Live from the CSR! 9/14-9/22 Update MNSSHP 9/18, 19

[Buckimion]

Arrived about 1pm at the CSR and had no less than 3 clerks wave me to their station! Got Casitas 4, 1st floor water (pool) view as requested. DW made a beeline for the gift shop.

Almost all of the CMs were friendly, particularly the gate guard and the reservation CM but had some difficulty understanding her's and and the cashier at Cafe Rix accents. DW noted that she also had very friendly CMs except at the shop where she was given what she perceived to be grudging "I hate my job" service.

Dinner at 'Ohana at 6:25pm.

 

[debjk4]

Keep em coming! We are going to CSR in June and LOVE to see the pics of that pretty resort!

 

[Buckimion]

For more detailed goings on with our deluxe dining see: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2991998

After settling in we went to dinner at 'Ohana, managing to miss the correct driveway due to thinking it would be on the left. We got things straightened out and had an amusing dinner with Maurice our server deciding to challenge me to eat everything he could load on the plate.

After dinner we stayed for the Electric Water Pageant and HalloWishes. When we returned to the room DW decided to go swimming but quickly returned claiming it was too cold out even though temps are in the low 80s and were in the upper 80s-low 90s earlier.

 

[Buckimion]

No battle plan survives contact with the park. - Park Commando Law

Spent the day at Animal Kingdom with DW and Mr. Murphy. Although I had pledged to relax a bit more, I still had a list of things I wanted to do and right from the get-go DW didn't want to cooperate. In addition, she also forget both of her cell phones so she had no intention of leaving my side which meant I couldn't simply go my own way. Our daughter had casually tossed my ecv batteries into the back of the car to make room for her stuff, resulting in one being upside down for most of the past two weeks and completely dead, refusing to charge. I could limp along for an hour or two on the second but to charge it required breaking down the scooter to get to the batteries.

I got a little angry when DW stopped to watch some drummers and I backed off a few feet behind the crowd. Another family stepped in front to watch the show and since they didn't really bother my view I left them be. Near the end of the show, the mother backed up a few feet to take a picture and bumped into the scooter. She turned and snapped about running her over and I shot back that they planted their TAILS IN FRONT OF ME and I was there quite some time before them, not to mention the scooter was powered off to conserve power.

Ralph hasn't been on speaking terms since an incident in 2005.

Breakfast was at the Rainforest Cafe which was surprising good. Lunch was Tusker House. During the safari, the skies started to threaten and it was sprinkling hard by the time we reached Dinosaur. We emerged to find a good-sized deluge. Needing to charge again, I ended up half in the rain by an available plug trying to keep myself and my scooter from getting completely soaked.

Although we never got to Asia or Dino-Rama, DW and I decided to call it a day. I may try to go back on our "off day" Wednesday. With the scooter problems, I decided to call Walker and arrange for a rental for the week. Luckily they were only 15 minutes or so away. Unfortunately, it isn't able to be broken down for transport and DW had really wanted us to drive around more. It may be just as well as I have managed to get lost on two consecutive days trying to get to the MK resorts. I have a mental picture of the Poly and GF being on the left of the TTC so I originally got in the left lanes which ended up putting me in the TTC lot. I got sent around and after another wrong detour managed to find where I was going yesterday. Today I was on the right but still managed to miss the turnoff for the resorts.

Tonight's dinner was at 1900PF with Cindy and the sisters. The scooter swap with Walker made us 23 minutes late after the wrong turn and trying to juggle two scooters back to the room in Casitas 4 but they got us right in, our pager actually going off as they handed it to us. I thought Cinderella and Prince Charming posed for pictures before entering but they just snapped everyone's pictures in front of a castle backdrop and sent us in. The meal went reasonably well and we have decided to call it a night. We got back to the room to find that housekeeping has made us a set of towel doves or swans.

 

[GovieMom]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Love your interesting photos, like the one in the rain. Keep 'em coming!

 

[vettegirl]

Great live review! I love CSR and will be right behind you in 10 days!

 

[Buckimion]

Get out your red-blue 3D glasses folks!

Things were running a bit slow this morning and we didn't get to the bus stop until 9am. The bus driver tried to completely ignore me and my scooter but DW and the other 3 passengers made it clear I needed on and he grudgingly obliged. Arriving at the Studios, I ended up launching the unfamiliar scooter over the side of the bus ramp and on to my side. Nothing really wrong but a couple of scrapes but the bus driver was insistent that I wait for his manager. DW said his entire attitude changed after my accident, becoming scared that he was somehow responsible.

However, DW was PO'd at me because I was in no mood to waste any more park time waiting and stomped off. After taking care of that matter, I kept trying to steer DW towards TSMM but she kept dragging her feet. I finally asked for her ticket to go ahead and at least get her a Fastpass while she window shopped. She tossed me her lanyard but when I arrived at the FP machines I discovered that all she had was a photopass card in there. I rushed back to try to find her without luck and wandered my way back to TSMM. Giving up, I picked up a FP for myself and decided to try what was listed as a 50 minute wait but was really only 20. (At 9:45am) My FP came out for 1:10p-2:10p. DW finally called me and she had ended up on the backlot tour. While waiting for her to get off and catch up with me TSMM was dropped to 30 and worked its way back up to 40 while I was standing there.

When DW arrived, it was closing in on 11am and we decided to get over to Sci-Fi for lunch. She admitted she wasn't feeling good but wanted to ride RnRC and TZTT before calling it a day. But when we got all the way to RnRC she said she was simply too sick to continue and wanted to back to the room by herself and take a nap but I could stay and ride. In the 4 hours I had I got my fill, using my FP for TSMM (now up to 90minutes and out the door), getting multiple rides on ST and everything else. Both TZTT and RnRC had me enter through the exits as I was alone so I couldn't use the transfer wheelchair. Appearing from backstage alone in the front seat actually started a buzz that I was some sort of celebrity.

About 4:30 I decided to call it a day but stopped in a Sid's for a quick look around and my rental scooter promptly died. I had to place a call to Walker and then had a 45 minute wait for the delivery guy who had trouble understanding exactly where I was. He found me finally and swapped scooters after discovering that my old was really was dead.

Getting back to the room, we decided to just have Maya Grill for dinner before calling it a night.

 

[Glittercat]

Loved the "Ralph" caption! That one had me giggling!
Your 3-D photos are great fun! Bravo!
Oh dear that scooter sounds like it is cursed - and people run into my wheelchair on occasion too when my wheels are locked and everything. Usually a polite exchange works just fine, but sometimes it can be frustrating.*fingers crossed* that the new scooter one works like a dream and you have more "celebrity moments!." *grin*
Hope the rest of your vacation goes very smoothly and is full of wonderful memories! *cheers*~Rebecca

 

[Disneynut4ever]

Do you have any pictures of the resort rooms?

 

[Buckimion]

Do you have any pictures of the resort rooms?

I don't have many since there are so many of better quality out there. (I had no idea that my pictures would come out looking so poorly. I never noticed it before.) Here are three:

We started off the day with breakfast at Chef Mickey's, arriving at the MK about 9:30. For once, DW and I got into the park and even through the day without a squabble. DW loves to shop and I am a ride commando. We had both agreed to meet each other halfway on this trip but this was the first time it actually worked in practice; perhaps because there were no new "E" tickets for us causing me to want to rush while she likes to stroll.

We were surprised to see they are already stringing Christmas lights on the back side of the Castle.

Going through the park, it was much more busy than I expected and I wasn't the only one to note this. Waits were still manageable, averaging 10 minutes on those that we hit. We got to FL around dinner and skipped Pan which was at 50 minutes although we did just about everything else. Backing up, we were both surprised and annoyed with a number of rides that required transfer which never seemed to be a problem before but on a couple of occasions (Pirates, Stitch) the exits was NOWHERE near the scooter parking area which caused us to wander aimlessly trying to find it. In addition, I have never seen such a group of poorly maintained wheelchairs, some of which DW couldn't or could just barely push. We ere so annoyed after Stitch we refused to ride Buzz with a transfer, although I could swear that it was assessable in the past. (I may have this confused with DL's version though.)

A small storm blew through about 6pm and got things wet but didn't seem too bad. I lost track of when the MSEP was supposed to start and we went into the Hall of Presidents thinking we still had plenty of time, only to emerge to a packed street. The rain caused the parade to be delayed about half an hour but we still caught it. We then fallowed the crowd a few short steps to the side of the castle for Wishes. Although it was busy at first, after the first act the crowd surprisingly disappeared, leaving us plenty of space. I thought people were temporarily fooled into thinking the fireworks were over but DW thought it was more likely the bad angle we had, with most of the fireworks going off directly overhead.

Mopping the ceiling of the porte-cochère of the Grand Floridian!

This morning we had a late breakfast at 1900PF, seeing Alice, the Mad Hatter, Mary Poppins, Pooh and Tigger. Just was we left he got hit with light showers that are right now a major storm that may have an effect on our MNSSHP tonight.

 

[Buckimion]

Anastasia and Druzzilla try to get Dr. Faciller's attention.

The rains Tuesday continued to come and go. After getting laundry done at the resort, we decided to bus over to the MK about 3:10pm with an ADR at CRT at 4:25. Precisely two each of all of the other park buses and a downtown Disney bus ran before a MK bus got to CSR station #2. By the time it got out of the park, we arrived at the MK at 4:30 and still had to get through unloading my scooter, bag check and getting wristbands before dashing up Main Street in a light but steady rain.

We arrived at CRT about 4:50 but they were still able to accommodate us. After dining, we exited promptly at 6:00pm and found the Fantasyland nearly empty. We hit Small World before working our way to Splash Mountain and Big Thunder and then settled in for the Boo to You parade.

From there we went to the Haunted Mansion which was possibly the biggest ride line of the night and at that was only about 20 minutes. After getting our photopass shots, we started working our way to Pirates as DW dragged her feet watching the fireworks and we accidentally found ourselves in the photo op for Duffy. Going on around we lined up for Jack Sparrow and a couple more photopass opportunities. Some people claim that the parties shouldn't be used for rides but I have to admit I'm personally lukewarm on characters and the dance parties have little interest for a guy that spends time in wheelchairs. As the party started to come to a close, DW made candy our primary concern and I filled my "Wreck it Ralph" bag while DW got about 1/3 of her oversized Disney Halloween tote filled. (CMs were tossing in double handfuls for her while they could barely get a handful in mine.) Thank goodness we have another party on Friday! One night was certainly not enough and I want to help DW get more pictures with villains.

Today was an off day, with me running DW to see a friend in Merritt Beach after breakfast at Pepper Market and we returned to dinner at Olivia's.