EWP group?

[IASW Rider]

Hi Everyone!

How are you all doing, out there?

Welcome back, Linda!!

Hope that you had a FANTASTIC and MAGICAL vacation!! Can't wait to hear all about it! Looking forward to hearing all about your adventures, when you have a chance to check in to the Suite!

We are actually gearing up for OUR upcoming WDW vacation (in October)! I've made all of our ADR's - a little later than I usually do when planning a trip - but we wanted to wait for the F&WF schedule to come out, so that we could determine if that would affect our plans, at all. Unfortunately, most of the "big events" will be taking place on weekends, apparently, and we will be there Monday - Friday. But that's OK - we look forward to partaking in the "general fare" around the World Showcase - we probably wouldn't pay $100+ to go to one of the fancy dinners / wine pairings, anyway! We'd rather "save up" for another trip to Victoria and Albert's in a few years! Anyway, we're looking forward to another wonderful stay at BCV!

Thanks so much for your message, Linda! So sorry that we missed your call! So glad to hear you sounding like you're having a great time, though! I hope that you and Lucy enjoyed the Luau (I've loved the Luau since I was a child!) and got to see the EWP, last weekend, too!

I actually wore a NEW black dress in Las Vegas! Will bore you with my photos (if I haven't, already?), if you'd like to see!

I'm sure that you ALREADY need no "X's" on your SG shirt, Linda! I know that you look fantastic! Can't wait to see YOUR pictures from your trip, when you have a chance to share them!

Hope that all is well with all of you and hope to see you all, back in the Suite, soon!

 

[IASW Rider]

Hey Everyone!

Where is everybody??!!

Just wanted to stop by and say "hi" before WE blast off for WDW on Monday! We are looking forward to our return to BCV (thank you, special fellow Suite Lady! ) and attending our first Epcot F&WF! We are also looking forward to visiting some of our traditional favorite "haunts", like the Kona Cafe, the Brown Derby, and Jiko, returning to the restaurant for which one of our cats is named (Spoodles!), and dining at Citrico's for the first time! We also have a fun character breakfast at Cape May Cafe scheduled for our last morning! We'll be at the Studios for Fantasmic on Monday night, at F&WF all day on Tuesday and at the MK on Thursday. Wednesday will be POOL DAY, and I can't wait to FINALLY experience the wonders of Stormalong Bay! Hopefully we'll get to see the EWP from the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon when we're over at the GF on Wednesday night!

Hope that all is well with all of you and hope that you're all having a nice Fall, so far! Will be in touch upon our return! Take care.

 

[IASW Rider]

Just a quick post to send out some very special EWP Suite wishes to a very special "resident" of the EWP Suite! Wishing good health, good luck, lots of happiness, and all of our warm and loving thoughts, today!

 

[IASW Rider]

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to pop in and say "hi"! Sure has been quiet around here, lately!

We had a wonderful time at WDW, 2 weeks ago! We even saw a performance of our very own EWP, from the observation deck just outside of Narcoosee's at the GF! Very nice view - we had never seen it from that location, before! So great to see it, again (we hadn't seen it in a few years) - it looks beautiful and vividly colorful as ever, and the sound system is great, too!

And of course I rode IASW...........!

We really enjoyed F&WF. It was really neat to see all of the various cities (both domestic and international) that were represented for the Festival, in addition to the special exhibits presented by the permanent resident pavilions! The only "problem" is that there were so MANY that there was NO WAY that we would EVER have been able to sample a food and / or wine from every single one! I think that our favorite was Barcelona, as it brought back memories of our Mediterranean cruise, last summer! We sampled some CAVA (Spanish sparkling wine, similar to champagne, from the region near Barcelona) at their "station" and it was very good!

We also loved the adorable new "ending" to the recently revised Spaceship Earth and thought that the additions and alterations in the Haunted Mansion were wonderful, as well!

We had a great time staying at BCV (.......thanks AGAIN, special Pixie! ) and spent a lot of time just enjoying the resort and the surrounding area. We took long walks around the Epcot resort area - to Swan, Dolphin, and Boardwalk - and took one great walk to and from the Studios, too! And we designated a day to enjoy the amazing Stormalong Bay and peaceful BCV quiet pool, which was great and much needed!

Since we'd never been at WDW at this time of year, before, it was neat to see Main Street all decorated for the Fall holidays, with lots of scarecrows and Mickey-head jack-o-lanterns! And it was fun to see all of the children and adults dressed up in their costumes for MNSSHP, too!

Not too much to report, since we've been back! I can't believe that Thanksgiving is barely 2 weeks away............it's been in the mid-60's all week, here in Central Jersey...........and I am NOT complaining! I would be more than happy if it stayed this warm.......not just throughout the Holiday season.........but throughout the entire WINTER!

Hope that all is well with all of you! Have a great weekend!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hi ya gals!

Reports of my demise, and that of my computer, are greatly exaggerated. Nothing wrong with either one that a bit of 'rebooting' will not cure. I hope they slip in a bit of extra memory while they are at it. Power, more power! That is exactly what I need and then I will be good to go until Vista is but a dim witted memory.

What a lovely mini trip report. Do you ever write a real one Lisa? It would be the best of the bunch, I bet. Lots of pictures and so many observations. I still have to write mine from our last trip.

I know well the Halloween decorations on Main Street. As I sit and hold seats for the parade I often see them for hours on end. All the special touches are what makes DW so wonderful.

Did you PLAN to watch the EWP from Narcoosee's or was it just fortuitous? I find that when you see familiar things from a different view it makes it all new again. Did it beat the Poly beach? Lucy and I had a CM bring us towels for pillows and blankets and even tuck us in last trip. We both giggled like kids.

Any trips planned for next year?

Colleen, hope to have lunch with you soon, real soon!

Love, Linda

 

[jstmee]

Just stopped by to say hello.

I saw the decreased posts to this site and almost panicked. It's a bad thing to assume that you all would still be posting away having a merry day!

I'm dreaming of WDW, cannot foresee a visit in awhile. Life is happening all around and through me. LOL. But there is still pixie dust swirling around me so I have hope. I even rented the Tinker Bell DVD. Wish oh wish I will.

We are all doing well. Living each day a day at a time. I will check in again soooon.

Wendy

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Wendy, you have been missed, but not forgotten. How lovely to finally see a poLst from you. Details, please??? How are you and your family doing? Any trips to DW completed or contemplated? So many great offers it would be heartbreaking not to be able to make some next year. I am thinking a spring and Christmas trip if all goes well. It would be hard for you to go and there not be at least one of us there or at least someone we know.

I call for my date for the heart ablation today, sometime after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. As well as everything else has gone I have great hopes that this will cure what ails me and I will be back full force and raring to go!

Linda

 

[IASW Rider]

Hi Everyone!

So sorry that it's been so long since I've "stopped by"! I just wanted to wish all of my very special Suite Friends a wonderful Holiday Season! Hope that you all and your families had a very Merry Christmas and are all enjoying a relaxing Holiday weekend, now!

And wishing all of you all the best - and lots of pixie dust and MAGIC - in 2009! Here's to another year of fun and friendship in the EWP Suite! We're coming up on the 8 year Anniversary of this thread! (And I promise to post more reliably, in the weeks and months to come!)

Happy Holidays, Everyone!!!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Howdy there Suite friends!

I echo Lisa's sentiments and have a few words of gratitude to add myself.

The year has been rocky but has ended on a high note. My cataract surgery went so well that I no longer have to wear glasses. I managed to drop another ten pounds or so this year. My cardioversion went very well last Friday and as a result I am feeling better than I have felt in a very long time. I am able to do more and now I might be able to get back to walking and such so that next year I might get off these last pounds and get into even better shape so that I can enjoy my next trip to WDW. Friends do not recognize me and I barely do myself.

EIGHT years? The Suite is older than some of my grandkids. How wonderful but then there are some very special and wonderful folks who reside here.

SG/Linda

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Today is the birthday of a very special friend to the EWP, without her we would not exist and would definitely not be as nice a place to visit.

Happy Birthday dear Lisa! We all hope that this has been a wonderful day and look forward to hearing how you managed to celebrate this occasion. You do such things with such flair!

I booked into DW for the first week of December. Nothing like a dream of a warm vacation to keep me going in this frigid weather.

I had a bundle installed today so I have not been able to be on line most of the day so I am a tad bit late. Hope you got your card on time.

Love, SG/Linda

 

[IASW Rider]

VERY BELATED thank you, Linda!! It was so kind of you to think of me and to celebrate for me, here in the Suite!

And belated Happy New Year to all of our Suite Mates who may be lurking out there on the DIS Boards! So sorry that I haven't stopped in, in so long! I can't believe that this is literally my first time on the Boards since 12-27! I have been very "bad" but I DO intend to be better about stopping in! Our Suite has been in existence for almost 8 years and I refuse to "move out"!

And - in reality - this great place wouldn't exist without the constant love and caring of our SLIGHTLY GOOFY! So glad to hear that you're feeling so well, Linda! And so glad to hear that you had such a great, healthy, and productive year! Wishing you continued good health and all the best!

Everything is fine, here in snowy New Jersey! I AM sick of winter, though, and will be VERY HAPPY when this month is over and there is some hope of Spring arriving (.........as well as BASEBALL SEASON! )!

So glad to hear that you've already made your WDW arrangements for next December, Linda! That is definitely something wonderful to look forward to! Maybe your visit will coincide with Colleen's and her family's, and you'll all be able to have a holiday meeting, down there! We have no plans to visit WDW yet, this year. Although we would love to go back down in October for F&WF (also because the weather is so PERFECT there, at that time of year), I am also sort of fantasizing about running the 5K in the AK on Disney Marathon Weekend, next January. I've recently taken up running and plan to try some local races, this Spring and Summer. It would be so neat to participate in one of the races at WDW! They've always intrigued me, but I never thought that I would be able to participate in one of them. I think that aiming for the 5K is realistic........and if I can keep it up, I would ultimately love to run the Half Marathon in another year or two! I have a friend who did it, a few weeks ago, and he said that it was an amazing experience - especially running through the MK! January would not necessarily be my preferred month to visit........too bad that the Marathon Weekend always falls during that month.........we'll see!

Hope that all is well with all of you! And hope to see you all in the Suite, very soon!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hey there Lisa!

No apologies needed. So you were out and about having a blast and celebrating your birthday. That is how it should be. I think you are still doing so. One day is plenty when you are a child but as you grow up it takes longer to celebrate such a wonderous event and interesting life.

How I would love to be there to cheer you on when you run, and win the race at DW! It boggles my mind the things you get up to. How far you have come and how much further you will go!

It is a shame that you are not into bike riding as we have one of the best bike rides in the country in our small town. The rolling countryside, homemade cookies baked by all us town ladies, a local winery, bands and such have gathered folks from not only all over the States but other countries as well. All the proceeds go to the local Food Bank and we are able to give far more than any other places around and nowadays the need is great. You used to see the same folks each month but now there are so many of our friends and neighbors who used to contribute who are now in need of help. It is heartbreaking. (I can even guarantee you a place to stay)

Speaking of hearts. My last checkup showed that my heart is still in rhythm. That bodes well as usually it goes out quickly if it is going to do it. Now if I can get my leg in shape I will be more than ready for December.

Hey there you other Suite Ladies! I think of you often and wonder how you are doing. I got the most wonderful card with a picture of a very special little boy for Christmas. It sits on my desk as I type.

I surely would love to have some of you drop by and catch us up on how you are doing because this is a special and select group and we honestly care about each other and do not forget each other.

How wonderful it would be to find out that some, if not ALL, of you might be planning December trips too or possibly being there to see a certain special someone (who is the spark plug behind this thread no matter what SHE says) race.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

 

[IASW Rider]

Hi Everyone!!!!

How can it possibly be that it's been almost SIX MONTHS since we last checked in to the Suite?? Well, maybe they were just doing some "rehab" and "maintenance" on the place, so we all had to take a little break!

I can't believe that it's been almost SIX MONTHS since I've even signed on to the Boards! I kept meaning to do so, but things have been very busy!

My BIG NEWS is that A) I finished graduate school in May, having FINALLY presented my Fieldwork (ie: Masters Thesis), so I now OFFICIALLY am a Master of Public Health and B) As of this past Saturday, DH and I are OFFICIAL MEMBERS...........of DVC.........and our home resort is.......BAY LAKE TOWER!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable!!

Anyway, just wanted to say "hello" to all of you and hope that we can all resume our meetings and viewings of the EWP together!

Hope that all is well with all of you and hope that you've all been enjoying the Summer, so far!

 

[angelina]

Hi, Lisa. It's great to hear from you. Congratulations on completing your master's.

Hi to everyone else in the suite. Hope everyone has been well.

Angie

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Ahh, my dear Lisa, how it could be otherwise. Bay Lake Tower is just where a Disney princess should be. Instead of just this virtual place you have now accomplished the real thing! I am delighted and feel that this is a great investment for folks like yourself. You will easily be able to get to so many places, including your Polynesian resort, so easily.

Congratulations again on getting your Masters. It has been such a pleasure to see you thrive and grow so much in these past few years. I could not be prouder had I squeezed you out myself.

Angelina! I have been thinking about you yesterday and today. Did the storm hit you hard? How is your family doing? News, please? We care ya know.

Tom and I are doing alright. We have our moments but that is to be expected. Oldest grandson just turned 18 and is still a delightful person, having avoided most of any teenage angst. He works too hard to have time for that any old way. Youngest grandson is still a super star in everything he attempts and delights me. Two of my other grandchildren have escaped their life and are living elsewhere and getting to go to school and see other people. Heard that my son was laid off but no other news. Daughter works in HR so she would be last out the door but not likely to happen as Cummins is a very well run company. Tom turns 75 next week and I am taking him for a getaway. I am not up to the big parties I used to have for such occasions. As long as he gets to eat out he is a happy camper. I volunteer two days at week with the kids at the CC and drive Tom to bowling two days a week so it keeps me busy and hopping. Housework, yardwork etc. takes up any 'free' time I might have.

Anyone else out there please drop us a note and let us know how you are doing and what is going on and if you are going to be at DW anytime soon or have recently been. We will be there the first two weeks of December and would love to see you there!

SG/Linda

 

[angelina]

Hi, Linda and Lisa, and everyone else in the suite ! The TS didn't really bother us, just a little breezy, which was a WELCOME relief, but it is raining cats and dogs here now. We are SO ready for Fall. June was unbearably hot this year, and it usually doesn't get that hot until late July/August. We were so glad we didn't go to WDW this summer.

You can imagine how unbearably hard it was for me to be in Orlando in April for spring break, stay at Bonnet Creek (facing EPCOT and HS) and NOT go to the parks! We went to Universal and Sea World instead. The kids loved it, though. DS is 17 now and has had enough of Disney (except for EPCOT)
and this was our last Spring Break when everyone was out of school at the same time. I have to say, as much as I loved staying at BC two summers ago, we really loved staying at Bonnet Creek. We could see the fireworks from EPCOT and HS, but I felt physically ill sitting on our balcony watching them and not being able to BE there. The girls and I went to DD one night and ate at Rainforest Cafe, then walked around. Actually, Lauren didn't go with us, just Meg and her friend.

Everyone is growing up, DS is a senior, DD1 is a sophomore, and DD2 is in 4th grade. They're all back in school now, and I am not working this week, which has been nice.

Lisa, where is Bay Lake Tower? I don't think I've heard of it before, at least I can't place it. How nice to have a "second home" in Disney.

I had to put my car in the shop earlier this summer, and when I got it back, my Wishes CD was laying on the front seat, BROKEN! Does anyone know how I can get another copy? I have looked, but the only place I found one was on e-bay. Is there a Disney site that I can order it from?

I have been talking to DS about what he wants to do after high school, and one of the things he'd like to do is the College Program at Disney. He's really involved in robotics at school, and would like to do something with animatronics, so what better place? He's also a lifeguard and WSI, so maybe he could do that, too. What he's most interested in is the fireworks, but so far, I have no idea how he would be able to get involved with that, evey after college. I just know they have to be in college for at least one semester before they apply.

Well, the rain and lightning have stopped for the moment, so I am going to run some errands.

Take care,

Angie

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hey, Angie! How was your birthday? Yes, I remembered it and even know how old you were. lol

I heard that a tornado hit Beaumont, TX where my aunt used to live. I am glad to hear that you avoided the majority of the weather. I always think of you and yours when I hear about your area. You must have gotten all the hot weather that we have not. It was the coolest July in history here in Indiana.

I am not familiar with Bonnet Creek other than the fire station and the road so I am not sure where you stayed but it sounds painful to me to be so close and yet so far away. Maybe it is time for you to do a trip with some girlfriends as many do?

Our dear Lisa has friends who know about fireworks etc. at DW. I cannot imagine any single profession that is not needed at DW. I keep hoping for the Fairy Godmother job myself. How wonderful it would be for you to have a son working there, for so many reasons!

Has your dd killed anymore large animals lately? lol My grandson was so impressed by the pictures of her with the fish and deer way back when. He is a strapping boy nowadays himself and is taking classes in construction and will be fully accredited by the time he graduates. The younger boy is a sports star and academic. He will be spending the weekend with me and will be sure to test my mettle on various and sundry games of intelligence. He loves it when he knows something I do not and so do I.

As far as the Wishes c/d goes, I sent you an email. Hope it goes through. If not just PM me and I might be able to help you out. I make various dvd's of Disney trips and have complete movies of most attractions etc. I had a train station view of Wishes the first year they did it and am glad to make one for you if you would like. Anyone else too.

Some neighbors of mine went to Gulfport recently and I would have loved to have hidden away in their vehicle and came with them so I could see those streets of Fairhope.

SG/Linda

 

[angelina]

Linda, I sort of remember that Bonnet Creek was a golf course a long, long time ago. For whatever reason, it is not owned by Disney, but is a time share owned by Wyndham. Anyhow, it is RIGHT THERE in the middle of everything, right next door to Caribbean Beach Resort. We have a friend who owns a time share, and used his points for a 3 bdr condo. It was really, really nice. Meg took a friend, and it was nice to be able to spread out when we came back from the parks. Still, it's not Disney, sigh. The kids loved Universal, though, and the coaster at Sea World. The new one had not opened yet, so they missed out, and even the little one was riding the Hulk by the end of the last day.

Linda, just down from your e-mail was our first one from the College Program, saying they were doing the e-presentations for the spring session. Maybe next year...
I can see my youngest working at AK with the animals, and Meg being some kind of face character. Nick would be coming up with bigger and better fireworks or working with animatronics, and I would have discounted passes for years to come. We used to know an older couple who went down there every Fall to work for two weeks or so with the Food and Wine Festival, and got free passes for their families. I don't know how they found out about it, though, or where to get the information.

I saw the video from that tornado on TV. We rarely get them around here, but I did see one trying to form earlier this summer. Last week, Meg and I saw another funnel along the front line of a thunderstorm, but it never touched down. The lightning was terrible, though. I have seen water spouts, though, in the Bay.

Yes, I turned 40-something last week, but it was a day like any other day. We had a lot of back to school shopping to do, so my birthday passed by pretty much unnoticed.

As far as I can remember, no one has killed anything since the big shark last summer, and a big deer the year before. Oh, and a small snake last month, lol.

TTFN,

Angie

 

[IASW Rider]

Hi!!!!

So great to hear from you, Angie!!!! BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And so glad that you had a wonderful trip to Bonnet Creek! I can certainly understand that it was hard being so close to WDW.......but you were THERE, and it sounds like you all had a nice time!! So glad to hear that you're all all right, after the storms, etc.

Hi (again) Linda!!

I am so sorry that I didn't have a chance to get back here until NOW......and NOW I don't have time to compose a proper post! I finally had a chance to respond to an e-mail that Linda was kind enough to send to me......in which she mentioned that YOU had posted here, as well, Angie.......so I just HAD TO stop in and say hello......before Frank and I blast off for Las Vegas, first thing tomorrow morning! And - coincidentally - we will be visiting with our former WDW CM friends, when we are there - as one of them (the one who knows about fireworks and such at WDW, as he worked as a Show Control and Special Effects Crew Chief on Fantasmic and Lights! Motors! Action!) now works for Cirque du Soleil, out there!

Wish that I had time to write more, now, and to properly repsond to and comment on both of your correspondences! I promise to be back, upon our return, and then we'll have a chance to catch up! In the mean time, hope that all is well with you both and your families (can't believe how the years pass and your children are growing up, Angie! )! And hope that you all have a great week!

Thinking of you all and talk to you soon!

P.S. Angie - Bay Lake Tower is the newest DVC resort........and it's ATTACHED to the Contemporary! It just opened 2 weeks ago! It's the high rise building, pictured in the little photo in my signature!

P.P.S. Sorry that this is such a quick post!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Thinking of Frank and Lisa and what a nice life they have made for themselves. It plain tickles me silly to think of them jetting off here and there and enjoying life so very much. Of course, I do believe, that they would enjoy themselves sitting on a stoop somewhere as well.

Angelina, I told you that Lisa knew someone who might be able to give you some good information. It is the dream of every good DISer that their child would end up working at Disney somewhere. I daydream about doing it myself even though I know it is an 'impossible dream'.

This is my first day back with the older kids today. Since I have spent the most time with them I know them better. Some will have grown enough not to need me this year and that is bittersweet, more sweet than bitter. We live in a small town and I run into them here an there. Sometimes years later and I can barely recognize them anymore. Have some new books and new games to play with them this year. I am hoping that the powers that be at the center will allow me to do some of my one on one work as that is where my talents lie. I love reading to children but en masse does not work well. Boys do not like what girls like and then there is the age range. I like one on one with children who are having trouble reading or do not know how. I look for the magic moment for when they 'get it'. Warms the cockles of my heart and a life has been changed. I remember each and every one too.

Hoping a good school year for all the EWP members children!

SG