Flowers, 5Ks, and Fiancées-A May 2011 TR *Updated 4/30 The Last Update*

[TanzUnited99]

on getting married in 21 days!!!

Lol don't worry about getting updates posted - you have plenty of other things to focus on. We will still be here after the wedding

Yay on getting Wheezy and am glad Buster likes it too! That is great that you have created a game and can keep some Disney magic going in the house.

May sounds like a great time to visit Disney World! : Hope you find a way for your brother to join you.

 

[Shannon84]

I didn't realize you guys were getting married so soon, I have a horrible habit of losing my sense of time in the summer That is so exciting and of course I can imagine how busy you are!!

I LOVE the Wheezy one...he is too cute!! I have become hooked on these silly vinylmations!! I love your idea of hiding him and finding him around the house...I can imagine your dads shock of finding him in the fridge though

 

[PirateKate]

Don't worry about the TR with your wedding coming up so fast. You'll have so many TRs to write in the future, but you only get married once.

I love the Where's Wheezy game. That would be a lot of fun. And it's cute that the dog likes Wheezy, too.

 

[amazingact21]

on getting married in 21 days!!!

Lol don't worry about getting updates posted - you have plenty of other things to focus on. We will still be here after the wedding

Yay on getting Wheezy and am glad Buster likes it too! That is great that you have created a game and can keep some Disney magic going in the house.

May sounds like a great time to visit Disney World! : Hope you find a way for your brother to join you.

I think I've found a way to still go to Disney in May yet keep my brother happy. However, that's still 8-9 months away, and I know a lot can change in that time period.

I didn't realize you guys were getting married so soon, I have a horrible habit of losing my sense of time in the summer That is so exciting and of course I can imagine how busy you are!!

I LOVE the Wheezy one...he is too cute!! I have become hooked on these silly vinylmations!! I love your idea of hiding him and finding him around the house...I can imagine your dads shock of finding him in the fridge though

We're getting married really soon, but that's because DF might be deploying so we decided to get it out of the way just in case. If we had had more time to plan, there was a high chance of us getting married at SoG, so my parents (and their checkbooks) are happy we decided on a quick wedding.

Don't worry about the TR with your wedding coming up so fast. You'll have so many TRs to write in the future, but you only get married once.

I love the Where's Wheezy game. That would be a lot of fun. And it's cute that the dog likes Wheezy, too.

It is kind of sad how I'm already planning another WDW trip when I haven't finished my May TR or gone on my Disney cruise yet. People are starting to tell me, "You really like vacations, don't you."

 

[belleinpink]

It's ok to like vacations... Atleast you aren't like me. Already planning my little girls' first trips for the third birthdays... You know the two little girls I am not pregnant with and won't be for a while.

 

[amazingact21]

What is this?! A TR update?

May 8th Evening:

The last time I posted, I left off with DF and I being ushered to our table at Beaches and Cream. When we first walked into the restaurant, both of us felt like we were in a throwback to the 50's. There was an old-fashioned metal bar where people could sit and watch the grill, there was a jukebox, and there was a retro purple flashing clock hanging on the wall.

DF and I were seated right in the middle of the restaurant and a really sweet CM came over to get our drink orders and talk about the menu. I cannot remember her name, but I do recall that she was from Minnesota. I asked her what part she was from and told her how my grandmother lives there.
She was so extremely sweet and attentive. DF and I noticed some other guests seated at her other tables were giving her a hard time, so we tried to make her laugh and lose the frazzled appearance she wore on her face.

We gave her our drink and food orders and took another look around the place while waiting for our food. I absolutely loved the blue wallpaper and the ice cream border. Being the huge dessert fan that I am, the place reminded me of the board game Candyland, where everywhere you look there's a sweet or a tasty treat.
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


My eyes fell upon the light fixtures, and I about had a heart attack.

"Alex! I want the lights!"

DF turned his attention to the lights.
"What in the world would you do with something like that?"

"Who cares? It's awesome!"


Perhaps I was being a little ridiculous, but I just loved that ice cream light. It looked so fun and bright. I mean, if someone was having a bad day and walked into their study and turned on their light, how much longer could they stay angry when they saw a giant ice cream cone on their wall.

Then again, knowing me, if I had one of those, every time I'd see it, I would get a craving for ice cream and would have to indulge myself.

So I suppose in hindsight, my blood pressure would appreciate it if the light stayed at Beaches and Cream.

Bummer.

Our food eventually arrived. DF got a hamburger (even though he'd had one at Sci Fi earlier in the day) and I ordered a chicken sandwich.
f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

If the picture doesn't look that impressive, it's because the food was not.

Now, I've stated it several times before, but I'll say it again. I'm not a picky eater. There was only one piece of food I've ever ate at WDW that I could not stand. However, I have to say, this sandwich was nothing to write home about. The buns were hard and the chicken was rubbery. Even the fries tasted as if they needed to change the oil in the fryer.

It was very quickly discovered by both DF and I that Beaches and Cream was only meant to be visited for ice cream.

I picked around my sandwich and played with the fries until our waitress came back and took our dessert order.

Aaaahhhhh dessert!

About time!

I went with the Milky Way sundae and DF got the No Way Jose.

While our ice cream was being prepared, DF and I overheard the table behind us. There was a grandmother, mother, and child having a fit. Apparently, the muffin that comes with the ice cream was too stale for the grandmother and she was making sure every person in the restaurant knew it.

She was crying and burying her head in her hands while her daughter (the mother) was screaming her outrage.

Our poor waitress was doing her very best to explain why the muffin appeared stale. She kept claiming that it was made that way so that the ice cream would get soaked up and make the bread softer. The mother, however, wasn't having it. She exclaimed that Disney World would lose their business forever if the matter wasn't dealt with and how she'd give everyone involved in the company a piece of her mind.

As if she wasn't already doing that.

The child even decided to become involved and made the judgement that the waitress was "stupid" and "had to be dumb for working in a restaurant and not in one of the parks."

DF and I were staring wide-eyed at each other. We couldn't believe how mean and rude these people were being. It was making all the other guests in nearby booths uncomfortable. One family of five was trying to celebrate a young child's birthday with the Kitchen Sink dish, and all their kids (all very young) were quickly becoming upset with the argument.

It didn't take long for the manager to come out and try to deal with the two women. When they kept saying things like "unacceptable" and "I refuse to pay for this crap" the manager sighed and told them the meal was on the house.

As the grandmother stormed out of the restaurant, DF and I heard her saying, "As it should be. I don't pay for bad food."

DF and I really didn't know what to say after the commotion died down. We felt horrible for all the CMs involved, because they were treated like dirt by that family. They work so hard to make guests feel welcomed and happy, that it's not fair when someone's mean to them.

To DF and I, it seemed as if the women were being way over-dramatic. If you're unhappy with the service, there's a tactful way to handle it, and that does not involve interrupting everyone else's meals. DF was really irritated that the grandmother was so happy she didn't have to pay for her meal. He kept muttering, "It's almost like she did it on purpose."


Our waitress came back to our table a few minutes later looking like she was about to cry. She handed us our ice cream and began apologizing profusely, because the ice cream had to be served in a different dish than what was normal.

DF tried his best to make sure she knew we didn't care.

"Hey, ice cream is ice cream. I'd eat it out of a dog bowl if it looked this good."

She left and DF and I took in our monstrous sundaes.

Mine:


It was vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and all 3 kinds of chocolate shavings on top.


DF's:


His was chocolate and vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce and peanut butter morsels.

They were absolutely delicious. One of the best ice cream sundaes I have ever had. It immediately became runner-up in my favorite WDW dessert.


Unfortunately, between the Sci Fi lunch and the nasty chicken sandwich, I quickly became too full to go on.
I stared at my ice cream longingly, wishing my stomach would expand just a little more, so I could fit in two or three more bites.

DF looked over at my pale face and simply said, "Your eyes were bigger than your stomach, weren't they?" This was in response to my promise that I could make a serious dent in the food.


My serious dent turned into a tiny scrape of the surface:


I felt terrible having to waste all that good ice cream, but there was no way I could eat anymore.

I learned two valuable lessons that evening.

One: don't waste a TS credit on the place.
Two: only go for the dessert.

We paid for our meal and the waitress returned with our card. Due to the fact that we were paying all our tips in cash, she was able to see how much we tipped her, and she rattled both DF and me.

She came back to the table, almost in tears again, and gave me a halfway hug, congratulating us on our engagement and saying how much she enjoyed our table.

Earlier, DF and I had agreed to tip her more than necessary because of what she had to go through with the other customers. We felt we needed to tell her that she wasn't a bad waitress and to give her a little pick-me up to get her through the rest of her shift.

Still, it was a little surprising how grateful she was about it. She told us we had made her day, and on our copy of the receipt, she wrote "THANK YOU SO MUCH" and "You guys were wonderful."

I held on to that receipt after we got back, because it made me feel so good to be able to spread some Disney magic to a CM.

I understand it's their job to make guests feel special, but I absolutely love returning the favor to CMs. They deserve some pixie dust occasionally, too.


Glad we could turn someone's frown upside down, DF and I went back to the arcade to use up the rest of the credits DF had bought.


When DF had finished, we decided to walk around for a bit. We were both so full that we could barely move, and we thought stretching our legs might help us feel better.

The two of us traveled around the pool area and took in the sights.


It was about 6:30 when we were looking around, and the pool was surprisingly empty. I would have thought a lot more people would've been taking an early night and relaxing.
The pool looked very interesting, but I don't know if I'd ever want to stay at Beach Club and deal with it. The layout just seemed a little cramped and hectic for me. I would be afraid of losing a member of my party or getting confused on where the exits were. Plus, everything just seemed so jammed together. The bridge, the windmill, all the beach chairs.

Then again, it might just have been the perspective of which DF and I were looking at it. Maybe once inside the area, the layout would be smoother.


DF and I walked back inside and out through the lobby. On our way out the front door a father and son spotted our buttons and stopped to say congratulations. He even shook DF's hand and asked when we planned on getting married.

DF got a panicked look in his eyes, which was a sign for I just proposed, now you already want me thinking about a date?!?!

I told him we didn't know yet, and the guy joked about having it at WDW. He said he'd been to one and they were gorgeous. DF let out a guffaw and a nervous chuckle, then told the man, "We'll see. Those can get expensive."

The two men then proceeded to go into the cost of WDW and laughed at each other's whoa's.

I peeled DF away and we took a few final looks at the resort as we headed back to our car.


Walking down the sidewalk, I realized how beautiful the evening was turning out to be. It reminded me of all those summer nights I spent as a kid, playing in the front yard with friends, begging my parents to let me stay out until it got dark. The weather was perfect. Warm, with the sun setting, but with virtually no humidity.

I had ice cream in my belly, a warm breeze on my arms, and I was headed back to a night of magic.

It was perfect.



With a wave goodbye, DF and I got into the car and left the Beach Club Resort.
f3 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

A quick turn onto the road and a few stoplights and both of us saw Hollywood Studios in the distance, welcoming us back.




Up Next: You're Back!

 

[Shannon84]

Thats really sweet of you to be so extra nice to the CM...I waited tables for about 5 or 6 years after high school, into college, and a little after and it was great somedays and REALLY rough the others...you just never knew what you were going to get and it was very stressful sometimes! I know how happy she must have felt to have such a great table like you guys after dealing with peopel like that. Honestly I just don't understand why people have to be so dramatic in situations that can be handled more calmly

The pictures of the resort look beautiful and that ice cream looked sooooo good!!

 

[TanzUnited99]

Lol I love those light fixtures as well and want one in my room!!! Though you are right in that I would be constantly thinking of ice cream!

That is mean of that woman to cause that scene in front of everyone..seems like she was just after a free meal

I'm glad you were able to cheer the CM up and wow those desserts look amaazing! We were going to be sharing a burger and then having ice creams on our trip but now am not so sure...may skip the burger and just go for the ice creams!!

 

[PirateKate]

That's so sad, that you couldn't finish your ice cream. It looked really good, and it's certainly not the sort of thing you can box and take home for later.

I'm glad you were able to spread some pixie dust after that other table was so horrible.

 

[20thingamabobs]

OMG, I hate rude people and I hate when people make a scene. It's one thing for a little kid to throw a fit (that's at least understandable) but not for two adults! Anyway, that was so nice of you and your DF to help make her night better! Oh, and that ice cream does look amazing! I'll definitely have to check the desserts out there sometime!

 

[amazingact21]

Thats really sweet of you to be so extra nice to the CM...I waited tables for about 5 or 6 years after high school, into college, and a little after and it was great somedays and REALLY rough the others...you just never knew what you were going to get and it was very stressful sometimes! I know how happy she must have felt to have such a great table like you guys after dealing with peopel like that. Honestly I just don't understand why people have to be so dramatic in situations that can be handled more calmly

The pictures of the resort look beautiful and that ice cream looked sooooo good!!

I've had some good friends and family members who waitressed, and I hated having to hear some of their horror stories, so I guess when I go into a restaurant to eat, I think about their experiences and make sure I'm being as nice and polite as possible.

Lol I love those light fixtures as well and want one in my room!!! Though you are right in that I would be constantly thinking of ice cream!

That is mean of that woman to cause that scene in front of everyone..seems like she was just after a free meal

I'm glad you were able to cheer the CM up and wow those desserts look amaazing! We were going to be sharing a burger and then having ice creams on our trip but now am not so sure...may skip the burger and just go for the ice creams!!

I think if you split the burger you'll still be all right, just don't expect to be WOWed by it.

That's so sad, that you couldn't finish your ice cream. It looked really good, and it's certainly not the sort of thing you can box and take home for later.

I'm glad you were able to spread some pixie dust after that other table was so horrible.

If only I could've saved the ice cream for later...it would've been a nice treat to enjoy back at the resort. Next time, I'm determined to go on an empty stomach!

OMG, I hate rude people and I hate when people make a scene. It's one thing for a little kid to throw a fit (that's at least understandable) but not for two adults! Anyway, that was so nice of you and your DF to help make her night better! Oh, and that ice cream does look amazing! I'll definitely have to check the desserts out there sometime!

I just don't like when people interrupt everyone else's meals just to be rude. DF and I were trying to enjoy our dinner, not be witness to a fight. You should definitely check out the ice cream! It's some of the best I've ever had!

 

[Nermel9]

Great update! We ate at Beaches and Cream on our Disneymoon and we were not impressed with the food either...but the ice cream was awesome! All I got was an ice cream soda, but it was seriously the BEST chocolate ice cream ever! I want to go back for a sundae!

Glad you made that CM's day a little better! Those people sounded obnoxious!

I love the Beach Club, and I thought the pool area was really fun and pretty, but it is kind of crowded and the layout is a little weird!

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I just wanted to pop in to say that I've enjoyed reading your TR and also that we are wedding date twins! We got engaged at MK last Labor Day weekend and we are getting married 9/3/11 as well. Like someone else said, I think it will be a nice time to celebrate an anniversary because it will usually be over a long weekend and I can convince my husband-to-be to go on a vacation! I hope you have a magical wedding day.

 

[amazingact21]

Great update! We ate at Beaches and Cream on our Disneymoon and we were not impressed with the food either...but the ice cream was awesome! All I got was an ice cream soda, but it was seriously the BEST chocolate ice cream ever! I want to go back for a sundae!

Glad you made that CM's day a little better! Those people sounded obnoxious!

I love the Beach Club, and I thought the pool area was really fun and pretty, but it is kind of crowded and the layout is a little weird!

I bet the ice cream soda was amazing! Getting any kind of ice cream there is now a must-do for future summer trips.

I just wanted to pop in to say that I've enjoyed reading your TR and also that we are wedding date twins! We got engaged at MK last Labor Day weekend and we are getting married 9/3/11 as well. Like someone else said, I think it will be a nice time to celebrate an anniversary because it will usually be over a long weekend and I can convince my husband-to-be to go on a vacation! I hope you have a magical wedding day.

That's so awesome! I think the 3rd is a great day to be getting married. I'm sure one day, years down the road, we'll both be WDW at the same time, celebrating our anniversaries. (I know DF and I are already planning a 1 yr ann. trip since we're not doing a Disneymoon )
I hope you guys have a great wedding, as well! Only 10 days left!

 

[GaRain]

Just now tuning in to your trip report and I love it. I am signed up for the Family 5K during Marathon weekend in January, but now I want to do the Everest Challenge!!!
Can't wait for more!

 

[okw19]

That's so sweet that you two brightened that CM's day!

 

[amazingact21]

Just now tuning in to your trip report and I love it. I am signed up for the Family 5K during Marathon weekend in January, but now I want to do the Everest Challenge!!!
Can't wait for more!

The runDisney races are so much fun! Once you do the Family 5K, you'll want to sign up for more!

That's so sweet that you two brightened that CM's day!

It was nice to see her be a little happier after we left; I hate seeing people have bad days. Besides, it's fun to spread the pixie dust.

 

[amazingact21]

I thought that with the wedding 4 days away, I wouldn't have any time on the DISboards. However, it's the exact opposite, I have nothing left to do but sit around and wait for Saturday. So, I figured I'd take my mind off Saturday and write a brief TR Update.
Before I begin, though...guess who's trying to convince her DF to add 2 Disney days to their honeymoon Disney cruise???

Alex and I have a day left on our park tickets, and we realized that DF doesn't have to be back at work until four days after we get off the ship. AND, a little birdie informed me that there are military discounts for MNSSHP. Let's hope funds come together and DF and I can have a short Disneymoon.


Evening of May 8th:

DF found a parking spot relatively close and waited for the tram to show up.


It was a little after 7 o'clock, and with the sugar from the ice cream soaring through my body, I was practically hopping up and down.

The crowds were nonexistent (again, thanks to no Fantasmic!) so the two of us made it into the park quickly (with a quick Congratulations from the CM at the ticket scanner).

It was time to use our TSM fastpasses, so we sailed past all the shops and went to the right of the Sorcerer's Hat. DF was kind enough to capture a great moment of mine:



We reached Pixar Place, saw that the wait time was only 45 minutes. That seemed unbelievably short for TSM!

Hopping into the FP line, two CMs waved enthusiastically to DF and I and told us congratulations. Even though they were about the 50th person to say it, I still blushed a little at the attention. I was not used to such well wishes from total strangers.

The FP line moved at a great speed, rarely causing us to stand still. We only stopped twice. The first time I snapped this picture of DF:


He really enjoys TSM and was really glad we were able to get FPs. I'd say it's number 3 on his top list of rides.

The line stopped again near the glasses pick-up area, where I took another photo:


The glasses look so goofy, but they're a symbol of WDW. Whenever I see those big yellow 3-D glasses, I know that I can only wear them at Disney and that having a pair on my head means I'm about enter a ride or attraction.

We were ushered into the waiting room, where we were put into our corral. I watched the cars arrive, mentally preparing myself to whoop DF's butt on the ride.



We got the Bullseye car, which I was happy with. I always loved his character. Then again, I pretty much love all the Disney horses. Bullseye, Maximus, Philip...




DF and I had a lot of fun competing against each other, but when the scores came in, it appeared I'd lost once more.


Hmmpf.

I always seem to get ahead of him on the plates scene, but then DF destroys me on the little alien ring toss. He's much better at figuring out how to angle the shooter to ring the alien's neck. I, on the other hand, cannot. If someone were to look at my screen, they'd see a multitude of rings fly past the green guy's heads.
It's why DF has gotten father on Angry Birds than I have.


I accepted my loss like a champ, though, and swore I'd get him next time.


When DF and I exited the ride, the sun was starting to set and other guests were beginning to arrive for EMH. Taking a look at TSM's increased wait time, I decided to go on another ride and kill some time before 9pm.

We began walking back towards Hollywood Blvd, and DF spotted:
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I told him that the show did not sound very good, but DF wanted to try something new. Plus, the CMs standing outside the doors were really nice and struck up a nice conversation with us.
Meh, why not??


While we waited for the next show, I updated the wait time app on the phone. DF and I had been using the app to see if it helped at all, and so far the times posted seemed to be pretty accurate. Plus, it really helped when telling us what rides were closed.


Right before we were set to go in, a group of people came up, pushing someone in a wheelchair, asking to about the ride.

There were maybe ten people in line behind us, and the CMs explained to the newly arrived group that this was a walk-through exhibit. There was no seating, that, in fact, it was mostly just listening to a recording. They then pointed them in the direction of the line.

I'm sure you know what's coming...

The people in the group then began insisting that they be placed at the front of the line, pointing to the wheelchair and saying things in a foreign language. The CMs looked like they wanted to challenge the family, but they just relented and unhooked the rope that was forming the line.

Now, I might catch some flames for this, but I was a little perturbed.

By no means do I think handicapped people should not be helped. I have several family members that, if they were to visit WDW, would need a wheelchair. And if they were there I would want them to be able to go on rides and see the shows that they would want to see.

HOWEVER, I would NOT want them to take advantage of the system.

It's one thing to ask to be helped through a queue, it's another thing to expect it.
There was absolutely no reason that family could not have waited in line, just because there was barely anyone IN the line. (Maybe 3 families). But they just figured since they had a wheelchair, they'd get top billing.

I know not everyone agrees with me, but I just felt like that family was using that boy in the wheelchair to their advantage.


Dropping that, DF and I walked into the room, looked around, and listened to the narrator. I also took some blurry photos.
f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr


As much as I love Narnia: Prince Caspian, this was a big ol' letdown. I don't think it was worth the space, and I almost feel like Disney put it up just to do something with the props.


I usually hold all the attractions in high regard, but Narnia really was a waste of time.


DF and I walked out, saw that it was about 8:30pm and figured we should sit and relax for a bit. We weren't 100% sure what we wanted to do at that point. EMH would start in about half an hour, but we didn't know if we wanted to stay and do a few rides, or if we wanted to head back to All Star Sports.

We thought about it and realized neither of us were really tired. That dinner and calm walk around BC had done wonders for our energy, and we were revved up for the night.

So, EMH it was!


Up next: I Was Trying to Give the Gate Guard My Suicide Prevention Card

 

[okw19]

That stinks that the Narnia exhibit was a bust. I've heard the same thing from others though. Great update, I can't wait to read about EMH!!

 

[TanzUnited99]

Can't believe your wedding is in 3 days!! Good to hear you have everything planned for the big day - hope it turns out to be a day to remember!

Back to the update and I can't wait to ride TSMM but am pretty certain that Zaheer will beat me every time! Love the moment that DF captured and I will def not be flaming you about having an opinion - I agree it does not sound fair what that family did and it sounds like they were taking advantage of the situation.

I don't think I have ever read a positive review of Narnia - have heard it will be closed by the time we get to Disney!