Oh It's A Jolly Holiday With Katie! - Beach Club / Grand Floridian

New to the boards, but literally just spent the lat hour and a half reading your entire TR (so far)!!! Absolutely LOVE IT!!! Love your descriptions, your humour and the photos!!! Best of all is that you are describing the EXACT same trip my DH and I have planned for the end of THIS August/September, right down to staying at BC-the order of park touring and even heading over to US!!! Only difference is that we only have 7 days in which to do it all!!! But you are really making our timelines seem reasonable and it's great to know that we can get a cab (quite quickly it seems),super unfortunate about the $40 fare, but hey, you pay for convenience right?

Those Goofy Candy treats look amazing!!! DH would love choosing his own flavours. Do you know if they do that at any shops in the parks? I don't think DTD will fit in our plans. Same with the light changing drinks?? Look and sound delicious, but again that restaurant was in our ADR plans.We are hoping to do Yachtsman (like you) on our DNS day, and then get back to the park in time for Fantasmic.

I simply can not wait to read more. And in fact,as soon as this is posted I am heading over to read your Sept.2015 PTR :)
Thank you sooo much for taking the time to share.
 
Wow, look at that lineup for the Nemo. Just never ending.

Given your dislike of large bodies of water, wow is it ever a good thing that you dont have pass over anything like that to get to Disney from home. That would clearly be awful.

I think you might be the first person I've heard being a little fearful of this ride. But I feel for you because, hello, Small World over here. I'm kinda a little surprised though since you have actually swam in the water with a dolphin. But then dolphins do rule.

That sandwich was my first meal on my last trip. Love Seasons!!

Remember for next time (if you don't already know) but in the area after Spaceship Earth, you can email yourself a copy of the Future video. It doesn't always work though.

Haha, yes indeed, people do like their funnel cakes. But I've yet to try one, and your feelings do not make me want to.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Florida ran is no joke.

Seriously, your waiting for the bus selfies. You two are too cute.

BREAKING BAD. WOOT!!! I was so obsessed with that show, and thanks to Netflix UK (I cut the cable cord years ago), I got to see the final season as it happened!!! AND thanks to Netflix UK... BETTER CALL SAUL!!! :hyper:

Hahah, this made me laugh so much. YES it is scary flying over the Atlantic, thankfully my Disney excitement gets me through! :hyper: And we get the night-flight home, so I can't really tell that we're over the ocean.. Ignorance is bliss and all that.. :thumbsup2

I do get a little anxious riding the Nemo ride, but the one at Disneyland Paris is a completely different story. Part of it is pitch black, and a HUGE BRUCE jumps out next to you with flashing lights.. UGH. The next part is super fun though, it's a fast coaster-style ride (in the East Australian Current), so in order to ride it, I have to sit with my hands over my face like a 5 year old for the first couple of minutes :rotfl:So The Seas with Nemo isn't too bad in comparison :thumbsup2

For most of the Dolphin swim we were in really shallow water just meeting the Dolphin, so that was fine, although I did get a little anxious when you hold onto her dorsal fin and she swims you away from the shore into the deeper water. Thankfully it's not too long. Still an amazing experience!

Oh cool, I didn't know that you could email yourself the Spaceship Earth video! Great tip, thanks!! :thumbsup2

A few people have suggested I might have had a bad funnel cake batch, or to get one without the chocolate sauce. So maybe it was just a one off? I couldn't imagine anyone enjoying what we ate, so I'm starting to believe that ours was just a bit.. wrong.

I looooved Breaking Bad!! Jamie never really got into it though so I watched most of it by myself :laughing: I haven't watched any Better Call Saul yet, I've heard it's good though!! I definitely fancy watching it :goodvibes


The Seas is definitely a place where we need to spend more time next time we go. Although, that queue is about 15 miles long. No need for 5Ks or Half Marathons, really - they should just send people through the Seas with Nemo and Friends queue and wait with a medal on the other end.

Those pictures are all really great! And those manatees are definitely not little. I always get baffled by those stats - like when they give the elephant weights at Animal Kingdom. Holy Jeebus.

Now now, that was an accomplishment. Personal growth is very important! Clapping all the way!

Clown fishies and seahorsies! So cute!

That thing is horrific. I feel like I once knew it's name, but I've forgotten. Probably not that bad a thing in hindsight.

Sunshine Seasons always seems to be such a popular lunch destination, but both my wife and I are shamefully picky about food so we've never tried. We should probably get over ourselves some time and give it a try for something else than strawberry shortcake (which, mind you, is still always a fantastic decision).

I won't even start on the FastPass tiering for Epcot cause I'll still be going when morning comes.

That is a really funny Spaceship Earth picture. I mean, the headlessness literally means the camera caught something, and decided to ignore it, because if there's nobody sitting next to you it uses a generic face.

I most definitely cannot judge your hatred of the Three Caballeros, seeing as I've never seen the movie. The song is pretty catchy though.

:rotfl: to the 'juggling umbrellas and had to go inside when it started to rain'. I don't know but that really cracks me up.

That funnel cake looks amaaazing. How sad that it didn't do it for you guys, though - throwing away food you were looking forward to trying is the worst. Maybe it was a bad batch - but Epcot has so many amazing snack options that I'm sure you won't miss it in the future.

Ominous skies! I recognize those.

Welcome to the Sunshine State! Our September special this year, buy our 'the humidity will slowly suffocate you' package, we'll drown you for free!

In May we got stuck in the Japan store for easily an hour. My wife refuses to enter it again in the foreseeable future.

The construction in DTD in September was riddunkulous. It easily took us half an hour to walk from the Marketplace to Planet Hollywood.

I can't entirely judge as I don't have the experience of having children, but sometimes when you come across a situation where a parent chooses to overlook their child's discomfort for their own (probably because they spent money to get in that movie theater), it seems a little eeeeehhhhh.

Meal in a movie theater does seem pretty epic. Definitely on my To Do list.

Those rice krispie treats, NOM. Also on our To Do list. (Okay, so I have a lot of food related goals, this is a judgement free zone though right?)

:rotfl:Marie that made me laugh! Why bother taking over half of WDW for the marathon weekends, when you can just send them through the queue at the Seas?!? :laughing:

Haha thank you for the claps!!! I feel like I can do The Seas again next time now, so I guess it was an accomplishment :thumbsup2

Like you and Amber, I'm a pretty picky eater, but I would definitely recommend the turkey sandwich from Sunshine Seasons. It's nice and simple, and delicious too! :goodvibes I, on the other hand, haven't tried the strawberry shortcake..! :scared1: I'm much more of a chocolate fan, but maybe I'll add it too my to-do list for this year :goodvibes

We laughed so much at the Spaceship Earth experience!! I was just prancing around with my headless friend :rotfl:I think I preferred it to the usual experience :thumbsup2

MARIE, do yourself a favour, and DON'T WATCH THE THREE CABALLEROS :rotfl: just kidding, but seriously, it is bizarre. I do like the song, and the three of them as characters though. :goodvibes

Hahah, we were sad to see Sergio go inside when it started to rain. I mean, he had like, 8 umbrellas with him? :rotfl:

You make a very good point about all the other snack options at Epcot. At least now we can continue to search for our favourite sweet treat :thumbsup2

"Welcome to the Sunshine State! Our September special this year, buy our 'the humidity will slowly suffocate you' package, we'll drown you for free!"

This CRACKED ME UP!!! :rotfl: That is the most perfect statement ever :rotfl2::rotfl2::rotfl2:I'm copying that into my notes on my phone, it will make me laugh whenever I look at it :goodvibes

Right?! We got lost in Downtown Disney too. We took a reeeeallyyy long way around to get to the AMC theatre. I can't wait to see it all finished though, hopefully it's worth all of the construction :thumbsup2

This is absolutely a judgement free zone!!! Most of my WDW goals are food-related :thumbsup2 The rice krispie treat should definitely be bumped up your list of priorities, they're sooo good!


Oh Katie, I won't judge you for not enjoying funnel cake if you don't judge me for throwing away my dole whip! I have enjoyed this trip report so much! I think you should work for Disney as the Little Mermaid. You really look like her on the 4th picture frame in your introduction (probably riding the people mover?). Thank you for sharing your vacation!

Haha, no judgement here, although I loooove a Dole Whip!! People just have different taste buds I guess! We had to throw our funnel cake away VERY quietly, I was worried I would offend too many people by wasting it, everybody seems to love it?!?!

Aww, thank you so much! I'm really glad you're enjoying it. You're actually not the first person to mention that I look a bit like Ariel! That would be such a dream job. But I think I'd be better suited to Wendy or Alice, at least I wouldn't need to practice a British accent :thumbsup2

Bummer about the rain! OH MY LORD - those rice krispy treats look amazing! I had no idea you could order them like that - definitely adding that one to the list! Yum!

You MUST get a rice krispy treat! I recommend them to everybody :thumbsup2
 
Hi Katie!! Finally got a chance to check out your latest update. I'm sorry you have such a fear of sharks. Both of my boys love sharks so I've learned a lot about them lately. Did you know that humans kill so many more sharks per year than sharks kill humans. It's like 100,000 to 1 or something crazy like that. I'm actually quite fond of them now. :rotfl2:But hey, don't feel bad. I am deathly afraid of bees which stinks because I know how important bees are to the planet and there's that bee disease. OMG, I can't even think about it. :scared1:

I've never seen the manatee show, I will have to keep an eye out for it next month. They are adorable.

That rain is no joke. I'm glad you didn't let it ruin your plans.

I can't believe someone let their baby scream the entire movie. I feel bad for the baby and the other patrons. I have a tendency to get prickly when people suggest that parents should bring babies/children to places like restaurants. That's why I first started going to Disney, I wanted a place that I wouldn't get side-eyed for having a baby. But a movie is one place I would never go with a baby - it's just too loud for them. That's why cinemas have special showing for parents - they turn the sound down. OK, rant over. :o

Looking forward to hearing more. :goodvibes
 
Hey Katie! I was a member of the Disboards years ago and just recently rejoined. I am LOVING your trip report! I love finding other couples around my fiance's and my age who love Disney (and Universal) as much as we do. Your day at Epcot looked great, although that one fish is just hideous haha. Can't wait to read more!

Hey, thanks so much !! It's nice to 'meet' you :goodvibes :wave:

LOL I will be right there with you! I have no issues with sitting on the ground! :thumbsup2
I’ve never done Finding Nemo the Musical or Rafiki’s Planet Watch! I know this is bad but we only spend a little time in Animal Kingdom!
I love the little glow cubes they put in the drinks at Disney. I saved one from my first legal beverage in Disney…lame squad over here.
And ugh! Goofy’s Candy Co!! So good. I never buy anything there but I always want to so bad. popcorn::

I think sitting on the ground is totally acceptable at the food and wine festival! Although we'll have to be careful not to get trampled :laughing:
Aw well if you ever get time to do Finding Nemo I definitely recommend it!
We've saved our little glow cubes too! Although I've only ever put one in a glass of water though.. (can I join your lame squad?!)
Even just standing in Goofy's Candy Co and smelling all of the sugar is a great experience! Although you should definitely get something in September :thumbsup2
I've just seen that you have a PTR going, yay! :goodvibes


What a fun TR! You two are too much fun.

Hey, thanks so much!! :goodvibes

Just curious, have you ever had an encounter with a shark or know someone who has and that's why you're so terried of them?

I'll give you a legit clap since you truly do have a fear of sharks.

View attachment 80902

You did get a cute picture in Bruce though!

Wow, you guys are taking some major life risks in your future if you have bullet holes and no heads :rotfl:



:lmao:



That's a great description! Although I wouldn't know i've never tried a funnel cake. Do they serve one with fruit? I'd try that one!



I've never been to one of these theaters before, that's cool! So how do they assign seating? When you pay? And i'd be soooo annoyed with the baby. You know a baby doesn't want to sit in the dark for a couple hours with loud noises around him. Poor thing.



:rotfl: Hilarious!



:dancer: How'd you get that?!



:rotfl:


Why are you doing that with the close up pics of the crispy treats?!!? Those looks FABULOUS! :hyper: These things definitely weren't bathing in fat right? Just lightly drizzled?! :thumbsup2



OH MY GOSH! Seriously, we're so late to the party, but just last month we got Netflix for the pure purpose of watching this show. We watch a few episodes every night and we're currently on the last season with 6 more episodes to go and I have NO IDEA how's it going to end :hyper:

I've had no experiences that justify being so terrified of sharks, but I know exactly when my phobia started..... When I was 4 years old and I went on the Jaws ride at Universal....!!!! It sounds so stupid, but as a 4 year old, it was HORRIFYING! I'm not kidding, back then I was too scared to go in the bath!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: It's not even got any better to be honest, other than being able to look at them through the glass at Epcot... But if I see a shark with its mouth open on the internet or whatever, I go into a panic..! It's ridiculous.

Aww and thank you for the sincere clap!! :goodvibes:goodvibes

I believe they do a funnel cake with apples or strawberries, maybe you should try one and report back, I'd be willing to try another funnel cake to see if it was better. You know, in the name of science.

The AMC at DTD is really cool! We went to the ticket window outside and were assigned seats, and paid for our tickets there, then you go in and order some food whenever, and they'll bring the bill before the movie is over :goodvibes I know, I did feel sorry for the kid.. It was a really noisy movie too :sad2:

We got our $150 gift card when we booked our trip! Our online offer was a room discount + the gift card, not too shabby :thumbsup2:cloud9:

:rotfl:The rice krispy treat is so calorific, but it's delicious, so it's totally acceptable :thumbsup2

Did you finish Breaking Bad yet?!! Eeeep the last 6-8 episodes were just... INCREDIBLE! I've watched the last few episodes over a few times, SO GOOD!

oh, Katie! i'm back and all caught up! there's too much to comment on since I've been gone for like....months, but I've been having lots of fun catching up. you two really know how to enjoy your vacation!

Hey Lori, I'm glad you've been enjoying it! We had such a great time :goodvibes
 


Also wanted to add that Funnel Cakes with soft-serve ice cream and strawberries is the BEST!!! No chocolate. LOL. These are massively popular in Canada too...so I'm a connoisseur ;)
 
OMG! I absolutely LOVE your enthusiasm. (Just checking, is Jaime your boyfriend? Don't to offend or anything.) Lol. :flower1:
 
So cool that you got to see a manatee!! I love them! And I'm extremely impressed you conquered your fear of the aquariums. You go, girl!

I love the theater at Downtown Disney but I would be so annoyed if a child was screaming the whole time...

OH MY GOSH. Goofy's Candy Company is one of my absolute favorite places in all of WDW and I ALWAYS get the rice krispie treats! I get it covered in milk chocolate and sprinkles and then drizzled with white chocolate and it usually takes me about three days to finish. It's the best snack ever, though!!! Totally makes up for the funnel cake disaster.

GIRL YOU'RE DOING THE DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM!!!!!!!!!! :woohoo::woohoo::woohoo: (just in case you'd forgotten) :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: SO excited for you!

The manatees are sooo cute, and they really loved that lettuce.. Adorable! And thank you!! As someone who has always been terrified of sharks it felt like a big deal, but when I came to tell the story in my TR I realised it sounds totally ridiculous :lmao:but everyone's phobic of something right?! I'm OK(ish) with spiders, snakes etc so I guess that makes up for it :thumbsup2

Your rice krispie treat sounds delish! I also like the of the peanut butter chips, but I love the chocolate chips too much to try something new. Maybe next time I'll just get two :thumbsup2


Have loved reading this so far, really got me excited for my next trip. Love your photos, you're really making me want to stay at Beach club now!

Oh hey - I've just clicked your instagram link in your signature and realised I already follow you - and I LOVE your pictures! I was out shopping last week and went into Next to look for the black and gold sandals you posted (although they didn't have any) :goodvibes I hope you're enjoying my trip report as much as I enjoy your instagram! :goodvibes

Congrats on over comiing your fears, for some reason manatees are my favourite animal :)

OMG you didn't like funnel cake :faint: I love them but they have to just have icing sugar on :)

Your cinema trip sounds very cool and definitely different to what we get here!

And now I'm craving a huge Krispy Treat........

The manatees were so cute!! I'm not surprised they're your favourite animal, they seem like the teddy bears of the sea :goodvibes

A few people have said that the funnel cake is better without the chocolate - maybe I should try one with just icing sugar next time :thumbsup2

I know, the dine-in cinema is really fun! They have a pretty big menu with decent food too, which is surprising. We like to visit WDW in September, so it's a nice place to go on a rainy evening :goodvibes

Haha I know!! Every time I look at those pictures I plan my next rice krispy treat :lmao::mickeybar


The pickle ornament! I love it! I have always meant to buy one when I am there & I never do :worried:
My parents are going in November, I think I will have to ask them to get me one while they are there!

I loved all your EPCOT pictures! I think the last time I saw empty days like that was when I worked there for the CP. Speaking of...YES, I was a CM for the college program. It was back in the fall of 2005 so I got to work there for all the holidays. It was wonderful :cloud9: I worked at the Magic Kingdom - did some time at Mrs. Potts Ice Cream, Scuttle's Landing (no longer there), a pretzel cart, and occasionally at Auntie Gravities and The Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland. Good times! Best job I ever had :lovestruc

I know what you mean about the Ninja Turtle movie except I have a 5 year old boy who is OBSESSED w/ TMNT - which means I have seen that movie more times than I care to count :rolleyes: Luckily he likes GOOD movies too, like Big Hero 6 and various other Disney movies. I might have to disown him if he didn't like Disney :rotfl:Glad ya'll liked the AMC though! We have the Alamo Drafthouse here in south Texas and it's the same thing. You can order food/drinks while you watch your movie. It's really nice!

I am loving all your pictures! I think I would get annoyed with all the rain though - I mean, I know a rainy day at WDW is better than a rainy day at home but still, I hate the rain!

I love your little castle!! And I can't wait to see your pics from Grand Floridian! That's the one deluxe resort I have NEVER stayed at and I have always wanted to - can't wait to see how ya'll liked it! :banana:

P.S. Funnel Cakes are gross - totally agree with you on that! Wayyyyy too sweet and greasy. Blah!

Yes girly, join the pickle party! That's so cool that you got to work at all of those places on you DCP. Working there sounds like the best thing ever! I would never want to leave!! Did you have to sleep two/three people to a bedroom though?! I have no idea whether that would be really fun or really annoying..?!?! I think it would be fun, but I get grumpy if people wake me up at ridiculous o'clock so I'm not sure :lmao:

Awww that's just reminded me, I think I've seen photos of him wearing his little Ninja Turtles pajamas on facebook!! He's such a cutie! I'm glad he likes Disney too though :thumbsup2 My child will be in serious trouble if he/she doesn't like Disney :lmao:

Considering we were there in September, we actually did really well to avoid the rain! I think the couple of weeks after we left were REALLY bad. Like, rain all day and all night :sad2: The main thing I don't like about when it rains at Disney is that I just keep my head down and power-walk around, I don't take anything in, and I don't dare to get my camera out! But at least the majority of our trip was "blue skiiiies and sunnnnnshiiiiine" (If you've seen Princess and the Frog, you can sing that) :rotfl:

We looooved the Grand Floridian!!! It was soooo pretty and so clean! I still can't believe we actually stayed there, who do we think we are, really.. :rotfl:
 


New to the boards, but literally just spent the lat hour and a half reading your entire TR (so far)!!! Absolutely LOVE IT!!! Love your descriptions, your humour and the photos!!! Best of all is that you are describing the EXACT same trip my DH and I have planned for the end of THIS August/September, right down to staying at BC-the order of park touring and even heading over to US!!! Only difference is that we only have 7 days in which to do it all!!! But you are really making our timelines seem reasonable and it's great to know that we can get a cab (quite quickly it seems),super unfortunate about the $40 fare, but hey, you pay for convenience right?

Those Goofy Candy treats look amazing!!! DH would love choosing his own flavours. Do you know if they do that at any shops in the parks? I don't think DTD will fit in our plans. Same with the light changing drinks?? Look and sound delicious, but again that restaurant was in our ADR plans.We are hoping to do Yachtsman (like you) on our DNS day, and then get back to the park in time for Fantasmic.

I simply can not wait to read more. And in fact,as soon as this is posted I am heading over to read your Sept.2015 PTR :)
Thank you sooo much for taking the time to share.

Also wanted to add that Funnel Cakes with soft-serve ice cream and strawberries is the BEST!!! No chocolate. LOL. These are massively popular in Canada too...so I'm a connoisseur ;)

Hey! And :welcome: Thanks so much, I'm really glad you're enjoying it! That's so exciting that you're heading to WDW in August-September :goodvibes We were there Sept 2nd - 16th and the crowds were non-existent! I hope you get the same luck this year :thumbsup2 I think 7 days is fine to get a lot of stuff done :goodvibes I think most people from the UK go for longer because it's such an expedition to get over there. But we've normally done a lot in the first week, and use the second week to relax and go back to our favourite attractions :goodvibes

Getting a cab to Universal was a much quicker option, but the $40 fare was PAINFUL! We went again the following week and got the Mears shuttle bus, (20$ return per person) - it was much quicker this time than our 2012 experience with Mears, but we did get stuck heading from Universal back to our resort. There was a a huge jam when we stopped by Discovery Cove to pick someone up, it took about an hour to get home! So if you can suck up the cab fare I'd still go for that!

I don't know of anywhere else you can create your own rice krispy treat, but they sell pre-made ones everywhere :goodvibes They also sell the magical star cocktail in a lot of different restaurants/bars so I'm sure you'll come across one :thumbsup2

Aww thank you so much for the kind words!! I'll be posting more shortly (finally) :goodvibes

And I may get around to trying a different funnel cake, a lot of people have suggested that I might have just got a bad batch :goodvibes


Hi Katie!! Finally got a chance to check out your latest update. I'm sorry you have such a fear of sharks. Both of my boys love sharks so I've learned a lot about them lately. Did you know that humans kill so many more sharks per year than sharks kill humans. It's like 100,000 to 1 or something crazy like that. I'm actually quite fond of them now. :rotfl2:But hey, don't feel bad. I am deathly afraid of bees which stinks because I know how important bees are to the planet and there's that bee disease. OMG, I can't even think about it. :scared1:

I've never seen the manatee show, I will have to keep an eye out for it next month. They are adorable.

That rain is no joke. I'm glad you didn't let it ruin your plans.

I can't believe someone let their baby scream the entire movie. I feel bad for the baby and the other patrons. I have a tendency to get prickly when people suggest that parents should bring babies/children to places like restaurants. That's why I first started going to Disney, I wanted a place that I wouldn't get side-eyed for having a baby. But a movie is one place I would never go with a baby - it's just too loud for them. That's why cinemas have special showing for parents - they turn the sound down. OK, rant over. :o

Looking forward to hearing more. :goodvibes

Hey Colleen! I bet you're getting so excited for your trip!! :hyper:

I was familiar with the fact that humans kill at lot more sharks - but I didn't know it was THAT many! That is insane. I've heard that they're quite a misunderstood animal, but I just can't shake the vision of one swimming towards me in the ocean with it's mouth open.. :scared::scared::scared: Well - at least I'm (hopefully) never going to get myself into that situation.. You, on the other hand, have probably experienced many bees!?!! That is not good for you !! I don't like bees since one stung my dog VERY close to his eye :sad: - but thankfully I'm not "deathly afraid" :thumbsup2

YES look out for the manatees! I think they're usually there in the daytime, but not in the evening. They're so cute. And thankfully we embraced the rain, it wasn't too bad over the two weeks, so it didn't make us too miserable :goodvibes

I totally agree with your rant! And this was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as well.. ie. an action-type film. It was loud noises all the way through, the poor kid was HATING it. He/she was only a matter of months old. It made me kinda mad that the parents just sort of ignored him/her. :sad2:

I'll hopefully get some more up very soon! :goodvibes

OMG! I absolutely LOVE your enthusiasm. (Just checking, is Jaime your boyfriend? Don't to offend or anything.) Lol. :flower1:

Hey, thank you! And yeah he's my boyfriend :goodvibes
 
Oh hey - I've just clicked your instagram link in your signature and realised I already follow you - and I LOVE your pictures! I was out shopping last week and went into Next to look for the black and gold sandals you posted (although they didn't have any) :goodvibes I hope you're enjoying my trip report as much as I enjoy your instagram! :goodvibes

Aww tank you, I love yours too which you can probably guess from the fact i like every picture you post IG photos always get me so excited to go backs, yours included! I ordered the sandals online, not seen them in stores yet, but such a bargain at £25
 
Your TR is so fun to read -- subbing! :)

And just a tip for those going to Uni from WDW -- Uber is usually faster and cheaper than a cab :)
 
Day 7
(September 8th 2014)

Beach Club Appreciation Day
Part 1 – Relaxing in the summer sun, just letting off steam.


Today was our last full day at the Beach Club!

Booooo! :sad:

(But it's OK because tomorrow we move to the GRAND FLORIDIAN!)

:jumping1:

We had plans to go back to Universal today, but we figured we would rather spend the day appreciating the Beach Club and do Universal again some other time.

So I apologise that this is a boring update!

We woke up and watched some Full House on TV before going down to the pool at around 10am.
We were pretty exhausted from our busy week, so we started off the morning napping by the quiet pool.

It was glorious!

20403909244_b3ea9cbd45_b.jpg


21000308526_8f464bc75d_b.jpg


20405476953_4150d23b3c_b.jpg


20839749269_c2b661f44e_b.jpg


At around 11:30am we went around to Stormalong Bay, which was so much fun!

We went in the lazy river first and there were ducks floating along beside us! So cute!

I also saw a woman standing on the pool steps and she grabbed a rubber dingy.
She turned around to ease herself into the dingy backwards off the steps,
but as she put her weight onto it, it flew out from underneath her and she just kinda FELL BACKWARDS INTO THE WATER AND WENT COMPLETELY UNDER.

Kinda like this.

20405434893_375b2b8ee7_o.gif


I did not laugh.
I really didn’t.
Ok I did a little bit.
Thankfully I was at a distance.

Then we went in the main pool for a while and played some volleyball over the net, which was MUCH more difficult than it looked. We caused many splashes.

After spending some quality time with Stormalong BAE (omg I did not just say that) we went back to the quiet pool to lie in the sun a little longer.

Jamie was lying down while I was sorting out my towel, and he had a big grin on his face, so I asked him, “What are you smiling about?”
And he replied,
“That’s just how my face is!”
I think that completely sums up life at Disney.
I’m not even smiling at anything in particular, but I’m at Disney, so that’s just how my face is!

We relaxed a while longer until about 1pm when we realised we were pretty hungry, so we headed inside to get some food from the Marketplace.

On the way over I realised my camera had some pretty snazzy effects. I really like this colour catcher one.

20838444560_167669482b_b.jpg


20403885014_9d6e5a7c42_b.jpg


It can catch green, red, yellow and blue. For some reason it wouldn’t pick out the blue of the Beach Club though :confused3

I’m obsessed with these next three pictures. The Beach Club is so beautiful.
Plus, it looks like Jamie is walking into our new mansion :rotfl:

21000282496_c50ebbe007_b.jpg


21000278276_bc3e87beeb_b.jpg


21034110631_faa9442bdd_c.jpg


21016596302_45ac1e0fc2_b.jpg


When we got to the Marketplace Jamie ordered a beef-cheese sub and I got the turkey bacon sandwich.
Assuming that lunch wouldn’t be any more than $10 each, I had packed a $20 bill in my bag this morning.
But DUH, + tax brought it to $21 total!

USA fail number 2!
(after the chips = crisps/fries fiasco!)

No offence USA, but your system is really weird?!
Like, just please tell me the ACTUAL amount that I need to pay.
Surely that’s easier for everyone?!
Please someone tell me the logic behind displaying one price, then adding on tax once you get to the register!

I had to run back up to the room to get some more money, while Jamie stood aimlessly holding two sandwiches in the Marketplace.

On my way up to the room, I shared the elevator with a man who looked EXACTLY like Cobra Bubbles from Lilo and Stitch. He was wearing a suit and shades and everything.

And he turned to me, looked at my Eeyore backpack, and said,

“Oh my God, I LOVE your bag!”

Coming from THIS GUY, it was just too funny.

20839718409_361e8d8cb5_b.jpg


Disney brings EVERYBODY together!

I eventually made it back to Marketplace with some more money, and we brought our sandwiches up to the room.
Here’s my half-eaten turkey and bacon sandwich. YUM.

20405437933_cc9c44b0f0_b.jpg


We linked Jamie’s laptop up to the TV and watched some Arrested Development on Netflix while we ate. Then we ate some more of our Mickey treats and finished off our milk (since we were leaving in the morning).

Then I napped HARD from 2-4pm and it was great.
We had nothing to do until our ADR at 7:30pm so we watched some Friends. It was “The One With Rosses Library Book”, and now when I see that episode I’m just going to think about being at the Beach Club. :cloud9:

I also took a few more pictures of our room to put in my collection.

20839708859_888a574a21_c.jpg


21026508115_e964e04f0f_b.jpg


20838403900_d71f8090da_b.jpg


21026503925_df7ab3cf3d_b.jpg


20403846674_bf9997b76c_b.jpg


20405415963_cbd6fa9b35_b.jpg


We had to pack up our stuff to move resorts in the morning, and we watched Cilic beat Nishikori in the US Open men’s singles final while we packed. Woo!

Then we headed out to our ADR.

I stopped off at Marketplace and bought a Beach Club mug and pin, along with THE CUTEST PURCHASE EVER.

Which I will show you shortly :thumbsup2

We passed the adorable umbrellas around Cape May on the way to our final destination.

21034078311_11c993b322_b.jpg


SNEAK PEAK.

20839740249_6f11259538_b.jpg



Click for Day 7, Part 2!
 
Last edited:
Day 7
(September 8th 2014)

Beach Club Appreciation Day
Part 2 – Beaches and Cream!

Beaches and Cream! YAY! :woohoo:

21000495556_2c2d0c698f_b.jpg


(I’m including these next two photos because I find them hilarious, we both look like we’re on something.)

(DISCLAIMER: We are not on anything. Just high on life.)

21016818292_f47f36ed92_b.jpg


21000455976_58c28db716_b.jpg


:rotfl:


I booked Beaches and Cream with the sole intention of just getting ice cream, but once we got there we fancied something savoury too.

Well that was until we noticed the strange looking growth that is depicted on this hot dog…

20838793038_bae4e55132_b.jpg


But we gave them the benefit of the doubt.

20405617323_b632f55e86_c.jpg


20838589190_fde0b1d0cd_b.jpg


I ordered the chicken sandwich that came with Brie cheese, cucumber and raspberry vinaigrette.
I didn’t get a photo of it, but I remember not being a huge fan of the raspberry that was on it.
I also have no recollection of what Jamie ordered. I’d guess at one of the burgers but I’m not sure.

BUT NO ONE CARES ABOUT THAT.

What we care about is this.

21000438236_be5b4f0c99_c.jpg


Since we’d just eaten real food we definitely weren’t up to facing the famous Kitchen Sink. I really liked the look of the No Way Jose because I am a peanut butter ADDICT.
But Jamie isn’t into it, so we compromised on the Fudge Mud Slide!

SO good!

20838773428_ccb1009a33_b.jpg


20838767178_593d0e3035_c.jpg


We loved it. The ice cream was tasty, the chocolate sauce was super tasty, and the pieces of brownie were just heaven.

We did pretty well!

21016743132_c8e87c1c77_c.jpg


We also had the most amazing waitress here.
Her name is Herlina and she’s from Indonesia.
She did not stop smiling the whole time we were there. :goodvibes
Not just when she was at the tables, but when she was walking around, and doing things behind the counter too.
She was just wonderful and we loved her. We left her a big tip.

20838579660_f5043f47ce_b.jpg


We finished up and left at around 8:25pm, and headed up to the room so I could drop off my carrier bag.

On the way up I checked my Instagram, and saw the Joe and Ashley from the See Ya Reel Soon videos had been in Beaches and Cream just AN HOUR before us!
I wish we’d have seen them, I love their Disney vlogs and I would’ve loved to have said hello!
If you haven’t heard of them you should definitely check them out, they’re just adorable.
You can find their channel here:

Click here for See Ya Reel Soon!

We got back to the room and I just HAD to have another look at my new favourite purchase…

20405584163_202368e17c_c.jpg


JOLLY HOLIDAY MICKEY MOUSE!!!

I CAN’T COPE.

He is just the best thing ever.

There’s a Jolly Holiday Minnie Mouse too, and I DEFINITELY bought her later in the trip!
I thought I’d wait and see if they sold her at the Grand Floridian so I could own one from each resort.

And here’s the pin I bought.

20405579633_cac619d02e_c.jpg


And here’s the mug!
I didn’t take it out of it’s 57 layers of protective wrapping paper, so here's a picture of it at home.
As you can see, I've learned my lesson about dishwashing Disney mugs.
Luckily, it still reads "BEACh CLUB" - so it's not a total disaster. :thumbsup2


KIFwTEa.jpg

21000438476_e0050fcb61_c.jpg


Then we headed down to get the boat to Hollywood Studios! It was Extra Magic Hours until 11:30pm so we were excited!

20839936009_91d0c714bd_b.jpg


20405631213_5ec64052be_b.jpg


20838802948_3e764c0bf4_c.jpg


It was really busy at the lighthouse, and they cut the line off right after us. :woohoo:
We (and many others) were standing in the aisle of the boat, but there were people sat just two to a row really spread out, it was kind of rude, but whatever. o_O

When we got off the boat we could hear the Fantasmic music!!! It was the perfect way to enter Hollywood Studios!

:dance3:

We had missed our fastpass at Star Tours, but we could still just about make it to Tower of Terror for our 8-9pm window!

Side note: RIP hat!! I know most people prefer the view of the Chinese Theatre. I’m fairly indifferent if I’m honest, but I do really like the hat and the stage in the background of this picture.

20405636993_b0cfb99dd9_c.jpg


20839922219_0e24d6fab7_b.jpg


21034307881_9c7d145396_b.jpg


We got down to Tower of Terror at 9:01pm, and of course they let us in. At some point in the trip a CM told us that generally speaking, there’s a 15 minute grace period if you’re late where they’ll let you through, so that’s always good to know. :thumbsup2
We were complaining because we hadn’t been on the front row the entire trip, but obviously it was still super fun.

20838827468_f995b3bf65_b.jpg


We exited at 9:25pm and Fantasmic had just let out, so Sunset Boulevard was PACKED.

But it was FINE because our next fastpass was at 9:25pm, and we weren’t going anywhere!

21034304941_330eb1ec20_b.jpg



Click for Day 7, Part 3!
 
Last edited:
Um, yeah... so kinda hard to feel bad for ya there Katie leaving the Beach Club to go slumming at the GRAND FLORIDIAN!! Just sayin'.

Also, FYI, I don't think you could do a boring update if you tried.

I don't blame you one bit taking a bit of an R&R day to get the most out of the beautiful Beach Club. Especially given the length of your trip, I totally would do that too. Heck, on this past trip we made a point to go over there and we weren't even staying there.

:rotfl2: I was laughing at the woman and the dingy and I wasn't even there.

I’m not even smiling at anything in particular, but I’m at Disney, so that’s just how my face is!

I so love that!!!

HAHAHA, you are too cute with your sales tax rant. I can't argue though.

lb.jpg


Gotcha! :thumbsup2

Beaches and Cream... Good Call, especially being so close. Sadly I still haven't eaten there. :(

My GOD look at that Sundae. I totally would have gone for the No Way Jose. That does sound good. But this bad boy ain't no slouch either.

OK, my official opinion on the hat. I too am honestly indifferent, but I do also prefer the Chinese Theatre view. I really would have been happy if they could have just found a different location for the hat.

I have always heard there was a 15 minute grace period at the end but never tested it. I did, however, test the 5 minute before grace period, and that does indeed seem to be true.
 
I have been enjoying reading about your adventures. Our family trip is in June and Beaches and cream is on the list!

Gail
 
I'm so sorry I fell behind Katie! I'm back and going to stay current. :)

I would totally get enjoying the Beach Club. On long trips, I love taking a day to just enjoy my resort.

I'm staying at the Beach Club in May and I'm totally excited about enjoying Stormalong Bay! It's a short trip, but still.

OMG, I go to the water parks, just to enjoy watching people fall like that in the lazy river. Yes I'm evil, but at least I get a laugh out of it and no one is injured in the process. :lmao:

Those pictures are too cool! I love that kind of stuff. I'm sure my camera does it, I just haven't dug around enough yet to see.

Believe me, I hate the stupid sales tax thing! Every time I've traveled internationally, it's just so much easier. It says it's 10 euro/pounds, that's what you pay! I hate our system. Complication though, just to make it even worse. Sales tax is different in every state. It can even be different from city to city! We're just idiots. :rotfl2:

"Wait. Your name is Cobra Bubbles?" :rotfl:

Beaches and Cream is my favorite for sundaes! But the No Way Jose is my favorite. I wouldn't have compromised on that. LOL.
 
The Beach club is such a pretty building and your photos of it are gorgeous, i remember walking around there the day after our wedding and thinking how stunning it was.
Haha I started laughing as soon as I read the first few words in the sentence about the woman trying to get on the ring, I knew exactly what was coming :rotfl: I think a lot of people have all been there at some point, its not as easy as it looks getting on those haha :rolleyes1

It's going to be weird walking into HS and not seeing the hat anymore, personally I always loved it and it's all i've known.

Looking forward to your next instalment
 
Your last day at the Beach Club sounds lovely! I think many of us don't take enough time to relax and enjoy our resort. :-)

The lady that fell into the pool by mistake? :lmao: I know for a fact that I wouldn't have held it together!

Your interaction with the Cobra Bubbles look-alike is also hilarious! :rotfl: Disney turns manly men into character fanatics! I love it! :thumbsup2

BEACHES AND CREAM! I've attempted to get here TWICE on past trips, but this was on Anika's short list this time so I'm looking forward to finally eating here! I hope I can talk Anika into the the No Way Jose! :goodvibes

It's sad that your time at the Beach Club has nearly come to an end, but I look forward to hearing about your experience at the Grand Floridian!
 
Hi Katie,
I'm loving your TR! It makes me smile to read. I love your humor and you two seem to find the good in all things. It's refreshing to read! Can't wait to see the Grand Floridian.
Lindsey
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!











facebook twitter
Top