Dimplenose
Stranger from the outside
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- Apr 2, 2002
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Libbys 2009 Trip Day 6
Saturday 1st August
Were all getting rather tired and beginning to get a little short tempered with each other so we decide not to set the alarm for this morning. As usual my body clock kicks in and Im wide awake and raring to go by 7am.
I leave everyone else sleeping and decide to take a load of laundry to the laundrette which is quite close to our room at the piano pool.
I also take my mug so that I can wander up to the food court during the 30 minute wash. While the clothes are drying (another 30 minutes but I need 2 dryers) I sit by the pool drinking my coffee and writing up my trip report.
Im very careful when folding the clothes as Ive found, in the past, that the counter is cleaned with bleach which ruined a pair of DDs shorts.
Its 9am before I am completely finished and go back to wake up the family.
The food court is much busier than weve been used to but this is the latest weve arrived for breakfast. We notice a lot of people with cases and wonder if Saturday is a more popular day for checking in or out of the hotel.
Weve just received our food when the electricity fails. The tills are still working as they have limited battery back up. The lighting in the food court has been reduced to emergency levels and the drinks dispensers arent working at all. Luckily wed send the kids on ahead and theyd already got our drinks.
The power was down for a good 10 minutes. When it came back there was a loud cheer from the guests and then it immediately went down again (to an audible sigh!) A couple of minutes later power was restored and this time it stayed on.
We wanted a lazier day today so we decided to have a look around DTD and maybe get a boat trip to Port Orleans.
We parked near the cinema and went to find out the show times for Harry Potter or G-Force. They didnt have any printed schedules so we took a photo of the times board before carrying on to Market Place. At this point I could feel DS getting quite tense but we carry on regardless.
Were not as rested as we thought we were and this combined with not being able to get a decision from anyone about what they want to do I can feel things are not going to go well today.
A note here: -Ive tried to have a go with the flow attitude to this years trip but am finding it very hard for a number of reasons. Firstly our family are useless at making decisions (I can remember when DH and I were first going out wed stand in a café for ages not being able to decide where to sit, well add two equally as indecisive children to the mix and you can imagine how frustrating this can be); secondly, I know a lot more about WDW than anyone else so when I offer options I assume they know what Im talking about which they often dont and lastly Im awake early every morning and could make it to opening or morning EMH every day but even if everyone is up early it takes so long to get them out of the room we dont get there on time.
At this point DH have a misunderstanding over what we are actually doing (I think he said to go to Port Orleans first and then back to look around DTD when he thinks hes agreed to the opposite.)
We do actually get the boat (in silence). Its a beautiful trip and we get a great view of the Tree House Villas. We stay on the boat and go to Riverside. I really like the feel of this place, its very beautiful.
We go round to the food court and have a snack and a drink. I love the decor and atmosphere in this food court. Were all a lot calmer now but the kids decide theyd like some time on their own (I cant blame them really) so we find the bus stop. I give them their room keys, park tickets and some money for lunch (I wasnt brave enough to let them have charging rights on their room keys not because I dont trust them using it sensibly but because I dont trust them not to lose their keys.) We arrange that well meet up again back at ASMu at 6pm. We wait with them until a DHS bus arrives and then head back to have a look around Port Orleans.
We walked alongside the canal to the French Quarter. It is a very pretty resort but it seems very spread out even in the smaller French Quarter. Im finding it hard being about 5 minutes away from the food court at ASMu and am beginning to realise that layout of a resort is more important to me than the theming.
We had a look in the French Quarter food court. I had been very impressed with the one at Riverside but here, although it was small the high ceiling makes it feel very impersonal and I find the Mardi gras tat that decorates it rather sinister.
(Wasn't this guy in Mad?)
We go back to the boat dock and sit in the sun watching lizards (we saw a rather interesting one with a puffy orange throat) until the boat arrives. The journey back was much more enjoyable. We have a chatty pilot who tells us that the water in the canal is made up from Pepsi it certainly looks like it might be. He goes on to tell us that the extra trees and vegetation and the fact its not a flowing river contribute to the colour.
Back at DTD we go to Earl of Sandwich for lunch. Having kids that still dont like messed about with sandwiches at the ages of 15 and 18 I thought we wouldnt get to give this place a try so Im glad to take advantage of time without them. I cant remember what we had exactly (mine had mozzarella in it and I think DH had a Ceaser wrap). We sit outside to eat them before going shopping.
I loved Trend-D. I restrained myself and just bought a bag charm. We had a good look around the other shops including World of Disney before heading back to the car.
The car was like an oven. DH had covered the steering wheel but it had made no difference, it was still too hot to touch. The air conditioning isnt as icy as some cars that weve driven and it takes a while for the car to get to a comfortable temperature before we can drive back to ASMu.
Once back at the hotel we wander over to ASSp and get an ice cream each and take lots of photos before returning to ASMu for a swim in the piano pool.
The water in the piano is very warm and very crowded. While were swimming we see DS and DD heading back to the room. They look shattered. Theyve had a good time at DHS and are each clutching a picture of Stitch that they drew at the Animation Academy.
After our swim we have tea. The kids are very tired and just want to eat at ASMu so we do that. Afterwards DH and I suggest mini golf but the kids just want to slob out in the room so we leave them there and head for Winter Summerland.
We manage to time our visit with chucking out time at Blizzard Beach I dont know if that made any difference to the crowds but we queue for 15 minutes and are nowhere near the front of the queue when we hear there is a 20 minute wait time once weve paid. That added to the wait were going to have at every hole (there are just two of us playing where other groups have about 6 people) makes us decide we dont really want to wait that long this evening and we give up and go back to the hotel for the rest of the evening.
Saturday 1st August
Were all getting rather tired and beginning to get a little short tempered with each other so we decide not to set the alarm for this morning. As usual my body clock kicks in and Im wide awake and raring to go by 7am.
I leave everyone else sleeping and decide to take a load of laundry to the laundrette which is quite close to our room at the piano pool.
I also take my mug so that I can wander up to the food court during the 30 minute wash. While the clothes are drying (another 30 minutes but I need 2 dryers) I sit by the pool drinking my coffee and writing up my trip report.
Im very careful when folding the clothes as Ive found, in the past, that the counter is cleaned with bleach which ruined a pair of DDs shorts.
Its 9am before I am completely finished and go back to wake up the family.
The food court is much busier than weve been used to but this is the latest weve arrived for breakfast. We notice a lot of people with cases and wonder if Saturday is a more popular day for checking in or out of the hotel.
Weve just received our food when the electricity fails. The tills are still working as they have limited battery back up. The lighting in the food court has been reduced to emergency levels and the drinks dispensers arent working at all. Luckily wed send the kids on ahead and theyd already got our drinks.
The power was down for a good 10 minutes. When it came back there was a loud cheer from the guests and then it immediately went down again (to an audible sigh!) A couple of minutes later power was restored and this time it stayed on.
We wanted a lazier day today so we decided to have a look around DTD and maybe get a boat trip to Port Orleans.
We parked near the cinema and went to find out the show times for Harry Potter or G-Force. They didnt have any printed schedules so we took a photo of the times board before carrying on to Market Place. At this point I could feel DS getting quite tense but we carry on regardless.
Were not as rested as we thought we were and this combined with not being able to get a decision from anyone about what they want to do I can feel things are not going to go well today.
A note here: -Ive tried to have a go with the flow attitude to this years trip but am finding it very hard for a number of reasons. Firstly our family are useless at making decisions (I can remember when DH and I were first going out wed stand in a café for ages not being able to decide where to sit, well add two equally as indecisive children to the mix and you can imagine how frustrating this can be); secondly, I know a lot more about WDW than anyone else so when I offer options I assume they know what Im talking about which they often dont and lastly Im awake early every morning and could make it to opening or morning EMH every day but even if everyone is up early it takes so long to get them out of the room we dont get there on time.
At this point DH have a misunderstanding over what we are actually doing (I think he said to go to Port Orleans first and then back to look around DTD when he thinks hes agreed to the opposite.)
We do actually get the boat (in silence). Its a beautiful trip and we get a great view of the Tree House Villas. We stay on the boat and go to Riverside. I really like the feel of this place, its very beautiful.
We go round to the food court and have a snack and a drink. I love the decor and atmosphere in this food court. Were all a lot calmer now but the kids decide theyd like some time on their own (I cant blame them really) so we find the bus stop. I give them their room keys, park tickets and some money for lunch (I wasnt brave enough to let them have charging rights on their room keys not because I dont trust them using it sensibly but because I dont trust them not to lose their keys.) We arrange that well meet up again back at ASMu at 6pm. We wait with them until a DHS bus arrives and then head back to have a look around Port Orleans.
We walked alongside the canal to the French Quarter. It is a very pretty resort but it seems very spread out even in the smaller French Quarter. Im finding it hard being about 5 minutes away from the food court at ASMu and am beginning to realise that layout of a resort is more important to me than the theming.
We had a look in the French Quarter food court. I had been very impressed with the one at Riverside but here, although it was small the high ceiling makes it feel very impersonal and I find the Mardi gras tat that decorates it rather sinister.
(Wasn't this guy in Mad?)
We go back to the boat dock and sit in the sun watching lizards (we saw a rather interesting one with a puffy orange throat) until the boat arrives. The journey back was much more enjoyable. We have a chatty pilot who tells us that the water in the canal is made up from Pepsi it certainly looks like it might be. He goes on to tell us that the extra trees and vegetation and the fact its not a flowing river contribute to the colour.
Back at DTD we go to Earl of Sandwich for lunch. Having kids that still dont like messed about with sandwiches at the ages of 15 and 18 I thought we wouldnt get to give this place a try so Im glad to take advantage of time without them. I cant remember what we had exactly (mine had mozzarella in it and I think DH had a Ceaser wrap). We sit outside to eat them before going shopping.
I loved Trend-D. I restrained myself and just bought a bag charm. We had a good look around the other shops including World of Disney before heading back to the car.
The car was like an oven. DH had covered the steering wheel but it had made no difference, it was still too hot to touch. The air conditioning isnt as icy as some cars that weve driven and it takes a while for the car to get to a comfortable temperature before we can drive back to ASMu.
Once back at the hotel we wander over to ASSp and get an ice cream each and take lots of photos before returning to ASMu for a swim in the piano pool.
The water in the piano is very warm and very crowded. While were swimming we see DS and DD heading back to the room. They look shattered. Theyve had a good time at DHS and are each clutching a picture of Stitch that they drew at the Animation Academy.
After our swim we have tea. The kids are very tired and just want to eat at ASMu so we do that. Afterwards DH and I suggest mini golf but the kids just want to slob out in the room so we leave them there and head for Winter Summerland.
We manage to time our visit with chucking out time at Blizzard Beach I dont know if that made any difference to the crowds but we queue for 15 minutes and are nowhere near the front of the queue when we hear there is a 20 minute wait time once weve paid. That added to the wait were going to have at every hole (there are just two of us playing where other groups have about 6 people) makes us decide we dont really want to wait that long this evening and we give up and go back to the hotel for the rest of the evening.
Even the big mask that is outside one of the buildings 
