Kevin Stringer
Chat Host
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2000
DAY 6 WEDNESDAY 27th MAY
The participants:
Me, Kev, 51, husband, father, son, friend. In fact, just about everything to everybody on this holiday.
Wife, Tam, 45.
Daughter 1, India, 18.
Daughter 2, Georgia, 15.
Grandma, 84. The girls Grandma, my mother.
Susan, age kept quiet for fear of kick in soft tissuey area. Our friend from Tulsa.
Attending in part:
Sharon, see above for age. Friend from Texas.
Evan, 21, Sharons son.
If you want to know more about us, have a look at www.kevinstringer.co.uk/index
I wake up at 7.00am today, which wouldnt be too bad if we hadnt got to bed at 1.00am last night. We finally get up at 8.00am and have a leisurely breakfast sitting on the balcony on a lovely, warm Florida morning.
Tam and I watch the few people wandering around on the Boardwalk and are particularly interested in a mother pushing an infant in a buggy while a small child angrily follows a few steps behind. As they make their way slowly along the Boardwalk the child becomes more and more irate, stamping his feet and shouting at his mother. Unfair as it may be, this is a huge source of entertainment to me and Tam as it gradually develops into a full blown tantrum. The mother stops every few yards and looks back with that well worn look of resignation all parents know so well. The kiddie gives it the full works including lying on the ground kicking his feet in the air and screaming. By this time Tam and I are doing a fair amount of lying on the floor with our feet in the air to, but ours is due to laughter. As they turn the corner by Jellyrolls and disappear from view we realise that our behaviour was possibly a little harsh, but it was damn funny.
At 10.15am we collect Grandma and Susan and get the boat to Disneys Hollywood Studios. As we enter we see that the American Idol show is about to start, so we head off in that direction. The theatre is quite spectacular and I guess its similar to the stage set up for the TV show, I dont know, as Ive never watched it. They have 3 contestants selected from people who want to audition and a panel of 3 judges passing comment, the cool dude, the expert female and the nasty one.
They introduce the 3 contestants before they sing and Tam and I are wondering if they can possibly be real. I swear Im not making this up, the first contestant is called Tiffany Ironside. Fair enough, it could be real. The second contestant is Trent English! By this time Tam and I have decided we are voting for whoever has the best surname and English is good in our book. Things all change for me however with the introduction of the third contestant. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Emily Motitiska! By this time Im struggling to stay upright in the chair and not laugh out loud.
To be fair, all 3 can sing pretty well and Trent English wins by a mile, much to Indias disgust as hes a bit full on with the whoopin and hollerin for her taste. Im not sure how much repeat appeal this show will hold for me. On the plus side I guess every show would be different.
The Great Movie Ride is next before moving on to Voyage of the Little Mermaid. This is spoiled somewhat by a young boy whinging and crying all the way through. It may appear that Im constantly complaining about small children today, but this is more to do with consideration of parents for others than the childs behaviour. All children have meltdowns from time to time, but when my children were young I would have removed them immediately from a show if they were noisy. Ah well, it takes all sorts.
Running repairs to the hat while waiting for Little Mermaid
Lunch is next and we eat at the Backlot Express. This is the usual fast food fair, although its a pretty cool place with all the film props. One bad thing is that the fixings bar has been removed from this place, thats a bit penny-pinching on Disneys part.
After lunch the ladies are ready for some dessert and we head off to Starring Roles Bakery. It starts to rain on the way, but we manage to acquire a few sticky, chocolaty things and make it to the Beauty and the Beast show without getting too wet as its more of a typical rain shower than a full blown Florida thunderstorm.
Gaston - he da man! Just once I'd like to see him win.
After the show we decide to leave the Studios, as the rain looks set for a while, so we get the boat back to the Boardwalk. Looks must be deceptive in this case as the sun returns just as we dock.
Back in the room there are two messages. The first is from Big Vern telling us he is working in the DVC show apartment just below us today and to pop in and see him. Vernon is a chap from the UK who now resides in Florida and works for the DVC.
The second is from Sharon, our friend from Texas who is joining us later in the week. It appears that she has fallen and fractured her cheekbone! Anyway, she says shes still coming. I have visions of her turning up wearing a mask like the phantom of the opera.
We all pop down to see Vernon and he invites us over to see the new Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs on Friday. Working for DVC he gets to try out the new resorts. It will be a great opportunity to look around the treehouses, so we graciously accept.
Back in the room we relax on the balcony and enjoy a couple of rum and cokes. This is why I love having a balcony, you can enjoy the warm weather and watch things drift along on the Boardwalk.
Sort of sums up the first week's weather
We all shower and are out of the door by 6.30pm as we are off to Narcoossees at the Grand Floridian tonight. We take the bus to the Magic Kingdom and then the small boat to the GF. It takes about an hour in total, but I dont care. Part of the joy of WDW is enjoying the transportation, especially the boats. The buses can be a pain at times, particularly when they are packed with people, but otherwise its all part of the fun.
Narcoossees is rapidly turning into one of my favourite restaurants in WDW. The setting is lovely as you look across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom and its got the right mix of class and informality.
I have the Wahoo. I dont have a clue what it is, but our server says its a firm, meaty fish. I like them firm and meaty, so I give it a go. Its actually very nice, accompanied by shrimp and a light, creamy sauce.
Wahoo! That's the fish, not an exclamation
All the other food is excellent as well, except Grandmas lamb, which she says doesnt have much taste. I tend to agree with her, Ive hardly ever had good lamb in the States. Fair play my American friends, you beat us hands down when it comes to beef, but our lamb is superior.
Its lovely sitting in the restaurant chatting as the sun sets and the lights come on in the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary. This is probably my favourite time of day.
As we finish our main course, Wishes starts. We go out on to the walkway outside to watch as they pipe the music in. I love this show; we have to see it again before we leave. Straight after Wishes the Electrical Water Pageant passes by. Just another little Disney treat to make our evening complete.
The ladies round things off with a couple of desserts between the 5 of them. The bill for all 6 of us comes to $250, but that includes a couple of starters, 2 glasses of red and 2 glasses of white wine between Tam and me. Ive enjoyed every second of it.
Sore bets I do believe
Lord knows what this was
A taxi gets us back to the Boardwalk around 11.00pm and I sit on the balcony for a while to enjoy a beer and write up my trip report.
If Im absolutely honest I have to say that the first day or two of this holiday had me questioning whether this was a WDW holiday too far. I wasnt getting that Disney feeling. Being tired, staying at the Swan, the weather and Memorial Day crowds were probably all factors. Surprisingly, yesterday at Typhoon Lagoon was probably the turning point. Relaxing in the sunshine followed by a wonderful evening in the Magic Kingdom was just the tonic. Todays trip to Disneys Hollywood Studios (not usually my favourite park) continued the momentum. The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast are classic attractions with enormously evocative music.
This evenings lovely meal at Narcoossees has completed the recovery.
Kev
The participants:
Me, Kev, 51, husband, father, son, friend. In fact, just about everything to everybody on this holiday.
Wife, Tam, 45.
Daughter 1, India, 18.
Daughter 2, Georgia, 15.
Grandma, 84. The girls Grandma, my mother.
Susan, age kept quiet for fear of kick in soft tissuey area. Our friend from Tulsa.
Attending in part:
Sharon, see above for age. Friend from Texas.
Evan, 21, Sharons son.
If you want to know more about us, have a look at www.kevinstringer.co.uk/index
I wake up at 7.00am today, which wouldnt be too bad if we hadnt got to bed at 1.00am last night. We finally get up at 8.00am and have a leisurely breakfast sitting on the balcony on a lovely, warm Florida morning.
Tam and I watch the few people wandering around on the Boardwalk and are particularly interested in a mother pushing an infant in a buggy while a small child angrily follows a few steps behind. As they make their way slowly along the Boardwalk the child becomes more and more irate, stamping his feet and shouting at his mother. Unfair as it may be, this is a huge source of entertainment to me and Tam as it gradually develops into a full blown tantrum. The mother stops every few yards and looks back with that well worn look of resignation all parents know so well. The kiddie gives it the full works including lying on the ground kicking his feet in the air and screaming. By this time Tam and I are doing a fair amount of lying on the floor with our feet in the air to, but ours is due to laughter. As they turn the corner by Jellyrolls and disappear from view we realise that our behaviour was possibly a little harsh, but it was damn funny.
At 10.15am we collect Grandma and Susan and get the boat to Disneys Hollywood Studios. As we enter we see that the American Idol show is about to start, so we head off in that direction. The theatre is quite spectacular and I guess its similar to the stage set up for the TV show, I dont know, as Ive never watched it. They have 3 contestants selected from people who want to audition and a panel of 3 judges passing comment, the cool dude, the expert female and the nasty one.
They introduce the 3 contestants before they sing and Tam and I are wondering if they can possibly be real. I swear Im not making this up, the first contestant is called Tiffany Ironside. Fair enough, it could be real. The second contestant is Trent English! By this time Tam and I have decided we are voting for whoever has the best surname and English is good in our book. Things all change for me however with the introduction of the third contestant. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Emily Motitiska! By this time Im struggling to stay upright in the chair and not laugh out loud.
To be fair, all 3 can sing pretty well and Trent English wins by a mile, much to Indias disgust as hes a bit full on with the whoopin and hollerin for her taste. Im not sure how much repeat appeal this show will hold for me. On the plus side I guess every show would be different.
The Great Movie Ride is next before moving on to Voyage of the Little Mermaid. This is spoiled somewhat by a young boy whinging and crying all the way through. It may appear that Im constantly complaining about small children today, but this is more to do with consideration of parents for others than the childs behaviour. All children have meltdowns from time to time, but when my children were young I would have removed them immediately from a show if they were noisy. Ah well, it takes all sorts.
Running repairs to the hat while waiting for Little Mermaid
Lunch is next and we eat at the Backlot Express. This is the usual fast food fair, although its a pretty cool place with all the film props. One bad thing is that the fixings bar has been removed from this place, thats a bit penny-pinching on Disneys part.
After lunch the ladies are ready for some dessert and we head off to Starring Roles Bakery. It starts to rain on the way, but we manage to acquire a few sticky, chocolaty things and make it to the Beauty and the Beast show without getting too wet as its more of a typical rain shower than a full blown Florida thunderstorm.
Gaston - he da man! Just once I'd like to see him win.
After the show we decide to leave the Studios, as the rain looks set for a while, so we get the boat back to the Boardwalk. Looks must be deceptive in this case as the sun returns just as we dock.
Back in the room there are two messages. The first is from Big Vern telling us he is working in the DVC show apartment just below us today and to pop in and see him. Vernon is a chap from the UK who now resides in Florida and works for the DVC.
The second is from Sharon, our friend from Texas who is joining us later in the week. It appears that she has fallen and fractured her cheekbone! Anyway, she says shes still coming. I have visions of her turning up wearing a mask like the phantom of the opera.
We all pop down to see Vernon and he invites us over to see the new Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs on Friday. Working for DVC he gets to try out the new resorts. It will be a great opportunity to look around the treehouses, so we graciously accept.
Back in the room we relax on the balcony and enjoy a couple of rum and cokes. This is why I love having a balcony, you can enjoy the warm weather and watch things drift along on the Boardwalk.
Sort of sums up the first week's weather
We all shower and are out of the door by 6.30pm as we are off to Narcoossees at the Grand Floridian tonight. We take the bus to the Magic Kingdom and then the small boat to the GF. It takes about an hour in total, but I dont care. Part of the joy of WDW is enjoying the transportation, especially the boats. The buses can be a pain at times, particularly when they are packed with people, but otherwise its all part of the fun.
Narcoossees is rapidly turning into one of my favourite restaurants in WDW. The setting is lovely as you look across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom and its got the right mix of class and informality.
I have the Wahoo. I dont have a clue what it is, but our server says its a firm, meaty fish. I like them firm and meaty, so I give it a go. Its actually very nice, accompanied by shrimp and a light, creamy sauce.
Wahoo! That's the fish, not an exclamation
All the other food is excellent as well, except Grandmas lamb, which she says doesnt have much taste. I tend to agree with her, Ive hardly ever had good lamb in the States. Fair play my American friends, you beat us hands down when it comes to beef, but our lamb is superior.
Its lovely sitting in the restaurant chatting as the sun sets and the lights come on in the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary. This is probably my favourite time of day.
As we finish our main course, Wishes starts. We go out on to the walkway outside to watch as they pipe the music in. I love this show; we have to see it again before we leave. Straight after Wishes the Electrical Water Pageant passes by. Just another little Disney treat to make our evening complete.
The ladies round things off with a couple of desserts between the 5 of them. The bill for all 6 of us comes to $250, but that includes a couple of starters, 2 glasses of red and 2 glasses of white wine between Tam and me. Ive enjoyed every second of it.
Sore bets I do believe
Lord knows what this was
A taxi gets us back to the Boardwalk around 11.00pm and I sit on the balcony for a while to enjoy a beer and write up my trip report.
If Im absolutely honest I have to say that the first day or two of this holiday had me questioning whether this was a WDW holiday too far. I wasnt getting that Disney feeling. Being tired, staying at the Swan, the weather and Memorial Day crowds were probably all factors. Surprisingly, yesterday at Typhoon Lagoon was probably the turning point. Relaxing in the sunshine followed by a wonderful evening in the Magic Kingdom was just the tonic. Todays trip to Disneys Hollywood Studios (not usually my favourite park) continued the momentum. The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast are classic attractions with enormously evocative music.
This evenings lovely meal at Narcoossees has completed the recovery.
Kev
crikey don't let Matt hear you confessing to liking disney buses !!!
