JerseyJanice
A Disboards original...
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
- Messages
- 10,764
One thing I want to point out is that we completely ignored which days were early entry and when E-ride would be. Since it was off-season and everything did not seem at all crowded, we just did not think about these things.
I stole some delicious oatmeal cookies from the buffet at Chef Mickey's. I suppose I deserve to be flamed for this, but Louis insisted I take them to our table and I know they would have been thrown out. These served as our breakfast in the room and then we caught the bus to the Magic Kingdom.
How excited and emotional I felt walking in there. I really wanted to cry. I was remembering being there with my mom and dad so many years ago, and it was so different, yet so the same. (I lost both my parents and still miss them terribly.) I just love everything about this place--the look of Main Street and the music playing. Craig was trying to talk to me about something, but I was so choked up I needed to sit down for a minute and compose myself.
We decided to head to Toontown since Louis had enjoyed seeing the characters so much the previous night. Well, this wasn't a great decision since I guess it was too early for the characters to be out so we didn't see any. [Note: In my ignorance back then, I was under the impression that the characters just milled around in this section of the park--like they did everywhere when I was younger. I did not know about the waiting rooms in the County Fair during that trip.]
At home, Louis has to touch and play with everything so I thought Minnie's house would be fun. This didn't work out too well as there were two or three other families who kind of parked themselves in there so Louis couldn't get too close to anything. One kid, probably about five or six, was stationed in front of the microwave and pressed the button every time it stopped so that no other kid could do it. The kid's grandmother was standing there, smiling and laughing, saying how cute it was that this kid liked the popcorn thing so much. Well, I was annoyed and wanted to tell her that he should let someone else have a turn, but I don't like to argue with people when I'm on vacation so we just left.
We took the train and Louis loved this. What is it about little boys and choo-choo trains? We decided to go round trip so we'd be close to Fantasyland when we got off. Then we did some rides: Cinderella's carrousel, Peter Pan, It's a Small World (it's not so bad, people) and maybe one or two others. We then wanted to take the sky ride to Tomorrowland, but you can't bring your stroller on it so we walked there.
Both boys (Craig and Louis) wanted to do the Speedway and here we encountered our only wait of the day. It said it was a 30 minute wait, but I'm certain it was less than that. Well, Craig insisted all three of us share a car so he put Louis on his lap. This totally aggravated little Mister Independence, and he was pretty upset as we were leaving the ride. He wanted to drive the car by himself and didn't understand why he just couldn't stay in the car and do it.
Fortunately, there are two or three empty cars just outside the exit, and he climbed in one of these and pretended to drive it. This really cheered him up, and I can't help but wonder if these cars were there for exactly the same reason we needed them.
We went on the Buzz Lightyear ride, and the three of us really liked it. Then, we went to see the Timekeeper which Craig and I very much enjoyed. It was really over Louis's head, and although he behaved well in there, I could tell he was reaching his limit and needed a break. We had 1:40 PS at the Crystal Palace and it was only about 12:30, so we figured we'd go see what the wait was like.
There was a line to check in on the porch, but they promised us a five to ten minute wait so we went for it. We were soon seated, and boy, were we glad we decided to come here. What a calming and cooling break from the park! Louis looked happy enough to burst when he spotted Pooh and friends in the room. This place is so bright and airy, you can't help but be happy to be here.
A completely delightful meal followed. Louis bounced with Tigger, hugged Pooh, kissed Piglet, and snuggled with Eeyore. We got everyone's autographs and just enjoyed ourselves to pieces. The food was also very good. The salad bar was particularly nice. They had a tomato salad of gloriously ripe red, orange and yellow tomatoes layered with fresh mozzarella and deliciously dressed in vinaigrette. They also had a platter of grilled vegetables, which included eggplant, red and yellow peppers, purple onions and zucchini. Yum! Of the main dish selections, they had an absolutely delicious seafood and creamy garlic pasta dish I loved. The carving station had some very juicy, flavorful flank steak, and I chatted with the chef there. Such a nice man--he even remembered me when I went back for seconds. The children's buffet is called "Pooh Corner" and it's just adorable. I have to brag though that I'm lucky in that I don't need special food like that for my kid. He loves to eat a variety of things, and you'd never know it if you saw him. He's very thin--but tall like his dad--a regular beanpole.
This sounds silly, but I have to tell you that I used the restroom here and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. It was decorated in cream and blue with the prettiest pedestal sink I've ever seen and a gorgeous filed floor. Man, Disney World has the most beautiful bathrooms!
Craig and I left here feeling quite refreshed, but our little guy looked in need of a nap. We figured we would do one more ride before heading back to the Coronado so we picked the Pirates of the Caribbean (no line). What fun for everyone! Louis has been talking about pirates ever since.
We left the Magic Kingdom, and as we rode the bus back, Louis kept asking me about the pool. I knew that's what he was saying, but I also knew the pool would give him a second wind and then he'd get very cranky later on. So I said, "yes, you met Pooh. Wasn't Pooh great?" Well, I was not able to distract him so we wound up changing into our bathing suits when we got into the room.
We then spent a couple of hours enjoying the pool complex, which also has a really fun playground. Craig and I each had a frozen cocktail while we were there. Mine was a strawberry margarita, and Craig's was the pina colada. It cost $10 for both, which is pretty typical, but the drinks were tall and delicious.
Shortly after we returned to our room to get ready for 7:00 p.m. PS at the Cape May Buffet, a thunderstorm came through. My mother-in-law knocked at our door and came in for a visit. My poor father-in-law had gotten the flu the week before our trip and was still not entirely well. They had spent most of the day at Epcot, but then he came down with cold sweats. To rest up, they went over to the Wilderness Lodge and hung out in the lobby. They sat there for about an hour, but he didn't feel much better, so they went back to their room. He fell fast asleep and my mother-in-law cancelled their PS at the Concourse Steak House. Poor Dad! He almost never gets sick so it's just the worst luck that he would for this trip.
We asked Mom to come with us for dinner, but she wanted to wait for her husband to wake up and then go eat with him. At this point, my sister-in-law and her family dropped in for a visit. One of the bus drivers told them that the Beach Club has the best buffet in WDW so they made PS for the following night. We asked them to join us that night, but they were all set to go to 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian.
After we had a chance to catch up, everyone left and we got ready to go to the Beach Club. It was still raining a little when we left for the bus stop. Louis had not napped at all up to this point, and he had had a very stimulating day. We got off the bus at the Boardwalk, put him in his stroller and, bam, he was out for the count. Fortunately, the rain stopped, and we walked clockwise from the Boardwalk entrance to the Beach Club. Well, this was a mistake on our part. Walking counterclockwise would have been faster, but the best way to go would have been to take the boat near the Boardwalk entrance to the little lighthouse. You live and learn.
Louis was still sound asleep when we got to the Beach Club so we asked for a booth. This way, we figured he could sleep on the bench. While we waited, Craig sat on a sofa and held Louis, and I walked around the Beach Club lobby. I must tell you that when I was a teenager visiting WDW, we took the monorail to the Polynesian Village one night and got out to walk around. There were torches lit around the beach and unbelievably pretty waterfalls and foliage. I thought this was the most beautiful place I had ever seen, and I swore that if I ever had a lot of money, I would stay there one day. Well, I changed my mind after seeing the Beach Club. It is far more beautiful, but in a more understated way. It's interesting how you see things differently as you mature.
The booth idea was a good one; Louis did not wake up during the entire meal. Our waitress was very funny and upbeat. We each ordered a Bloody Mary and took turns sitting next to Louis. They cover the table with paper because all the steamed seafood gets messy. There are steamed clams (littleneck, not steamers), mussels and oysters. They have either plain drawn butter or garlic butter (yum!) for dunking. The land lovers' buffet had barbecued ribs that were so good they tasted like baby back ribs. There was also a dish of grilled beef tenderloin tips that was absolutely delicious.
The dessert bar was fabulous. I just didn't know what to get because everything was so pretty. I wound up choosing a multi-colored almond pyramid, a little lemon square with a tiny marzipan lemon slice on top, and a little chocolate square that was like a blondie on the bottom and fudge on top. While everything was fantastic, the chocolate thing tasted the best. Soft drinks are included in the price of the buffet, and I had a couple of cups of coffee while savoring these treats. That coffee was excellent! Actually, the coffee was good at all the restaurants, but I really enjoyed it most here for some reason.
I loved how this place was decorated. There was this adorable driftwood and seashell thing for a sugar and Sweet 'n Low dispenser. On the room dividers were elaborate sandcastles in plexiglass. The ceiling is wooden beams painted soft pink. What a wonderful place! I have to say, too, that this meal was our best food value in WDW. We paid $70 for this dinner, including a $10 tip that our delightful waitress certainly earned. This buffet contained many expensive items and was rather unique. There is no where we know of in New York/New Jersey that offers all the steamed shellfish you can eat. If you love shellfish, go for dinner here. You'll feel like you're in seafood heaven.
Louis was still sleeping so Craig carried him back to the bus stop at the Boardwalk. We were able to see Illuminations while we walked. All-in-all, this was another fantastic day.
I stole some delicious oatmeal cookies from the buffet at Chef Mickey's. I suppose I deserve to be flamed for this, but Louis insisted I take them to our table and I know they would have been thrown out. These served as our breakfast in the room and then we caught the bus to the Magic Kingdom.
How excited and emotional I felt walking in there. I really wanted to cry. I was remembering being there with my mom and dad so many years ago, and it was so different, yet so the same. (I lost both my parents and still miss them terribly.) I just love everything about this place--the look of Main Street and the music playing. Craig was trying to talk to me about something, but I was so choked up I needed to sit down for a minute and compose myself.
We decided to head to Toontown since Louis had enjoyed seeing the characters so much the previous night. Well, this wasn't a great decision since I guess it was too early for the characters to be out so we didn't see any. [Note: In my ignorance back then, I was under the impression that the characters just milled around in this section of the park--like they did everywhere when I was younger. I did not know about the waiting rooms in the County Fair during that trip.]
At home, Louis has to touch and play with everything so I thought Minnie's house would be fun. This didn't work out too well as there were two or three other families who kind of parked themselves in there so Louis couldn't get too close to anything. One kid, probably about five or six, was stationed in front of the microwave and pressed the button every time it stopped so that no other kid could do it. The kid's grandmother was standing there, smiling and laughing, saying how cute it was that this kid liked the popcorn thing so much. Well, I was annoyed and wanted to tell her that he should let someone else have a turn, but I don't like to argue with people when I'm on vacation so we just left.
We took the train and Louis loved this. What is it about little boys and choo-choo trains? We decided to go round trip so we'd be close to Fantasyland when we got off. Then we did some rides: Cinderella's carrousel, Peter Pan, It's a Small World (it's not so bad, people) and maybe one or two others. We then wanted to take the sky ride to Tomorrowland, but you can't bring your stroller on it so we walked there.
Both boys (Craig and Louis) wanted to do the Speedway and here we encountered our only wait of the day. It said it was a 30 minute wait, but I'm certain it was less than that. Well, Craig insisted all three of us share a car so he put Louis on his lap. This totally aggravated little Mister Independence, and he was pretty upset as we were leaving the ride. He wanted to drive the car by himself and didn't understand why he just couldn't stay in the car and do it.
Fortunately, there are two or three empty cars just outside the exit, and he climbed in one of these and pretended to drive it. This really cheered him up, and I can't help but wonder if these cars were there for exactly the same reason we needed them.
We went on the Buzz Lightyear ride, and the three of us really liked it. Then, we went to see the Timekeeper which Craig and I very much enjoyed. It was really over Louis's head, and although he behaved well in there, I could tell he was reaching his limit and needed a break. We had 1:40 PS at the Crystal Palace and it was only about 12:30, so we figured we'd go see what the wait was like.
There was a line to check in on the porch, but they promised us a five to ten minute wait so we went for it. We were soon seated, and boy, were we glad we decided to come here. What a calming and cooling break from the park! Louis looked happy enough to burst when he spotted Pooh and friends in the room. This place is so bright and airy, you can't help but be happy to be here.
A completely delightful meal followed. Louis bounced with Tigger, hugged Pooh, kissed Piglet, and snuggled with Eeyore. We got everyone's autographs and just enjoyed ourselves to pieces. The food was also very good. The salad bar was particularly nice. They had a tomato salad of gloriously ripe red, orange and yellow tomatoes layered with fresh mozzarella and deliciously dressed in vinaigrette. They also had a platter of grilled vegetables, which included eggplant, red and yellow peppers, purple onions and zucchini. Yum! Of the main dish selections, they had an absolutely delicious seafood and creamy garlic pasta dish I loved. The carving station had some very juicy, flavorful flank steak, and I chatted with the chef there. Such a nice man--he even remembered me when I went back for seconds. The children's buffet is called "Pooh Corner" and it's just adorable. I have to brag though that I'm lucky in that I don't need special food like that for my kid. He loves to eat a variety of things, and you'd never know it if you saw him. He's very thin--but tall like his dad--a regular beanpole.
This sounds silly, but I have to tell you that I used the restroom here and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. It was decorated in cream and blue with the prettiest pedestal sink I've ever seen and a gorgeous filed floor. Man, Disney World has the most beautiful bathrooms!
Craig and I left here feeling quite refreshed, but our little guy looked in need of a nap. We figured we would do one more ride before heading back to the Coronado so we picked the Pirates of the Caribbean (no line). What fun for everyone! Louis has been talking about pirates ever since.
We left the Magic Kingdom, and as we rode the bus back, Louis kept asking me about the pool. I knew that's what he was saying, but I also knew the pool would give him a second wind and then he'd get very cranky later on. So I said, "yes, you met Pooh. Wasn't Pooh great?" Well, I was not able to distract him so we wound up changing into our bathing suits when we got into the room.
We then spent a couple of hours enjoying the pool complex, which also has a really fun playground. Craig and I each had a frozen cocktail while we were there. Mine was a strawberry margarita, and Craig's was the pina colada. It cost $10 for both, which is pretty typical, but the drinks were tall and delicious.
Shortly after we returned to our room to get ready for 7:00 p.m. PS at the Cape May Buffet, a thunderstorm came through. My mother-in-law knocked at our door and came in for a visit. My poor father-in-law had gotten the flu the week before our trip and was still not entirely well. They had spent most of the day at Epcot, but then he came down with cold sweats. To rest up, they went over to the Wilderness Lodge and hung out in the lobby. They sat there for about an hour, but he didn't feel much better, so they went back to their room. He fell fast asleep and my mother-in-law cancelled their PS at the Concourse Steak House. Poor Dad! He almost never gets sick so it's just the worst luck that he would for this trip.
We asked Mom to come with us for dinner, but she wanted to wait for her husband to wake up and then go eat with him. At this point, my sister-in-law and her family dropped in for a visit. One of the bus drivers told them that the Beach Club has the best buffet in WDW so they made PS for the following night. We asked them to join us that night, but they were all set to go to 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian.
After we had a chance to catch up, everyone left and we got ready to go to the Beach Club. It was still raining a little when we left for the bus stop. Louis had not napped at all up to this point, and he had had a very stimulating day. We got off the bus at the Boardwalk, put him in his stroller and, bam, he was out for the count. Fortunately, the rain stopped, and we walked clockwise from the Boardwalk entrance to the Beach Club. Well, this was a mistake on our part. Walking counterclockwise would have been faster, but the best way to go would have been to take the boat near the Boardwalk entrance to the little lighthouse. You live and learn.
Louis was still sound asleep when we got to the Beach Club so we asked for a booth. This way, we figured he could sleep on the bench. While we waited, Craig sat on a sofa and held Louis, and I walked around the Beach Club lobby. I must tell you that when I was a teenager visiting WDW, we took the monorail to the Polynesian Village one night and got out to walk around. There were torches lit around the beach and unbelievably pretty waterfalls and foliage. I thought this was the most beautiful place I had ever seen, and I swore that if I ever had a lot of money, I would stay there one day. Well, I changed my mind after seeing the Beach Club. It is far more beautiful, but in a more understated way. It's interesting how you see things differently as you mature.
The booth idea was a good one; Louis did not wake up during the entire meal. Our waitress was very funny and upbeat. We each ordered a Bloody Mary and took turns sitting next to Louis. They cover the table with paper because all the steamed seafood gets messy. There are steamed clams (littleneck, not steamers), mussels and oysters. They have either plain drawn butter or garlic butter (yum!) for dunking. The land lovers' buffet had barbecued ribs that were so good they tasted like baby back ribs. There was also a dish of grilled beef tenderloin tips that was absolutely delicious.
The dessert bar was fabulous. I just didn't know what to get because everything was so pretty. I wound up choosing a multi-colored almond pyramid, a little lemon square with a tiny marzipan lemon slice on top, and a little chocolate square that was like a blondie on the bottom and fudge on top. While everything was fantastic, the chocolate thing tasted the best. Soft drinks are included in the price of the buffet, and I had a couple of cups of coffee while savoring these treats. That coffee was excellent! Actually, the coffee was good at all the restaurants, but I really enjoyed it most here for some reason.
I loved how this place was decorated. There was this adorable driftwood and seashell thing for a sugar and Sweet 'n Low dispenser. On the room dividers were elaborate sandcastles in plexiglass. The ceiling is wooden beams painted soft pink. What a wonderful place! I have to say, too, that this meal was our best food value in WDW. We paid $70 for this dinner, including a $10 tip that our delightful waitress certainly earned. This buffet contained many expensive items and was rather unique. There is no where we know of in New York/New Jersey that offers all the steamed shellfish you can eat. If you love shellfish, go for dinner here. You'll feel like you're in seafood heaven.
Louis was still sleeping so Craig carried him back to the bus stop at the Boardwalk. We were able to see Illuminations while we walked. All-in-all, this was another fantastic day.
