Pete the DISney nut
Official NUTcase
- Joined
- May 5, 2001
plus PS at Cindy's: AKA What is that you say about the best laid plans?
Today dawned - fanfare please, hot and sunny. Don't you just love it when things like this stay the same. We awoke at 7am and turned the telly on to see what the weather had in store for us - after seeing a little Toon Disney, of course - and according to the weather guy, the max temperature was going to be 88F! Whew, what a scorcher.
We looked at each other and we said in unison: add on a couple of degrees to that, shall we? And promptly burst out laughing.
As we were eating breakfast in Cindy's - thanks to Bev - we got ready and headed for the bus as we knew where to go for the PS but we had no idea what the queues will be like; plus, we wanted to get there early to meet up and did not want to keep Bev and Vicky waiting.
Duly dressed and washed, we wandered over to the bus stand and roughly half an hour later, we were in the MK and what was the first thing we saw but a madwoman grinning from ear to ear, waving furiously. Yep, it was Vicky :thumbs
We approached the lovely CM and said we had a character breakfast in Cindy's - gave the name we were given (it was organised by Howie on the US DIS boards so thank you Howie!!) and were waved in, no problems at all, which is what we like!
Walking up the Main Street it was virtually deserted, and it was lovely finding out meeting up with the two of them again - finding out what each other had been up to since Seaworld.
We chatted as we walked up towards the Castle - we like to live the high life! - and once we had introduced ourselves to the CM on the desk, we were admitted to the waiting area and were advised there may be a slight wait before our table becomes available. Wrong.
One of Pete's asides coming up. You have been warned! :hehe
I think, now that we have been back in the UK for a while now, that the CM's say that there may be a slight delay as a matter of course if things are a little busy. I have lost track of the times, during our holiday, that we were told there may be a slight dealy in seating you as we are quite busy. We have never had to wait more than ten minutes for a table, even if it is clear they are busy. I don't know if it is luck on our part or if we have a PS for most of the places we eat which prevents this from happening to us - we both like to arrange this aspect of our holiday as far as we can; but even then, we have turned up to a few places (last night was a prime example, in Tony's) and the same thing has happened then.
We sat and nattered some more and the CM called out our names - My Lady Bev, My Lord Peter, Duchesses Tracy and Vicky, your table awaits. This was after a couple of minutes - impressive, huh? So we walked up the stairs and shown in to the dining area. While walking through the tables, we walked nearer and nearer the windows. Tracy and I looked at each other. The last time we ate here - for an evening meal which I can highly recommend - we had a window seat overlooking both the Dumbo ride and Cinderella's carousel.
It looked like we were going to have the same seat this time - which will be nice, indeed. We did not have the exact same table, but we did have the next best table - the one right beside it. Lovely!!!
We had a perfect view of the park in general and when our server came over - a lovely lady called Joanne (I think) brought our drinks over and told us what was for breakfast. It was an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast which pleased me down to the ground. I love food almost as much as I love life.
The food came over promptly - and I have to say, although the food was nice, it was a little bit of a disappointment. There was sausage, scrambled egg, bacon and what looked like a cinnamon and apple croissant. On the same plate. Hmmm, okay. Still, it is a minor gripe and I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to arrange a PS here, you will NOT be disappointed because, overall, the atmosphere and the setting is second to none.
We finished eating and, once the check had been duly settled, we headed out and decided what to do next.
Another aside, folks.
Tracy and I were due to have a rest day in Blizzard Beach but, after we got home from spending the day with Bev and her maniac daughter (hiya Vicky :wavey) we decided then, if Bev is agreeable, to spend the day with them, we had such a blast with them last time around. Hence the AKA at the top of the report. Bev and Vicky, thank you so much from the two of us for making our holiday as enjoyable as it was - loads of love to you both from the two of us and we look forward to meeting up again real soon.
Am I glad they were thinking the same as us. So, that decided we headed into the heart of the park. Our first port of call was the Winnie the Pooh ride - this is so cute, a lovely family ride. Look out for the honey smell, yummy!! :hehe
We also rode Buzz Lightyear (and Bev, next time my dear, kindly refrain from using my head as a target.
Some people could call that cheating. Blast, wish I'd thought of it.), TTA - more than once (the weather at this time was at it's peak and it was lovely sitting down and letting the cool breeze waft over us) and next time, Bev, watch your step. We had some funny looks trying to surf up and down the moving walkway, I don't know why. We also decided to ride BTMR - in the back car, as this does give the best ride in my humble opinion. Vick and I then decided to give the oldies (ouch, as two hits come in quick succession - one from each side) a break and head towards Dumbo, Barnstormer, Alien Encounter - a ride which I loved but Tracy did not like that much - and then we met up with Tracy and Bev again and headed towards Enchanted Tiki Room and Pirates of the Caribbean. During this time we also caught some of the afternoon parade and went to do Splash Mountain as we were in desperate need to get a soaking but there were fast passes available for 7.55pm [!!] - a little too late for Bev and Vicky as they had to go for a bus, which was a shame.
And then we decided to go for something to eat. Hmmm.
We were in the vicinity of Main Street and were at a loose end where to eat. We had, on previous journeys, seen the Plaza restaurant and we all had wondered what the restaurant is like. So we decided to find out.
The ladies took a seat whilst I did the chivalrous thing and went to book us a table - again, no problem sir, there nay be a ten minute wait. No problem at all. Again, we just got into a conversation and the waitress came up and showed us to our table.
And then our waitress came over. 'Her' name was Dot - and I use her in the loosest sense of the word. Put it this way - I would not want to meet her in a darkened alley as she looked like a cross between Lenny Henry and Mike Tyson. In drag. She was a bit butch.
Her atrtitude left a LOT to be desired. She threw menus on the table at us and said, whatyouwant. Not here's a menu, have a look through to see what you would like, and would you like some drinks while you are deciding. Nope. Whatyouwant. So, of course, this was red rag to a bull to me. We would like some drinks, please. Well, this was almost like me saying I would like to run naked through Main Street singing a rude football song (of which I - oops, sorry all). She sucked her teeth, muttered something under her breath and said whatyouwannadrink. Drinks duly ordered she stomped off and came back a few minutes later and slammed the drinks on the table, then asked again whatyouwant.
None of us were rady to order so I explained this to Dot, to which she sucked her teeth again and muttered something else under her breath and stomped off again.
Well, we all looked at each other and burst into peals of laughter. She was absolutely priceless!! Every time she came back, The four of us looked at each other and said OKAY! And burst into peals again. She was a true character, but in the loosest of terms. Her attitude did leave a lot to be desired, in all seriousness and I would not be surprised in the least if she loses the restaurant some trade.
Anyway, she came back and after another whatyouwant, we decided to order our food. Tracy and I ordered a sandwich each, Bev ordered a chicken and strawberry salad and Vick ordered the fajita special.
To be honest with you, the food was very nice indeed and, as said before, if it was not for the GRRR waitress (?) we had, the experience would have capped off a perfect day. Anyway, as it was we were determined, the four of us, not to let her spoil the rest of our day.
Once we ate, we asked for the bill and we got the distinct impression then that Dot was glad to see the back of us. We had waited a long time for the drinks, she did not give any more than two refills to me (even though, as we all know the Americans are red hot on this and,as another quick aside, I think our restaurants can take a leaf out of their book), we waited a long time for the food. Yet, the bill was slammed on to our table barely two minutes after it has been asked for.
So we paid and stood up to leave.
This is when the ultimate indignity happened and, to this day, I cannot believe what happened next.
Another aside but it helps to explain something. We had read that the American waiters/waitresses do not get paid a lot and they rely on tips to eke out their income so Tracy and I always believe to tip if we get a good service because we like to think if we do, and we go to that restaurant again, we will get a more preferential service.
Well, we did not leave a tip because we were appalled at the lack of service we had received and thought that would be the end to it. Imagine our reaction when Dot came over - while we were still at the table(!) mind you and checked to see what money we had left her as a tip!!! This shocked us all, and as we left, I had a good mind to pass a comment to the manageress but we thought, leave it and get out of there.
Needless to say, we are not going there again. Which is quite a shame because other than her, the food was of a high quality and the décor and atmosphere was really nice.
Anyway, we headed towards the Monorail because Bev and Vick had to catch a Lynx, so we headed over towards the exit, to the monorail stop.
Once at the TTC, we found the stand for them and spent the last of the time we had together nattering about our plans for the rest of the holiday and I have to admit to having a lump in my throat when the bus finally came and we said our farewells. I glanced at Tracy as the bus pulled away and we agreed then to meet up with the two of them again. Which will be sooner rather than later.
We headed home then and once we got back to the hotel - and this was after I had got our nightly hot chocolate - and we were watching Pepper Ann (yes, again!) the realisation finally hit that we only have two days to go tot he end of our holidays.
We had no idea where the time had gone but we were determined to make the most of whatever time we had left in the Dream Holiday centre of the Universe, as far as we are concerned.
Coming Soon to a PC near you: Day 13 USF/IoA Combination Day AKA Things Can Only Get Better
Today dawned - fanfare please, hot and sunny. Don't you just love it when things like this stay the same. We awoke at 7am and turned the telly on to see what the weather had in store for us - after seeing a little Toon Disney, of course - and according to the weather guy, the max temperature was going to be 88F! Whew, what a scorcher.
We looked at each other and we said in unison: add on a couple of degrees to that, shall we? And promptly burst out laughing.
As we were eating breakfast in Cindy's - thanks to Bev - we got ready and headed for the bus as we knew where to go for the PS but we had no idea what the queues will be like; plus, we wanted to get there early to meet up and did not want to keep Bev and Vicky waiting.
Duly dressed and washed, we wandered over to the bus stand and roughly half an hour later, we were in the MK and what was the first thing we saw but a madwoman grinning from ear to ear, waving furiously. Yep, it was Vicky :thumbs
We approached the lovely CM and said we had a character breakfast in Cindy's - gave the name we were given (it was organised by Howie on the US DIS boards so thank you Howie!!) and were waved in, no problems at all, which is what we like!
Walking up the Main Street it was virtually deserted, and it was lovely finding out meeting up with the two of them again - finding out what each other had been up to since Seaworld.
We chatted as we walked up towards the Castle - we like to live the high life! - and once we had introduced ourselves to the CM on the desk, we were admitted to the waiting area and were advised there may be a slight wait before our table becomes available. Wrong.
One of Pete's asides coming up. You have been warned! :hehe
I think, now that we have been back in the UK for a while now, that the CM's say that there may be a slight delay as a matter of course if things are a little busy. I have lost track of the times, during our holiday, that we were told there may be a slight dealy in seating you as we are quite busy. We have never had to wait more than ten minutes for a table, even if it is clear they are busy. I don't know if it is luck on our part or if we have a PS for most of the places we eat which prevents this from happening to us - we both like to arrange this aspect of our holiday as far as we can; but even then, we have turned up to a few places (last night was a prime example, in Tony's) and the same thing has happened then.
We sat and nattered some more and the CM called out our names - My Lady Bev, My Lord Peter, Duchesses Tracy and Vicky, your table awaits. This was after a couple of minutes - impressive, huh? So we walked up the stairs and shown in to the dining area. While walking through the tables, we walked nearer and nearer the windows. Tracy and I looked at each other. The last time we ate here - for an evening meal which I can highly recommend - we had a window seat overlooking both the Dumbo ride and Cinderella's carousel.
It looked like we were going to have the same seat this time - which will be nice, indeed. We did not have the exact same table, but we did have the next best table - the one right beside it. Lovely!!!
We had a perfect view of the park in general and when our server came over - a lovely lady called Joanne (I think) brought our drinks over and told us what was for breakfast. It was an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast which pleased me down to the ground. I love food almost as much as I love life.
The food came over promptly - and I have to say, although the food was nice, it was a little bit of a disappointment. There was sausage, scrambled egg, bacon and what looked like a cinnamon and apple croissant. On the same plate. Hmmm, okay. Still, it is a minor gripe and I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to arrange a PS here, you will NOT be disappointed because, overall, the atmosphere and the setting is second to none.
We finished eating and, once the check had been duly settled, we headed out and decided what to do next.
Another aside, folks.
Tracy and I were due to have a rest day in Blizzard Beach but, after we got home from spending the day with Bev and her maniac daughter (hiya Vicky :wavey) we decided then, if Bev is agreeable, to spend the day with them, we had such a blast with them last time around. Hence the AKA at the top of the report. Bev and Vicky, thank you so much from the two of us for making our holiday as enjoyable as it was - loads of love to you both from the two of us and we look forward to meeting up again real soon.
Am I glad they were thinking the same as us. So, that decided we headed into the heart of the park. Our first port of call was the Winnie the Pooh ride - this is so cute, a lovely family ride. Look out for the honey smell, yummy!! :hehe
We also rode Buzz Lightyear (and Bev, next time my dear, kindly refrain from using my head as a target.
Some people could call that cheating. Blast, wish I'd thought of it.), TTA - more than once (the weather at this time was at it's peak and it was lovely sitting down and letting the cool breeze waft over us) and next time, Bev, watch your step. We had some funny looks trying to surf up and down the moving walkway, I don't know why. We also decided to ride BTMR - in the back car, as this does give the best ride in my humble opinion. Vick and I then decided to give the oldies (ouch, as two hits come in quick succession - one from each side) a break and head towards Dumbo, Barnstormer, Alien Encounter - a ride which I loved but Tracy did not like that much - and then we met up with Tracy and Bev again and headed towards Enchanted Tiki Room and Pirates of the Caribbean. During this time we also caught some of the afternoon parade and went to do Splash Mountain as we were in desperate need to get a soaking but there were fast passes available for 7.55pm [!!] - a little too late for Bev and Vicky as they had to go for a bus, which was a shame. And then we decided to go for something to eat. Hmmm.
We were in the vicinity of Main Street and were at a loose end where to eat. We had, on previous journeys, seen the Plaza restaurant and we all had wondered what the restaurant is like. So we decided to find out.
The ladies took a seat whilst I did the chivalrous thing and went to book us a table - again, no problem sir, there nay be a ten minute wait. No problem at all. Again, we just got into a conversation and the waitress came up and showed us to our table.
And then our waitress came over. 'Her' name was Dot - and I use her in the loosest sense of the word. Put it this way - I would not want to meet her in a darkened alley as she looked like a cross between Lenny Henry and Mike Tyson. In drag. She was a bit butch.
Her atrtitude left a LOT to be desired. She threw menus on the table at us and said, whatyouwant. Not here's a menu, have a look through to see what you would like, and would you like some drinks while you are deciding. Nope. Whatyouwant. So, of course, this was red rag to a bull to me. We would like some drinks, please. Well, this was almost like me saying I would like to run naked through Main Street singing a rude football song (of which I - oops, sorry all). She sucked her teeth, muttered something under her breath and said whatyouwannadrink. Drinks duly ordered she stomped off and came back a few minutes later and slammed the drinks on the table, then asked again whatyouwant.
None of us were rady to order so I explained this to Dot, to which she sucked her teeth again and muttered something else under her breath and stomped off again.
Well, we all looked at each other and burst into peals of laughter. She was absolutely priceless!! Every time she came back, The four of us looked at each other and said OKAY! And burst into peals again. She was a true character, but in the loosest of terms. Her attitude did leave a lot to be desired, in all seriousness and I would not be surprised in the least if she loses the restaurant some trade.
Anyway, she came back and after another whatyouwant, we decided to order our food. Tracy and I ordered a sandwich each, Bev ordered a chicken and strawberry salad and Vick ordered the fajita special.
To be honest with you, the food was very nice indeed and, as said before, if it was not for the GRRR waitress (?) we had, the experience would have capped off a perfect day. Anyway, as it was we were determined, the four of us, not to let her spoil the rest of our day.
Once we ate, we asked for the bill and we got the distinct impression then that Dot was glad to see the back of us. We had waited a long time for the drinks, she did not give any more than two refills to me (even though, as we all know the Americans are red hot on this and,as another quick aside, I think our restaurants can take a leaf out of their book), we waited a long time for the food. Yet, the bill was slammed on to our table barely two minutes after it has been asked for.
So we paid and stood up to leave.
This is when the ultimate indignity happened and, to this day, I cannot believe what happened next.
Another aside but it helps to explain something. We had read that the American waiters/waitresses do not get paid a lot and they rely on tips to eke out their income so Tracy and I always believe to tip if we get a good service because we like to think if we do, and we go to that restaurant again, we will get a more preferential service.
Well, we did not leave a tip because we were appalled at the lack of service we had received and thought that would be the end to it. Imagine our reaction when Dot came over - while we were still at the table(!) mind you and checked to see what money we had left her as a tip!!! This shocked us all, and as we left, I had a good mind to pass a comment to the manageress but we thought, leave it and get out of there.
Needless to say, we are not going there again. Which is quite a shame because other than her, the food was of a high quality and the décor and atmosphere was really nice.
Anyway, we headed towards the Monorail because Bev and Vick had to catch a Lynx, so we headed over towards the exit, to the monorail stop.
Once at the TTC, we found the stand for them and spent the last of the time we had together nattering about our plans for the rest of the holiday and I have to admit to having a lump in my throat when the bus finally came and we said our farewells. I glanced at Tracy as the bus pulled away and we agreed then to meet up with the two of them again. Which will be sooner rather than later.
We headed home then and once we got back to the hotel - and this was after I had got our nightly hot chocolate - and we were watching Pepper Ann (yes, again!) the realisation finally hit that we only have two days to go tot he end of our holidays.
We had no idea where the time had gone but we were determined to make the most of whatever time we had left in the Dream Holiday centre of the Universe, as far as we are concerned.
Coming Soon to a PC near you: Day 13 USF/IoA Combination Day AKA Things Can Only Get Better
