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04-27-2009, 12:08 PM
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Arnold van Beverhoudt - April 2009 - Port Orleans Riverside
Arnold van Beverhoudt, Jr. -- April 2009 -- Port Orleans Riverside Resort
Travel Dates: April 13-20, 2009 Travel Method: Plane, Rental Car Resort: Port Orleans Riverside Resort Accommodations: Regular Studio Ages Represented: Older Adults WDW Experience: Veteran (annual visits since 2003) Comments: The Ventures were performing at Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival Cast of Characters: Arnold, 59 (trip reporter) -- 13 WDW trips since 1973 and 1 Disneyland trip in 1985 Helena, 59 (wife) -- 12 WDW trips since 1982 and 2 Disneyland trips in 1972 and 1985 Advance Planning: In late-August 2008, the business manager for my favorite rock ‘n’ roll band, The Ventures, emailed to let me know that the band would be appearing again at Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival in April 2009. The exact dates were April 17, 18, and 19, 2009, which was the weekend after Easter and exactly one week after my birthday on April 10. Of course, there wasn’t any question “if” Helena and I would make another trip to Walt Disney World (WDW) to see The Ventures perform. Only the details had to be worked out, and those came together very quickly. We settled on the week of April 13 to 20 at WDW, followed by a week in Port St. Lucie to again visit with our daughter, Selene; son-in-law, John; and granddaughter, Jaidyn. We wouldn’t have any available Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points nor available time at our non-Disney timeshare. So, we were going to have to pay for this stay entirely out-of-pocket. Unfortunately, The Ventures were performing at Epcot a week earlier than in 2008, which meant that they (and us) would be there during the peak spring break period. As a result, this meant that there weren’t any discounted rooms or other deals available for our stay -- at least none that we could find. Also, we had no intention of staying at a value resort during spring break because of the high probability of encountering noisy spring breakers. So, we settled on the Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR). CBR has some sentimental value for Helena and I because it was the first on-site resort we, including Selene, had ever stayed at. It was our home-away-from-home with Selene in 1989, 1992 and 1997, and again during our first “empty-nest” trip to WDW in 2003. For this upcoming trip, on September 24, 2008, I went online and made reservations at CBR at a per night rate of $205, or $1,575 including taxes. Ouch!! The same day, I reserved a mid-sized car with Hertz, at $592, including fees and taxes, for the two weeks we’d be in Florida. That also included the charge for Hertz’s NeverLost GPS system. (You remember “Sarah” from my December 2008 trip report, don’t you?) Roundtrip airfare between St. Thomas and Miami on American Airlines cost a total of $959 including taxes (but not baggage fees) for the two of us. At least we still had our Annual Passes (AP) and Tables in Wonderland (TiW) discount card from the December 2008 trip. That would save us about $592, including taxes, on two 7-day Magic Your Way tickets with parkhopper option and 20% on some meals. Lastly, on January 26, 2009 (within the 90-day reservation window), I called Disney dining and made an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) for each day of our stay. With that done, our itinerary looked like this:
Stop the Presses! On March 18, I was taking a look at the new “D23” web site and clicked on a link that took me to a page offering discounted Disney resort rates during April and May 2009. I soon found that I could save almost $600 on a moderate resort room-only reservation if I switched from CBR to Port Orleans Riverside (POR). I went for it immediately and made a new online reservation at POR for the same dates as we originally had at CBR: check-in Monday, April 13 and check-out Monday, April 20. The total, including taxes was $988, or a savings of $587 from our original CBR reservation of $1,575. The next morning, I called the Disney customer service number provided in the online reservation confirmation and cancelled the CBR reservation. The CM handled the cancellation quickly and told me that a credit for my $205 deposit at CBR should appear on my credit card statement within two billing cycles. Unfortunately, later that same day, we had to take Helena’s 92-year old mother (Matilde) to the hospital emergency room with difficulty breathing. She had a history of congestive heart failure and was admitted to the hospital later in the day. Her condition took a turn for the worse on Sunday, March 22, and she died peacefully, in her sleep, just after noon on Monday, March 23. The funeral services were held on Friday, April 3. Helena and I considered cancelling our trip to Florida, but ultimately decided to go ahead with the trip as planned because Helena’s mom was a sweet lady who never wanted her children to be inconvenienced on her behalf. She would have hated for us to have cancelled our trip because of her. It was a hard decision, but we think that, everything considered, we made the right choice. As it turned out, week and a half after Matilde’s death, taking care of all of the funeral arrangements and contacting family members who live off-island, put a lot of physical and emotional stress on Helena. She really could use a couple weeks away from the islands, and a week of Disney’s pixie dust and a second week with our daughter and granddaughter would do her a world of good. In the end, the only change to our original itinerary was the resort change from CBR to POR. What Actually Happened: Monday, April 13: The Plan: AA Flight from St. Thomas to Miami, Port Orleans Riverside Check-In The alarm woke us at 4:30a to shower, get dressed, and have a quick breakfast before heading out of the house. Since we were up until almost midnight the night before packaging, we got only about 4 hours of sleep. After loading out luggage into my car, we drove the short distance to my brother’s home so that he could drive us to the airport. We got there by 6:15a for our 8:00a flight. There wasn’t a huge crowd at the check-in counter, but we still decided to use the self-service kiosks. That was a snap, although we had to pay $15 for our one checked bag. The customs and security checks were also mostly painless, although the TSA agent had to check out Helena’s backpack for what turned out to be a roll of quarters at the bottom of the bag. While waiting for our flight to board, I picked up a couple bottles of water to take on the plane with us, and Helena bought a ceramic gecko lizard as a gift for Selene’s sister-in-law, who’s going to be celebrating her birthday towards the end of our time in Florida. Boarding started right at the 7:30a announced time, and the plane actually left the gate 5 minutes early, at 7:55a. The flight was completely uneventful (the best kind!) and we landed in Miami 15 minutes early, at 10:40a. Of course, our arrival gate was at the extreme far end of the longest concourse in Miami, and we had quite a hike to the baggage claim area, with each of us lugging a rather heavy backpack. Our checked bag arrived after about 10 minutes, and we then headed outside to catch the Hertz shuttle. There was absolutely no one in line at the Hertz check-in desk, and we were soon checking out our rental, a silver Mazda 6 sedan with Florida license plates and NeverLost GPS system (aka “Sarah”). We were on the road to Port St. Lucie by 11:30a. We usually make a quick rest stop in Deerfield Beach before continuing on to Port St. Lucie, but today we were feeling adventurous and continued non-stop all the way. That was helped by the pretty light traffic all the way up I-95, especially through the usually hectic West Palm Beach area. We pulled up to our daughter Selene’s home around 1:55p for a total travel time of 2 hours 25 minutes. We spent the next 3 hours enjoying some quite time with Selene, John, and little Jaidyn. Jaidyn just adores Stitch, and watches the “Lilo and Stitch” DVD at least once a day. She’s a bit shy about “performing” to an audience, but Selene coaxed her into singing Elvis’ “I Can’t Help Falling in Love” from the movie. Ignoring the fact that I’m a proud grandfather, Jaidyn really has an ear for music and had the words, tune, and tempo down almost to perfection. :-) After enjoying a wonderful home-cooked meal by Selene, we headed out at 5:15p for the final leg of our travel day. Taking the Florida Turnpike and Osceola Parkway, we arrived at POR around 7:25p after making a couple of figure-8 detours thanks to Sarah’s conflicting directions. A couple times, once we were off of the Osceola Parkway, the GPS system’s voice told us to do one thing while the system’s map showed something different. On the third attempt, after having wasted a good 15 minutes and a lot of my patience, we finally found the entrance to POR. The security guard was quite friendly and happy to meet someone from St. Thomas, where he had visited a couple months ago during a cruise aboard the Disney Magic. At the check-in lobby, the posted sign directed regular check-ins and online check-ins to the same area, and we stood in the regular line for about 10 minutes before we realized there was a separate queue for online check-ins. There was no one in that line and, after he attended to two boys who were picking up a package, CM Gui, who’s from Brazil, quickly got our check-in packet and room keys. We were in room 9106, a ground floor room in the Oak Manor building of the Magnolia Bend section of POR. This was located very near a quiet pool and laundry facilities, and also near a foot bridge across the Sassagoula River to the main building with the front desk, food court, and gift shop and the main bus stop. After we unloaded the rental car, we headed across the bridge to grab a light dinner. Helena had a fruit salad and I had a turkey sandwich, both with soda fountain drinks in refillable cups. Including the cost of the refillable cups, the total cost was $42. The refillable cups were $13 each, but we’ll be using them each morning for coffee and possibly for soft drinks on some evenings. After this quick meal, we headed back to our room to unpack and settle in the for night. Overall, we were quite satisfied with the size and layout of the POR room (although it certainly wasn’t as roomy as the DVC suites over at Saratoga Springs Resort). The decor was quite similar to the Port Orleans French Quarter room we had a few years ago, with nearly identical furniture. But was very obvious that POR (at least our building) is in need of some refurbishment. The exterior doors were all beat up with scuff marks and peeling paint, the furniture also looked somewhat beat up with scratches and signs of abuse, and the walls near a vent in the bathroom area had a layer of soot that obviously came from the vent. On the positive side, the room was quiet and housekeeping had left a small towel duck to welcome us. On the TV, I also noticed that Stacey’s “Top 7 Must Sees” promo had been updated to Stacey’s “Must Do Disney.” New intro sections, with Stacey all dressed up in more conservative “business” attire, have been filmed to lead into clips from the old promo film. The emphasis is now on a more general look at each theme and water park, without having an actual countdown of the “top” attractions. One negative was that I wasn’t able to connect to the internet with the wired network service provided. The sign-up screen came up on the computer and I was charged the $9.95 for the first 24-hour period, but after that, I couldn’t access any websites. I’ll have to followup on this with the front desk tomorrow. While I was hassling with the internet service, Helena showered, slipped into her PJs, and was asleep before 10:00p. I was at the computer until past 11:30p writing up these trip report notes, before also showering and heading to bed. The alarm is set to wake us at 6:00a in the morning to start our first full day of park touring. Photo Diary, Day 1: http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/d...9apr-wdw01.htm Tuesday, April 14: The Plan: Hollywood Studios, Dinner ADR at Hollywood Brown Derby That darn alarm woke us precisely at 6:00a. We stayed in bed about 15 minutes to catch the local weather, which didn’t look good at all. There was a severe weather watch just north of Orlando, and it was expected to be in our area later in the morning. In fact, the weather would impact our entire day. We were dressed and making our way to the food court by 7:15a. Helena and I both had the eggs, french toast, and bacon platter with coffee and orange juice. The total cost was $17. Before heading back to our room to drop off our refillable mugs and get our backpack, we stopped at the front desk to report the problems I was having last night with trying to connect to the internet. The CM said he’d have someone go to our room to check out the situation and bring a new cable. We headed over to the nearest bus stop around 8:20a. We only had about a 10 minute wait for the bus, and arrived at Hollywood Studios right at 9:00a. We were quickly through the security check and the turnstiles. We stopped on Hollywood Boulevard for a few PhotoPass pics and then rushed over to Pixar Place to get Fastpasses (FPs) for Toy Story Midway Mania. You won’t believe what we found ... and I have a photo to prove it ... the line for FPs stretched from the location of the FP machines all the way back to Mickey Avenue in front of the Voyage of the Little Mermaid! A CM was going back and forth down the line reminding everyone in line that they were in a queue to get FPs, not in the standby queue for the ride itself. He warned those at the end that the wait to get to the Fastpass machines would be over 40 minutes! There was no way Helena and I were getting into that mess, so we made a U-turn over to the Great Movie Ride. There was a fairly short line inside watching the pre-show movie clips. Once we were let into the loading area, however, there was a good 15 minute holdup because of some kind of ride problem. We were held at the loading area until the problem was worked out and then proceeded in the next ride vehicle. Helena and I had front row seats with a clear view of everything. A first for us was that the gangster who took over our vehicle was an older lady, perhaps playing the role of “Grandma Moses.” This is a classic ride that we enjoy every time. Incidentally, I noticed that the burned out “Great Movie Ride” neon sign on the front of the Chinese Theater has been repaired since our last visit in December. On exiting the Great Movie Ride, it was absolutely pouring down rain, and we stopped to put on the rain ponchos that we had packed in our backpack. At this point, we just wanted to find someplace where we could go indoors until the rain eased off. Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t right for the next American Idol Experience show, so we ducked into Sounds Dangerous, the sound effects show with Drew Carey. We hadn’t taken in this attraction for quite a few years, so it was fresh, if not overly thrilling ... and at least we stayed dry for a while longer. By now the rain had eased up quite a bit, but it was still coming down. Passing by the American Idol theater, we saw that they were letting people into the pre-show area for the 11:00a show, so we joined the crowd. The people down in front were given the chance to be filmed for segments that would be added to the show itself. When we were finally let into the theater, it was a complete full house. The warm-up guy was really hyper and did a great job of getting the audience excited. The actual show host was a woman, and the judges were reasonable stand-ins for Randy, Paula, and Simon. The three contestants were young women (actually one was only 14 years old) and they all did a great job and showed that they had a lot of natural talent that could be developed with the right coaching. Helena and I have been American Idol watchers since the first season, and this experience came pretty close to what we’ve seen on TV. The audience seemed to really enjoy the whole thing. One funny moment was when one of the singers was introduced and asked by the host if she had anyone with her in the audience. She responded that her family was at Sea World today, which brought a big round of laughter from the audience and the host. This girl, who sings in her church choir, was the winner, and she really deserved it. It was now close to noon, and Helena and I wanted to get a light lunch that wouldn’t interfere with our planned big dinner at the Hollywood Brown Derby this afternoon. We looked around a bit without seeing anything that really appealed to us at the moment, and ended up at the ABC Commissary, where Helena had a cheeseburger with fries and I had a chicken cordon bleu sandwich also with fries, both with soft drinks. The cost here was $22. The food was passable, but nothing to write home about. Outside, the light rain and occasional claps of thunder were continuing pretty much nonstop, and we were like yo-yos, with the rain ponchos going on and off with each trip inside or outside. After lunch, we trekked over to see the 12:45p showing of Beauty and the Beast, getting seats way under the covered section. The show was as entertaining as ever, although we did miss not seeing Four for a Dollar as a pre-show. After visiting with Belle, we headed back over to check the standby line for Toy Story, but it was posted at 140 minutes! So, we went to visit with Walt in the One Man’s Dream exhibit. That film at the end is so touching and sincere, mostly told in Walt’s own words, that it’s hard to keep dry eyes when viewing it. We next headed over to the Magic of Disney Animation. This was a packed house, most likely because of the rain, and after the Mushu presentation we followed the crowd to the character meet and greet area. There were quite a few characters there posing for photo ops, including Sorcerer Mickey, Bolt and Rhino, Mr. Incredible and Frozone, Handy Manny, and a couple of the Little Einsteins. We didn’t stop for any photos with the characters, but there was a lot of energy in there today. After a quick look around the art store at the exit of the Animation Studio, we headed over to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. We got center seats in the third row, which gave us a great view of the show, but also got us sprinkled a few times -- as if we weren’t wet enough already. We then stopped in the nearby Disney Studio Store, where we bought a collector pin that Helena liked, plus a copy of the Wall-E DVD and a set of four Princess storybooks (both for Jaidyn). The total cost for these items was $44.66. On our quest for indoor attractions to keep us out of the rain, we headed to the back area of the Studios for the first time today to take in Muppet*Vision 3D. We again scored center seats in the third row for another enjoyable viewing of this classic. Many have said it before but, as much fun as this movie is, it really needs to be updated with a new show featuring the Muppets. It was now getting near time for our ADR at the Hollywood Brown Derby, so we took our time heading over in that direction. Our ADR was for 4:50p, but we checked in at 4:20p and were seated within 10 minutes. Our server was Ti Ti, from Taiwan, who was most gracious and efficient in her service. She’s another Disney World CM who has visited St. Thomas as part of cruise ship tours. We were signed up for the Fantasmic reserved seating, which meant a fixed price for dinner. We had mixed field greens, New York strip steaks, desserts (creme brulee for Helena and a banana tort for me), and soft drinks. As a special, unexpected treat, Ti Ti also brought over two complimentary glasses of champaign for us to toast my birthday. The food was all excellent, although we may have over-eaten a bit (I was feeling some nausea later in the evening). The total fixed price, including tax was $100, and we left $20 gratuity for Ti Ti, but we couldn’t use the TiW discount card because the Brown Derby was blacked out today. Although we had the certificate for reserved seating at the 8:30p showing of Fantasmic, Helena and I decided to skip the show tonight because of the weather, which was now clearing but getting rather windy and chilly, for which we weren’t appropriately dressed. Instead, our final attraction of the day was the 6:00p showing of the American Idol Experience. The warm-up guy and the three judges were the same as at the show that we had seen earlier in the day, but the actual show host was a male Ryan Seacrest stand-in this time. The contestants were two young women and a young man. Again, they were all rather good singers, but one of the young women won. None of them was a clear standout as at the earlier show. After the show, we headed for the exit, leaving the park around 6:40p. We only had a 10 minute wait for the POR bus, but we were the very last stop in Riverside (after also stopping at French Quarter). Before heading to our room, we stopped at Fulton’s General Store, where we picked up a photo album for us and another Disney story book for Jaidyn. Total cost was $30. Back in our room, we showered and put on our PJs. Helena watched Y&R on SoapNet and then American Idol, while I tried to connect to the internet. This time it worked, and I found 100 messages in my inbox (most from a Ventures fan message board that I’m a member of). Helena was asleep by 10:00p and I followed closer to 11:00p after writing up the trip report notes. Incidentally, although my birthday was on April 10, when making our reservations we mentioned that we would be celebrating my birthday on this trip. In addition to the two glasses of champaign at the Brown Derby, I was getting “happy birthday” wishes all during the day from CMs and other parks guests who noticed the “celebrate” button I was wearing. On returning to our room, we also found a “celebration” folder with an autographed picture of Mickey and a special PhotoPass card that’s supposed to get us special discount offers at the PhotoPass web site. I’ll have to check that out later. The weather is supposed to be great the rest of the week, so we’re looking forward to tomorrow’s visit to the Magic Kingdom. Photo Diary, Day 2: http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/d...9apr-wdw02.htm Wednesday, April 15: The Plan: Magic Kingdom, Dinner ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern We were awakened again by the alarm at 6:00a, and were having breakfast at the food court by 7:30a. We went lighter on the breakfast this morning, with just french toast and coffee for Helena and a banana muffin with coffee for me. The total cost was $10. The banana muffin was very good, but still not up to the banana nut muffins I remember from past stays at the Caribbean Beach Resort. We were at the bus stop by 8:30a, and the Magic Kingdom bus arrived within 5 minutes, with another 5 minutes or so to load a wheelchair guest. It was a quick drive to the park and we were going through security by 8:55a. We didn’t realize it, but the Magic Kingdom opened at 8:00a today for all guests. Even so, it wasn’t overly crowded when we arrived. Our first stop was at the Roy and Minnie statue at the town square hub for a couple pictures, followed by some PhotoPass pics up on Main Street itself. Our plan today was to get a first ride at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and then head over to Adventureland to do our favorites rides on that side of the park. We first stopped for FPs for Buzz Lightyear for a 9:45a return time and then got into a 15 minute standby line. I just don’t know what Helena’s secret is, but she beat me again by a 153,000 to 50,000 margin. Since we still weren’t within the FP window, we headed over to Adventureland, where I first took a tour of the Swiss Family Treehouse. Believe it or not, in all the visits to the Magic Kingdom that we’ve made since 1972, we have never taken the time to visit the Treehouse. Because of her bad knees, Helena waited for me on a nearby shaded bench while I climbed the steps to the top of the tree and back down. In all honesty, I really didn’t miss too much all those years, but I’m glad I made the effort to see this attraction on this trip. Next up would have been the Jungle Cruise, but the line was already outside of the queue shed. So, we picked up FPs for a 10:30a return time. (By now we were within the Buzz Lightyear FP window, so we had two unused sets of FPs at the same time.) After that, we headed over to Pirates of the Caribbean, which was a complete walk-on. We walked right up to the loading area without a single stop along the way. The ride, of course, was as much fun as ever. On the way out, we picked up a small Pirates activity set for Jaidyn, cost $10. Boy are we going to be spoiling her when we give her all of these goodies next week. We went to the Haunted Mansion, fully expecting to find a long line. However, this was another complete walk-on. I even had enough time to stop by Madame Leota’s tombstone to get photos with her eyes closed and open. A family with two small children entered the stretching room just ahead of us, and we were amused to notice that the much older of the two was the one crying that he didn’t want to go on the ride. His parents ignored his cries, and he eventually stopped crying. A short time later, we exited the Mansion with a hitchhiking ghost tagging along. We continued in a clockwise direction and had a 10 minute wait for “it’s a small world.” We always enjoy this ride, even that devilish song. I know that many purists don’t like the recent changes to the Disneyland version of “it’s a small world,” but I personally wouldn’t mind seeing the same additions made to the WDW version. Based on photos I’ve seen online, the addition of recognizable characters from the Disney classics seems to have been done tastefully and adds a sense of novelty to a ride that we all can probably perfectly visualize in our minds. Continuing along, we stopped at Mickey’s PhilharMagic, where we were let right into the pre-show waiting area. We again scored center seats, but about five or six rows back. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again in the future, but this is a great 3D film with one flaw – it should be longer. I’m sure there are a lot more classic Disney musical moments where Donald could be inserted to work his mischievous magic. It was now about 11:30a and we were really surprised that we were able to achieve so much in just two and a half hours. Because we didn’t want to over-eat like we had yesterday, lunch consisted of soft-serve cones from Auntie Gravity’s in Tomorrowland. After that, we headed back to Buzz Lightyear to use our FPs. I’ll give you one guess as to who won ... this time by a score of 303,000 to 156,000. What is she doing that I’m not? As we exited from Buzz Lightyear, we noticed that they were letting people into the Carousel of Progress, so we rushed over there just before the doors closed. Surprisingly, the theater we were in was at least 3/4 full. We had a nice visit with Father, Sarah, and family, but were “time warped” in the 1950s for two cycles because of some technical glitch. This recalled for Helena and I a visit to the Magic Kingdom with Selene in 1989 where we were stuck in one scene for at least four cycles. At that time, we came out of the Carousel with the then-song “Now Is the Time” stuck firmly in our minds. When we were leaving Tomorrowland, we stopped to get FPs for Stitch’s Great Escape, with a return time of 1:30p. Near the castle hub, the new Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party was just getting started, so we stopped and watched this high energy show before heading back over to Adventureland for our Jungle Cruise FP ride. We had a good skipper, who tweaked the standard jokes just enough to keep them fresh. Unfortunately, we were seated on the box in the center of the boat, and didn’t have a very good view either to the left or right sides. By now, the park was literally wall-to-wall people and we were in serious need for a break from the crowd and activity. We exited the Magic Kingdom and took the monorail over to the Polynesian Resort, where we just grabbed a couple comfortable chairs in the lounge near the entrance to `Ohana and just relaxed and people-watched for almost 2 hours. From where I was sitting, I had a great view of the volcano pool and the foot traffic on the walkway between there and the Great Ceremonial House. Rested up a bit but still feeling weary, around 4:00p we took the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom for our dinner ADR at the Liberty Tree Tavern. But first, we made a complete loop on the Main Street Railroad and then got off at the Frontierland Station on the second time around. We checked-in at the Liberty Tree Tavern around 4:40p for our 5:00p ADR and were seated immediately. The fixed price dinner included family style servings of mixed greens salad; beef, turkey, and ham slices; sides of green beans, mashed potatoes, bread stuffing, and mac and cheese; topped off by apple cobbler with ice cream. Eric, from Haiti, was our server and he was right on the ball, providing great service. As opposed to the Hollywood Brown Derby yesterday, the Liberty Tree Tavern accepted our TiW discount card, which saved us $13.60 on the bill. The net total, including a 20% gratuity, was $72. As we made our way back to Main Street after dinner, we again met up with a showing of the Move It! (etc.) Street Party at the castle hub. That slowed us up a bit in getting to the park exit, but we were lucky to just catch a bus back to POR that was getting ready to leave. It was standing room only, but that was better than having to wait for another bus to arrive. We were back at POR by 6:55p and headed straight to our room for the rest of the day. As much as I wanted to see SpectroMagic and Wishes tonight, Helena and I were just too tired to make it. Helena caught Y&R on SoapNet again, while I wrote up the trip report notes. After checking the day’s emails, we showered and settled in for the night. Lights out was around 11:00p. One thing this trip is teaching us is that we’re just not as young and our bodies not as resilient as they were when we started making annual visits to WDW in 2003. When we get back home we really have to set our minds to getting into a regular exercise routine ... otherwise, our having a DVC membership is going to be meaningless if we’re not physically fit enough to make good use of it. During our 2003 WDW visit, we routinely had 15 hour days at the parks (9:00a to midnight). Now, 6 years later, we’re pooping out at 6:00p. I take this as a wake up call that we have to respond to when we get back home. Photo Diary, Day 3: http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/d...9apr-wdw04.htm Thursday, April 16: The Plan: Animal Kingdom, Lunch ADR at Yak & Yeti By now you know the morning drill -- alarm set for 6:00a, shower and dress, to the POR food court for breakfast (today french toast with coffee and orange juice for Helena and I, cost $13), to the bus stop before 8:30a. Today we just missed the Animal Kingdom bus and I thought we would be in for a long wait for the next one to arrive, but a second bus arrived within 3 minutes and we were going through security at the park entrance a minute or two before 9:00a. We stopped for a couple PhotoPass pics on the bridge overlooking the Tree of Life and then headed right over to Africa to pick up FPs for the Kilimanjaro Safari, return time 9:45a. We then went next door to the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. There were many animals in easy view today. At the colobus monkey enclosure, trainers were feeding the monkeys by hand and, after a while, one became a bit aggressive when it wanted more food. A cute baby also popped out of the indoor enclosure for a few moments. Over at the gorilla enclosures, all of the apes were in full view, also having breakfast. Two silverback males were active in the bachelor section and the older silverback and two females were in the family section. At one point, Helena innocently waved at one of the bachelors and the CM who was there told her that the gorillas interpret hand motions, like waving, as aggressive behavior. That’s something we didn’t realize before. It was now approaching 9:30a and the first showing of Festival of the Lion King was scheduled for 10:00a. So, we rushed over and got there just as the doors to the theater were opened. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a huge crowd there when we arrived, but by the time the show started, the theater was completely filled. This has to be my favorite non-ride attraction at Walt Disney World, and I’ll say it again ... the bird lady is a real beauty! I would assume they have more than one dancer who plays the role, but it seems like I always see the same face every time I’ve seen the Festival of the Lion King. I’m not complaining, just commenting.  The Lion King ended right at 10:30a, and Helena and I now rushed over to DinoLand USA for the 11:30a showing of Finding Nemo: The Musical. We actually got there just before 11:00a and got lower level seats right in front of the stage. The more I see this show, the more the music grows on me, but Lion King is still “king.” With our close up seating, I was finally able to get some clear pictures of the show, which was a bonus. Finding Nemo ended around 12:05p and we had a 12:00p ADR at the Yak & Yeti, so we were again rushing through the park (which was now getting quite crowded) to get there before they canceled our reservation. We made it before a big rush of other diners arrived, and we were seated within 10 minutes of checking in. Our server was Jeff, from Virginia, who was not in the same league (service-wise) as Ti Ti at the Hollywood Brown Derby, but I must admit that the Yak & Yeti was much more crowded and hectic, so Jeff was occupied with a number of tables. Helena had the honey chicken with jasmine rice, and I had a house salad and the sweet and sour chicken with brown rice. Desserts were wontons with pineapple for Helena and the mango pie for me. The servings of everything were huge, and we didn’t clean our plates. I must comment on the mango pie ... mangoes are very common back home on St. Thomas and, in fact, we have three mango trees in our backyard. Well, the mango pie at the Yak & Yeti is about as authentic tasting as I’ve ever had anywhere. It was like actually eating the mango fruit. So, if you ever want to know what a mango tastes like, try the mango pie. Yak & Yeti apparently isn’t operated by Disney and didn’t accept the TiW discount card. However, Jeff was at least able to get us a 10% AP discount. The net cost, after the 10% discount and including tax and 20% gratuity was $63. Since we were already in Asia, after lunch we took in the Maharajah Jungle Trek. The Komodo dragon was resting in a grassy area instead of it’s usual spot on the large rocks in its enclosure. Many more large bats than usual were hanging around, some with their huge wings fully extended. Over in the tiger enclosure, one was pacing back and forth near the water pool, another was fast asleep right up again the viewing glass, and two others were reclining in the last enclosure. We next headed over to the Kilimanjaro Safari to finally use our FP from earlier in the day. The ride was fun, as always, but many of the animals were either on the opposite side of the truck or only visible at a distance from the trail. Many of the animals we did see closer up where facing away and just showing us their butts. Even so, the safari driver was quite animated and enthusiastic, which made the ride a lot of fun. We were getting tired by this time, but wanted to catch the afternoon parade. So, we headed back to Discovery Island and took in the 3:00p showing of It’s Tough to Be a Bug. We got into the pre-show area before the crowd arrived, and we again got seats just a few rows from the front. The audience must have had a lot of first-timers, because the reactions to the gags were really strong. For one poor girl, it was just overwhelming, and she was crying like crazy when Hopper and his troops attacked. She was still crying after we exited from the theater, and her parents were trying to console her. After the bugs, Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade was less than a half hour away, so we found a spot near the park exit, from which we had a clear, unobstructed view. After the parade passed, we headed for the exit. We had about a 10 minute wait for the POR bus to arrive, and had a quiet ride back to the hotel. We made a quick stop at the food court for Helena to pick up a fruit salad for dinner, then we headed to our room. I skipped dinner completely, since I was still full from that big Yak & Yeti lunch. Helena watched Y&R on SoapNet and fell asleep during Survivor, while I completed the trip report notes and checked the day’s emails. Tomorrow begins our Epcot adventure with The Ventures, so lights were out by 9:30p. Incidentally, I woke up this morning with my lower leg and ankle muscles hurting, and the pain was with me pretty much all day. Because Helena didn’t have a similar problem from all of the rushing around at Animal Kingdom today and I have never had this problem before (not even during our December 2008 visit), I suspect that there’s some problem with the design of the new sneakers I’m wearing that is putting unusual strain on my lower leg and feet muscles. I hope I can survive the next three days at Epcot. [Note: I later figured out that the new sneakers I had bought for this trip had a sole and foot bed that was about an inch thicker at the heal than at the balls of the feet. So, it was as if I was walking around all day in 1-inch heels, thus putting unusual strain on certain muscles in my legs. My older sneakers have all had more or less of the same thickness at the heel and ball of the feet. Although I had been using the new sneakers for a couple weeks at home to break them in, I had not walked in them for extended periods at here at Disney World.] Photo Diary, Day 4: http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/d...9apr-wdw06.htm Friday, April 17: The Plan: Epcot, Lunch ADR at Le Cellier, The Ventures at the American Gardens Theater We were again up a 6:00a and got ready for breakfast at the POR food court. Since we had a 12:00 noon ADR at Le Cellier, we had a very light breakfast of a banana muffin for me and a croissant for Helena, both with coffee and orange juice. The total cost was $9. We got to the bus stop by 8:15a and had a 10 minute wait for the Epcot bus to arrive. During that time, there were three Magic Kingdom, two Animal Kingdom, one Hollywood Studios, and one Downtown Disney bus. Even so, we arrived at Epcot around 8:45a and were quickly through the security check and turnstiles. We stopped in front of Spaceship Earth for a few PhotoPass pictures and to admire the princess topiaries in that area. We then followed the crowd to the fountain plaza, where we were held up until rope drop. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy made an appearance, shaking hands with those standing at the rope. When the rope dropped, precisely at 9:00a, everyone made a mad rush to the Land pavilion. We let the runners by and eventually got there for a couple FPs for Soarin’ with a return time of 10:45a. We then proceeded over to the Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion, where we took the Finding Nemo ride and then went to the queue area for Turtle Talk with Crush. There was a short 5 minute wait for the first show of the day. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the script used for the show today was a bit different than we’ve experienced before. For example, there was no “Crush wears a bikini top” joke. Earlier in the day, I commented to Helena that I had a legitimate, if somewhat controversial, question for Crush -- “What would you tell people who like to eat turtle soup?” I know that back home in the islands, turtles are endangered and there are strict rules against hunting them. But I’m sure that in many parts of the world (maybe even in the U.S.) they are still hunted and killed. I didn’t ask Crush that question, but anyone who would like to use it is welcomed to do so. After we left Crush, we headed over to the Imagination pavilion and took in the Journey into Imagination with Figment ride, followed by Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. We had stopped at one of the photo kiosks in ImageWorks to send a picture to family, but the computer crashed as we were going through the process and we didn’t feel like starting all over again on another kiosk. Besides, it was now within the window for our Soarin’ FP. Back over at the Land, we maneuvered through the crowd to the FP return line. We had less than a 5 minute wait before boarding our glider. For the first time ever, we got the top row, but in the two seats at the extreme left side, which meant that the picture was distorted a little by the curvature at the edges of the IMAX screen. Even so, we again enjoyed this great ride. It was now about 11:30a, so we headed over to Canada for our lunch reservation at Le Cellier. When we checked in at the front desk, the CM couldn’t find my name on the reservation list, and when she did a search on our reservation number, the computer showed that the reservation was for yesterday. I explained that this must have been an error by the CM who made the reservation because yesterday we had an ADR at the Yak & Yeti. The Le Cellier CM checked with the dining room and told us it wouldn’t be a problem for us to be seated for lunch. We were called inside within 5 minutes. Our server was Chelsey, from Manitoba, and she did a great job of taking care of us, including making some side dish substitutions. Helena and I had the filet mignon with cheese mashed potatoes. I also had a mixed greens salad. For dessert, Helena had a chocolate moose (that’s not a misspelling) and I had a maple creme brulee. Chelsey was able to apply a 20% discount with our TiW discount card, which saved us $15.27. Even so, the net cost of the meal, including taxes and 20% gratuity was $82. After lunch, we took in the O Canada film and then continued around World Showcase, paying special attention to the topiary displays in each country. The United Kingdom and France had very elaborate mazes, the United Kingdom also had a tea garden exhibit, Morocco had a topiary of Aladdin on a magic carpet, and Japan had a bonsai garden. At Japan we also browsed through the Mitsukoshi store. We arrived near the American Adventure pavilion around 1:45p and went by the American Gardens Theater to verify the times for today’s concerts by The Ventures. Then we headed back over to the pavilion to wait for the 2:15p showing of the American Adventure. Inside, we met up with Bob, a member of the “Underground Fire” Ventures fan club, and his wife Charlotte. We chatted for a while and enjoyed the pre-show performance by the Voices of Liberty. Bob and Charlotte had seen the main show before, so they left after the Voices of Liberty were finished. But Helena and I continued upstairs to see the full show. That Golden Dreams montage at the end is so touching and inspiring! When the show was finished, we found that several people were already in line waiting for the 5:15p concert by The Ventures, which was still 2 1/2 hours away! Among those in line were Bob and Charlotte, plus several other members of Underground Fire who had traveled from almost as far away as Helena and I had -- South Caroline, Indiana, Colorado, and Maine. While we waited, several members of The Ventures arrived at the theater and stopped to say hello and shake hands with their fans. I won’t go into any details about the shows themselves, except to say that The Ventures put on great performances again to very enthusiastic audiences that filled the theater for each show. They changed up quite a few songs to make the three shows different, and ended up playing each of the following 1960s instrumental rock classics at least once: Walk Don’t Run/Perfidia/Lullaby of the Leaves (Medley) Bulldog Driving Guitars Telstar El Cumbanchero I’ve Got a Woman Secret Agent Man Surf Rider Pipeline Diamond Head Blue Dawn Slaughter on 10th Avenue Penetration House of the Rising Sun Journey to the Stars Apache Out of Limits Hawaii Five-0 Wipe Out After the last show, around 8:15p, Helena and I started to head for the exit. We were planning to stay for tomorrow’s showing of Illuminations after the last Ventures show, but we didn’t want to stay much later tonight. A bus back to POR arrived within 5 minutes of our getting to the bus stop, and it was a quick ride back. At POR, we stopped by the food court to grab a quick snack to tide us overnight. This consisted of just two fruit salads and cran-apple juice, cost $10. Back in our room, I checked emails and wrote up the trip report notes, while Helena got ready for bed and tried to say awake for the midnight airing of Y&R on SoapNet. Tomorrow is the day for The Ventures’ fan meet and greet from 11:00a to 2:00p, so we’re going to take the opportunity to sleep in a bit later and then drive over to the off-property location of the event. We’ll then head back to Epcot for tomorrow afternoon’s three concerts. Photo Diary, Day 5: http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/d...9apr-wdw09.htm Saturday, April 18: The Plan: Epcot, Lunch ADR at San Angel Inn, The Ventures at the American Gardens Theater Helena and I woke up around 8:00a today and took our time getting ready for the day. We went over to the POR food court for breakfast, which consisted of french toast, eggs, and bacon with coffee and orange juice for both of us. The total cost was $17. After finishing off this hardy breakfast, we went back to our room until it was time to leave for The Ventures’ meet and greet. I took the opportunity to call Disney dining and cancel our ADR at the San Angel Inn, because we wouldn’t be back from the meet and greet in time. Around 10:30a, we hopped into the rental car, programmed Sarah, and headed out to the Marriott Residence Inn in Lake Buena Vista, where The Ventures were staying. When we arrived, some fans were already there checking out the t-shirts, CDs, and other collectibles for sale or getting autographs from Don, Nokie, Bob, and Leon, the members of The Ventures. I bought a new t-shirt (subdued gray color with "50th Anniversary" graphics on the back and a small "The Ventures" logo on the front); copies of three new CDs, and a couple photos of the band. I then went through the line getting the guy's autographs on the CDs and photos. They were in good spirits and having a good time with the fans. After everyone who wanted to purchase items or get autographs were finished, The Ventures opened the floor to a question and answer session. We were all seated or standing right up within a few feet of the table where Don, Nokie, Bob, and Leon were, and it was a very intimate setting. They fielded questions for a good hour, often cracking jokes at each other’s expense. It was obvious from the camaraderie that these men are good friends in addition to being members of a band. After that was finished, the band’s business manager held a raffle for some rare Ventures items. I won a mint condition copy of a rare vinyl 45-RPM “extended play” album, which the band members quickly autographed. Everyone who didn't win a prize was allowed to chose one item from a selection of bumper stickers, packages of guitar picks, or photos. When that was over, we were all told to go to the hotel's breakfast room. There, the business manager and Russell, a fan who lives in Orlando, had arranged for a large cake with a perfectly formed "The Ventures" logo to celebrate the 50th anniversary. This was a surprise for The Ventures themselves. We all sat around tables enjoying cake, coffee, and conversation for at least a half hour before people started to leave. Helena and I head back to POR to drop off our rental car, but Sarah again had trouble giving us correct directions to POR, and we lost at least 10 minutes making wrong turns. When we finally arrived at POR, we parked the rental car next to our building and took the Disney bus over to Epcot. As arranged with the band’s stage manager, members of the Underground Fire fan club met with a Disney official who took us to VIP seating for the first show of the day. After the show, the same official escorted us backstage, where we met the members of the band very briefly, since they were having lunch in the "green room." The stage manager then took over and gave us a short tour of the equipment, including the electronic control board, the guitars and amps, and the drum kit being used for the shows. After the tour, we were allowed to be seated for the second show without having to go to the back of the queue. A second group of Underground Fire members and spouses got exactly the same treatment at the second show of the day. As for the music itself, it was another great series of shows. Most of the songs were from the same selection of greatest hits as were played on Friday, but there were four new ones, as follows: Sleepwalk Let’s Go Yellow Jacket Ninth Wave There were a few very minor stumbles along the way that most of the audience probably wouldn't even catch, but the overall sound quality was again outstanding, and the guys seemed to be more enthusiastic than yesterday, perhaps because of the enthusiastic response they were receiving from the considerably larger audiences today. After the third show of the day, a small group of Underground Fire members and our spouses met at Disney's Boardwalk Resort for about an hour to talk about The Ventures and their music. The wives had their own conversation going, and some of us who hadn’t had dinner bought pizza at the Spoodles window down on the boardwalk level. In our case, Helena and I had a couple slices of pepperoni with soft drinks, cost $13. It was a very nice and relaxing way to end a day filled with ad-Ventures. Our impromptu fan club meeting broke up close to 11:00p, and Helena and I took a taxi back to POR, cost $11 including tip. Helena was in bed by midnight, while I stayed up until close to 2:00a to finish up the trip report notes and download the day’s photos from the camera. Photo Diary, Day 6: http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/d...9apr-wdw12.htm Sunday, April 19: The Plan: Epcot, Lunch ADR at Teppan Edo, The Ventures at the American Gardens Theater Oh boy, 4 hours of sleep isn’t enough when the alarm rings at 6:00a! Helena and I finally got ourselves awake and ready to head over to the POR food court for a quick breakfast. Today was lunch at Teppan Edo, our first time since the restaurant changed from the Teppanyaki Grill a few years ago. Breakfast consisted of a croissant for Helena and a banana muffin for me, both with coffee and orange juice. The total cost was $9. We got to the bus stop by 8:20p and an Epcot bus arrived within 10 minutes ... but so did a group of about 100 teenagers with one adult chaperone. A second Epcot bus appeared immediately after, and we and another family were allowed to board ... then so were about half of the group of teens (the rest presumably went on the other bus). The bus ride was uneventful, but it was very disconcerting walking into the park with this group. The only thing I could think of was “what is this going to do to the lines today?” As it turned out, I need not have worried because the park was actually less crowded and much quieter than on Friday and Saturday. I guess many families completed their spring break vacations and were headed home today. Our strategy today was to cover the eastern side of Epcot. At the rope drop, which actually happened 5 minutes early at 8:55a, we head directly over to Test Track to pick up FPs. Unfortunately, the first machine I tried wouldn’t spit out any FPs, and neither would the second machine. So, I told a CM about the problem, and he got us FPs out of a third machine (using our APs), with a return time of 9:45a. We then headed over to Mission: Space, where I rode the green (non-spinning) side while Helena headed over to Mouse Gear, where she bought a couple items costing a total of $51. Mission: Space was almost deserted and, in fact, I was the only rider in my capsule. When the CM started boarding and said “Let’s go teams,” I commented that I was a “team of one.” I took the opportunity during the ride to snap pictures of the control panel and the display screen during most of the action sequences of the ride. I also made sure to fulfill my duty, as “pilot,” by pressing the right control panel buttons at the right time. Since it still wasn’t within the return time for the FP to Test Track, we next went on an Energy Adventure with Ellen. This ride was also very deserted. In fact, the few people there would not have filled even one of the ride vehicles (mobile theaters). Even so, everyone spread themselves throughout the six vehicles that were available. After Ellen again beat “Stupid Judy” at Jeopardy, it was time for Test Track. Helena has given up on riding Test Track the last couple of trips, as she finds it a bit too intense, particularly the outdoor speed runs. So, I went alone and rode with a family of four. I took a couple photos out the windshield of the ride vehicle during the outdoor run, but only one really came out well, and that was on a straight section of the track. In the banked curves, the G forces pulled my arms down as I was holding the camera, and all I got was a couple pictures of the dashboard. Regardless of that, the ride was fun. I held on to Helena’s unused FP for use later. Next, we took some time to visit the Pixie Hollow topiary fairies and Minnie’s butterfly garden, as well as finishing our tour of the other topiaries scattered throughout the park (we started that on Friday). We then made our way around the eastern (Mexico) side of World Showcase, with our final destination being the Japan pavilion for lunch. We got there about 15 minutes before the Teppan Edo restaurant was opened, so we just waited on the upper level of the Misukoshi building, enjoying a cool breeze and the view of the lagoon. When the restaurant opened, we were given a pager and directed to where we could wait until we were called. While there, the entire Teppan Edo staff lined up and went through a short ceremony, welcoming all of the guests to the restaurant. It was an unusual, but very proper and appreciated, Japanese gesture. When our pager went off, we were taken to the room where our hibachi table was located. We were seated with another couple and a family consisting of two ladies and two little girls. The Japanese cast members were very polite and proper, in that typical Japanese way, and we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, service, and food. Unfortunately, the two other families kept to themselves, and each of our three groups ended up only conversing among ourselves. Our last time eating here (when it was still the Teppanyaki Grill) we had a pleasant experience with a large family group that was more open to conversation. Regardless, the food was excellent. Helena had the “tori” or chicken breast, while I had the “nihonbashi” or steak and chicken combo. The total cost, including taxes and a 20% gratuity, was $76. Unfortunately, they didn’t accept the TiW discount card because the restaurant isn’t owned or run by Disney. Three Japanese CMs served us during the meal, including our main server, Saori; the bus boy; and the hibachi chef. All were very delightful and efficient, even if their heavy accents sometimes made them hard to understand. I was surprised at the end of the meal when Saori and the bus boy brought out a slice of cake with a candle and a chef-style paper hat with “Happy Birthday” written on it. I guess Disney dining had put a note about my birthday celebration in the ADR record. All in all, it was a very delightful meal. It was now only about 1:10p, and way too early to start lining up for the afternoon’s concerts by The Ventures. So, Helena and I headed over to France to take in the Impressions of France film. Then we backtracked over to China to see the Reflections of China film. While there, we browsed through the gift shop, and Helena bought a fan costing $11. On the way back to the area of the American pavilion around 3:15p, we saw that people were starting to line up for the concerts and we joined in the line. Among the people in line were a couple members of the Underground Fire fan club and a young boy of about 12 or 13 years old who had recently become a Ventures fan. I eventually gave him Helena’s unused FP for Test Track from this morning, and he was very appreciative. The hour and a half wait before we were allowed to enter the American Gardens Theater went by quickly, and then the real fun started. The Ventures were in great form today and the sound was just awesome. They didn't add any new songs to the play list, but they did mix up the order of the songs a bit from the shows on Friday and Saturday. They were in high spirits and enjoyed themselves, making jokes and reacting to the enthusiastic reception by the audience. The audiences today were smaller than yesterday, but that's not really surprising because many visitors to Disney World check-out on Sunday to return home for work on Monday, and Orlando locals might also not have attended because tomorrow is a workday. Regardless of size, though, the audiences were all very, very enthusiastic. In closing their last show, The Ventures said that they'd love to return to Epcot again next year. Based on the audience response and the good rapport there seems to be between the band and the Disney people, that just might happen. After the final show, most of the Underground Fire fan club members and spouses who were in attendance got together for a group photo and to bid each other goodbye ... hopefully only until next year. We also had the opportunity to personally thank the band’s stage manager for the amazing attention and generosity he gave to the fan club members in attendance. He really looked after us as if we were part of the family. By 8:45p, Helena and I were making our way back to Future World, where we stopped for a ride on Spaceship Earth. I’m pretty sure that the interactive portion of the ride has been reprogrammed since the last time we rode, about a year ago, because at that time part of the interactivity had us identify which state or country we were from, and our faces were placed on the large globe in the post-show area near the place we had identified. This wasn’t a part of the program this time. The position of the riders’ faces on the globe appeared to be random this time. When we exited Spaceship Earth, Illuminations was already finished, and we joined the long lines of people headed for the park exit. When we arrived at the POR bus stop, a bus was already there loading a handicapped visitor, but a second bus soon arrived and took us instead. On arriving back at POR, we headed to the food court for a quick dinner. This consisted of personal pizzas and soft drinks with chocolate chip cookies for dessert, at a cost of $22 ... not a very healthy way to end the day or the vacation. Back in our room, we began packing everything that we wouldn’t need in the morning. Helena was in bed and asleep by midnight, and I stayed up until almost 2:30a completing the trip report notes and posting a concert report to the Underground Fire fan club’s discussion group. Tomorrow is check-out day, and we’re planning to sleep in a bit later before finishing our packing. Photo Diary, Day 7: http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/d...9apr-wdw14.htm Monday, April 20: The Plan: Port Orleans Riverside Check-Out, Drive to Port St. Lucie, Hampton Inn Check-In We were beat after the late bedtimes the last few nights. We slept in a couple extra hours, until 8:00a, and then finished packing everything before heading out for breakfast. We got to the food court around 9:20a, where Helena had french toast with bacon and I had french toast and eggs with bacon. Again, we both had coffee and orange juice, and the total cost for breakfast was $19. We then took about 20 minutes or so to walk around the POR grounds and take some scenic photos. POR is a very picturesque and relaxing resort. We didn’t have a single problem with loud neighbors or people passing by our room. The only problem we had (which really wasn’t a big deal) was the longish walks from our room to the food court and to the bus stop. We left a $2 tip each day for housekeeping, or a total of $14 for the 7 nights we were there. Our final bill, including room charges, all meals, and all purchases, totaled $1,715. We saved a total of $29 in meal discounts with the Tables in Wonderland card. Added to the $39 we saved in December 2008, we have saved a total of $68 so far, with another use of the card coming in December 2009. The card originally cost $60, so it was definitely worthwhile. We got back to our room about 20 minutes before the 11:00a checkout time and quickly packed everything into the rental car and were out by 11:00a. We programmed Sarah for our long drive to Port St. Lucie. I don’t know what was wrong with Sarah on this trip, but from the time we arrived in Orlando, the GPS system kept giving us a runaround trying to find POR. Now it was giving us a runaround trying to get to the Florida Turnpike. We’ve had a few minor glitches with the GPS system in the past, but this trip is has been quite unreliable. I don’t know if the rental car we drove on this trip had an older version of the NeverLost software. Whatever the cause, I finally gave up on Sarah and just followed my instincts from prior trips and the Disney signs to get onto the Osceola Parkway and headed towards the Turnpike exit. The road trip down the Turnpike was uneventful, except that my eyes were heavy from a lack of sleep the night before. I decided to make a couple of short rest stops along the way just so that I could try to refresh myself a bit before continuing on. Thankfully, we arrived safe and sound at Selene’s home around 2:30p. The Disney portion of our trip was officially ended. Tolls were the same as on the trip up to Orlando on Monday ... $1.75 on the Osceola Parkway and $8.70 on the Turnpike. We settled in and spent some quiet family time with Selene and family the rest of the day. Thanks to Selene’s kind offer, we will be staying at home with them this week instead of the Hampton Inn in Port St. Lucie, where we were originally planning to stay this week. A priority for me during the rest of the week is to select the 200 best Disney World photos to have them printed at Walgreens for a nice photo album we picked up at POR’s gift shop. At home in the islands, there’s really only one reliable place to get electronic photos printed in bulk, and the cost is more than twice what I’d pay at Walgreens here in Florida. Tuesday, April 21 to Saturday, April 25: The Plan: Visit with Selene and Family On Tuesday, we spent a quiet day at home with Selene, John, and Jaidyn. I went through more than 600 digital photos and picked 200 for printing. I also went online to PhotoPass and purchased downloads of 9 of the 16 photos taken during last week. I got a 20% discount ($27) on the purchase price using a complimentary discount code I received from Disney at POR in honor of my birthday celebration, making the net cost $107. In retrospect, I would have been better off ordering the Photo CD and getting all 16 photos. I’ll keep that in mind for our next trip. In the afternoon, we all went to a nearby Outback to belatedly celebrate my birthday. On Wednesday, Helen and I spent a few hours at the Treasure Coast Mall, including having lunch at Ruby Tuesday. I also got my 200 photos and 9 PhotoPass pics printed at Walgreens at a total cost of $34. In the afternoon, we babysat with Jaidyn while Selene and John went out on date night to a movie and dinner. On Thursday, we all went to a Bob Evans for a big breakfast, and later in the day, Helena, Selene, and I went back to the Treasure Coast Mall to return two items we had bought the day before from Brookstone. One didn’t live up to the advertised claims and the other was non-functioning. Other than that, we spent a quiet day at home. On Friday morning, Helena and Selene went on a “girls only” shopping trip in the nearby community of Tradition, while John and I kept Jaidyn busy. In the afternoon, we all drove to Jupiter (about an hour south of Port St. Lucie) for a family get together with John’s brother and sister-in-law who live there, and his mother and step-father who made a stopover on their way to Fort Lauderdale to catch a cruise ship on Sunday. On Saturday, I made a quick stop at the post office to mail home a box with the items we purchased in Orlando and Port St. Lucie while Helena took care of the laundry. John’s mom and step-dad stopped by the house for a visit in the afternoon and, after dinner, Helena and I checked out of Selene’s “bed and breakfast” and moved to a nearby Hampton Inn for the night. We did that because we would be leaving around 5:00a in the morning to drive all of the way down to Miami for our 11:00a flight back home. We didn’t want to wake Jaidyn and the others that early in the morning. Sunday, April 26: The Plan: Hampton Inn Check-Out, Drive to Miami, AA Flight from Miami to St. Thomas Today turned out to be a pretty routine travel day. We got up around 4:30a, got dressed, packed whatever last-minute items we had from our suitcase, and were on the road by 5:30a. It was still dark out and there was virtually no traffic as we headed South on I-95. Venus was bright and shiny in the Eastern sky, and little by little the sky started to lighten as we approached West Palm Beach. We stopped at a Denny’s in Deerfield Beach that we’ve eaten at before and had a hearty breakfast before continuing South to Miami. The traffic began to pick up a bit as we went past Fort Lauderdale and came closer to Miami itself, but it was really very much lighter than if this had been a workday. We finally arrived at the Hertz facility near Miami International Airport around 8:45a. The little Mazda 6 we had been driving these past two weeks was a real champ and a real gas miser, and we had put almost 600 miles on it. The Hertz shuttle ride to the airport was quick, but we met up with a bit of a traffic jam at the concourse area. Even so, we got there in plenty of time to check our one bag at curbside check-in. We had to pay American Airlines another $15 for our one bag, but at least the curbside attendant didn’t make us pay an overweight charge even though the bag was 3 pounds over the 50 pound limit. We tipped him $5. Once inside the terminal, we were initially a bit confused as to where we had to go for the security check because things had been rearranged quite a bit since our trip in December 2008. But unlike the madhouse we encountered a couple years ago at Orlando International, the security area here in Miami was arranged in a pretty efficient layout. Although there were many people going through security, the line actually kept moving continuously and we were through in just a matter of minutes. We didn’t have any hang ups with the security check, and we were soon walking the rest of the way to our departure gate. We had about an hour to wait before boarding, but that’s the way we like it ... no rushing at the last minute hoping we don’t miss our flight. Once everyone was aboard the plane, we took off right on time at 11:00a and arrived about 10 minutes early in St. Thomas, at 1:20p. My brother was there to pick us up, but we had a half hour wait until our bag showed up on the carousel. Within another half hour, we were pulling up to his home, where my sister-in-law had prepared lunch for us. We ended up visiting with them and my mom, who lives with them, for a couple hours before heading out to our own home. Everything was in order, and we sat for a while going through the mail that had accumulated while we were away. On the one hand, we were glad to be back in our own home and its familiar surroundings, but we were also sad to have reached the end of another fine vacation in Florida that included, not only the magic of Walt Disney World and the music of The Ventures, but also the company of our daughter and her family. Well, at least we have December 2009 to look forward to. Conclusion: Overview: Going into this trip, I was very apprehensive about the crowd levels we would encounter because of the timing so close to Easter. However, overall the crowd level didn’t really materialize, certainly it wasn’t as bad as our visit during Christmas week 2008. With the exception of Toy Story Mania, we were able to enjoy all of the attractions on our “must do” list plus a few others that weren’t. Even the all-day rains on the day we visited the Hollywood Studios didn’t spoil our enjoyment of the park. But the whole reason for this trip was to see The Ventures perform at Epcot’s Flower Power concerts, and they did not disappoint. The song lists for the nine performances over three days repeated many of the same songs, but I understand that they were playing to a wider audience than just their most ardent fans, like me. In fact, the Disney announcement before each show specifically said that they would be playing their “greatest hits.” But don’t be fooled. The Ventures have been playing and recording for 50 years now (1959-2009), and over those 50 years they have recorded more than 1,100 different songs (go to this site for an alphabetical list: http://www.sandcastlevi.com/ventures/ventsongs.htm). Many of those songs have a Japanese origin and, to this day, The Ventures are considered to be musical “gods” there, with a wide following of fans of all ages and with many live concerts across the country every summer and live appearances each year on Japanese TV. But beyond the musical performances, this trip gave me (and Helena) a chance to personally meet The Ventures and many other fans from around the country. I can think of no other recording artists who would put themselves out there for their fans the way The Ventures (Don Wilson, Nokie Edwards, Bob Spalding, Leon Taylor -- and alternate members Bob Bogle and Gerry McGee) do. They sat for over an hour signing autographs on classic vinyl albums, CDs, studio photographs, and even actual guitars for their fans. Then they sat for another hour to answer our questions and share rare stories about their careers. And to top it off, they shared cake, coffee, and conversation with us in celebration of their 50th anniversary. Going one step even further, they allowed small groups of fan club members to actually go backstage to meet them and to see their musical instruments and electronic equipment up close. They know that their success, including last year’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has come, to a great extent, because of their fans and they always try to give back a little to their fans. In short, they’re a complete class act. Because of The Ventures and the fellow fans that I met in Orlando during three days in April 2009, I have to count this trip to Walt Disney World as one of the most magical of my life. For me, Walt Disney World really did become a place “where dreams come true.” The Highs:
The Lows:
What’s Next: By August 2009, Helena and I will again have DVC points available for use during the remainder of 2009 and into 2010. In January, right at the 11-month window, I called DVC member services to reserve a 2-bedroom suite at our home resort, Saratoga Springs Resort, for the first week of December 2009. Selene, John, and Jaidyn will be joining us for another family vacation. In May, at the 7-month mark, I’ll contact DVC member services to be put on waitlist for Boardwalk Villas or Beach Club Villas. This will be our first family visit to Walt Disney World since December 2007. Jaidyn will be 4 1/2 years old by then, and we’re hoping that she’ll still be eager to visit with the characters and open to going on the rides and attractions that she enjoyed at an earlier age. Incidentally, John, is a big thrill ride junkie and he’s hoping that Jaidyn will be tall enough to ride on some of the tamer thrill rides, like Goofy’s Barnstormer and Soarin’. Hopefully she’ll also be up to seeing some of the 3D movies at the theme parks, since she saw and enjoyed “Monsters vs Aliens” in 3D at the movie theater. Only time will tell. Contact Info: If you haven’t already taken a look at our trip photo diary using the links in the body of the report above, you can see them all beginning at the following address: http://www.sandcastlevi.com/travel/d...9apr-wdw01.htm Lastly, Helena and I welcome your comments on this trip report and our online photo tour. Our email address is: arnoldvb@islands.vi Prior Trip Reports on Mouseplanet: 30 Years at Disney World: 1973 to 2003 http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=67012 December 2003 http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=66932 December 2004 http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=67027 December 2005 http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=67092 December 2006 http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=68905 July 2007 http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=75549 December 2007 http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=88757 April 2008 http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=102122 December 2008 http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=123939 |
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04-28-2009, 08:24 AM
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#2 |
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Disney Addict
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Denver, Colorado
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Yeah, another trip report from Arnold! I haven't finished reading it yet, but I decided to cheat and look at all the pictures first
 .Your pictures are amazing! I am so glad that you were able to make it out to see The Ventures again. So sorry to hear about your mother in law. That is great that this trip was able to help you guys relax and get away from it all. Can't wait to finish the report! Jennifer
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Jennifer
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04-28-2009, 12:17 PM
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#3 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
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Arnold - I really enjoyed your trip report, lots of great details. I love how you recorded how much you spent on meals, that's really helping me decide whether to get the dining plan or not. I am also trying to decide between deluxe (BWV) and moderate (POFQ or CSR). You didn't seem to mention much as far as being disappointed with amenities??
Sorry for the loss of your mother-in-law. I had a very sweet grandmother who, if we had been in the same situation, would have wanted us to go and enjoy our vacation. Glad that you did!!!
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04-28-2009, 01:17 PM
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#4 |
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MousePlanet Staff
MousePlanet Staff
MousePad Community Leader
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Albany, NY
Blog Entries: 6
Latest Blog Entry: Southwest and Disney World
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My first reaction was "Another Arnold trip? Already?" Then I remembered the Ventures were playing. Thanks in advance for the report - I'm looking forward to a typical good read.
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Steve |
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04-28-2009, 01:49 PM
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#5 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Jennifer and Steve, I hope you enjoy reading the rest of the report. We really had a nice time considering all of the personal stress that led up to the trip. About the pictures, I tried to catch all of the topiaries that I could find at Epcot, but I know that my pics at the other parks include a lot of repeats from earlier visits.
Adkinsfamily, on the difference between deluxe and moderate, it kind of depends on your perspective. Helena has gotten spoiled from our recent stays in DVC suites at Saratoga Springs that include a separate living room and kitchen plus in-room laundry facilities, and would prefer to stay in that type of room every time. However, I have to say that I personally was completely satisfied with the standard POR room despite my comments about the beat up doors and furniture. Certainly the room layout at POR was a lot roomier than the standard room we had at the Hampton Inn on our last night in Port St. Lucie. Arnold |
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04-28-2009, 04:53 PM
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#6 |
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Join Date: Oct 2004
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Arnold, great trip report again for a trip that was a once in a lifetime birthday trip for a Ventures fan like yourself! I remember you posting how excited you were that they would be playing this year and planned a trip for those dates.
So happy for you that you got to meet them and win a personalized souvenir like that. What a special treat for a devoted fan, couldn't ask for a better birthday gift. Sorry to hear about your mother-in-law's death, but what better place to feel refreshed and happy after the sadness and stress. Must have also been relaxing to not have any doctor's appointments this trip. Look forward to the trip report for December with the granddaughter at a fun age for WDW. |
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04-28-2009, 07:14 PM
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#7 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Thanks for the comments, Sue. I'm glad you enjoyed the report. We are very grateful to have had an illness-free trip this time.
Arnold |
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04-29-2009, 01:25 PM
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#8 |
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Join Date: May 2005
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well well well arnold !! see you discovered MY DVC p.o.riverside. gosh i am so happy for you & your wife to be able to have such a magical trip so soon after the loss of a loved one .in reading your report concerning the discount for staying @ the port i bet it felt like you just won the lottery .i know it has happened to me before. oak manor is my fav part of the port . it is great that the ventures think enough of their fans to do the things that they do. like you me & the DUMPLIN can not do the 10 to 12 hr. days anymore but hey IT will be there next trip. sorry you didnt get to see my buddy bob jackson @ the port he is so much fun. in closing what the HE DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS ! NO BRITISH INVASION
 oh !! loved the pics t- 20 working days & counting till tony orlando , pam brody , the british invasion , & my buddy bob jackson , & toy story mania.dusty |
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04-29-2009, 03:16 PM
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#9 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Quote:
Thanks for your comments. You're right about the great feeling when I saw that big savings at POR vs CBR. It was bigger than any lottery we've ever won. One evening when we hit the food court after one of the parks the lounge at POR was absolutely packed and everyone seem to be having a really great time. I'm assuming that was Bob Jackson performing. We'll have to try to catch him sometime. As for the British Invasion, that's another act we have to make time to see. I'm a big Beatles fan also, so maybe in December.Arnold |
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04-30-2009, 10:40 AM
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#10 |
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Join Date: Aug 2006
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It is always a GREAT day when I see a trip report from you my friend. I printed it out and will read it tonight at home. Thanks so much for taking the time to write a much needed trip report. I am a bit tired of all of the pre trip reports - I needed a real honest to goodness good report to read. Thanks!!!
Ellen |
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04-30-2009, 12:30 PM
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#11 | |
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MousePlanet Staff
MousePlanet Staff
MousePad Community Leader
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Albany, NY
Blog Entries: 6
Latest Blog Entry: Southwest and Disney World
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Quote:
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Steve |
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04-30-2009, 12:32 PM
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#12 |
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MousePlanet Staff
MousePlanet Staff
MousePad Community Leader
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Albany, NY
Blog Entries: 6
Latest Blog Entry: Southwest and Disney World
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Another great report Arnold. I was sorry to hear about your Mother-In-Law... I'm sure it was good for you both to get away for a bit.
We may be there during the same week in December. I'll be looking for you.
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04-30-2009, 02:04 PM
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#13 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Ellen, I hope the report lives up to your expectations. I agree about the pre-trip reports, maybe they should go somewhere else because they usually generate trip planning discussions that better fit in other sections.
And Steve, thanks for your comments. Hopefully we can finally meet in person in December. Our exact dates for SSR are December 1 to 7, 2009. The DVC CM who took my reservation was amazed that we exactly used up our points for the year, down to the very last one. He said that almost never happens. I responded that it was just dumb luck. Now, if we are able to switch to BWV or BCV, then the points wouldn't work out exactly. Arnold |
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04-30-2009, 06:11 PM
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#14 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Michigan
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Count me in as another of your TR fans, Arnold! Wow, I feel like I just finished your last one. What a treat to hear from you again! We hope to take another DCL trip in a couple of years, and I hope we make it to your beautiful island. I've never been there.
Also, count me in as someone who appreciates an entire trip report in one post. I'd be fully in favor of a separate area for the pre-trip reports. Didn't Brian Bennett keep them separate back in the day? Looking for ward to your December TR! Jan
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"A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference." --Eeyore wdwjan@yahoo.com |
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04-30-2009, 07:07 PM
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#15 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Jan,
Thanks for the comments on the trip report. The Magic was in port just yesterday. Helena and I hope to take a cruise on one of the Disney ships sometime also, but no definite plans yet. Arnold |
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05-01-2009, 08:13 AM
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#16 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: New York
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Quote:
can't wait for december to read the big family report! 
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Jillian 2010 = the Year of WDW Trips Jan 2010 - Running my first ever 5k during Marathon Weekend May 2010 - Bay Lake Towers with my second family June 2010 - Hoffman/Exton 20 Year Anniversary Trip |
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05-01-2009, 10:06 AM
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#17 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Jillian,
I'm glad you enjoyed the report. Incidentally, for anyone interested, there are tons of videos of The Ventures on youtube, spanning their entire career from 1960s appearances on the Dick Clark Show and Shindig to a couple jumpy clips from this year's Epcot performances. Just search for "The Ventures" on www.youtube.com. Check them out with long hair and white jumpsuits during a "Sunflower '76" Japan tour. Arnold |
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05-01-2009, 12:48 PM
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#18 |
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2005
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aronld a great time to go in dec . all the christmas bueaty & no god cursed cheerleaders
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05-01-2009, 02:09 PM
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#19 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Quote:
Arnold |
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05-02-2009, 08:35 AM
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#20 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Braselton, GA
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I will have to agree with the others about reading the report in one post. I've been spending just about all of 2009 thinking I wouldn't be back to Disney World at all this year and seriously thinking about just not following any of the boards or trip reports because I was so bummed. But I did get good news and we will be back (Memorial Day) and the first report I saw after that was yours! Perfect timing! I love reading a report with details about not only the attractions and food but why certain things are liked or not liked. And why people tour the way they do. Loved the comments on having to slow down as age creeps in as that's what we need to do these days!
Can't wait to read the December report to see how you do with a 4-1/2 year old granddaughter who you clearly love to spoil (how many things did you buy for her?). |
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05-02-2009, 10:13 AM
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#21 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Hi Sheri,
I'm very sorry to hear that things were so bad there for a while that you were considering dropping the WDW trips and the boards. I really hope things have picked up for you and your family. I very much enjoy reading your trip reports. We ended up getting four or five little things for Jaidyn (granddaughter). I think in December we and her parents are going to have a hard time keeping up with _her_. She's a real bundle of energy and often has us on the floor playing catch with a ball or doing something else when we visit them. This past trip to see The Ventures was a very positive experience despite the aches and pains, and I expect the family trip in December to be equally enjoyable ... of course for different reasons. Keep well. Arnold |
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05-02-2009, 11:39 AM
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#22 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Michigan
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Hi, Sheri! I was thinking of you recently because I just finished reading an old trip report of yours from your cruise on the Disney Magic a few years ago. My husband & I went on our first cruise in March, on the Magic, and now I can't get enough of DCL trip reports to "re-live the magic"! Your report was WONDERFUL! I'm so glad to hear you can go to WDW soon, and I will join Arnold--and many others--in looking forward to reading one of your terrific trip reports!
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"A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference." --Eeyore wdwjan@yahoo.com |
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05-02-2009, 03:41 PM
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#23 |
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MousePlanet Columnist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Florida
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Another wonderful report, Arnold - no surprise there! Your photos are beautiful, also. My condolences on the loss of Helena's mother.
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Sue Holland WDW1972 |
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05-03-2009, 05:18 AM
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#24 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
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Sue,
Thanks for the comments on the trip report and pics and about my mother-in-law's death. The park pics were taken with a compact Olympus that I carry around in a little pouch on my belt, but it has a lousy display screen that's almost impossible to see in sunlight. The Ventures on-stage pics were taken with an older FujiFilm that takes very crisp photos but isn't as good in low light. Arnold |
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05-06-2009, 04:05 AM
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#25 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Arnold,
I loved reading your trip report. Our trips were actually flip-flopped. We were in Palm Bay and Port St. Lucie 4/11-4/16 and then we stayed at POFQ 4/17-4/19. Maybe we passed each other on 4/17 as we were also in Epcot. We have three kids. I loved reading your report because while I enjoy our "family" trips to WDW, I also look forward to my husband and I going as a couple one day. Thanks for all your details and pictures. Next time, you will get to ride Toy Story Mania... Laurie |
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