Fleeing Wedding Showers for Epcot Flowers: My Final Morning, Finally! NEW 4/12

[Tribilín]

I can see how you might want to stay away from POFQ, being from New Orleans.

Like being from México and staying at CSR Just kidding... but still I wonder if people from Hawaii stays at the Poly

 

[norybell]

Like being from México and staying at CSR Just kidding... but still I wonder if people from Hawaii stays at the Poly

I have never thought about that. I betcha they don't!

 

[norybell]

To recap: I was bound and determined not to go to a park.

But I needed to do something, didn’t I? I was pretty tired, so I thought pool-time would be dangerous (me passed out and sunburned on a pool chair), and I’d unthinkingly left my suit with Bell Services, anyway. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet, so it might be hours before my room was ready.

But wait…Downtown Disney doesn’t count as a park, does it?

I hadn’t been to DTD in nearly ten years. I’m not much of a Disney shopper, and I’m not usually at WDW long enough to justify spending time there instead of at a park. So I was overdue a visit! Luckily, my ride was waiting:

I’d heard so many wonderful things about the boat ride between POR and DTD, I was excited to try it for myself (well, I didn’t hear these wonderful things, so much as read them. Here, naturally). There were only a few people waiting for the boat, so I had a row to myself, and in short order we were pulling away from the dock.

Naturally, the second we left, I got the text telling me my room was ready. Go figure. Luckily, since I didn’t have any real plans, it didn’t particularly matter.

Which way to the mansions?

This way!

Of course, I took a ton of pictures on this boat trip. If you print them all out and staple them together, you can make your own flip book! (Of course, why would you want to?)

From a slightly different angle, and more washed out!

A few more feet along the river!

Aw, look, DH hired a skywriter for me!

POFQ is so pretty! I love New Orleans. My baby sister, who graduated from Tulane and is not a baby at all anymore, just got engaged, and my fingers are crossed that they get married in New Orleans, so I have an excuse to go back.

More POFQ!

POFQ: a corner!

A close-up of that very same corner! I know I’ve got you on the edges of your seats now!

A yellow building!

Good-bye, POFQ!

Since I’m a nature-deprived Manhattanite, I was loving all the lush Florida foliage.

Seriously, just the smell of it makes me happy. The smell of Florida, I guess. Foliage and water and humidity…smells much better than my NY block. Which typically reeks of garbage, so I guess it doesn’t take much to please me, smell-wise.

Seeing the treehouses really takes me back. We stayed there often when I was little.

More water! More trees!

This is Saratoga Springs, right?

Cool birdhouses.

I really can’t rave enough about this boat ride. It was hot out, and I was tired, and it was so, so lovely to be sitting in the shade, seeing the sights with a wonderful breeze coming up off the water.

So there you have it: my newly-discovered magical ride at WDW…the boat ride from POR to DTD. Not exciting, maybe. But truly gorgeous, and relaxing—just what I needed!

Coming Soon: Downtown Disney for the Non-Disney Shopper

 

[glennbo123]

I've taken that "first-day boat ride to Downtown Disney from POR" too. It's a great thing to do after you've first arrived.

This is Saratoga Springs, right?

Yes!

 

[dismagiclover]

Great update! Looks like such a relaxing ride. We rode from OKW to DTD this past trip and I felt the same way about the boat ride. That is one of the nicest perks of staying in those resorts.

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm here!!

I'm with ya on the lushness of Florida. Even though we just moved here in mid-June, and I'm in the parks A LOT with little Henry, just seeing all those trees together and the thick grass in Disney World... Your boat ride sounds divine. Sorry to hear your block smells like garbage. Ah, NYC - gotta love it! And the garbage trucks coming in the middle of the night - that's always pleasant too! (We live behind a bakery, so I realized the other day, after returning from the World, our block smells like Main Street!!!!!! )

I'm so sorry to hear about the child screaaaaaaaaaaaming the entire flight down. Seriously. At least the Grandmother attempted to get her to stop, but by smacking her?!?! That isn't exactly a good way to make them stop! I hope your flight back was better!

 

[Tribilín]

I really can’t rave enough about this boat ride. It was hot out, and I was tired, and it was so, so lovely to be sitting in the shade, seeing the sights with a wonderful breeze coming up off the water.

So there you have it: my newly-discovered magical ride at WDW…the boat ride from POR to DTD. Not exciting, maybe. But truly gorgeous, and relaxing—just what I needed!

Sounds absolutely awesome... do you remember how much time does it take?

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Love the pictures of POR and POFQ. I love the DTD boatrides from the resorts. So peaceful and beautiful!

I like the flip book idea - I prefer the fast scrolling method - it's more environmentally friendly

There is a definite "Disney" (or maybe it is FL) smell.

 

[norybell]

I've taken that "first-day boat ride to Downtown Disney from POR" too. It's a great thing to do after you've first arrived.

It really was the perfect thing to do after getting up so early and spending time flying...just enough activity to be interesting, but not so much as to be exhausting.

Great update! Looks like such a relaxing ride. We rode from OKW to DTD this past trip and I felt the same way about the boat ride. That is one of the nicest perks of staying in those resorts.

I'll have to try OKW someday...they're all on my list!

(We live behind a bakery, so I realized the other day, after returning from the World, our block smells like Main Street!!!!!! )

I'm so jealous of you now! I wanna live somewhere that smells like Main Street!!!

Sounds absolutely awesome... do you remember how much time does it take?

Wow, to be honest...I really can't remember. Like at all. Maybe a half hour or so?

There is a definite "Disney" (or maybe it is FL) smell.

I think it's partly just a FL smell, that I overwhelmingly associate with Disney. Over five years ago, when I hadn't been to Disney in a long long time, I went to Naples, FL, for a relaxing beach weekend with my mom. The second I stepped out of the airport and smelled that smell, I was like, Oh my get me to Disney World RIGHT NOW!!!! I have to admit, smelling that smell and not going to WDW was pretty much torture!

 

[norybell]

Before I knew it, I could see this through the trees:

I have to admit, I don’t really get the idea of the balloon as a “ride” at DTD. I’ve been on a hot-air balloon ride before, and it was amazing, but it was through the mountains of Colorado, not just harnessed to one spot. I guess there’s a nice view?

Either way, it does make for a cool-looking landmark.

Ah, the Empress Lily. Site of all my formative character experiences, like these (I’m on the right):

Let’s look a little closer, shall we?

And again, from a little farther away?

I wonder why they stopped having character breakfasts there? Wouldn’t they bring more people to DTD in the mornings? I would think would be a good thing, from a Disney money-making perspective. But I guess maybe not, who knows. Maybe they assume people won’t spend all day at DTD after a breakfast, whereas they will at a park? Hm. They’re sneaky, those Disney strategist folks. Which doesn’t bother me one bit.

It must be said, and cannot be denied: This dragon is freaking cool.

When I climbed off the boat, I had absolutely no idea where I was. I mean, obviously I knew I was in DTD. But it had been so long since I’d been there, I had no idea what was where, or even what was there. So I started wandering around aimlessly.

Cool parrot.

Cool parrot with keeper.

It was really pretty hot, and very sunny, so my first stop was for sunscreen. I ended up buying it at one of those little first-aid stations. The woman working there seemed a bit put out that I was interrupting her solitary reveries to make a purchase. Whatever, lady.

I ducked into a corner by some restrooms, doused myself in SPF 50, and continued my aimless wandering.

I poked around Once Upon a Toy for a bit, thinking maybe I would find something for my three-year-old niece, but actually purchasing something seemed like way too much work (I guess my lack of sleep was effecting me, after all). I was excited to see the whole pick-your-own-Mr-Potato-Head-parts thing, but it struck me as such a mess, I was a bit underwhelmed. It does make me happy, though, that Toy Story has revived interest in all those classic toys.

Next up I figured I’d visit that tween paradise, TrenD:

I’d forgotten to bring flip-flops for the pool, so I bought the cheapest pair I could find. I was a little bummed to find out later that they were in no way TrenD-specific, and I could’ve bought the same ones at the POR gift shop. Oh well. I ended up only wearing them once and leaving them behind when I left, because they wouldn’t fit in my suitcase. They weren’t very comfortable, anyway.

An aside: Wouldn’t it be nice if Disney had a medium-sized plastic bag? They have the little bag, and the big bag, but nothing in between. And since my flip-flops were too big to fit in a little bag, I had to carry around a big one. Not such a big deal, of course, but it seems like it would be an easy enough thing for them to do!

Of course, I was obligated by the laws of DTD to go here:

I realized, once I was inside, that I’ve never liked World of Disney. Not even when I was a kid. I don’t know why, maybe just because it’s soooooo big? And inevitably chock-full of people?

After I escaped the WoD hordes, I headed over to the Lego store.

I love these guys!

Note to self: here is something DH will like at Disney.

I thought the Lego store was pretty cool, but it was also packed, so I didn’t linger for too long.

Even though it was still prime lunch time, and I knew lines would be long, I couldn’t deny my stomach any longer. I had been looking forward to trying The Earl of Sandwich for ages, so I wasn’t about to let a ten-minute line deter me.

The Earl's Club - roast turkey, smoked bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato; Someday I will learn to turn the food so it actually looks good in food pictures, I promise!

I sat at a table outside and enjoyed my sandwich. Which was a pretty darn good sandwich, but not so amazing that I’d wait long for it in the future. I watched the kids playing in the surprise fountain—oh, the tears when it suddenly went too high!—and all in all had a very peaceful quarter-hour.

After lunch I popped in Goofy’s Candy Company, but I was unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective) too full to even consider anything.

By now I was pretty hot and worn out, so I decided it was time to get back to POR, see my room, and relax for a bit. Being the DTD novice that I am, it took me a little while to find my way back to the dock, and then I somehow got in the wrong line (oops!). But eventually I made it onto the boat for my return trip. The boat was much more crowded this time, so it wasn’t quite as wonderful as the trip over, but it was still nice.

So there you have it: a few hours at DTD with someone who isn’t particularly into Disney merchandise. Other than the sunscreen, the flip-flops, and the sandwich, I bought nothing. And I don’t know if I’ll be rushing back anytime soon. It was a good way for me to kill a little time, and I enjoyed it for the novelty of it. But overall, I miss the DTD of the old days, when it seemed a little less shiny and plastic.

Coming Soon: A Mod-Virgin Tells All (The Room! The Pool! The Food!)

 

[dismagiclover]

I love the flashback pictures. Too cute! I'm not a big shopper either, but Goofy's Candy Company is a favorite and my kids always want to go to DTD. So we usually end up going there every trip.

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Great update. I totally agree with your take on WOD. I always go on sensory overload there and can't take it. DTD in general is so overwhelming with the Disney stuff. We usually just use it as a late night hub to get back to our resort!

Your sandwich looks yummy. EOS is on my list to try... I just never feel compelled to wait for a sandwich, so I keep missing it.

 

[glennbo123]

I didn't know that they used to do character breakfasts on that boat. Interesting! You learn something new every day.

Yes, World of Disney is always a madhouse. Doesn't take too long before I'm ready to run out of there.

 

[DisneyDreamerMN]

If you ever go back to DTD....Go at night and stop for a drink and get the appetizer "Heavan on Earth" ribs at Raglan Road. They are the best ribs I have ever had. Then get a ice cream sundae at Ghirardelli, so yummy!

 

[brookelizabeth]

I had no idea there used to be a character meal on that boat - or that it had a name! I think that would be VERY cool for kids, and I know if we ate there for breakfast, we'd at least spend 1/2 a day shopping and exploring DTD. But you are right, I'm certain Disney has figured this out to make the best buck!

Which I don't mind a bit either...I actually admire it!

WoD IS INSANE, isn't it? This past trip when we went in there it was the least crowded I have ever seen it, I could actually think and shop. Usually I get too overwhelmed and end up buying nothing. I much prefer Once Upon a Toy or the resort gift shops!

EoS is very good - but we are totally spoiled by awesome food here in the City. I noticed that this trip. Even in Epcot, "Meh, I can get that around the corner from my house."

 

[norybell]

I love the flashback pictures. Too cute! I'm not a big shopper either, but Goofy's Candy Company is a favorite and my kids always want to go to DTD. So we usually end up going there every trip.

We spent a lot of time at DTD when I was a kid, because we usually stayed at Vacation Villas (maybe where Saratoga Springs is now?), and we could just take a quick golf cart ride over. And I loved it back then. But most of my DTD-memories involve wooden playgrounds and stuff like that!

Great update. I totally agree with your take on WOD. I always go on sensory overload there and can't take it. DTD in general is so overwhelming with the Disney stuff. We usually just use it as a late night hub to get back to our resort!

Yeah, I guess it's just not really for me. But I'm happy to give it a try every ten years or so!

I didn't know that they used to do character breakfasts on that boat. Interesting! You learn something new every day.

Yep! This would've been back in the early '80s...I'm not sure when they stopped. I was never all that into meeting characters, even when I was a kid...but I did like getting to go on that pretty boat!

If you ever go back to DTD....Go at night and stop for a drink and get the appetizer "Heavan on Earth" ribs at Raglan Road. They are the best ribs I have ever had. Then get a ice cream sundae at Ghirardelli, so yummy!

I'll have to give it a try (in ten years, that is, when I go back to DTD )

EoS is very good - but we are totally spoiled by awesome food here in the City. I noticed that this trip. Even in Epcot, "Meh, I can get that around the corner from my house."

I think that is so true. Other than at a few of the signature restaurants, the WDW food just isn't that exciting to me anymore!

 

[GreatBiscuit]

All caught up and reporting or duty. Great start NB! Really loving all the photos as usual. You could really stitch together some cool panoramics with your shots.

Can't wait to see how the rest of your day goes. Though I must say I'm still a bit shocked at that whole park skipping crazy talk.

 

[norybell]

All caught up and reporting or duty. Great start NB! Really loving all the photos as usual. You could really stitch together some cool panoramics with your shots.

Can't wait to see how the rest of your day goes. Though I must say I'm still a bit shocked at that whole park skipping crazy talk.

Hi, GB, glad you made it over here! We'll see if I can maintain my wacky no-park-today attitude!

 

[norybell]

When I disembarked back at POR after my not-remotely-exciting-but-definitely-pleasant voyage, I only had one thing on my mind: Finding my room. Would I like it? Or would it suffer terribly in comparison to the Deluxe rooms my spoiled little self had grown accustomed to over the years?

Knowing I needed provisions first, I stopped in the General Store for some bottled water, a couple bottles of beer (I wanted white wine, but since I didn’t want to drink a whole bottle in one night or carry it with me for my hotel switch in the morning, I figured beer was a better option), and some Donettes (white, powdered, a true necessity!), then visited Bell Services to collect my suitcase. Soon enough I was wheeling my bag down the path to Alligator Bayou, in search of Building 27.

It didn’t take long.

As soon as I found my door, I turned around to look at my view. But, appallingly, I forgot to take a picture! It was a pretty enough scene of sidewalks and foliage, meaning I’d gotten at least three out of four of my requests (Alligator Bayou, top floor, not a parking lot view, and a quiet room).

And guess what was out there? A chair! Someone had left a plastic chair, right in front of my room! Score!

I took a deep breath and unlocked my door.

The room was absolutely adorable! I loved it! So cozy, so bright…I’d looked at a ton of pictures online beforehand, obviously, but pictures really don’t do these rooms justice.

Overall, I was very, very pleased with my room. It was a nice amount of space, and I loved the décor. In the interest of total TR honesty, I do have to admit, though, that while it was clean enough for me, it wasn’t as clean as the deluxe rooms I’ve stayed in (I realize this could’ve been a coincidence, and could just as well have happened in a deluxe room). There wasn’t anything gross about it, but there was some neglected dirt in the corners and a little bit of stickiness on the table. It didn’t particularly bother me; I just noticed, that’s all.

Look, I was so happy I grew a halo! A pillbox halo.

I settled in only slightly—I was only going to be there for one night, after all, and it didn’t seem worth it to completely unpack—and put on my suit (along with a liberal application of sunscreen). Since I wasn’t going to a park that day, I might as well do another thing I never find time for at WDW, right? Go to the pool! It was time for some sun-baked reading and relaxation.

I headed out to the quiet pool nearby. But guess what? It wasn’t remotely quiet. The opposite, actually: A few families were yelling and jumping and splashing and causing a general ruckus. Oh well, I thought. No big deal, I’ll just stroll along until I find another quiet pool.

So I strolled along.

I found another quiet pool with the exact same problem. Noisy, noisy, noisy and busy, busy, busy.

So I strolled along some more.

Finally I decided that if all the pools were going to be noisy, anyway, I might as well go check out Ol’ Man Island. Which looks like a fun spot. If, that is, you can find a chair. It was packed! I was really surprised by how busy it was. It’s not that there weren’t any available chairs, but they were all single ones surrounded by taken ones. And even though I’m 100% comfortable with being everywhere at WDW solo, I’m a little less comfortable with the idea of plopping down alone on a pool chair, in my swimsuit, right next to strangers. (I’m pretty sure it’s the “in the swimsuit” part of the equation that makes me feel a bit more possessive of my personal space.)

I was a little bummed by the pool busy-ness, but I figured I’d just take a nice walk, instead, and maybe find a lovely little bench to sit on and relax.

Again: no luck. Believe it or not, all the benches I passed were taken! When I’d visited POR in October, it’d felt so peaceful. This time, it felt really crowded. Granted, it was probably one of the busier resort-times of the day—the late afternoon—but it still was a little disappointing.

Since I was pretty worn out by my thwarted pursuit of a suitable pool chair or bench, I decided I might as well just go back to the room and relax there for a little while before dinner.

I sat outside my room on my plastic chair for a bit (with beer), but got too hot, so ended up doing some wedding work in the room. Stupidly, I couldn’t find the Ethernet cable—I looked everywhere around the table, thinking that’s where it would be, not considering for a second that it’d be on a hanger in the closet. Wouldn’t it be nice if WDW finally caught up with the rest of the world and started offering Wi-fi?

Soon enough, it was time to change and head out for my ADR at Boatwright’s.

I took some pictures along the way:

Look, it’s water technology!

My inner 8-year-old will always love seeing horses:

I checked in for my 6:00 ADR a little early, and only had to wait a minute before I was seated, at a very nice table by the fireplace. It would’ve been a romantic spot, under different circumstances. I noticed immediately that the restaurant was loud, even though it was probably only about half full.

I ordered this right away, and let me tell you, it really hit the spot!

I don’t remember what it was, but it definitely involved juice and alcohol!

Then I ordered the jambalaya:

Now I’m a big sucker for Cajun food, and I was super excited for this meal. Sadly, it was pretty bad. All the meats were extremely dry, and the dish on the whole was very bland. Exactly the opposite of what you want in jambalaya! And not only was the food bad, but it was expensive! Way overpriced for a restaurant that seems like it should have sticky tables (not that it actually had sticky tables, it just seemed like it would).

The cornbread, at least, was excellent.

While I was eating, I dropped my knife, and it echoed through the entire restaurant. Everyone stared at me. Embarrassing!

My meal only took a half hour—it was too noisy to linger, and I didn’t want to brave dessert—so I was out of there by 6:30. If I was going to stick to my guns and not go to a park, what in the world would I do with myself for the rest of the evening?

Coming Soon – Who Can Say No to Flowers?

 

[dismagiclover]

Sorry about the crowded pools. Kind of ruins the whole relaxation thing. Such a bummer about the Jambalaya. I guess there is no reason to make a special trip to Boatwrights. I bet you end up at a park.