When we got back to the resort, I checked in at the desk while Joe & Katie did something
dunno what. Cartoons maybe? New room assignment: 4041.
One last irking comment about the process: when I went to get our new keys, the girl at the desk seemed very thrilled to tell me that it was A courtyard view the best view we offer here. A very nice upgrade. I calmly took a deep breath, but on a happy face, and said Thanks Im glad its a courtyard view because thats what we paid for, its not an upgrade
in my mind I am thinking but an upgrade would have been nice seeing as you have botched the start of what was supposed to be a super magical fantastic birthday for my hubby. But I buried that comment in my head
and didnt let it escape.
So up we go to see room number four. It is a BEAUTIFUL view of the whole pool, courtyard, and the lake.
Really really gorgeous no complaints there at all. Except that there is no luggage in this new room.
Apparently the phone call saying your room is ready did not include and your luggage is waiting for you there. Hello? Bell Services? Can we please have our stuff? Please remember our grocery order it should be in the fridge.
Bell services delivered promptly to an always pleasant me,
and a very grumpy Joe. Our grocery bag had not been in the fridge, but it felt cold. Ok.
but theres no milk there. (good think they didnt miss the wine!)
So this time I went downstairs myself to the bell services desk. Can you believe they sent me outside to track down my own milk? SHEESH!
Now I have to say, the CMs were all ever so nice and friendly, just apparently not proactively service oriented. Guess I am not the only one experienced at putting a happy face over a grumpy one.
Back up I trek (in case you are wondering, its about 2:30 -2:45 pm now) and while my loving family chows down on peanut butter & jelly, I finally get to unpack. Which take a while because I have to put everything where I will remember where it is. I manage to shovel a PB&J in as I go about my work. (what? work at Disneyworld? GASP!) I finally am able to change my clothes and freshen up for dinner
and then run out the door to get to our 4:30 reservations.
Transportation Tip: Ferries are faster!
I tried to tell Joe lets take a ferry to MK and then transfer to Monorail or ferry to Grand Floridian but he thought it was complicated. So we hopped a bus
.to the Fort Wilderness Campground. UGH! Wrong bus! After touring all the stops at FWC we ask the driver who explains that there are two different busses at stop one and no, his didnt say Magic Kingdom.
He was nice enough to explain to us that the DTD and the Epcot bus goes from WLR to GF then on its way. So we were about 15 minutes late for our reservation--Joe is freaking out (he is early for everything) convinced that we wont be able to get a table.
Happily there was no issue with us being a bit late, apparently we were one of the first seatings at Park Fare so there was no crowd.
We were glad wed freshened up a bit because we didnt know about the photos! As we were seated we could see the step sisters around. We had a nice seat we could see each Royal Entrance when it was announced, and we were close to the buffet. Score!(sorry nice family shot has not arrived in the mail yet)
Ok food first: I really enjoyed the buffet here. I always start with salad -0- really I love salad! I had a roasted pork loin with a cherry sauce, chicken marsala, delicious potatoes,
I think I went back and tried some of the other pasta and veggie dishes on the buffet as well. I am not even sure what Joe atehe filled and ate a plate of food before I even got back from the buffet! Katie had noodles (not impressed), a pasta with meat sauce, and mashed potatoes she also went back for two helpings of the pasta and the meat sauce. I think she tried some of the broccoli as well but cant remember. and only took one photo:
I have to laugh because the man who has been so religious about tracking every morsel of food for the past year made it a point to sample pretty much every dessert available on the buffet
.and then wonder why the table next to us had this big ice cream dessert and we didnt
(Ours came a few minutes later)
it was like a banana split except that the strawberries and bananas were sliced and in sauce on either side of the ice cream. The crunchy mickey sprinkles on top were good too! Katie loved these.
She also got a drink that came with a light up Tinkerbell clip.
So as we ate we saw Cinderellas Steps wandering around. The steps are great, especially Anastasia. She was just bopping around, aimlessly dancing at tables whenever she felt like it. In the next room there was a fairly large group of girls who had all been to BBB. She went over and got them all up out of their chairs doing a dance. it looked like so much fun!
Then Lady Tremaine wandered over and gave her the evil eye and then she stopped.
Finally Anastasia made her way over to Katie. She pointed to her Tinkerbell light and said you have a bug on you it just made Katie giggle. then she commented on Katies dress and hair she was very sweet and funny!
Lady Tremaine came by and was sizing up Katie and I snapped her picture as she was signing Katie's autograph book
and was promptly scolded. I wasnt ready .
oops! shame on me!
In between Lady Tremaines visit and Drizellas, Katie went for some dessert. I told her she needed to get some fruit as she hadnt had any veggies at dinner. So she got grapes along with cookies and some cheese cake I think.
Drizella came over while she was having dessert and pointed to the grapes and said whats that? Katie says grapes Drizella: why do you have that ruining your dessert? did mom make you? Katie: well yeah she did
As she is leaving, Drizella tells Katie quietly you dont have to eat those, you can hide them under your napkin They really were just great to interact with!
Naturally it would not be a complete evening if we did not get a visit from Cinderella
and Prince Charming who had Katie absolutely giddy
So dessert over, bellies full, we took a little time to wander around the Grand Floridian. What a beautiful resort. Sadly I did not take photos too busy gawking! There was a wedding party having photos taken on the grand staircase. I think Joe took video while Katie spent about a half hour in the ladies room. There is not a restaurant or a resort that we set foot in that Katie did not manage to take full advantage of their facilities !