A Birthday non-celebration 9-20 to 9-25

[LYNSUE]

Another successful Disney vacation is on the books. DH and I visited 9-20 to 9-25. The weather was hot but we managed to suffer through it. We have been to WDW many times and I see our touring habits changing. Long gone are the days of commando park touring from opening to closing. Both DH and I are enjoying our more mature laid back style. This visit did have a special purpose. I was quietly celebrating a milestone birthday. Ok, I’m going to say it… out loud now….. it was the big 50. Why is it so hard to say it? I tell those who ask…..oh it is just a number and as long as I have my health that’s all that matters. But in reality, I am struggling with it a little. Before leaving on this vacation, there was a lot of birthday hoop-la. Between my family, friends and co-workers I had plenty of attention. So I decided that when we got to WDW, there would be no birthday pins or extravagant dinners or any other attention drawing activities. I just wanted some peace and quiet. In retrospect, WDW may not be the best atmosphere for P & Q, especially during rainy season and free dining. But really there is no place I would rather be than WDW regardless of my age, season or any kind of dining.

The travelers consisted of just DH and me, so there is no need to do a cast list. We left our home at 4:15am on Thursday 9-20-07. Our youngest son picked us up and then dropped us off at the Airport in Appleton, WI. It is about twenty minutes from our home.
As we are getting our luggage from the trunk, a car pulls up behind us to unload and we find out it is someone my DH knows. It is his insurance agent for his work/ business policy. His name is Randy. DH had been talking with this guy and he knew that he and his family were going to WDW but they never discussed dates. We found it amusing that they were on the same flight with us. When we got inside the airport, I chatted with Mrs. Insurance agent and their two adorable daughters. Mrs. had to think a little bit when I asked her which resort they were staying at. Then I asked the girls which park they were going to first. They were not sure and neither was mom! She said she had not really planned that far ahead. As a diser, I was a little shocked, but I am sure they had a good time anyway. This was the couple’s first visit to WDW in 12 years. That previous trip may have been their honeymoon. I didn’t say anything, but they were probably in for some surprises.

At 5:00am in a small town airport there is no problem with lines, checking in or getting through security. Everything is as easy as can be. We boarded our first flight at 5:30am for the 6:00am departure. The insurance guy and his family sat right behind us. We arrived in Milwaukee at 6:35am. At 6:40 DH and I each had a breakfast bagel at the only open stand in our gate area. As airport food goes, the bagels were eatable. In the past I have had some airport food that was not eatable and did go in the trash. Our next flight departed at 7:30am. Again the insurance guy and his family were seated right behind us. I was beginning to think DH and this guy had
booked our flights at the very same time. We arrived at MCO right on time at 11:15am. Before exiting the plane I asked insurance guy Randy, if he wanted to see the Packer game on Sunday. Of course he did. I explained that he should be at the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk to catch the game. He was very greatful for the advice and even repeated the location back to me to be sure he had it right. I always enjoy helping a newbie.

Our last five trips to WDW we used ME. We have never had any problems and our luggage has always been there promptly. But this time we are renting a vehicle. I am a little afraid to tell you why so I will say it quietly…..(we are going to visit Universal!... But for only one day) Please don’t kick me off the DIS island! In general I do like WDW transportation, but we did find having the rental car to be convenient on a couple of occasions this trip. And I did not have to leave 3+ hours early for the airport!

This is getting a little long for the first installment….. so I will continue in the next post.

 

[LYNSUE]

9-20-07 arrival day continued.....

So for the first time in a long time, we had to collect our own luggage when arriving at MCO. We were a little rusty, but it went ok. Our first instinct was to look for the Mickey hands leading us to the B side of the airport. But with a little concentration we followed the signs to luggage claim and waited there for about 15 minutes. It is such a feeling of relief when I know both of our bags have arrived and there will be no luggage hassles. The vacation can truly begin.

In the past, when we did rent a vehicle, I would only rent from companies that are on site at MCO. However, this time we did make an exception. We went with Hertz which is not on site. The reason we went with Hertz is because I had an opportunity (through work) to get a free membership to the Hertz Gold Club. They advertise this as truly hassle free pick-up plus it was $100 less than the National rental we were going to do prior to joining Hertz Gold. Hertz did a very good job. There was a shuttle waiting as we exited the airport. They did not wait for the shuttle to fill. In fact there was DH and I and one other guy and of course the driver. The drive to the Hertz office was about 6 minutes. As stated on our paperwork, our name and vehicle slot number would be on a lighted board. We simply went to that spot, got in the vehicle and drove out with a very brief stop at the gate. I was very impressed with the Hertz service. I don’t know if the “GOLD” part made that much difference or if any rental with Hertz is that easy?

We arrived at the Beach Club Villas at 12:30pm. BCV has a large parking lot that is very convenient to the check-in building so we did not bother with valet. Check in was quick. We were able to step right up to the counter with no waiting. We did request studio #431 because we had stayed there in May. That studio had a huge balcony. The CM was impressed that we had a specific room request, but it was not to be. Studio 431 was occupied. So we finished check-in, stored our luggage with bell service and we were off to the MK. We had a 1:55 ADR for LTT.

If you remember any of my previous trip reports, you might recall that I like to stash pennies in places in the resort (like lounge table drawers or cabinets in walkways) and then check to see if the pennies are still there the next time I visit. Well I had placed two pennies in a cabinet near the solarium lounge at BC when we were there in May. Since we passed right by the cabinet on our way to the bus stop, I took a look and sure enough, they are still there. I left them there and I will check again in January 2008 when I go back. The last time I did this was at SSR and when I went back to find the pennies, they were not there.

Anyway… We get to the bus stop and we had just missed the MK bus. (I should not have been dawdling looking for pennies) So we waited about 15 minutes longer and another MK bus came along. We arrived at MK by 1:15. The MK was decorated for fall. It looked very festive with all of the fall colors and pumpkins every where. We checked in for our LTT ADR at 1:33. With the free-dining going on, the place was a zoo. But we did only wait about 15 minutes for our table. Our service and food was very good. I had the pilgrims feast and DH had the colony salad. We were both very happy with our choices. All of our meals are OOP as we are not on any dining plan. As DVC members we are not eligible for free dining because we do not book a package. We do however, have DDE Disney Dining Experience (20% discount) which I forgot to use at LTT. Dummy me! I did make a comment on the dining boards about a family of five at the table next to us that was using the free dining. My comments included the fact that many of the items ordered were not eaten and went back to the kitchen untouched. A lot of wasted food. I was highly flamed for my comments on that thread. I was told I was creepy for watching other people in a restaurant. So I guess it would be best if I did not comment any further on that subject. It is a sensitive issue.

I will continue our MK afternoon in the next thread.

 

[LYNSUE]

9-20-07 ARRIVAL DAY CONTINUED

We exited LLT about 2:30 and found that it was raining slightly. People were lined up for the parade. Since we were not interested in the parade we just wanted to get through the crowd before they roped off the street and we could no longer cross.

I know we are already in the MK but I wanted to tell you about our ticket situation this visit. When we were at WDW in May, I renewed my annual pass. So I am all set until next May. For DH, we had two old park hopper tickets with a day on each. These tickets were before bio-scan, so he can use either of them. We were saving those for our full days when we would park hop. We also purchased a two day base ticket (non park hopping) for DH to use for our arrival day and departure day. Since both of those days are partial days we figure we did not need the hopper or non-expiry. Originally we planned to spend two days at Universal, so the above ticket combination would work ok. I really did not like the fact that DH's park visiting was so restricted and I wished I would have spent the extra to upgrade his ticket to park hopper or maybe an extra day. We had to be very careful to use the right ticket on the right day. Also we originally planned two days at Universal but ended up only spending one day at Universal (that was enough) so we did end up one day short on WDW park entry. So what happened was, Sunday ended up being a non-park day. We really wanted to watch football on Sunday anyway and we spent most of the day at ESPN. And a non-park day was a good rest for our tired feet. But it was a little difficult staying out of the parks for a whole day. For me anyway. DH was fine with it. Anyway, it is just a lot easier with the annual pass or a length of stay park hopper IMO. Much less worry.

Got to go now, but I will be back with more later tonight.
Thanks for reading. Sometimes I worry that my report is boring, especially since it does not have photos.

 

[LYNSUE]

Still Arrival Day Continued

We were able to cross the street from LTT while dodging roped off areas and rain drops. We were on our way to the HM. The Haunted Mansion had reopened just two weeks before we arrived and I was anxious to see the changes. Because many people were lined up for the parade, we only had about a 10 min wait in line. The first new item was in the portrait hall with some special lightning effects coming through the windows. Past that they redid the area that used to house the two giant spiders. There is now some very interesting staircases. Also now Madam Leota’s head is no longer in the globe on the table, but is floating above the table. But the most interesting changes have taken place in the attic and involve the bride. I don’t want to give too much away, but the changes are well done and very interesting. Yet the ride has maintained its original charm. Way to go Disney. Two thumbs up for the HM changes. Of course we got right back in line after the first ride because we needed to see the new things again.

Next we wandered into Fantasyland. We try to avoid Fantasyland during the afternoon because it usually is just a mass of strollers with very little area to walk. But it is the quickest route to Tomorrowland. I best be careful with the stroller comments, I don’t want to get in trouble again like I did with the dining plan comments. So let’s just move on. We were able to get into Philharmagic with a very small wait. This show is an absolute must do every trip. I never get tired of it. This was our only stop in FL. The MK did seem crowded today. And even with the shower we had earlier, the heat was still rather oppressive. I also think DH and I were starting to feel the effects of being up since 3:45am with little sleep the night before.

On our way to TL my cell phone rang. It was a co-worker asking some questions. It is really hard to help someone when you are that far away. Besides, I had forgotten to change my calling plan to nationwide before leaving on vacation…so that call was costing me big time. First up in TL was COP. We tend to see the show every time we are there because we never know if it will be the last time. It is also a great place to get out of the heat and catch a small nap. Next was Transit Authority, Buzz and Laugh Floor Comedy. After those we headed toward Adventureland for Pirates. We were distracted along the way when we saw an area where you could meet Captain Jack Sparrow. We got in line and waited about 15 minutes. It was very well organized in there. A group of about 10 people are let into the photo area at one time. Everyone gets a turn for a photo and autograph. The guy playing Captain Jack is very good. He is the same one I have seen out in the park for the Pirate Tutorial. DH did not want to be involved with this at all, but he did take a photo with my camera phone. We also had a photopass photo done. I was very uncomfortable meeting this character. Captain Jack can be a little over the top. Upon returning home, we did view and purchase the photo of me and him. I look awful in the picture. I seem to be a little freaked out by the Captain. After the hot meeting, I needed to cool down so DH and I split a Dole float. It started to rain again so we went into the AL shops next to the dole whip stand. By this point DH was experiencing a bad headache. The kind that can bring on nausea and dizziness. (Maybe the Captain Jack meet was too much for him also) I really wasn’t ready to go, but DH was not in very good shape. I usually have every thing we need while in the parks, but today I did not have any Tylenol. I did remember reading that all of the shops in MK will have a small supply of meds behind the registers. DH did not believe me when I suggested this. He said we would have to go all the way to First Aid to get it. Since we were waiting out the rain in the shops in AL, I went up and asked a CM. That particular register did not have them, but he sent us down to the next one. Sure enough, the CM went to a small cabinet behind the counter and handed me a packet with two Tylenol. The two tablets only cost $2.60. The price was well worth it to DH. The rain let up a bit and it was time to start making our way out of MK to the bus stop. But we did need to make a stop on Main Street and then City Hall to pick up some items I promised to get for some co-workers. I think it's just best to get this kind of thing out of the way early on in the vacation…lest you forget later on.

 

[LYNSUE]

On our way out of MK we did stop on Main Street to pick up two items. I had promised one co-worker I would send post cards to her 2 nephews and 1 niece. They will be visiting WDW in October. I wrote them out like they came from different characters and mailed them with a WDW post mark. Another co-worker wanted some golf balls with Disney Characters on them. The next stop was City Hall to purchase some Disney dollars for another co-worker. She is giving these to her kids for Christmas along with surprising them with a January trip to WDW. Finally we were on our way to the bus stop but there were very dark skies looming on the horizon. DH’s Tylenol was kicking in by now so he was doing a little better.

When we got to the bus stop, there was just one other couple waiting. They told us we had just missed the BC bus. So we figured it would be at least 20 minutes before the next one. Also there were lots of bus drivers hanging around waiting to start their shift when buses pulled in. The humidly at this point was extremely bad. It was at least 25 minutes before the next BC bus arrived. By this time a few more people had arrived in line.

So the bus gets there and the first thing is.. the drivers need to do their switch. This does involve an inspection of the inside and outside of the bus before the new driver takes over. Who knew??. Then our new bus driver had to load two scooters. They were driven by the cutest elderly couple. The couple kept apologizing because it was taking a while for the driver to get the scooters strapped in. By this time, the rain had started and it was coming down in sheets. Thank goodness for the canopy. It was keeping us relatively dry considering the rain was coming in almost sideways. The rest of the line was finally able to load. Two other parties were almost to the bus stop. One lady was waving frantically for the bus to wait while the rest of her party caught up. They slowly arrived and got on the bus. The next party was having problems folding a massive stroller and even folded it barely fit through the bus door. The entire scene was like a comedy. In the meantime the rain just kept coming down. All of the late comers to the bus were drenched. A second family with one large stroller and one small stroller also got on. The first stroller family left their stroller leaning up against the scooters strapped in the bus and then went and sat in the upper part of the bus. You could see this was annoying the scooter owners very much. The couple kept whispering to each other, but they were too polite to say anything. The second stroller family left one of their strollers laying right in the middle of the bus floor and the other was placed leaning against the steps to the upper part of the bus. It was obvious to the rest of the bus riders that this was going to be an issue. In the meantime more buses kept coming in and our driver was frantic to get out of there. Well of course when the bus pulled out all strollers fell over and were rolling around the bus floor. Neither stroller family paid any attention. The bus driver had to pull over, come to the back of the bus and tell these people to pick up their strollers and hang onto them. The whole thing was just unbelievable to me. From the time the bus arrived until we got to the Beach Club one hour had past. That was the longest bus ride/wait ever. If you count the 25 minutes we waited for the bus that is almost 90 minutes to get back to our resort!!!! The entire ride back, the rain still came down very hard.

Our evening will continue in the next post. We did not have an ADR for dinner (I know…how stupid with the free dining going on). So getting dinner proved to be an adventure also.

 

[OhMari]

Hi LynSue,
Nice to see you back.
I'm a little confused about why you didn't do the Free Dining. Me and my dh stayed at the BWI-(we rented points) and our owner added the Dining Plan for us. I paid for it when I checked in.

Is it more convient to fly to Milwaukee than drive? I usually pick my dh up in Appleton when he flew for work. Remember he used to work for Bergstrom. Now he works for Michels. But he usually comes in from chicago or Minneapolis.

Enjoying your report. We have to meet in the Appleton Mall. I don't think I ever saw a Wisconsin DIS meet-LOL.

 

[LYNSUE]

Finally... the end of arrival day

Before stopping at the BC we had to make a stop at the Yacht Club. DH and I decided to get off the bus at the YC and check out dining availability at the Yacht Club Galley. The reason we did not have an ADR tonight is 1. The original plan was to stay in the MK until 9:00 to watch the fireworks and then just have counter service for dinner. But we left early because DH was not feeling well 2. I was not sure how hungry we would be after a larger late lunch at LTT. So since I was undecided about it during the planning stage, I just did not make an ADR. (what was I thinking). I really was thinking that if we needed a place to eat and we had no ADR, Yacht Club Galley should be a good place to try. It has a huge dining room and it is a little off the beaten path. But with free dining… even the YCG was full late into the night.

Well Yacht Club Galley was very busy. We checked at the desk and they could not be sure how long the wait would be. They gave us a pager. While we were waiting, we asked the CM’s at the desk to give Cape May a call to see if they had anything. Nothing there either….so we sat in the YC Galley waiting for our pager to go off. I was getting very tired and hungry by this time and the wait seemed endless. By the way, it was still raining very hard. While waiting, there was a life guard from the pool area walking around just chatting with people and helping to pass the time. DH and I laughed because we figured the rain must be really bad if they are sending in pool life guards to keep things under control. Maybe you had to be there to find that funny?? After about 20 minutes our pager went off. We were brought into a very busy and somewhat loud restaurant. However, we had very good service and very good food. First we shared an appetizer of crab cakes. I had the pork chop with mash potato and DH had the prime rib. Everything was so good. This time I remembered to use our DDE card. So with the 20% discount our dinner came to $55.00 with the tip. Not bad for WDW. When we were almost finished with our meal, I thought I spotted a fellow diser but I did not have enough courage to bother her during dinner. At the table behind us I swear I saw Karen from Boston. So Karen, if you are reading this and you were at the YCG for dinner on 9-20-07 please let me know. I know you do solo trips and I have seen your picture in your signature line. Was it you??? If it was, I really do regret not stopping by. If it was not you, then I’m glad I didn’t stop. We are such a crazy bunch, us Disers.

So on our way back to the BC we walked through YC as far as we could inside because it was still raining. On our way, we passed the Yachtman’s Steakhouse. This is a very nice upscale restaurant with an excellent menu. By now it is after 8:30, so I was rather surprised to see families with small children waiting to be seated. One family had four children with the youngest being in a stroller! I know how I felt after a long hot day. I don’t know how those poor kids were going to last through that meal. DH and I decided to look at the menu posted in the waiting area to see if we might want to make an ADR for later in the trip. While we were standing there, a frantic mom and her son came running out of the restaurant. Mom was holding a napkin to the child’s mouth. They did not make it to the nearby bathroom. The entire floor in front of the Yachtmans Steakhouse was covered. That poor child. I did see one very unobservant woman step right in the mess. After that we promptly continued our walk back to the BC.

We stopped at the desk to get our room number. The number was 231. Originally we had asked for room 431 (because of the big balcony). We are thinking that 231 is just two floors lower…so maybe it will have that same balcony. After getting the room number we stopped in BC Market place for some breakfast items/milk. I also got a turkey sandwich which I did have for breakfast one day. We spent about $17.00 to stock our fridge. We got to our room a little after 9:00. Our balcony was regular size. The balcony next door to us was the big one. While we were waiting for the luggage to arrive, we sat on our regular size balcony and watched some of the Epcot fireworks. We unpacked. Well DH unpacked. I like to live out of the suitcase. We watched a little TV. We wanted to watch ESPN to find out the Brewer baseball score. They were still in the play-off race back on 9-20-07.

We finally hit the sack about 10:30. It was a very long day. Tomorrow is our Universal day. I will still provide a trip report about it, but I promise to keep it brief.

 

[LYNSUE]

Thanks for checking in. As a DVC member we can puchase the dining plan. In fact DH and I have done it in the past. What we are not eligible for is FREE DINING. To get free dining, it is necessary to book a package which includes the room and at least one day of park tickets. The cost of a package would exceed the value of the free dining, so it would be silly to book it. When we did use the puchased dining plan in the past, we were not that happy with it So we won't be doing it again anyway.

DH and I have decided we will not be returning during free dining again. The restaurants are just too crazy. And besides, it is way too hot in September.

We did not drive to Milwaukee this time because we got a real good deal on the airline tickets out of Appleton. It also allowed us to be dropped off and picked up at the airport by family members which saved us the cost of parking our vehicle for a week. I love flying out of Appleton because there is never any waiting or hassels like the bigger airports. Definately no issues with getting lost.

Glad to know at least one person is reading this trippie. Oh and there is another WI diser I have seen on the boards. She is from Greenville which is only 10 miles from me.

 

[LYNSUE]

Friday 9-21-07 Universal Day.

We were up at 7:00 and had breakfast in the room. I had ½ of the turkey sandwich and some milk. DH had a breakfast burrito. We had purchased these items the night before at the BC Market Place. Having a studio is great. We make good use of the fridge and microwave while staying there. It had been about 6 years since our last visit to this park. Universal opened at 9:00am. It was suggested that we get there a least a half hour before opening. It is quite a trek from the parking garage to the park gate. We got in the rental vehicle about 8:00am, drove to Orlando and were parked (in a preferred lot) by 8:35. Our parking lot was “Cat in the Hat” #35. It was closer to the park entry (preferred) compared to some other lots. Also your vehicle is in a covered ramp, so it is out of the sun. By the way, the weather was perfect today with no rain in sight. Still hot though, in the 90’s

All I had was a ticket purchase voucher. We had to stop at a kiosk outside the park and key in some information and confirmation numbers to have our Universal tickets printed. It took us two tries, but we got them to print. The first two hours in the park we pretty much had it to ourselves. We just strolled through the gate. No crush of humanity stampeding to a specific ride (if you know what I mean) The park did not start filling up until after 11:00am. First stop was Island of Adventure to do Spiderman. This is the best ride in the park IMO. Since no one was there we just kept coming back around and riding over and over. After Spiderman, we did other rides in IOA. After giving it some thought, DH and I decided we would ride the Fire and Ice roller coasters. If we were going to do it, it had to be before lunch. When I turned age 50, I put a new rule in place. I stated… “I have now reached the age where I will no longer put by butt above my head”. That means no standing on your head, no trampoline flips, no cartwheels and certainly no upside down roller coasters. (Rock n Roller Coaster at MGM was closed down while we were there, so I did not have to worry about that) Anyway…doing the Fire & Ice coaster clearly would break this rule. But we went for it anyway. I am such a rebel. We did fire first. It was intense, but I only felt a little queasy after. Then immediately after (remember, no crowds) we did ice. Again it was intense. After ice, my head and stomach were upset. In retrospect, I should have waited a while between the two rides. It took about a half hour to recover from my rule breaking episode. Never in the past has any ride caused me to feel sick. It must be an age thing or maybe a Freudian thing??

We had lunch at Universal’s signature restaurant Mythos. This restaurant has won several awards for outstanding theme park restaurant. It was very nice. We did not have a reservation. It was suggested in the Universal website to just check into the restaurant when it opened. Since it was not crowded the day we were there, I assumed we would get in with no problem. We entered Mythos about 11:15am. There was no host/hostess in the waiting area but there was a sign up sheet for a table. We placed our name on the list and noted what time we would like to be seated. The party that signed in ahead of us noted that they would like to be seated ASAP because they were very hungry. About 11:25 a wait person came into the area and started calling names to be seated. We were called in the order of the times each person noted for wanting to be seated. It was so very organized and serene. Nothing like the feeding frenzies at the Disney restaurants going on during free dining.

DH and I started the meal with a bowl of soup. Mythos is famous for their mushroom soup. I love mushrooms, so I tried it. DH had the tortilla soup. Both were good. I would have liked the mushroom soup to have been slightly thicker though. For our entrée, DH had the risotto of the day (another Mythos signature dish) and I had the corvine (a fish dish). Both were excellent. You could tell that the chef put a lot of thought into these dishes and the presentation was great. Our waitress did an excellent job. They do not rush you through your meal. The meal was paced very well and made us feel relaxed. Also the atmosphere in the restaurant is very interesting. It appears you are dining in a medieval cave like setting. We were able to get a 10% AAA discount at this restaurant. Our lunch bill came to $53.00. DH and I both felt that the prices were reasonable here compared to the food quality. I would like to try this restaurant again sometime.

After lunch we head over to the other park. The Universal side.

I did not intend to write this much about our Universal day. Perhaps I enjoyed it more than I thought. I will continue with our day in the next thread. Hopefully no one will mind reading the rest.

Thanks to all who are continuing to read my report.

 

[LYNSUE]

OK, we are done with IOA side of the park. I did want to mention that we went on two water rides while in IOA. One is a raft ride based on Popeye and the other is a flume ride based on Dudly Doright (sp). Anyway, from past experience, we knew that you will get soaked on both of these rides. I removed my socks and went barefoot in my crocs and then I put on a heavy duty rain slick complete with hood. I may have looked silly but I was relatively dry after the rides. DH did not use a rain slick, but he did put his wallet in my bag which was under the rain slick. He also put in a handkerchief so that would be dry to clean our glasses. And yes DH did get soaked. Good thing it was a warm day.

We spent the entire afternoon and early evening at Universal Studios and experienced as many rides as we could. A couple of them, like Mummy, we did more than once. We were disappointed that when we got to Men In Black it was broke down. So we did not get to do that one. The parks were only open until 6:00. Around 6:00 we headed to City Walk to have dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. This was a very fun, laid back kind of place. The Forest Gump movie is running in a continuous loop on many TVs throughout the restaurant. There is movie memorabilia on every wall. And the wait staff will ask trivia questions about the movie in between taking your order and delivering food. DH and I did pretty well with the trivia. I could not find the receipt for this meal so I don’t have a total. I do remember that I had a thing called a bucket of junk. It was three kinds of fried seafood which of course included shrimp. DH had shrimp four ways. There was coconut shrimp, fried shrimp, tempura shrimp and Cajun shrimp. Everything was very good. I would recommend this restaurant. It was just a very good time.

We got back to the BC about 7:30. We decided to use the Storm Along Bay pool. When we stayed at BC in May we never used the pool at all which is a shame because this is a beautiful facility. So we changed into our swim wear and walked down to the pool. On our walk, we passed the lounge/bar, Martha’s Vineyard. We noticed that on the TV the Brewers were playing. We did not know they were going to be on national TV!! We both really wanted to go back to the room and watch the baseball game, but neither of us said it. So we sat in one of the many hot tubs for about 10 minutes. Finally DH said, “it would be nice to see the rest of the game.” I said, “that’s exactly what I was thinking”. So we hurried back to the room for some ESPN Brewer baseball. We never did get back to SAB at all during the trip. And not that it matters now, but the Brewers did win that game 3-1. We had a very relaxing evening of watching TV and I wrote out the post cards for my co-workers relatives and updated my trip notes.

All and all I would have to say…. It was a very good day.

 

[LYNSUE]

Saturday 9-22-07

Our first park hopper day. We started out at Disney Studios.

DS was early entry that day, so the park was opening at 8:00am. We had breakfast in the room. I had the other half of that turkey sandwich and some more milk. DH had oatmeal. We ran to catch the boat and got to DS at 7:45.

We did TOT three times, and then the GMR. We were walking past Voyage of Mermaid and it was just starting so we ran in and sat right down in the theater seats. We also did Narnia. No RnR coaster as it was closed for refurbishment. About 11:00 we got on a boat to head to Epcot. We actually got off the boat at BC and walked the rest of the way. We entered Epcot about 11:30.

We wandered around a bit killing some time before our 1:00 ADR at Garden Grill. First we stopped to get a fast pass for Soarin and then we checked in at GG at 12:30 Our buzzer went off at 12:45. We were seated at the outside circle just past the farm scene. We were rotating toward the front of the restaurant. DH and I ate here for the first time this past May. We liked it so much, we decided to do it again this trip. We are not big into the characters, so if they just wave or offer a hand shake as they pass by, that’s just fine. There was Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale. We saw all characters twice. And the food was very good again. I have read some bad reviews about this place, but we have been lucky twice now at this restaurant. The second time Pluto stopped at our table, I did scratch him behind the ear. He did the leg jerking thing when I scratched him. It was very cute.

There was one notable incident while we were dining. When our table had rotated to the front of the restaurant to the area where you can see people waiting for tables and others just walking around the Land, there was this group of about 6 adults (no kids). The adults were calling loudly to Farmer Mickey to get is attention while he was visiting the tables. They kept yelling and getting louder and louder. The entire time, the Mickey character and the handler did a good job of ignoring this obnoxious group. Finally Mickey left the area and one of the loud adults made some very rude comments because Mickey ignored them. DH did have a glass of wine with our lunch. So the total bill was $42.00. This did include the 20% DDE discount which is applied to both food and alcohol.

After lunch we did some rides in Future World. We did the land boat ride and then the Nemo ride. As we were entering our clam mobile, I was thinking about Nebo’s trip report when he told the story about sitting on the edge of his car because of not being able to see in the dark. The edge of the clam mobile is very bumpy and hard. Nebo, that had to hurt!! I just wanted you to know I was thinking of you.

Then we did TT with Crush which is always a good show. After that it was time for our Soarin FP. Even with the FP we waited in line for 30 minutes. But let me tell you, we were well entertained while we were waiting. The young couple in front of us could not keep their hands or lips off of each other. It was a very disgusting display. DH and I tried to just chit chat and ignore the scene. Everyone around us was so uncomfortable. We finally got through the first part of the line and we were let into the next area with the long hallway with the silver hand rail. The display continued and it even got worse. During our wait there, the guy sat up on the railing and the girl stood between his legs facing him. They were totally making out. At one point, the girl untucked/pulled the guys t-shirt from his pants and then shoved both of her hands down the front of his pants. This was while he was still sitting on the railing. The couple in front of them was doing everything they could to keep their children distracted from witnessing this. I was ready to get a CM, but I don’t think they would have done anything about it anyway. After a while, the girl decided to sit on the railing and the guy stood between her legs but facing away from the girl. They continued to make out with the girl hanging over the guys shoulder. There were comments being made all around them. Some of the comments were rather loud. This did not stop the couple one bit. Finally the line started moving. The girl did not get down from the railing but instead she just jumped on the guys back and he carried her piggy back until they reached the front of the line where the CM was standing. I still can’t believe that this went on and no one, including DH and I, did not say anything.

 

[LYNSUE]

Saturday 9-22-07 concluded

When we finally got to the part of the Soarin ride where you line up in the three different rows, I made sure we were in a different gate than the loving couple. It did mean we were in row two instead of one, but that was ok with me. Soarin was wonderful as always. By the time we exited Soarin, it was a little after 4:00pm. We had heard that the Brewer game was going to be on ESPN this afternoon, so we went back to the room to catch the game. However, the Brewers were not on. ESPN surprised us with the Brewer game the night before, so I guess we should not expect them to be on national TV two days in a row. So we walked over to the Boardwalk to the ESPN Club to find the Brewers. But there was only college football on. We then returned to the BC and just hung out in the room until about 7:30. The rain had moved in again but tonight it was just a fine mist falling.

Before leaving home I had not made an ADR for Saturday night. I was just not sure where we would be. The original itinerary said we would be going to MK after we rested at the hotel. The plan was to try a non free dining restaurant in the Boardwalk area or just have counter service at MK. But because of the rain, we did not want to even head out to MK. I had called Disney dining earlier in the evening and there was an opening at the German restaurant in Epcot. But again, because of the rain we did not want to walk there. We wandered around the BC and YC and could not find anything that appealed to us. We past Beaches and Cream several times, but that place was a mad house. The menu did not really appeal to us that night. We went to the front desk at YC to see if there were any openings at the Cape May Clam Bake. There was but not until 9:00. So you see, this is what happens to people who do not have ADR’s on a Saturday night in WDW. You would think an experienced Diser would know better. Damn the rain and indecision!!!

We finally ended up at the Clam Bake in the BC for dinner after 9:00. Funny, but we left the BC at 7:30 to wander around in the rain for an hour and a half when we could have just walked down to the lobby of our own resort and had dinner. Anyway I was just happy to get a table. We were seated right next to a couple where the man was celebrating his 50th B-day. He was not happy about it at all. I told him that I totally understood and passed him a little sympathy. The buffet was ok. Neither DH or I are fans of clams or mussels. But the rest of the buffet was adequate. We had an ok dinner and $44 later we were out of there. I did remember to use our DDE card this time so that saved us a few $$.

It had stopped raining so after dinner we walked back to the ESPN Club on the boardwalk and watched the second half of the Badger game. We got back to our room about midnight.

Tomorrow is Sunday and this is the first time ever on a Disney vacation that we had a non park day. DH and I both really enjoy the football season. We will definitely take time out of our day tomorrow to see the Packers.

 

[LYNSUE]

Sunday 9-23-07 All football all the time….

We actually slept late this morning and then just hung around the room while we had a leisurely snack/breakfast. At about 10:30 we walked over to the Boardwalk to get in line for a table at the ESPN club. The place opens at 11:30. When we arrived, there were a few people on each side of the line. One line is for a table in the dining area, the other side is for bar seating which is, just run in and grab what you can get. DH and I started in the bar line and then switched to the dining line. We had a nice group of people around us (mostly Steeler fans) but it was a fun wait. The Steeler fans accepted me because I was wearing a black shirt. However, DH was wearing a packer jersey so he was getting some teasing. It was amazing watching the lines grow as the time passed. About 11:20 a hostess came to the front of the dining line. She had a small note book. She asked each group how many were in the party and which game you wanted to see. That way they would put you at a table that was near a TV showing your game. It was all very organized.

DH and I were given a small table for two. Since this was going to be our spot for the next five hours, we tried to get comfortable. Most of the Steeler fans were on the main floor since their game was on the main big screen. Also the sound was going to be the Steeler game that day. Our table was on the next tier up which wraps around the main floor. There is a third tier that is slightly higher that also wraps around the main floor. It is a very good set up. At noon there is a live pre-game show in the dining area. It is very well done. It is a lot like sports talk radio with some live interviews. It kept us entertained for the next hour. By 1:00 (game time) the place was packed. There was a table for two right across from us. Right before the games started a third person joined that table. Her chair was totally blocking the aisle which made it very difficult for the waitress to get through. We also had a very loud Eagles fan behind us on the third tier. This guy was here with his three young kids. The kids did not want to be there. They were constantly running around getting in the way of the very busy wait staff. Plus the dad was screaming very loud at every play in the Eagle game. I do not have a problem with cheering your team, but please be aware we are still indoors!!

Throughout the afternoon we had some food. DH and I shared some nachos. We ordered a bowl of chili and poured it on the nachos, so they were extra loaded. Later on we shared an order of chicken wings and after that we shared a sundae. DH had a few alcoholic drinks and later a lemonade. Our total bill ended up at $41.00. Crazy price for some sports bar food. Oh and by the way… the Packers won. Woo Hoo!!

After the game, I was on my way to the bathroom and I ran into Randy the insurance guy. He said he had called my cell phone, but of course it was way too loud in there to hear it. I felt bad that he did not get a chance to join us for the game. So we paid our bill and left the dining room. (there were lots of anxious people waiting to get in to view the 3:00 games). We hung out in the bar area and had a few more drinks with Randy. Randy told us about his hour long trip to get from Caribbean Beach Resort to ESPN. After that story, we offered to give Randy a ride back to CB since we had the rental car. So the three of us walked back to BC to get the car keys and then drove to CB. It had started raining again. While walking back to BC and chatting with Randy we found out that they were leaving on the same day as us. We also found out that they are on the very same flight as us heading back. This really is a strange coincidence. Not only were our arrival flights the same, now our departing flights are the same also??? Randy was appreciative of the ride and told DH and I that we “rock”. LOL I think Randy had a few beers that afternoon so it was a good thing he was not driving. We got back to the Beach Club about 5:45. DH immediately got on our lap top computer and started checking his fantasy football stats. He is in several different leagues, but the most important one includes him, our two sons, two nephews and five other guys. It is a very competitive and fun league.

Our original itinerary showed us having an ADR at Crystal Palace in the MK at 8:15pm. Well since we changed to Sunday being a “no park” day, that ADR had to be cancelled. I was sitting there thinking we need an ADR for dinner tonight. NO WAY did I want a repeat of the previous night wandering around in the rain trying to find a place to eat. So on a whim, I called Fultons and booked an 8:00pm ADR. I know I said no extravagant dinners this trip but those fresh crab claws were calling me. Did you know that those particular crab claws served at Fultons are only available at five other restaurants in the whole USA (according to our waiter).

We drove to DTD and arrived at Fultons about 7:30. (so glad to have the rental car) It would not have been necessary to have the ADR since the place was not full. We were seated right away. DH started with a MaiTai rum drink. Then we each had a soup. DH had clam chowder and I of course had the bisque. Next was an entrée of seafood trio for DH and I had the Alaskan King Crab Claws served with little red potatoes. Everything, including the service was excellent. Of course this turned out to be the most expensive meal of the trip. I am embarrassed to say we dropped $111.00 on this meal. So maybe I did celebrate my B-day just a little after all. Both DH and I were stuffed and we rolled out of the restaurant and back to our car. Shortly before we were done eating a couple and their young daughter were seated next to us. We actually run into this family the next day at Epcot.

We got back to BC about 9:00pm. DH did some more computer fantasy stat stuff and we both watched the Sunday night football game. I was ok with the “no park” day. It really gave us a chance to rest our tired feet.

At this point we are more than half way through the trip. As always, the vacation time is flying by to quickly.

 

[LYNSUE]

Monday 9-24-07

We were hoping to make early entry to AK today at 8:00am. But we did not get up until 7:25, so needless to say we didn’t make early entry. We were at the bus stop at 7:55, the bus arrived at 8:10 and dropped off at AK by 8:40 The temperature and humidity were both extremely high again today.

While walking from the bus stop toward the park I witnessed some very strange parenting. As we were walking we saw a boy about 8 or 9 standing by a garbage can sobbing. Of course my first thought was he is lost. I walked near him and asked if he was lost and he said no. Between sobs the boy said “My dad sob sob won’t let me sob sob come into the park.” I didn’t know how to respond. There were no adults even near this boy. I look further ahead and I did see a couple about 50 yards away standing off to the side. There were two other children with them including one child in a stroller. They were at least looking back at the child. Well, I knew I did not want to get involved in this. Who knows what this boy did to make the parents so angry. Since I knew the child was not lost or hurt, I continued to walk away. But there were others starting to gather around and asking the boy questions. Well when the crowd started gathering the mom must have gotten concerned. I see her start walking back toward the boy. As this women was passing people heading into AK, there were comments being made, some eye rolling and some throat clearing all aimed in her direction. I do hope the family reconciled and had a good day at AK.

I only had time to begin this post. I will continue shortly……

 

[LYNSUE]

Monday 9-24-07 continued. Today we are using the 2nd park hopper day ticket.

Ok, so after that unpleasant experience entering the AK, I figured the day has to get better. Again, the heat and humidity were extreme today. Of course we are in AK, and we all know it is always hotter there!

Our first stop was to get a fast pass for EE. Then we hopped in line for EE. There was really no wait we just walked through the long queue. On our first ride, we were near the front of the train. Directly behind us were two young oriental guys. They were not speaking English, but I could tell from their actions this was their first time on EE and they were very nervous. Since the ride starts out slow, they were ok, but once we started going faster both guys were making this half laugh half scream sound. In fact it sounded like they were yodeling. DH and I laughed the entire time. Those guys were so funny. After the first ride, we got right back in line and did EE again.

Next we made our way over to the safari. It was posted as a 35 min wait. The line was moving slowly. About the time we got to the area where the strollers are parked, the line started moving much faster. Our 35 min wait turned into a 20 min wait. When we got closer to the loading area we could see why. The CM’s opened up the other side of the ride so now they were loading from two platforms. Once again, on this ride we were loading next to an oriental couple. DH and I were in the gate for the front seat and the couple was in the gate for the second seat. The first two seats in this truck are for only two people. When we were loading, I could see the young lady looking and gesturing toward the front seats. They did speak broken English so I asked if they would like the front. The couple was so sweet and appreciative. There were many thanks and bowing. It made me happy to think such a small thing could make their day better. I know I should not speak in generalities, but I have to say that any interaction I have had with oriental people in WDW has always been pleasant. They are such polite and quiet people.

Our safari driver was a hoot. He did a very good job, but his delivery of the regular program/speech was very different. He sounded like a New Jersey cab driver. Especially funny was his conversation with Wilson the game warden. I think the driver is still perfecting the saving Little Red part. Anyway we had a good time on the safari.

After the safari, we used our fast pass for EE. On our walk over to EE we were behind a couple. Each of them were pushing a stroller. On the side of each stroller I saw the Home Depot lime green Mickey heads. I told DH we should walk faster because I wanted to catch up with this couple. I spoke with my first Diser this trip. It was nice to meet with “Trip To Disney”. We chatted for a few minutes and then parted ways. I was sad that I didn’t see more lime green Mickeys this trip. Our next stop was TTBAB. I noticed again this time that this show really does scare some small children.

We had an 11:30 ADR at Rain Forest Café. It was getting to be time to head over that way. I will continue in the next post.

 

[LYNSUE]

Monday 9-24-07 continued…..

When I last left you we were on our way to the front of AK for our ADR at Rainforest Café. The ADR time was 11:30 and we arrived about 11:20. We were seated by 11:35. While waiting to be seated we were standing at the entrance to the RFC dining area. This area has two large column fish tanks. There was a diver inside the tank cleaning the glass with a white cloth. I’m sure it was some specialty cloth and cleaner, but from our perspective it looked like something we would clean with at home. It was a nice distraction while we waited.

The RFC has two large dining areas plus the bar. Also it is very dark in there with all of the fake foliage everywhere. Anyway, I did leave the table to use the rest room and when I came out of the rest room I was lost and could not find my way back to my table. I am known for my extremely poor sense of direction and this incident really proved it. I actually had to stop a server and admit that I could not find my table or DH. He politely took me to the front of the restaurant and explained there are only two dining areas. Then he asked if I remembered if the hostess took us to the left or right when we originally entered. He helped me scan each dining area and I eventually saw DH sitting at our table. I did thank the man and finally was seated again. I can’t imagine what that server must have thought of a grown woman lost in a restaurant!!! Luckily, DH had been busy reading his menu while the search was going on so he did not notice me talking to the server. DH still does not know about this and never will. I would never hear the end of the teasing if he knew about it.

The RFC has a very diverse menu. If you can’t find something you like on that menu, then you don’t like much. I had the chicken fried chicken (boneless, skinless chicken breast but still coated and fried) with red skin mashed potatoes. The plate also included a very good veggie slaw.
I enjoyed it all very much. DH had the BBQ chicken wrap with fries. Also very good. Our total bill including tip was $50.00. We were able to get a 10% DVC member discount at RFC.

We caught a bus back to the BC at about 12:25. As we entered the bus, two young men offered us their seats. It was so very polite of them, but it made me feel kind of old. I thanked them and did take the seat. When you take a bus back to BC in the middle of the day, the bus makes four stops. Swan, Dolphin, YC and then BC. We knew this from past experience, so we were prepared for a long ride. We arrived back at BC at about 1:15 and rested until 2:45.

Since we were hoppers today, we were going to spend the late afternoon and evening at Epcot. We made the short walk over to Epcot. Our first stop was Soarin. It said a 45 min wait and the fast passes were gone. Since tomorrow was our last day and we might not get back to Epcot, we decided to do the wait. It ended up to only be a 25 min wait, so not so bad. While waiting, we did get to play the new interactive computer games in the Soarin line. It is really hard to explain, but it takes the movement of a whole group of people to move items on the huge computer monitors. Once all of your items are moved there is a tally of time and points. You really need to experience this to get a clear idea of what is happening. It was interesting and it did help pass the waiting time. This was much better entertainment than our last ride on Soarin when we had to put up with the loving couple. We were finally seated in row two of the gliders. The guy next to me was wearing loafers (with no socks). He was worried about dropping them so he took them off. OMG the smell was horrible. Many people in our row noticed the smell and were making faces. I was really happy when we got to the part in the film where you can smell pine, then oranges and then sea spray. It really did help.

After Soarin we did Test Tracks twice and then Figment. As we were exiting the ride vehicle, DH noticed that riding in our same group of cars was the couple and their daughter that sat next to us the night before at Fultons. We caught up with them and chatted on our way out. They remembered us also. I guess it is not so surprising to see someone more than once during a vacation, but what was surprising was that it was on a not so popular ride and we were in the same group of cars. If we had just walked past each other in the park somewhere, we probably would not have even noticed them. It just seemed strange to me. After figment, we stopped at ice station cool. DH had never been in here before. I had only visited one other time when I was in Epcot with my nephew. (DH was at a convention at the time). That was when it was still in the igloo like building and they had the actual snow/slush in the entry. It is too bad DH never saw the old version. It was much cooler. DH was well aware of Beverly as I had talked about it before. We tried a few varieties and then moved on.

We had an ADR in Mexico for 5:30 so we started heading back toward the countries. We arrived about 5:15 and were seated in the restaurant about 5:25. On the way to the table, the hostess says “you will like your table”. It was the last table to the left, right on the railing that looks out to the river. In fact the last time DH and I ate at San Angel Inn, we had this very same table. It is a little close to the kitchen entry area, so there are a lot of servers coming and going. But all in all, not a bad table. Our waiter, Jorge S. did a very good job. DH started with a margarita. Then we each had soup. I had the tortilla soup and DH the creamy corn chowder. For an entrée DH had Pollo a Las Rajas (grilled chicken breast with peppers, onions, chilies, chorizo and cheese) and I had Plato Mexicano (small beef steak, chicken enchilada, and beef flauta served with rice and beans) Everything was excellent. I have read some bad things about this restaurant, but DH and I have always had good food and service. Maybe we were just lucky. This is more authentic Mexican food. So if you are expecting Taco Bell you will be disappointed. Also this was probably one of the least hectic meals we had during free-dining. (except for Fulton’s of course). Our total bill was $51.00. We were able to use our DDE card at San Angel Inn. Gotta love that 20% savings on food and alcohol. We originally got the DDE card for our May 2007 trip and now used it again September 2007. We originally paid $60 for the card with my annual pass discount. That $60 was well worth it. We figure we have saved around $200 on food/drink so far and I will use it again in January 2008 for even more savings. Oh, and the DDE card gets you half price admission to Pleasure Island also. It is a good deal. If you are not fond of the dining plans check out the DDE. It may be just what you are looking for.

After dinner we went back to FW and did Ellen’s Enegry Adventure. It was the last ride of the night before it closed. There were maybe two dozen people on the ride. We did TT again and then took two last rides on Soarin . I like doing the rides right near closing because the crowds are starting to disappear.

We walked back to the BC by 9:00 and watched the Illuminations fireworks from our balcony.

We had a very nice day! Tomorrow is our last day. I am ready to go home but there is still that feeling of sorrow.

 

[LYNSUE]

Tuesday 9-25-07…. Last park day and also travel day
We are using the last day on DH’s two day base ticket. (no hopping today)

We were up at 6:30, got ready and walked over to YC Galley for breakfast. YC Galley opened at 7:00am and we arrived at 7:10. We pretty much had the place to our selves. This was our first breakfast at a restaurant this trip. Every day we just had something in the room before leaving for the parks. It’s nice to have a sit down breakfast once in a while. I enjoyed some eggs Benedict which included some yummy breakfast potatoes. DH had an omelet. I did not make notes or keep the slip from this meal, so I don’t have many details. Anyway, breakfast was good.

We walked back to BC and arrived about 8:00am. We finished our packing and went to check out. We left our luggage with bell services and we were off to the MK. As is our tradition, we like to start each WDW vacation in MK and end it in the MK. We accomplished that again this trip. We approached the MK just as the opening was starting. First stop was Big Thunder Mountain. First trip we road in the front. The front is not very exciting. Second trip we road in the very back. When we returned from the second ride, there was no one waiting to load, so the CM’s said we could stay on if we wanted to. DH and I did. Some people got out including three children. The mom shouted to them that she was going to ride again and they should wait on the platform for her. Waiting on the platform is a no-no, and a CM was telling the kids to exit. The kids looked scared but mom stayed in the train?? The oldest child was no more than about 8.

So after all the shouting, we finally took off for our third trip around BTM. Well this time we got stalled. We were stalled going up hill in the area where it looks like the large rock walls are falling in on you. Since DH and I were in the last car, we were hanging at the bottom of the hill. It was a little difficult to hold your head up straight. We sat there about 15 minutes hearing many announcements about staying in the vehicle. Like there was any way we were going to climb out of there??? I kept thinking about those kids waiting for their mother. Hopefully a CM told them the train was stalled. The rescue team finally arrived. Because of the angle/slant of our car, it was a little tricky getting out. The CM released our lap bar. Gravity was not on our side. But with the help of a CM, DH and another guy that was already out of the train, I got out. I’m sure it did not look very lady-like, but oh well. We started our trek out. One CM was at the front of the line and the other was at the back. They were very careful to keep everyone together. The lady CM did announce we were going behind the scenes so if you were worried about the magic being lost, you should close your eyes. Luckily there were only two children in the group. I did see the underside and corridors of BTM. They are not attractive. Some of the paths we used were steep and narrow. I chatted with the lady CM on the way out. She said that she has been through training for these situations, but she never expected to use that training. This was her first evacuation. I was very happy to see the light of day again. Each rider was given a fast pass that was good for any MK ride any time that day.

Our next stop was Splash Mountain which we did two times, then POTC, Haunted Mansion , Philharmagic, and Snow White. We walked over to Toon Town to check out some things I needed for a treasure hunt I was putting together for a co-worker. We rode the barn stormer and checked out Mickey’s house. After that we took the train to Main Street and exited the park.

We road the mono-rail and got off at the TTC. I needed to check out an area at TTC where you can catch a Lynx bus. When I visit in January 2008, I will be with my sister, brother-in-law and niece. They want to visit SeaWorld one day. There is a bus stop at the TTC for a Lynx bus that will get you to SeaWorld for $1.50 one way. I am still undecided if I am going with them or if I am going to spend the day alone in WDW. The day alone sounds pretty good to me. We did have to ask a few people, but we found the area we were looking for. Hopefully I will be able to find it again in January.

After that, we got back on the mono-rail and headed for the Poly. We had an ADR at Kona for 1:15.

 

[LYNSUE]

Lunch at Kona’s was very good. Our waitress Theresa did an excellent job. We have dined at Kona two other times, but both were for breakfast. This was our first lunch. In looking at the menus I think the dinner menu is better. But we were very satisfied with our lunch. Another advantage of going to this restaurant at lunch is you don’t have to deal with the crowded/noisy waiting area like you do when O’hanas is open. These two restaurants are right next to each other and share the same waiting area. Kona’s was peaceful today.

Since this was our last day at Disney, we splurged a little on this meal. We each had an appetizer, entrée and dessert. I had the pot stickers, Asian noodle bowl and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. DH had crab cakes, peanut chicken and Kilahuea torte. All was very good. The DDE card was accepted here. The total for our lunch was $44.00.

After lunch we got on the mono-rail and headed back to MK. We now had to start keeping an eye on the clock a little. Our flight did not leave until 7:00pm, but we had to get back to BC (you never know about those midday buses), get our luggage, drive to Hertz to return the car and get the shuttle to the airport. So the last couple hours in MK were not the most relaxing with those thoughts in the back of our minds.

First we did a little shopping. I picked out three things in the shops on Main Street that DH will wrap up and give me for Christmas. A pair of Mickey Crocs, (that will make 6 pair that I own, but my first Mickey ones) a really cool tote bag and a calendar. Santa will be good to me this year.

Next we did Haunted Mansion. I had to see the updates just one more time. We really wanted to do Peter Pan today but the line was so very long. Even with our anytime fast pass we received from BTM breakdown, there still would have been a wait. So we did skip it this time. DH and I were feeling a little gloomy about having to leave soon, so we decided we would brighten our mood by brightening somebody else’s day. We decided to give away our FP. While we were strolling out of Fantasyland we were looking for a party of two. We saw a couple with the bride and groom ears and thought they would be a good candidate. While speaking to the couple, the man was very reluctant and was shaking his head no. The woman spoke up and said yes, I’ll take that. They thanked us and walked away. I did turn around to see the woman explaining to the man what that FP was and how it worked.

We strolled around to Tomorrowland and did Laugh Floor Comedy. After exiting that, we realized that we were not really enjoying ourselves any longer. We were fretting about getting where we needed to be and just going through the motions of trying to enjoy the park. So we left. It was about 3:00. Good thing we decided to leave when we did because we waited 35 minutes for the BC bus to pick us up at MK. Waiting that long just for the bus made DH very anxious! Not to mention that the midday buses don’t just stop at BC, they make a total of 4 stops with BC being the last.

Anyway, we did some rushing around. I went in and collected all of the luggage while DH ran to get the rental car. We loaded everything quickly and dashed off for the airport. Luckily everything went quick at Hertz returning the car and we made it to the airport about an hour and 15 minutes before our flight. The security line was kind of long but that seemed to move rather quickly also. We were a little frantic until we were seated at our gate.

Since we knew we would not have access to food until we were back in Milwaukee (almost 9:00) we thought we would have a little snack before boarding. The only restaurant in our gate area was Burger King. I waited at a table while DH got the food. I really wasn’t that hungry so I told him to surprise me. He knows I like fish, so he got a fish sandwich. He also brought some chicken nugget things that were shaped like crowns. DH went with the regular whopper. I have to say that was the worst food I ever had in an airport. I had to throw it away. It was so bad, it was just laughable.

On our way back to the gate seating area, we once again ran into Randy the insurance guy and his family. (I still can’t believe we were on the same flights coming and going) It was nice to have someone to chat with about the things we did.

The flight was fine. We did have a bit of a delay in Milwaukee waiting for our plane to Appleton. The plane was there, but we were waiting for other passengers that were late arriving from their destinations. It is nice to know Midwest Airlines will wait for you if you are late. Especially when it is the last flight of the night out of Milwaukee. We were able to watch the last half of the Brewer game while waiting at our gate. That made the time go quicker.

So we arrived in Appleton about an hour late. It was 11:30pm by this time. Our oldest son who was picking us up was not so happy about us being late, but he got over it.

IT WAS GOOD TO BE HOME!

I will do one more post with some after thoughts.

 

[LYNSUE]

Just some rambling thoughts about the trip:

The heat/humidity was oppressive. We definitely accomplish more when the weather is cooler. This was our second trip during September and we decided we will not be doing September again. The heat combined with the rain and the free-dining issue is just too much. The trade off of lower crowds use to make it worth while. But the crowd level is much greater now. Good for Disney!

The only problem with free dining is how crowded/crazy the restaurants are. When making ADRs I purposely avoided the more popular places. Although I did try to get O’hanas but never had any luck. Some of the restaurants we visited were crowed and very busy, but I don’t feel that our service or food quality suffered. Again, Good for Disney.

We never made it to Pleasure Island this trip. I feel a little bad about that. The comedy club and adventurers club are two of our favorite spots. I hope this is not a sign of our age showing!

We definitely spent less time in the parks than usual. That may have been partially due to DH having limited ticketing and also the heat. We did, however, spend a lot of time at ESPN watching sports. Good thing ESPN is so close to the Beach Club. I have heard rumors about ESPN moving to DTD. I hope that is not true. We really like the current location.

I like having my annual pass and the Disney Dining Experience Card. Both are well worth their cost.

After returning home from this trip, I actually experienced some Disney depression. This has never happened before. For about 2 ½ weeks after retuning I was a bit moody and had no desire to get back into my routine. (mostly my exercise program). I am much better now.

My next vacation is scheduled for January 2008. I will be traveling with my sister, brother-in-law and niece. (no DH, due to work restraints) I know we will have a good time, but it won’t be the same without DH. I am really hoping DH can sneak away for a few days and join us. It would be a nice surprise. I really think the thought of traveling without him in January is what caused the slight depression from this most recent trip.

On the other hand, I think DH may want to take a break from WDW. We are planning something for November or December of 2008. I would really like to visit California again to do some whale watching. And of course it would include a visit to Disneyland.

Thanks to everyone who read this whole report. I am a little disappointed that there were not more responses. Of course I really don’t want any negative responses. So it may be like my mother taught us. “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” . I have seen some people on these boards get very negative and nasty over some very small issues. Nobody wants that.

Happy traveling to all of you.

LynSue

 

[LYNSUE]

Bump