, then go home tomorrow morning. We ate the cupcake from Sprinkles and it was REALLY good! It was extremely fresh, which is what made all the difference from other Disney cupcakes. SB didnt want any, until he tried it then he liked it too, lol!

    Linda & Wiston showed up with a box of treats from the Boardwalk Bakery for each couple. She is a very thoughtful and generous person. They waited for us downstairs, and I worked on the report until it was time to go. I thought Id head over to the Studios w/Linda & Wiston and we could ride Toy Story first, then Chris & Amanda would likely get on the next boat and they could ride while we sat with Ari. But, the boat was nowhere to be seen and Chris & Amanda ended up behind us in line.

    Finally, it arrived and we rode over to the Studios. Going through bag check was slow and thorough ridiculously thorough. Then everyone but me (and Ari) was picked for the random metal detector, and it must have been Wistons first time. He has metal in his body, so that took a bit longer, and in the process he lost his magic band. He noticed it at the entry, but since the magic band is only tied to my villa door and his Magical Express reservation, it was no big deal. He needs his park pass to enter and to access his fastpasses, so we were still good.

    At this point there was not time for us to go through Toy Story in 2 groups, as there was less than 10 minutes left in the fastpass window. I huddled the group together near the old tip board and told the 4 of them to go ahead & do Toy Story. I just did it the other day, and Ive done it more times than them, so it made sense for me to be the one to sit out with Ari. He was asleep in his stroller, so I found an empty bench outside One Mans Dream and sat there until they were finished. This was the first time for Linda & Wiston, and they loved it! I did notice the standby wait was either 60 or 65 minutes for Toy Story.

    Ari woke up after they got back, and hed messed up a diaper pretty badly. Amanda took him to get changed and also put him in the Woody (from Toy Story) onesie Id bought him. Its size 6-9 months and fits him perfectly because hes tall. The photo op with Woody had a 35-minute wait, so that wasnt going to work. Instead, he & Amanda posed with one of the green army men. We also saw a picture of the new Toy Story Land being constructed.

    It was time for Star Tours so we headed over there, at the speed of the slowest person, lol. Chris & Amanda said for the 3 of us to ride first, then theyd ride afterwards. They found a bench outside Backlot Express and waited there. The standby wait was posted as 10 minutes, so a fastpass wasnt that critical, but we were able to get on with minimal wait. However, once we got in our vehicle they had trouble with the doors. The cast member had to keep going out, checking stuff, opening and closing the doors again, and then finally apologized and said we would have to be moved to another vehicle. We figured something may be hitting a sensor to indicate the doors werent fully closing, and we turned out to be right.

    A maintenance guy came and looked around, eventually coming back with a small cookie or candy package which had been stuck in a door. Now that hed found it, he still had to go downstairs and reset everything for this vehicle to work again, so they still moved us to the next one. It was a fun ride, and Linda & Wiston really enjoyed it a lot! They hadnt been on it since the original film was in place, and the current version of the attraction is much better.

    We found the Hollands on the bench, and took custody of Ari while Chris & Amanda rode. He smiled and interacted with everyone, while Linda took lots of photos with her nice camera. He wasnt too happy when we put him in the stroller after Chris & Amanda returned, but he was fine once they started walking. At this point we split up. I left the park and walked back to Boardwalk. Chris & Amanda were going to the Launch Bay (?) for a photo, then taking the bus to Magic Kingdom to see the castle light show and see the castle light up with the ice lights. After that theyll return for some time at Food & Wine. Linda & Wistan stayed in the park and would be having dinner at 6:45 at 50s Prime Time Caf before heading to the Magic Kingdom later to see the castle lights and maybe Wishes.

    SB was enjoying himself on the couch, doing what he likes to do on vacation (not much of anything, lol). I gathered up a few things to send home with him, then poured a glass of wine to enjoy while updating the report. Chris & Amanda left Magic Kingdom somewhere after 7:30 and decided to take the Ferry to TTC, then monorail to Epcot. Ari was sleepy, and this way they didnt have to take him out of the stroller.

    I decided not to wait for them to get there, and left just after 8. SB had gone down to Boardwalk Joes and brought his dinner back to the villa. When I got outside the Star Wars fireworks were visible from the pool, and also out on the boardwalk. I watched them for a little while, but didnt stay for them all. I should have waited for the finale, as the big fireworks looked really nice above the resort! I took a photo earlier, but was walking away at that point.

    Chris & Amanda had perfect luck/timing on their journey, walking onto the ferry and then walking directly onto a waiting monorail. We met by the restrooms in Canada. World Showcase was mobbed, and the food kiosks had longer lines than last Saturday, thanks to the race crowd. All weekend weve seen many people wearing their medals, or assorted Run Disney clothing. I imagine theyll make it bad tomorrow night, too.

    Ari was awake but sleepy, so Amanda decided to take him back to the resort. Chris & I stayed and did one loop around the countries. Theyd eaten dinner at Tomorrowland Terrace so it wasnt a feeding frenzy. He got a beer in Belgium, and the garlic shrimp in Japan. In Italy I got us each a margarita, and then poured half of mine into his cup when I realized I wouldnt be finishing it. In Africa I got the buttered chicken, and then in Patagonia he got the beef skewer. We also brought Amanda a pork slider from Hawaii. We were back at the Boardwalk before 10.

    I heard from Linda they had a great (fun) waiter at 50s Prime Time Caf and she got picked on a lot (they loved it). It was a great time for them, and then they went to the mobbed Magic Kingdom but left before the madness of fireworks in order to avoid all those people heading for the buses!

    Today was a busy day for me going into a park 3 times, plus going to Disney Springs. Its nice that the group has done stuff together, yet nobody has to do anything if they dont feel like it. Its been pretty easy going, which is how it should be. Tomorrow is the last full day, which for me should mean Magic Kingdom in the morning, pool time, and then one last night of Food & Wine. I cant believe the trip is almost over already!


    DAY 9 Sunday 11/6/16
    Who: Sue (58), DVC Member
    SB (59), my husband
    Pete & Judy, DVC friends from NJ
    Linda & Wiston, childhood best friend from Boston & her husband
    Chris (30), son
    Amanda (27), daughter-in-law
    Ari (3.5 months), grandson

    Plan: Magic Kingdom, Pool, Food & Wine

    Actual: Last night I think I slept the longest of this entire trip, not waking up until around 4:40 (which was really 5:40 without the time change). I got up just before 5, made my cappuccino and did some jigsaw puzzles online. SB was up between 5:30 & 5:45, joining me in the living room. He didnt want breakfast, and had some of the leftover pizza to get rid of that. We both showered, and he was ready go to around 7, but he was hoping to see Ari one last time. There was no noise over there, however, and no response to my text, so I think they were still sleeping. After about 10 minute Amanda replied saying she was nursing him but would be done soon, so SB waited. I opened the door on our side so she could just open their side when ready.

    SB got to say goodbye to his grandson and hold him for a few minutes, then I helped him bring stuff down to his car. On my way back up the hill Pete whistled from his balcony, and later Chris did from his, lol! Pete & Judy arrived at my villa just after I did, It wasnt quite 8am but we decided to head out, not knowing how the marathon traffic would affect us.

    Chris & Amanda ran down to the Boardwalk Bakery to get breakfast, and Pete, Judy & I took Ari with us and went to the bus stop. As the bus pulled in, Judy spotted Chris & Amanda coming down the hill, so the timing was perfect. Id just taken Ari out of the stroller, and since the bus stop was mobbed I moved towards the loading area in hopes of getting a seat. Chris folded up the stroller and I think all of us except Chris got seats. The bus was full however, with the driver repeatedly shouting for people to move back further. She said if you can see floor, you can move back more!

    The driver also explained due to the marathon shed be taking a different route, and she turned at Old Key West, went past Port Orleans, turned to pass Ft Wilderness, and then turned onto the road to Magic Kingdom. Ari was really good up until the end, when he started getting fussy. I gave him some of his bottle, but he didnt drink much before fussing again. I figured he was just tired of being on the bus, but in reality he was tired for a nap.

    When we pulled in I was shocked at how MOBBED the Magic Kingdom entry area was! They were bringing the train up to start the pre-show early, since the entire area in front of the train station and all the way beyond the bag checks was wall-to-wall people! I have never seen it like this, and had I been here solo I would have turned around and got back on the bus!

    I was still holding Ari, and Amanda had my bag. Hed fallen asleep on my shoulder at this point, so I told Amanda Id meet them all inside over by Mickey (out of the madness). I could hear Linda texting while on the bus, but couldnt get to my phone to read or reply, since my arms were full of Ari, so I just hoped for the best. I worked my way through the no bags line, and wasnt randomly selected for the metal detector. At the entry point I ran into Pete, who also had no bags. We waited & waited & waited it seemed, taking forever to get through. Finally it was my turn and I got into the very crowded park.

    The rocking chairs outside Mickeys place were empty so I sat there, and slid Ari down off my shoulder. He continued sleeping. Linda & Wiston found us, and eventually the others got into the park. We had an 11:50 fastpass to meet Mickey, but wanted to get it out of the way now. The line looked really long but the wait was posted as 10 minutes. I was doubtful, but we (except for Pete & Judy) joined the queue. Chris asked the cast member and learned it would be more like 20-25 minutes. Strollers are not allowed, so I kept holding him. I was afraid if I transferred him to Chris he might wake up, and its better to let him sleep as long as he needs. Plus, I dont get to hold him much since Im 4 hours away!

    The line moved slowly tediously. Finally just before we went into the final waiting room area Ari woke up (with a little help) and it was nice he woke up happy & smiling at us vs crying. We got him into the Mickey costume my daughter-in-law had bought him for Halloween, and that went well. The other people in the room loved the costume, and thought he looked so cute in it! Unfortunately, once we were in the room with Mickey, waiting for our turn he started to cry. A cast member came over and entertained him with a Disney pen, lol and it worked for a while. He also stopped crying for Mickey, at least for a short while, but then hed had enough. Amanda later learned it was because hed filled his diaper, and he hates having a poopy diaper! We kind of rushed through the photos and were on our way. Amanda & Chris may try again at 11:50.

    By now it was 10am and I thought our Mine Train fastpass was 9:15-10:15. Ari needed to be changed and fed, so we left Chris & Amanda to take care of that, while I took Linda & Wiston over to Mine Train. I saw my friend Mary working on Main Street, but we had no time to stop (she was with guests so we would have had to wait to see her). Along the way I checked the app and learned our fastpass time was 9:25, so that eased the pressure & I texted Amanda to let her know. Pete & Judy had gone to Philharmagic and they did the riverboat (with some horrible misbehaving young kids with parents who spent their time paying attention to their phones and not the little brats). We agreed to meet at the table we used last time, so I texted Chris & Amanda to let them know.

    Linda, Wiston & I were in position for our train to be the next one arriving when Amanda texted to say she was there. I told her to go ahead & ride solo, as we were too far into it at this point. It was a fun ride, and they both enjoyed it. Linda was a bit surprised by the last section with the bigger drop! When we walked over to the table I saw Chris AND Amanda there, and Amanda was nursing Ari. Evidently he decided his need to eat trumped her desire to ride Mine Train. Pete & Judy were there by now too. Once Amanda finished I rode Mine Train with her, using Chris wristband. We offered Petes or Judys to Linda but she decided not to ride it again.

    This time we got to the fastpass readers and a party of 4 was blocking one of the readers. I used the other one and the cast member told me No. I didnt understand that, as clearly these people werent going anywhere soon and my thing turned the light green. Evidently these people had a fastpass for later in the day but were trying to use a disability to get on now also. But, they hadnt followed the protocol and the cast member was yammering on and on explaining that, telling them she can move their fastpass to right now (canceling it for later) or theyd have to wait 60 minutes to ride by using the disability. It had to be one of those invisible disabilities, as they all acted fine physically and behaviorally, but with HIPAA cast members cant ask.

    By the time the cast member finished with these people, the fastpass line had backed up beyond the end of the roped area that was ridiculous! We did end up with the last row, that helped to make up for the delay. After a fun ride we rejoined the others, and learned Linda & Wiston had gone off to do stuff. Somehow before the trip she changed our group Haunted Mansion fastpass, saying she didnt care about that. Then, during the Mickey line she changed the later Mickey fastpass to Haunted Mansion. So, now they had Haunted Mansion the hour after us, so we were done traveling together for now.

    The park was so unbearably crowded, and waits were so long, I couldnt wait to get this next fastpass done and get the hell out of there. Pete & Judy (and Chris & Amanda) felt the same way. Ari had filled his diaper again, so Chris & Amanda took him to get changed, while Pete, Judy & I went to Haunted Mansion. We figured we cant ride together anyway, so no point waiting for each other.

    The Haunted Mansion fastpass line was backed way up, and it took a while to get in then coming out of the stretch room people could barely move. It was awful. The ride stopped a couple times too. Finally we got off there and Chris & Amanda had decided to just skip it. They had a voucher for free meals following a fiasco at Tomorrowland Terrace last night, so they went to Pinocchios to use that.

    I texted Linda to let them know, in case they wanted to see Chris family one last time, but I dont know if they ever found each other. We found Amanda, and learned Chris was standing in a very long, hardly-moving line and had been up there for a long while. We waited around for a while, but eventually left. Id see them before they left Boardwalk. Pete, Judy & I headed out, glad to get out of there! We got caught up somewhat by that noisy parade they do, but it was easy walking through the shops and the parade ended not long after we got to the end of the street. After a couple pictures of the Christmas tree, we left the park and were thrilled to see the Boardwalk bus pull in just as we entered the bus stop queue!

    It was an easy ride back, but by now it was completely cloudy, lol! We all ended up down at the pool, and none of us could get our preferred spots. This coming week is also NJ week, and the Boardwalk was slammed with arrivals, and sad to say we all noticed a distinct change in the class level of the other guests. I lived in NJ for 4 years, and theyve lived there their whole lives, so Im not trashing all of NJ. I guess I am looking down on many of the unruly obnoxious people who were assuming were part of the NJ week crowd.

    One shining example was the mom who left her 3 young children inside the gated kiddie pool area. Unfortunately my chair and their table were in that area not by choice. Evidently one of the twin girls fell & hurt her arm, and they were too little to open the gate to get out (same with brother), so theyre crying and screaming MOM over and over again. Dipshit mom was enjoying herself in the main pool, going down the clown slide, etc. She eventually got out of the water and let her 3 unattended and unsupervised young children out of the water/pool area where theyre no lifeguard, and took them over to where she had the familys chairs set up (not near the kiddie pool)! Its like the kiddie pool was her daycare or playpen or something! Another lady had the most miserably whiny little toddler boy, who was like nails on a chalkboard. We had the thrill of listening to him several times. So, between the cloudy weather, the clouds, the annoying fellow guests, and the blaring pool games about to get started, I was out of there by 2pm.

    Pete & Judy stayed longer, planning to leave for their room at Fairfield Inn around 4. I went up to the villa and worked on the report, then got the last photos off this old camera. Due to the camera fiasco, this album will be small. Pete & Judy ended up coming up just before 3, not able to stand it down at the pool any longer. They told me about the family near them who made a mess of the place. A cast member was going around asking if she could take anything (used towels, trash, etc) and they gave her their dirty towels. Shortly after that they got up and left, leaving trash, pineapple pieces and other food all over the table despite the trash can about 3 feet away! Some people are such pigs, with a strange mentality!

    We chatted for a bit, and then they headed to their hotel for the final evening. Given the crowds theyre not going to attempt Epcot tonight. Linda & Wiston were doing well at Magic Kingdom, playing tourist and doing a number of things. I was happy to see them getting value from their passes, and happy they werent bothered by the crowds! No doubt the rest of us are just spoiled.

    I got the photos loaded onto Shutterfly at pix.sfly.com/vuSxpBMP. Theyre also on facebook. Shortly after 4 I headed for Epcot. Linda said they were on the boat. Id booked a fastpass for Living with the Land for her & I (I cant book Wiston) but she never responded to my text. Luckily she was able to copy it to him! I arrived before them, so I walked over to France. It wasnt nearly as busy on World Showcase as it was the previous 2 nights, which was nice! I had 3 tabs left from my Sampler Package and needed to use them tonight. I used one for the beef in France, which actually cost a little less than the tab cost. But, it was a use it or lose it situation at this point.

    The beef was very good, and the line to get it was very quick. I still had time before they arrived so I continued walking to Morocco and got a glass of the white wine there (not using a tab). Surprisingly, they fill the glass. I think theyre the only country that does! They had some setting out, already poured, but I asked for a cold one and the guy poured it fresh. I sipped it as I walked back to International Gateway, meeting Linda & Wiston as they were walking up the ramp.

    We continued towards UK, and in Canada I noticed that line was very short, so they got a bench while I used my last 2 tabs for 2 of the filet mignon. I gave 1 and part of the other to them, plus all of the mushrooms. They both thought the steak was excellent I think they were surprised. We walked into Future World and went to the Land, where we bypassed the standby queue and used our fastpass at Living with the Land. They both like gardening and growing stuff, so they really enjoyed this.

    We went back outside and I mentioned a couple other attraction choices with short waits, but they didnt want to risk being late for dinner, and really Linda didnt want to walk. She would have liked to do Spaceship Earth, but the distance was too far since shed have to do it after dinner in Japan. I offered to show them the DVC member lounge, but Linda wanted to stay put and wait for us, so Wiston & I went up there quickly and brought her back a soda (he also got one for himself). From there we took the boat to Japan something I NEVER do, but something SB would probably prefer to walking <g>.

    We took a few photos in Japan, then said goodbye and parted ways. Its been great seeing them these past days, and Im really glad the different touring styles worked out ok & we were able to have fun without trying to stay joined at the hip. They went up to check in at their restaurant (Teppanyaki) and I wandered over to America and took a great seat for the 6:45 Delta Rae concert. I had no idea who they are, but thankfully they play music rather than that crap Soul Asylum did.

    I only stayed for about half of the concert, as it started to sprinkle & then when it stopped I just felt like continuing on my way since I didnt know any of the songs. I continued the rest of the way around World Showcase, detoured into Future World, and then stopped at the Chocolate Studio for 2 of the chocolate raspberry tortes to bring back to Gainesville. Last trip Tiana had bought one but ate so much other stuff she left it for Amanda, so Ill bring her one at work tomorrow. The other is for me <g>.

    I walked back to Boardwalk, getting there a little before 8, but with the time change it feels like 9pm. After wrapping up the report I plan to relax in bed with some HGTV. Tomorrow Ill be on the road early, so I can get to work.

    This has been a great trip, although of course not everything is perfect and there were some issues. The worst part was the ridiculous crowds at Magic Kingdom today (and last night), and the effect of the marathon weekend & NJ week starting. This is definitely the weekend to be ending a trip rather than starting, and next year the Magic Kingdom will be avoided these days! The weather was terrific most of the time, although I did see an awful lot of clouds each time at the pool. Still, it beats feeling like 100 degrees! Food & Wine was outstanding this year, in terms of the food. The concert groups were disappointing guess all the good ones are literally dying, or having a member or members die. Thats a shame, but since theyre older than we are, its not totally unexpected. We all really prefer the older groups to these younger ones Disney has started booking. Hoop Dee Doo Revue was fun, and very good food. Its not something we need to do very often, though.

    Being a DVC member allows us to stay in the best location, in gorgeous accommodations that would otherwise cost a fortune, so Im very thankful I had the sense and ability to join all those years ago. Ive never had any regrets, and couldnt stand having to stay in a regular room at this point. Its much nicer staying in a home.

    Now I need to get my camera fixed, and quickly! Having it break was a real bummer! I also have an issue with a wheel on my suitcase, and its the one I take on cruises, so that needs to be addressed (or replaced) quickly as well. My next trip begins December 2nd, with a couple nights at Old Key West (not a favorite of mine, but at least were in a 1-bedroom villa instead of their awful studios) followed by a solo HAL cruise on their new ship for 10 nights. Chris, Amanda & Ari will be at Old Key West with us, staying in their own studio. Maybe well have connecting rooms again! Until then, thanks for reading!

    Sue (Holland) Rayford
    WDW1972

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  3. #2

    Great report sue! Thanks for posting....wow, you all did a lot... I left November 10 and there certainly was a discernible increase in the crowds... it was very nice to see you....Thanks for the ear.....Have a fabulous cruise!!
    Take care
    Faith


  4. #3

    Another great trip report Sue! I always enjoy your honesty when writing your Trip reports with the good, the bad and the ugly! Although being in WDW and staying in their deluxe resorts, there isn't usually too much ugly! LOL. Your grandson is so adorable!!!


  5. #4

    I always love your reports!

    Wish I could do more than one day at F&W, maybe next year we will push it out to two days. What delicious joy!

    I also REALLY REALLY hope that if I ever run into you when I'm with my kids they are in their good behavior mode! Luckily no meltdowns at a theme park yet (minus one but it was kind of a sweet reason).

    Your trips always keep me excited for my next trip. Thanks!


  6. #5

    Surprised that you didn't like the Sprinkles ice cream. I've never had it, but people stand in line forever out here in CA for it. As far as the cupcakes, I agree that they're good, but not 4.95 good! The last time I bought one, they were $3. Sounds like the inevitable theme park location markup has taken effect.


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