DisneyVillain
<font color=green>On a quest for lime green duct t
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2003
- Messages
- 574
Disney/Florida Vacation, 2003
Thursday, May 29th, 3:30 PM Vacation begins!
Wednesday was the Little Monsters last day of school, and we loaded the car on Wednesday night, so we are almost ready to go! Last minute details are handled and we pull out of the driveway at 5:50PM. Atlanta rush hour traffic can be hell (3rd worst in US). We live on the Northeast side, so we have to go all the way through town, but this time it slowed us by only about 15 minutes. Thank God (and Georgia DOT) for HOV lanes!
We checked the Georgia DOT website for possible construction delays before leaving home, and found that I-75 would narrow from 3 lanes to 1 in several spots near Macon, starting at 9:00PM. Since we planned to be well past Macon by 9:00PM, we didnt expect this to be a problem. Unfortunately, the construction company is using Atlantic Standard Time, instead of Eastern Daylight Time, so we lost almost an hour to construction delays.
Finally arrived in St. Augustine Beach at 1:30AM. I pause to remind myself that while leaving Friday morning would have been easier, this way I get to look at the ocean while drinking my morning coffee! Definitely worth the late arrival!
Friday, May 30th, A Day at the Beach!
We always stop in St. Augustine Beach for a day before going on to Disney, and then we spend several days there after our time at Disney. This allows us to rest from the drive, and forget that the rest of the world exists; and then to get an early start down to Orlando the next day. My parents have an oceanfront condominium in St. Augustine Beach, so you cant beat the price.
Agenda for the day: sleep late, play in the sand and surf, swim in the pool, walk on the beach, consume icy-cold fermented malt beverages, read, eat seafood.
For dinner we decide to visit Saltwater Cowboys, one of our many favorites in St. Augustine. This is where everything Ive been hearing about how the travel and tourism industry is hurting finally hits home and sinks in. Our wait for a table was only 10 minutes at 7:00PM on a day when the weather is perfect. I was hoping for an hour wait, and expected a minimum of 45 minutes! Now, if you were paying attention, you are probably asking Why would he be hoping for an hour wait?. Saltwater Cowboys is built out over the salt marsh, with a great deck and porch where you wait for your table. The bar has a window onto the deck, and it is great to sit on the deck, sip your favorite adult beverage, and relax while waiting for your table. We had the same problem at the Conch House after we got back from Disney. We didnt even have time to order a beer there. Oh well, at least I can sit on the balcony and watch the ocean when we get back to the condo.
Early to bed tonight -- tomorrow its on to Disney!
Disney Day 1: Saturday, 31-May-2003
On the road by 8:30AM, arrive at the Yacht Club at 10:30AM. Our room is not yet ready. (We requested the VIP cleaning due to our younger sons asthma.) We were issued our room cards, and we checked the part of our luggage we didnt want to leave in the car all day. For all 10 days of our stay, there were always enough CMs at the front desk to handle the traffic. We never had to wait for help. This was not the case at other hotels we visited during our stay, including WL, CR, Poly, CS, and AKL.
Our arrival tradition is that we dont use a ticket on the first day, and we always ride in the front of the Epcot monorail first thing. This time we had bad timing, and when we arrived at the TTC there we 2 families waiting ahead of us. This meant a 20+ minute wait, but we werent in a hurry. The wait was worth it, and we enjoyed our ride. We were surprised that the driver rebuffed our attempts to start a conversation, as they usually are happy to talk to us. All 4 of us rode in the front compartment, and my wifes wheelchair, (temporary due to foot problems,) rode alone in the first compartment.
After our monorail ride, we went to the Pepper Market at CS for lunch. We had not visited this resort before, and we were very pleased with this food court. We liked it enough that we returned later in the week for another lunch. Im planning on writing a separate review of the restaurants we visited this trip.
We then headed back to the Yacht Club to check out Stormalong Bay. Our room was ready, so we were able to change in the room. Stormalong Bay is awesome! It wont, however, be a major factor in our hotel selection in the future, because we dont spend enough time at the hotel for the amenities there to be a big deal. We are more concerned with the room, the restaurants, and the location. I requested a coffee maker, and a 4 cup model was delivered to our room while we were at the pool. We brought our own coffee, but if you cant bring your own, you can purchase a 10 pack of Maxwell House filter packs at Fittings and Fairings for $6. (Each filter pack makes one 4 cup pot.) We brought breakfast food, and a cooler, and ate in the room to save both time and money. The last morning, we went to the Cape May Café for the character breakfast.
Our room request fax said non-smoking is our only absolute requirement, but we would appreciate one of the standard rooms on the lake side of the resort. I told them in the fax that we would be celebrating our 20th anniversary (late because of my job situation), after visiting WDW for our honeymoon, and 10th and 15th anniversaries. I didnt request any specific rooms, but left it to their judgment. The result was a first floor Water View room on the front of the middle hallway. A truly awesome location. We were able to step out to the YC boardwalk to watch the aerial part of Illuminations a number of times during our stay, and the room was very convenient for us. I faxed a thank you to the same number and attention as I sent the room request.
While at Stormalong Bay, we bought 3 refillable mugs at Hurricane Hannas, (our 17 year-old doesnt drink anything carbonated, and is just as happy with water as lemonade). We may have gotten our moneys worth that first afternoon. After our first day in the parks, Hurricane Hannas (closest refill to our room) was closed, so we went to Beaches and Cream. After waiting for about 10 minutes for the refills, the CM who filled them told me not to wait in line in the future, but to come to the pickup window instead. After Beaches and Cream closes at 11:00PM, mugs can be refilled in the bar until midnight. (Sometimes when business is slack, the bar closes early.) Prior to Beaches and Cream opening at 11:00AM, mugs can be filled at the Yacht Club Galley, which is open for breakfast and lunch.
After our swim at Stormalong Bay, we retrieved our luggage from Bell Services, and prepared to go to AKL to explore before our dinner at Boma. When I pulled the car up to unload the rest of our stuff before heading to AKL, I encountered one of very few disappointments at the Yacht Club. The valet helped me unload our stuff onto the luggage cart, but there was no bellman available to take it to our room. Instead of just taking it to our room ourselves, we were required to wait almost 15 min. for a bellman to show up! I dont have a problem with them wanting to be the ones to use their carts, but only if they have enough staff to do the job! Either you handle it, or you let me handle it. Well get around to it later is not a valid option. I realize that this shouldnt a big deal, but it really annoyed us.
AKL is nice, with a very impressive lobby, and we enjoyed seeing the animals. We arrived at the check-in table 5 min. before our PS, and the wait was about 25 min. The wait was pretty boring, (except for our 17 year-old son, who always has his Rubics Cube). It was too loud and crowded to hold a conversation, and the waiting area wasnt particularly interesting. The food at Boma was different from what you usually see in the US, but not as different as we had hoped and expected. We enjoyed our meal, and will probably return, but we wouldnt list Boma as a favorite.
After dinner, we headed back to the room for a fairly early bedtime, because we planned to set a family record Sunday by visiting 3 parks in one day!
Day 2: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=402804
Thursday, May 29th, 3:30 PM Vacation begins!
Wednesday was the Little Monsters last day of school, and we loaded the car on Wednesday night, so we are almost ready to go! Last minute details are handled and we pull out of the driveway at 5:50PM. Atlanta rush hour traffic can be hell (3rd worst in US). We live on the Northeast side, so we have to go all the way through town, but this time it slowed us by only about 15 minutes. Thank God (and Georgia DOT) for HOV lanes!
We checked the Georgia DOT website for possible construction delays before leaving home, and found that I-75 would narrow from 3 lanes to 1 in several spots near Macon, starting at 9:00PM. Since we planned to be well past Macon by 9:00PM, we didnt expect this to be a problem. Unfortunately, the construction company is using Atlantic Standard Time, instead of Eastern Daylight Time, so we lost almost an hour to construction delays.
Finally arrived in St. Augustine Beach at 1:30AM. I pause to remind myself that while leaving Friday morning would have been easier, this way I get to look at the ocean while drinking my morning coffee! Definitely worth the late arrival!
Friday, May 30th, A Day at the Beach!
We always stop in St. Augustine Beach for a day before going on to Disney, and then we spend several days there after our time at Disney. This allows us to rest from the drive, and forget that the rest of the world exists; and then to get an early start down to Orlando the next day. My parents have an oceanfront condominium in St. Augustine Beach, so you cant beat the price.
Agenda for the day: sleep late, play in the sand and surf, swim in the pool, walk on the beach, consume icy-cold fermented malt beverages, read, eat seafood.
For dinner we decide to visit Saltwater Cowboys, one of our many favorites in St. Augustine. This is where everything Ive been hearing about how the travel and tourism industry is hurting finally hits home and sinks in. Our wait for a table was only 10 minutes at 7:00PM on a day when the weather is perfect. I was hoping for an hour wait, and expected a minimum of 45 minutes! Now, if you were paying attention, you are probably asking Why would he be hoping for an hour wait?. Saltwater Cowboys is built out over the salt marsh, with a great deck and porch where you wait for your table. The bar has a window onto the deck, and it is great to sit on the deck, sip your favorite adult beverage, and relax while waiting for your table. We had the same problem at the Conch House after we got back from Disney. We didnt even have time to order a beer there. Oh well, at least I can sit on the balcony and watch the ocean when we get back to the condo.
Early to bed tonight -- tomorrow its on to Disney!
Disney Day 1: Saturday, 31-May-2003
On the road by 8:30AM, arrive at the Yacht Club at 10:30AM. Our room is not yet ready. (We requested the VIP cleaning due to our younger sons asthma.) We were issued our room cards, and we checked the part of our luggage we didnt want to leave in the car all day. For all 10 days of our stay, there were always enough CMs at the front desk to handle the traffic. We never had to wait for help. This was not the case at other hotels we visited during our stay, including WL, CR, Poly, CS, and AKL.
Our arrival tradition is that we dont use a ticket on the first day, and we always ride in the front of the Epcot monorail first thing. This time we had bad timing, and when we arrived at the TTC there we 2 families waiting ahead of us. This meant a 20+ minute wait, but we werent in a hurry. The wait was worth it, and we enjoyed our ride. We were surprised that the driver rebuffed our attempts to start a conversation, as they usually are happy to talk to us. All 4 of us rode in the front compartment, and my wifes wheelchair, (temporary due to foot problems,) rode alone in the first compartment.
After our monorail ride, we went to the Pepper Market at CS for lunch. We had not visited this resort before, and we were very pleased with this food court. We liked it enough that we returned later in the week for another lunch. Im planning on writing a separate review of the restaurants we visited this trip.
We then headed back to the Yacht Club to check out Stormalong Bay. Our room was ready, so we were able to change in the room. Stormalong Bay is awesome! It wont, however, be a major factor in our hotel selection in the future, because we dont spend enough time at the hotel for the amenities there to be a big deal. We are more concerned with the room, the restaurants, and the location. I requested a coffee maker, and a 4 cup model was delivered to our room while we were at the pool. We brought our own coffee, but if you cant bring your own, you can purchase a 10 pack of Maxwell House filter packs at Fittings and Fairings for $6. (Each filter pack makes one 4 cup pot.) We brought breakfast food, and a cooler, and ate in the room to save both time and money. The last morning, we went to the Cape May Café for the character breakfast.
Our room request fax said non-smoking is our only absolute requirement, but we would appreciate one of the standard rooms on the lake side of the resort. I told them in the fax that we would be celebrating our 20th anniversary (late because of my job situation), after visiting WDW for our honeymoon, and 10th and 15th anniversaries. I didnt request any specific rooms, but left it to their judgment. The result was a first floor Water View room on the front of the middle hallway. A truly awesome location. We were able to step out to the YC boardwalk to watch the aerial part of Illuminations a number of times during our stay, and the room was very convenient for us. I faxed a thank you to the same number and attention as I sent the room request.
While at Stormalong Bay, we bought 3 refillable mugs at Hurricane Hannas, (our 17 year-old doesnt drink anything carbonated, and is just as happy with water as lemonade). We may have gotten our moneys worth that first afternoon. After our first day in the parks, Hurricane Hannas (closest refill to our room) was closed, so we went to Beaches and Cream. After waiting for about 10 minutes for the refills, the CM who filled them told me not to wait in line in the future, but to come to the pickup window instead. After Beaches and Cream closes at 11:00PM, mugs can be refilled in the bar until midnight. (Sometimes when business is slack, the bar closes early.) Prior to Beaches and Cream opening at 11:00AM, mugs can be filled at the Yacht Club Galley, which is open for breakfast and lunch.
After our swim at Stormalong Bay, we retrieved our luggage from Bell Services, and prepared to go to AKL to explore before our dinner at Boma. When I pulled the car up to unload the rest of our stuff before heading to AKL, I encountered one of very few disappointments at the Yacht Club. The valet helped me unload our stuff onto the luggage cart, but there was no bellman available to take it to our room. Instead of just taking it to our room ourselves, we were required to wait almost 15 min. for a bellman to show up! I dont have a problem with them wanting to be the ones to use their carts, but only if they have enough staff to do the job! Either you handle it, or you let me handle it. Well get around to it later is not a valid option. I realize that this shouldnt a big deal, but it really annoyed us.
AKL is nice, with a very impressive lobby, and we enjoyed seeing the animals. We arrived at the check-in table 5 min. before our PS, and the wait was about 25 min. The wait was pretty boring, (except for our 17 year-old son, who always has his Rubics Cube). It was too loud and crowded to hold a conversation, and the waiting area wasnt particularly interesting. The food at Boma was different from what you usually see in the US, but not as different as we had hoped and expected. We enjoyed our meal, and will probably return, but we wouldnt list Boma as a favorite.
After dinner, we headed back to the room for a fairly early bedtime, because we planned to set a family record Sunday by visiting 3 parks in one day!
Day 2: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=402804
