TLinden16
Scotty and Ray at Jelly Rolls are the best!
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2002
- Messages
- 16,243
Day 3--Saturday, July 30, 2005
I woke up bright and early Saturday to get a jump start on the day. I called my DIS friend Bavaria, who was staying over at the Port Orleans Riverside, to see if she wanted to get together. We decided that we would meet over near the Beach Club, and head into Epcot together.
Before meeting Bavaria, I went over to Spoodles for a quick breakfast. I got the breakfast platter. The server brought me a bowl with a chocolate croissant and a mini muffin to start, followed by a breakfast platter with bacon, eggs, sausage, potatoes, and French toast. Everything was delicious and piping hot. I got seconds on the potatoes and bacon. I first went to Spoodles for breakfast on my May trip, and it will now be a regular stop for me on future trips. The food is great, and the breakfast platter is a good value.
After breakfast, I walked over to meet Bavaria. We walked into Epcot together, and headed over to Soarin. We grabbed Fast Passes for it, and jumped in the standby line. I really love this attraction. The take off is just so cool, and the sights and sensations are awesome.
We then walked over to Test Track. We were able to walk right on through the singles line. As soon as we got off, we jumped right back in the singles line. We lucked out on the second ride and got in the same car. We road with a really nice family from the Orlando area. The ride had some technical difficulties while we were on it, so we enjoyed talking to the mom, dad, and their two little boys. The four year old was a hoot.
After Test Track, we ran into Space Mickey in front of Mission Space, so we had a picture taken with him. We then got in line for Mission Space. Bavaria wound up skipping the ride--she only went through the pre-show. I road with a really nice family who were riding it for the first time. I was joking around with them, saying, If youre going to hurl, look to your right as I would be sitting to their left. They seemed to enjoy the ride.
After Mission Space, I said goodbye to Bavaria, as I had plans to meet another DISer to do the Virtual Magic Kingdom in park quests at the Magic Kingdom. Bavaria promised that she would try to meet me at Epcot later in the day to catch a set by American Vybe.
I then took the monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center. I was meeting Aeryn and her friend Nick over at the Polynesian for lunch at the Kona Cafe. I was a bit early, so I walked around the resort and looked in the shops. There was a hula lesson going on in the lobby, so I sat and watched for a while.
When I met up with Aeryn and Nick, we were seated right away. I ordered a plate of Sticky Wings for the table. I really love the sticky wings--they are so tasty and messy (all the best foods are messy). I was trying to decide between the Beef Teriyaki Salad and the Pulled Pork Sandwich for my main course. After the disappointing pulled pork sandwich the night before, I decided Id give the one at Kona a try, and this one did disappoint. The sauce was very tasty, and the sandwich was very filling. I enjoyed every bite.
After lunch, we took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom to do the Virtual Magic Kingdom in-park quests. I also created a character for VMK. After completing our quest forms, we got a bunch of cards with codes for virtual prizes. We also got cards to participate in the two hour Virtual Magic Kingdom tour. We went to City Hall and made arrangements to take our tours. I had plans later that afternoon, so I opted to plan my tour on Sunday.
We then headed over to Frontierland to buy pins and candy in the stores there so we could get even more VMK cards for virtual prizes. I think we went on Pirates of the Caribbean, too, but its all a blur. I then said goodbye to Aeryn and Nick, and headed back over to Epcot to meet up with Bavaria. I immediately headed back to the American Garden Theatre to see American Vybe. They did the exact same set as they had done the day before, but I still really enjoyed it.
After the show, Bavaria and I said goodbye. I wanted to head over to Nine Dragons for dinner, and Bavaria wanted to head back to her car to beat a rain storm that was on the way.
I was seated right away at Nine Dragons, and ordered my typical Nine Dragons meal--pot stickers and General Tsos chicken. The pot stickers were outstanding as always. The General Tsos chicken was a bit of a disappointment. I have always had great luck at Nine Dragons, but tonights meal was disappointing. The chicken was a bit on the veiny side, and the sauce was a bit on the bland side. Not the quality I was used to from Nine Dragons.
After dinner, I headed back over to the American Gardens Theatre to catch another set by American Vybe. The set was the same, but a few of the singers had been switched out. I really enjoyed this set, as it was the first time on the trip I was seeing one of my favorite American Vybe guys, Jeff.
I then headed out of Epcot to head back to the Swan to get ready for another night out. I quickly showered and changed, and headed over to Fantasia Gardens mini golf to meet up with Scottys brothers and the people from their website. I was just stopping over to say hello and hang for a bit, deciding that I really needed to be over at Jellyrolls for Scottys first set of the evening. I hung around for a while to take some pictures, and cheer them on as they played. Scottys brothers Mike and Dave are great guys--almost as nice as Scotty. All three of them are extremely sweet, and funny guys. Along with their girlfriends, Mike and Dave made me feel so welcome, and they seemed truly appreciative that I was there for the show. It was truly a wonderful experience spending time with them.
At 8:30, I said goodbye to the mini-golfers and headed over to Jellyrolls. When I walked in the door, Scotty happened to be walking by so we said a quick hello before I went to my table. Ellen would be joining me after she finished mini-golfing with Scottys brothers. Michael and Christian were onstage when I plopped down at a table in the front row. Christian is always a lot of fun to watch. He is just so animated when he sings. I half expect him to have an aneurysm while he is singing because all of his facial features get so contorted while he sings. Im not a big fan of Michael--I dont think he is anywhere near as talented or entertaining as the rest of the piano players--but he has improved since I first saw him in May. His interaction with the audience has gone from pretty much non-existent to pretty good. He did a neat version of Do Re Mi from the Sound of Music, which included a medley of cheesy songs that was a bit entertaining.
At 9:00, my pianomen Scotty and Ray took the stage, and of course I was thrilled as always to see them. I put a tip on Scottys piano requesting Beyond the Sea, one of my favorite songs that Scotty does. I just love watching Scotty and Ray together--they just work so well together. They feed off each other and compliment each others styles. Their onstage banter and mild teasing show just how much they respect each other as musicians and people. I have seen the Jellyrolls pianomen in every imaginable combination over the years, and while some of the other combinations are great, none of them are quite as magical as the Ray and Scotty combination. A trip to Disney World just isnt complete if I dont get to see Ray and Scotty together.
At the end of the night, they had time for one more song, so Ray let me pick out what I wanted to hear. I decided to ask him to sing Dirty Water so Ellen could sing the song. It was a nice way to end a great evening with two of my favorite people. When they finished playing, I just looked at Ray and said, Thank God for you and Scotty. Ray joked that if he had to sit around and listen to them sing all night, he would need to do heavy drinking. I joked that he does have to listen to them sing all night, and I told him that I enjoyed them without alcohol.
I also said goodbye to Scotty, as it would be the last time I would get to see him during my trip. I showed him a screenshot of the virtual Jellyrolls I made on VMK, and he thought it was pretty funny. He took the screenshot, and said he was going to pin it up in the break room for the other guys to see. I am so grateful that I know Scotty. He is an amazing person, and I always enjoy watching him play and chatting with him. He is one of the best people I know.
Ellen and I wound up sitting on the Boardwalk chatting until about 2:30, and I finally back in my suite and in bed by about 3:00 a.m., another fun and full day at Walt Disney World under my belt.
I woke up bright and early Saturday to get a jump start on the day. I called my DIS friend Bavaria, who was staying over at the Port Orleans Riverside, to see if she wanted to get together. We decided that we would meet over near the Beach Club, and head into Epcot together.
Before meeting Bavaria, I went over to Spoodles for a quick breakfast. I got the breakfast platter. The server brought me a bowl with a chocolate croissant and a mini muffin to start, followed by a breakfast platter with bacon, eggs, sausage, potatoes, and French toast. Everything was delicious and piping hot. I got seconds on the potatoes and bacon. I first went to Spoodles for breakfast on my May trip, and it will now be a regular stop for me on future trips. The food is great, and the breakfast platter is a good value.
After breakfast, I walked over to meet Bavaria. We walked into Epcot together, and headed over to Soarin. We grabbed Fast Passes for it, and jumped in the standby line. I really love this attraction. The take off is just so cool, and the sights and sensations are awesome.
We then walked over to Test Track. We were able to walk right on through the singles line. As soon as we got off, we jumped right back in the singles line. We lucked out on the second ride and got in the same car. We road with a really nice family from the Orlando area. The ride had some technical difficulties while we were on it, so we enjoyed talking to the mom, dad, and their two little boys. The four year old was a hoot.
After Test Track, we ran into Space Mickey in front of Mission Space, so we had a picture taken with him. We then got in line for Mission Space. Bavaria wound up skipping the ride--she only went through the pre-show. I road with a really nice family who were riding it for the first time. I was joking around with them, saying, If youre going to hurl, look to your right as I would be sitting to their left. They seemed to enjoy the ride.
After Mission Space, I said goodbye to Bavaria, as I had plans to meet another DISer to do the Virtual Magic Kingdom in park quests at the Magic Kingdom. Bavaria promised that she would try to meet me at Epcot later in the day to catch a set by American Vybe.
I then took the monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center. I was meeting Aeryn and her friend Nick over at the Polynesian for lunch at the Kona Cafe. I was a bit early, so I walked around the resort and looked in the shops. There was a hula lesson going on in the lobby, so I sat and watched for a while.
When I met up with Aeryn and Nick, we were seated right away. I ordered a plate of Sticky Wings for the table. I really love the sticky wings--they are so tasty and messy (all the best foods are messy). I was trying to decide between the Beef Teriyaki Salad and the Pulled Pork Sandwich for my main course. After the disappointing pulled pork sandwich the night before, I decided Id give the one at Kona a try, and this one did disappoint. The sauce was very tasty, and the sandwich was very filling. I enjoyed every bite.
After lunch, we took the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom to do the Virtual Magic Kingdom in-park quests. I also created a character for VMK. After completing our quest forms, we got a bunch of cards with codes for virtual prizes. We also got cards to participate in the two hour Virtual Magic Kingdom tour. We went to City Hall and made arrangements to take our tours. I had plans later that afternoon, so I opted to plan my tour on Sunday.
We then headed over to Frontierland to buy pins and candy in the stores there so we could get even more VMK cards for virtual prizes. I think we went on Pirates of the Caribbean, too, but its all a blur. I then said goodbye to Aeryn and Nick, and headed back over to Epcot to meet up with Bavaria. I immediately headed back to the American Garden Theatre to see American Vybe. They did the exact same set as they had done the day before, but I still really enjoyed it.
After the show, Bavaria and I said goodbye. I wanted to head over to Nine Dragons for dinner, and Bavaria wanted to head back to her car to beat a rain storm that was on the way.
I was seated right away at Nine Dragons, and ordered my typical Nine Dragons meal--pot stickers and General Tsos chicken. The pot stickers were outstanding as always. The General Tsos chicken was a bit of a disappointment. I have always had great luck at Nine Dragons, but tonights meal was disappointing. The chicken was a bit on the veiny side, and the sauce was a bit on the bland side. Not the quality I was used to from Nine Dragons.
After dinner, I headed back over to the American Gardens Theatre to catch another set by American Vybe. The set was the same, but a few of the singers had been switched out. I really enjoyed this set, as it was the first time on the trip I was seeing one of my favorite American Vybe guys, Jeff.
I then headed out of Epcot to head back to the Swan to get ready for another night out. I quickly showered and changed, and headed over to Fantasia Gardens mini golf to meet up with Scottys brothers and the people from their website. I was just stopping over to say hello and hang for a bit, deciding that I really needed to be over at Jellyrolls for Scottys first set of the evening. I hung around for a while to take some pictures, and cheer them on as they played. Scottys brothers Mike and Dave are great guys--almost as nice as Scotty. All three of them are extremely sweet, and funny guys. Along with their girlfriends, Mike and Dave made me feel so welcome, and they seemed truly appreciative that I was there for the show. It was truly a wonderful experience spending time with them.
At 8:30, I said goodbye to the mini-golfers and headed over to Jellyrolls. When I walked in the door, Scotty happened to be walking by so we said a quick hello before I went to my table. Ellen would be joining me after she finished mini-golfing with Scottys brothers. Michael and Christian were onstage when I plopped down at a table in the front row. Christian is always a lot of fun to watch. He is just so animated when he sings. I half expect him to have an aneurysm while he is singing because all of his facial features get so contorted while he sings. Im not a big fan of Michael--I dont think he is anywhere near as talented or entertaining as the rest of the piano players--but he has improved since I first saw him in May. His interaction with the audience has gone from pretty much non-existent to pretty good. He did a neat version of Do Re Mi from the Sound of Music, which included a medley of cheesy songs that was a bit entertaining.
At 9:00, my pianomen Scotty and Ray took the stage, and of course I was thrilled as always to see them. I put a tip on Scottys piano requesting Beyond the Sea, one of my favorite songs that Scotty does. I just love watching Scotty and Ray together--they just work so well together. They feed off each other and compliment each others styles. Their onstage banter and mild teasing show just how much they respect each other as musicians and people. I have seen the Jellyrolls pianomen in every imaginable combination over the years, and while some of the other combinations are great, none of them are quite as magical as the Ray and Scotty combination. A trip to Disney World just isnt complete if I dont get to see Ray and Scotty together.
At the end of the night, they had time for one more song, so Ray let me pick out what I wanted to hear. I decided to ask him to sing Dirty Water so Ellen could sing the song. It was a nice way to end a great evening with two of my favorite people. When they finished playing, I just looked at Ray and said, Thank God for you and Scotty. Ray joked that if he had to sit around and listen to them sing all night, he would need to do heavy drinking. I joked that he does have to listen to them sing all night, and I told him that I enjoyed them without alcohol.
I also said goodbye to Scotty, as it would be the last time I would get to see him during my trip. I showed him a screenshot of the virtual Jellyrolls I made on VMK, and he thought it was pretty funny. He took the screenshot, and said he was going to pin it up in the break room for the other guys to see. I am so grateful that I know Scotty. He is an amazing person, and I always enjoy watching him play and chatting with him. He is one of the best people I know.
Ellen and I wound up sitting on the Boardwalk chatting until about 2:30, and I finally back in my suite and in bed by about 3:00 a.m., another fun and full day at Walt Disney World under my belt.
