It's a Jolly Holiday with Katiebell and Brrt!

[Alice BlueBonnet]

Hey Katiebell, I'm loving the TR so far. I'm very sorry for the loss of your sister, cancer is really hard, especially since it can come on so suddenly. We've had a few bouts with cancer in our family, and some had bad endings just like your sisters. My uncle died last year just a few days after being diagnosed. I'm sad to say it took something that serious and horrible to make me really appreciate everything and everyone in my life. I think your "Tea for Three" tribute was very touching. You take all the time you need, we'll all be here for you when you post next.

 

[Katiebell]

We took the resort launch for the Grand Floridian.

Wow. This place is beautiful. And quite impressive...

I had made our tea reservations late, since we'd had a huge breakfast at CP, no lunch, and this was sort of an early dinner for us. Thought we made it JUST in time...and turns out we were half an hour early. So we walked around the hotel a bit:

When we first arrived, there was a pianist in the lobby. Then he left, and on the second floor, a small dance orchestra started playing.

Now, Brrt and I don't dance...at least not like that (it wasn't exactly booty-shaking blues or Led Zeppelin). We don't know a fox trot from a samba, but there was an empty little piece of floor upstairs and out of the way, and he spun me around for a few steps. We must have been quite a sight, but we don't mind. We've been known to slow dance in the grocery store, or samba down the street (our own bizarre version of the samba) if the mood strikes us. And Disney definitely brings out that sort of mood in us...

So it was time for our reservation, and by then we practically had the place to ourselves:

They saw my birthday pin from CP, and brought me a birthday tiara. It was just to die for

If you noticed, I still have the pink Mickey beauty mark on my cheek from the confetti that morning. We both ordered the Grand Tea, which comes with a glass of champagne, scones, tea sandwiches, a raspberry tart, and either a couple of little pastries, trifle, or strawberries and whipped cream. And, of course, lots and lots and lots of tea...

They were great about accommodating our request for no shellfish (Brrt can't eat it and I don't care for it). The sandwich plate had egg salad, chicken salad, a watercress sandwich, an onion tart (I was dubious about it, but like the onion jam at Rose & Crown it was surprisingly wonderful) and a small piece of pate. Brrt tried it, and decided it wasn't bad for what it was...pate. I gamely took a nibble and didn't really like it, but I had a really bad experience with liverwurst when I was a kid, and that's all I'm gonna say about that!

I love pastries, but just couldn't resist those luscious strawberries, and made a queenly decree that they certainly had to be the most FABULOUS strawberries in the WORLD:

Brrt was a little jealous of my spiffy tiara, so he thought the tea cozy might make an interesting fashion statement...and a darn fetching hat, at that:

So we sat there, nibbling and giggling and enjoying the heck out of ourselves. We talked a lot about Pat, because she just loved tea parties. We decided what she would have liked best, and I know she didn't like strawberries (even the most FABULOUS strawberries in the WORLD) so she would have ordered some of the little pastry swans or creampuffs.

One of the things about Pat is that she loved color. I mean LOVED it. She mostly wore bright jewel tones like purple and blue; she tie dyed her curtains (I kid you not, some of them looked like Brrt's shirt in the picture just above); and she couldn't stand plain white walls, so when you went to her house, one wall might be blue, and another violet, and another painted to look like a sunset. And they might be all different the next week! We were winding down our tea party when Brrt said, wow, look at that...there's a rainbow on the table:

Well...hi there, sister dear...glad you could join us for tea!

We took the launch back to MK. And I was sitting on the boat, just thinking, hmmm...the little rainbow on the table was a cool coincidence. Wouldn't it be nice if it really was Pat sending us a message and saying hi...but you know, there is a scientific explanation for it...the light was shining through the champagne glass and it was like a prism effect...when Brrt said "WHAT THE HECK?!?" and pointed by the seat near the railing. There was a spider web...tied in a bow.

Now...how would a spider manage that? Kind of like in the book Charlotte's Web, when Charlotte wrote amazing messages in her web. So, I dunno Maybe the rainbow at tea and the improbable spider web were amazing messages for us! Who knows?

Next: Why I Missed Peter Pan

 

[Katiebell]

Hey Katiebell, I'm loving the TR so far. I'm very sorry for the loss of your sister, cancer is really hard, especially since it can come on so suddenly. We've had a few bouts with cancer in our family, and some had bad endings just like your sisters. My uncle died last year just a few days after being diagnosed. I'm sad to say it took something that serious and horrible to make me really appreciate everything and everyone in my life. I think your "Tea for Three" tribute was very touching. You take all the time you need, we'll all be here for you when you post next.

Hello Alice! I've seen you on Diamond's TR thread, so it's nice to meet you Glad you are enjoying the report...at this rate, by the time I get it finished, it will be time for our December trip to DL

And thank you too, for your kind words. Cancer is horrible...I lost my sister, my father, both of his parents and an uncle to it. I miss Pat so much, but I often feel like she is near me, and that is a wonderful feeling.

When I was writing the eulogy for her funeral, I came across a poem that gave me so much comfort. Have you ever read this?

Death is Nothing at All
by Henry Scott Holland

Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
that we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without affect,
without the trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you,
for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just around the corner.
All is well.
​

 

[Diamondintheruff]

You did your sister proud in that last chapter!

 

[DisneyJo]

That was just beautiful, it sounded gorgeous and the rainbow and spiders web just proves that your sister agreed

 

[seacrestpromo]

KB - That was a great story and tribute to your sister Pat. Thank you for sharing the story and pictures. - Seacrest

 

[PrincessBetsy]

I am so sorry for the loss of your sister. I do believe that the spider was sending you a message. I'm glad that you enjoyed your tea - the Grand Floridian is so lovely.

 

[Jana49]

Katiebell -

 

[DisneyJo]

I just saw your bit about desserts on the allears newsletter

 

[mari360]

KB - wonderfully written..... the poem was great... it made me shed a tear.... I loved the tiara....

 

[Katiebell]

Thanks, everyone for your kind words ...October was such a hard month for me, but I'm doing better now And I guess I should finally finish my TR, before I head back to DL in December and need to start THAT one

I just saw your bit about desserts on the allears newsletter

uh...I don't think I wrote anything for allears? Who knows...maybe my TR is so famous that it's being quoted all over the internet!

well...probably not... but it was a fun picture in my head for a moment!

 

[DisneyJo]

I was sure this was you

from Katiebell: We had dinner at The Wave (in the Contemporary Resort) last week, and it was wonderful! One change though -- they used to let you mix and match any of the desserts on the menu, but now you have to pick one pre-selected sampling of three and stick with it. My husband picked one and I picked another, so we still got to try six different desserts... Thanks for all the info on your site! The menus change so frequently, but it's a great way to get an idea of the types of dishes each place serves, really helped us make our choices for our ADRs. Can't wait until our next trip!

 

[Katiebell]

We made it back to MK, I think it was about 6:00 pm. I don't think I've posted these pics yet...they show how the Mickey head in front was filled in with pumpkins...it was very clever, really neat effect:

Now the one place we'd hardly spent any time in was Fantasyland. I love the place, it really says "Disney" to me, makes me feel like I've stepped into a fairytale. I had wanted to get a chance to explore it more, but it was close to sunset and pretty crowded.

Brrt tried, but no, he's still not the King of All England. Never works at Disneyland, either, but doesn't stop him from trying.

Here's where I had to make my big decision. Of all the little dark rides in Fantasyland, I LOVE Peter Pan's Flight -- it's just so...magical. At DL, there is no FP for this ride, so we always try to hurry there first thing, or go at weird times to try to shorten the wait. There is a FP at WDW, but they had stopped giving them out for the day. We could have waited in the standby line, but we would have missed Spectromagic -- which is one thing we missed on our last trip, and one thing they don't have at DL. So...reluctantly...I said goodbye to Peter Pan...

Checking the clock, we did have just enough time to squeeze in Mickey's Philharmagic, another gem that they don't have at DL...what a cool show!!!

We hurried over to Frontierland; a dear DIS friend had given us a hot tip for a great place to view the parade toward the end of the route. The spot she had suggested had already been claimed, but we got a great seat nearby right in front of Country Bear Jamboree, sitting on the curb of the wooden sidewalk, right in front of the rope. So, put some Disney music on, and enjoy the parade with us!

Wow, what a beautiful parade...we love the Main St. Electrical parade at DL, but this is even prettier. Even Brrt liked it!

As we walked out of the park, the fireworks were going on. Rather than fight our way through the crowd to the center of Main St. we just sat on a bench to the left of the castle (near Crystal Palace). Yes, there were trees in the way, but we could hear all of the music perfectly, and see most of the fireworks just fine. It was relaxing and romantic.

The bus ride back to POFQ was NOT relaxing and romantic, but that's ok. We got back to our room...and found a little surprise...

 

[Katiebell]

I was sure this was you

OH, that WAS me!!! I was just sending them a little FYI that you can't mix and match ALL the dessert choices at The Wave, like you could when the restaurant first opened. How funny...I totally forgot I had written that

 

[DisneyJo]

Lovely Spectro photos, we missed it this year due to the bridge being closed! Your Wishes spot does sound lovely

Glad it was you in allears

 

[JoBird]

KB-
I just popped on here to catch up with your thread after my vacation.
I had no idea what you've been going through. I wish you had've shared it with us sooner.

Your tea at the GF was so beautiful- the words you wrot3e about your sister were so moving. I have tears in my eyes.

It's funny- but when I see rainbows, I have always thought of my Daddy, who I lost to cancer. This December it's going to be 8 years.

Your story has touched my soul.
Hugs to you my friend.

Jo

 

[JoBird]

PS... Spectro IS cool.

Jo

 

[NewCrew42]

KB - Just caught up on your trippie.

Boo Hooing.

I am so sorry you lost your sister. I love the part about about the rainbow. Your GF tea was so touching. Thank you for sharing that!

 

[Katiebell]

Hugs all around, dear ones

I know...last year, those of us who were Mayers were so excited about our trips...and Brrt and I were having such a great time, at least for the first few days. After he got so sick, and we got home, I just couldn't figure out how to write a trip report, it was just awful. I had great pics, and didn't even scrapbook or anything. So when I got home, I felt like I just kind of dropped off the face of the earth, no more posting here in the DIS, no trip report. Then Pat got sick, and my stepdaughter and granddaughter moved in with us (they have since moved out) and I just felt like everything was so chaotic.

And now that I'm looking back...when I saw Pat there, she already had cancer and we didn't even know it. I am just so very grateful for the time we had, that we were able to see each other at Disney, and that by a miracle I was able to suddenly take time off in December to go see her for a week.

And JoBird, even though I didn't get the exact spot you recommended for Spectro, it was in the same general area, and it was fabulous.

 

[Katiebell]

We travel a lot, as much as we can. Everywhere we go, we try to leave a little something for the housekeeper -- because we leave our messy room, unmade bed, wet towels, and come back to everything neat and tidy. From reading these boards I found out that Mousekeeping technically is not considered a "tipped position" like food service or bell services, so not everyone tips...that's fine...

But we left tips and even left a note "For Mousekeeping -- thanks!" and when we got back to the room, it was still there. So we tried (in my dreadful Spanish) "Este dinero es por usted -- Gracias!" Still, the tip was untouched.

I asked at the front desk, "Aren't housekeepers allowed to accept tips?" The lady said, "Well, they can, but some won't...they are worried they will be accused of stealing from a guest." Oh, good heavens.

So that morning as we were leaving, Brrt saw the housekeeper for our floor. "Hi!" he said, "thank you for cleaning our room -- you know this tip is for you? We leave this every day for you, and it's still here when we come back?" The lady, who had a beautiful smile, responded, "Heh?" And Brrt saw on her badge she was from Haiti.

So, Brrt folded a couple of bills into cute little origami things, and I took a bunch of coins and made a big smiley face on the table...and in my best French (which is 10x more dreadful than my worst Spanish) I wrote, "Pour vous -- Merci beaucoup!"

So that night, after SpectroMagic, and the long bus ride back, and the sad knowledge that alas, our wonderful, magical WDW trip was almost over...we came into our room and...

We had towel animals!!! Just silly little things, but it really made my night... And she finally took her tip...