BLT LV-S 9/11 - 9/15 Real time Trip Report

[peabody58]

DW decided at the last minute to bring her laptop along, so while i wait for her to get ready , I'll share an on-line trip report.

Arrived MCO on time. BLT is the last stop for ME. Checked in at 3:20 PM, room not yet ready. Checked our carry on's with valet and walked over to MK to get our AP and TIW's. It is hot here!! We should be in the pool instead of walking around, but my trunks are in my bag not yet brought over from ME.

The room is great - 7714 Studio. We have a view of MK and the lake side, as well as laundry bins. The room has some minor wear and tear, but nothing bad. One interesting point, I thought all the Studio's has the bathroom sink outside. This room has a huge bathroom, sink, tub, and shower. The kitchenette is across from the closet. From what i can tell, this is not a newly remodeled room - I'll have to ask about that later.

We're getting ready to head out and get something to eat, then spend a few hours at EPCOT. DW says I'm kinda cranky and need a nap. Geez - I had a 4 hr gig till 1Am last night, finally crashed at 3:30 AP, and we were up at 7AM to start our traveling. Couldn't sleep on the plane because everyone was heading to Orlando and was very noisy in a good way.

My only gripe right now is the number of cards I need to carry around: KTTW, AP, DVC, Disney VISA, TIW and Photo ID. Upp - I'm cranky, but I'll sleep when I get home.

PS - we're celebrating our 1st DVC visit and our 28th anniversary. Moreto follow.

PSS - did I mention it is hot and humid here right now!

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

I'll be following Have a great trip.

 

[suzycute]

Great - I love a live trip report!

 

[WDWJWEB1]

I'm waiting right here...

 

[Doug7856]

Enjoy!

 

[Disney Princess]

We hope you enjoy your first trip home! Can't wait to hear more.

 

[Disneycouple99]

You have a HA room. Waiting for next post.

 

[wdrl]

The room is great - 7714 Studio. We have a view of MK and the lake side, as well as laundry bins. The room has some minor wear and tear, but nothing bad. One interesting point, I thought all the Studio's has the bathroom sink outside. This room has a huge bathroom, sink, tub, and shower. The kitchenette is across from the closet. From what i can tell, this is not a newly remodeled room - I'll have to ask about that later.

BLT #7714 is a Handicap Accessible villa. The HA villas are configured differently than the non-HA villas.

Looking forward to reading more about your trip. We'll be checking into BLT in 19 days and can't wait to be "home." Get some rest and have fun!!

 

[Halle]

Don't forget to check out TOTWL, enjoy!!

 

[mcrabeck]

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip. We will be in a studio at BLT in 45 days!
Hope it cools down some for you

 

[mcrabeck]

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip. We will be in a studio at BLT in 45 days!
Hope it cools down some for you

 

[peabody58]

Yep, as others have noted, we have an HA room.

Spent some time at the Cove Pool. Having limited food available pool side along with drinks was real nice. The club sandwiches were just what we needed and saved us a trip to the CR. The slide is a blast, even for grownups. However, the slide segments have grooves where they connect, and the heavier you are, the less hydro planning effect you get and you will feel the groove bumps as you go down unless you lift your back slightly. DW said she didn't feel them at all, but she had a full swimsuit on. We really enjoyed watching the little kids with their water wings on scamper up the stairs and shoot down the slide with no fear at all - again and again and again and...... Would love to have that energy level again.

Decided to skip EPCOT and just check out the monorail resorts. Found out AP holders can get 10% off stuff at most resorts. Found a great gig shirt at the Poly - will need to go back later. Nasty thunderstorm came through, shutting down all pools around 8:30PM. Only lasted about an hour, so the MK Night of Joy continued on. We could faintly hear the bands playing from our balcony.

One of the monorails was having some serious technical issues and slowed the loop way down. Took us over an hour to get from the GF back to CR. By then we were ready for a drink and the TOTW. Get to the TOTW and it's only got 6 -8 people in it. CM gets our drink order and I reach into my hip bag for my KTTW card and I can't find it - nothing, Nada, zip. My well planned bundle of cards, KTTW, AP, TIV Visa and Driver's License are gone. Holy fertilizer Batman! I'm in simmering panic mode, frantically assessing the situation, worse case damage control, recovering options and the like. We quickly cancel our drink order and head back to the room to call for help; hoping that someone found the rubber banded bundle and turned it in.

Pixie dust blew our way, as the 'bundle' was sitting on top of the book I was reading at the pool. We decided to call it a night, popped some popcorn and watch a little TV. Best thing on was the Suzi Orman Show - DENIED!!

The room was nice and chilly all night 68 deg F, the bed and pillows were very comfortable. The shower however is as everyone has said - needles of death. They really need to change the shower head nozzle design.

Well were now well rested, having some breakfast in the room and getting ready to visit ALK. Should be a wonderful non-cranky day. DW says hello.

 

[ToddyLu]

I am here, living vicariously through you until Dec.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

Have fun at DAK today!! Hi there DW!!

 

[peabody58]

Today was a great day!! Crowds were relatively low.

Weather was very tolerable this morning for DAK. We got there by 9:40AM and walked right into 'It's a Bugs Life'. Then onto Kali River Rapids. Another walk on!! After getting delightfully wet, we 'tried' to air dry through the Maharajah Jungle Trek. No such luck as temps were rising and we couldn't tell sweat from river water. On to Expedition Everest and the non-existent Yeti. Again - a no wait walk on. Here's wear the rubber hit the road, and DW and myself had to admit our aging limitations. The ride was spectacular, however at 52 plus, we have now acknowledged that we can no longer handle the sensory overload and motion sickness associated with these dark looping roller coasters. We were both out of sorts for several hours. Sad to say, DW has even said she now has no desire to do Space Mountain. With so many other fun rides available (Peter Pan's flight), I think we can live with no more in the dark roller coasters.

Ended out our morning at DAK enjoying Finding Nemo - the Musical. This show is a must see for young and old alike. We really enjoyed the show. DAK is a half day park for us.

Back to BLT and since we're really just kids in old people skin, we enjoyed a refreshing 1 1/2 nap!! Then out to the Cove Pool for some sun and fun. The Community Hall had a DJ playing songs for awhile. Wish she had stayed longer. A hidden secret at BLT is the sandy beach. If you get a chance to use it, you will really enjoy the lake view, sand between your toes and peaceful setting. Most of the sitting was in the shade. Several Osprey and Herons graced our presence while we finished off our beers and made plans for the rest of the evening.

We had originally planned to grab a quick bite and head over to the MK. I called Dining Reservations and was able to get a 7:05PM ressie at the Plaza Restaurant. I've been drooling for a good cheese burger since smelling steak at the GF. We walked over (only 5 - 10 minutes) to the MK. The walk is very nice, a huge plus being at BLT. Toured Main Street, found 2 more gig shirts to buy later, and were able to get into the Plaza 15 min earlier. They were surprised I was able to get an ADR only 1 hr out, as they had been turning away walk-ins all afternoon. I had the best Angus beef Cheeseburger I've had in ages, mushrooms and grilled onions. DW and I shared the Brownie & Ice Cream Desert - this thing was huge! It was good to start using the TIW.

After the meal we did Haunted Mansion (another walk-on) and Peter Pan with a Fast Pass. Left MK at 8:30 PM to be at the TOTW for Wishes. Again we walked back to BLT. When we started, the lightning bolts were 2 - 5 miles away. By the time we hit the CR parking lot, lightning was less than a half mile off, and the last 50 feet to the door we got dumped on by the rain. Then it really started raining - hard!! Needless to say Wishes was a wash out. I feel sorry for the throngs of people packed into MK waiting to see the show, and caught in the rain.

So we are now almost ready to turn out the lights and dream of tomorrow's delights. We have a 9AM Undiscovered FW tour, lunch at Rose and Crown, then plan to tour the boardwalk, pool hop at the BW and return to EPCOT to close out the evening (Kim Possible is on our agenda). Wish us well, and DW says she hope my rambling is helping future travelers as past TR's have helped us.

 

[El&Asmom]

I'm enjoying your TR dreaming about dh's and my parents only trip in Jan.
Enjoy the rest of your trip.

 

[mecllap]

Hope you post some photos of your HA room -- will be interested to how it compares to "my" studio (my review is at: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2550790 ) #7706. Maybe I should request an HA room next time (have more than a few years on you, and getting creaky -- had an unrequested HA studio at BCV last year that I really liked). Was there a tub soap dish, and a towel bar outside the shower in your bathroom? (These little things can make a difference).

Enjoying your report -- misc. ramblings are great -- keep it up.

 

[peabody58]

Wishes was presented after the storm rolled through last night, about 1 1/2 hrs late. We had just tuned off the TV and lights when we heard a 'boom'. Got up and enjoyed the fireworks from our balcony (in our jammies).

Yesterday started out great. The MK resort monorail loop was OOS due to a lightning strike the previous night. A quick bus ride to TTC and then the monorail to EPCOT got us to our tour in plenty of time. The Undiscovered FW was a great tour. Lasted 4 hours, and there is a lot of walking. We got to go into the sponsor areas for Living Seas (has an acrylic Kawai Grand Piano). Awesome full window views of the aquarium. Also got into the HP sponsor area at Mission to Mars. Not as swank, but we did get to go into the 'mission control' area seen from the queue line and flip the dummy switches up front. And yes, the 2 CM on the other side of the control boards are actually monitoring and controlling the ride functions.

I could have stayed all day in the back stage areas, it is so interesting how much is going on to keep us happy. They let us in the VIP back entrance to Soaring to ride the ride. DW didn't go but I will have to get her on it - this ride rocks. Seeing the CM building with all the costumes, make-up, signage, etc, was a nice change of pace.

At the end of the tour, we got a pin and VIP entrance to Illuminations at Italy. We decided to not attend as we knew we wouldn't want to deal the crowds, even though there were no crowds to really speak of. It was very hot and humid (heat index 101 deg).

Lunch at Rose and Crown was superb as always. You can never have enough Fish & Chips and Ale. All the CM's signed an anniversary card and presented it to us, very nice touch. We then went to the BW and enjoyed the Clown pool. That is one wicked water slide they have, love the change in direction at the very end.

On to DHS after we were totally sunned out. Thought this would be a great evening park since it was staying open late. All the major shows were done for the day, and we really didn't want to do RRC or TOT, so we about faced and went to DTD. Lots of people at DTD. Enjoyed the shops, found some great gig shirts for my band (justified as a business expense??), and enjoyed the kids DJ stage show for a bit.

All in all, it was a nice day. The walking tour really took a lot out of us. I'm recognizing there is still a lot of 'A' type commando instinct in me, and I haven't quite found my laid back 'Crush' groove yet. We'll be back in Dec and May, so I'll have more time to just relax and smell the roses.

Regarding the HA room. Sorry no pictures. The humidity has really messed up our camera, we're hoping it comes back to life soon. There is only one soap dish, and that is on the sink. In the shower there is no dish or ledge. DW asked about it and they sent up a years supply of soap and shampoo!? The bathtub/shower also has no soap dish area, only a small tub ledge area. On the plus side, there is a lot of HA hand rails which we are using for towel racks. Also with the HA room, cabinets and microwave are lowered. Found it really hard to make coffee this morning, no counter space at all with the microwave down low. The bed and pillows continues to be the outstanding star of the room. I plan on checking out the sofa bed to see how comfy that is. We have rally come to enjoy the monorail access and short walk to MK. My only issue of any merit with the BLT room is the shower head water pressure. I will be submitting a formal complaint on this as this is almost boarders on cruel and unusual torture.

Today, our last full day, is not well planned out. I'm drinking my coffee while DW continues to sleep in. We are meeting our daughter's HS school friend who is working at Pop this afternoon. We have 7:30 ressie at Californian Grill for our 28th anniversary dinner. So it's either EPCOT or MK today, but most assuredly, the pool!!

Stay happy all and we'll wrap this TR up shortly.

 

[leane]

Thanks for taking the time to do the trip report.
Only 39 days until we arrive at BLT for our first trip home, not first trip dvc but first to our home resort.

I am glad you mentioned the kids with the water wings. It reminded me I have to pack those and the swimming goggles.

I hope you enjoy Cali Grill. That is our all time favorite! We will be enjoying 2 meals there during our next trip. My DD (8) would suggest the goat cheese raviolli for an app. and my DH would suggest the sushi. Not sure if you have been there before or not.

Enjoy your last full day and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

 

[mdsd8700]

Happy Anniversary to you both! What a wonderful place to celebrate. Thanks for the trip report, just caught up with it today and enjoyed it very much. Not going home until next June, so this helps the long countdown go by even faster.