MajorWoody
The View From My Office
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2002
- Messages
- 294
Major Woodys 2 Week TR 5/17 thru 5/31/04
Who : Bill (45), veteran of numerous WDW trips; Jeanne ( forty something), only her 4th WDW trip, but learning quick.
Where : PO-FQ for 10 nights, followed by 3 nights at the Beach Club
How : Driving from NYS
Day 11 Thursday , May 27, 2004:
Thursday morning saw us up at about 8:30am, and we were all packed up and ready to go by 10. We had previously arranged for Bell Services to pick up our luggage for the transfer to beach Club, with a 10:30am appointment. I called down around 10:15, and they told me the bellhop was on the way over. About 10:45am, I called again, and was told he was still on his way over. Since PO-FQ is such a small resort, I couldnt figure out why it would take him 30 minutes of travel time to get to our room. After another half hour, and another call to Bell Services ( being assured he was on the way), we got tired of waiting, and loaded our own stuff outside to the van at 11:15am. I really appreciated the 95º heat and the humidity, not to mention the late start to our day. I also was wondering what made me purchase so much stuff as I made numerous trips from the room to the van. This took a good ten minutes, and the bell hop never did show up. I was pretty upset, so after we were done loading up, we drove around to the front desk, and I asked to speak to a manager. The desk clerk went in the back office, and a manager named Cheri came out front. I told her about my scheduled bellhop service, and my three calls to Bell Services, and the fact the guy never did show up. I told her that it was a rather unpleasant way to end a 10 night stay, having to lug about a dozen suitcases and packages from Building 2 to the parking lot, especially in this high heat. She apologized profusely, and then asked if I had a lunch planned. I told her we were going to DTD before heading over to the Beach Club, and she offered us a free lunch, and best of all, a free lunch at Fultons Crab House!!! I was more than satisfied with that, and I thanked her for the nice gesture. She told me to put it on my room charge, and she would watch for it and make sure it was comped when it came back to PO. I thanked her again, and we drove off to DTD.
After we parked at DTD, we walked over to Fultons. We were seated immediately in the upstairs room overlooking the water and Saratoga Springs. We had eaten here a few days ago, and really enjoyed our lunch. We decided on the Fultons Cold Seafood platter appetizer, and Jeanne also had a bowl of seafood chowder, while I had the blackened shrimp Caesar Salad. The platter contained a half lobster, king crab legs, peel & eat shrimp, and blackened sea scallops. It came with both cocktail and remoulade sauces. It was outstanding, and we didnt leave any of it. Jeanne enjoyed her chowder, and I loved the salad. The shrimp were of a nice size too, not like the little dinky things you get in some places. The total came to $40 with my AP discount, and I left an $8 tip. Since the meal was going to be free, I left the tip in cash, and only put the actual meal on the room charge. I didnt want them to think I was taking advantage of their generosity, although some might say a $40 lunch might be stretching it!! After leaving Fultons, we wandered back to the Marketplace area. We stopped at World of Disney, and I got the rest of the marked down desk set accessories to complete the set that I had started at the outlet store. I got the Dumbo Stapler, and now I have the entire set on my desk, consisting of Cinderella Castle pen holder, Peter Pan tape dispenser, Mad Hatter Tea Party paper clip holder, Splash Mtn notepad holder, and Cinderella Carousel business card holder. I really enjoy seeing them on my desk every day, even more so knowing I got the set for half price. While at WOD, we also bought a scrapbook kit, a Where Magic Lives fridge magnet with Disney icons ( Tink, Mickey ears, Jiminy Cricket, RR train, Simba) that stick out on springs, a watch for my son, and some earrings for my youngest daughter. The total came to $88 with the AP discount. We then stopped by the Pin Stop, and they had CM with a book where you could trade for any pin in the book. We each found a nice one, and made our trades before leaving. We then walked back to the van, and headed towards Beach Club. We first stopped at the Hess Station right near the Boardwalk ( which used to be an Exxon) . We gassed up the van, put air in the tires ( free at Hess, a nice feature), and used the car wash bay they have there.
We then exited the gas station, and drove up to the Beach Club, full of anticipation. I have stayed at 9 different on-site resorts, and this would our 10th. We pulled up under the overhang, and were greeted by a bell services guy. We gave him our luggage, and he took it away, while they moved our van to the side. We then went inside, hoping to encounter Art the Greeter, but he wasnt there. We waited in a real short line for check-in, and were soon at the desk. Unfortunately, we had an extremely slow clerk for the check-in. We asked if we would be getting a full balcony, not one of the partial balconys, and she told us that our room did in fact have a full size balcony. It took her about 20 minutes to complete the check-in, which she said was due to a slow computer that day. Eventually we were given our keys and assigned room 3522. We asked about bell services, and she seemed clueless. She said we would have to get them ourselves. I then saw the bell services desk, and we walked over to it, and provided our receipt for the bags they had taken from our van. In a few minutes a nice friendly bellhop arrived and said he would bring our stuff up to the room. We headed on up, and when we opened the door, were pretty disappointed. The room was a small, dormer type room. We had been told that the rooms had two queen beds and a daybed, similar to those at the Polynesian. This room had the two beds, but no daybed, and the desk was alongside the beds and cramped. There was no coffeemaker , the minibar had no key to open it, and to top it off, the balcony was not full size as we had been told. We went out on the balcony, and saw that the view consisted of a wall of trees about 10 feet from the balcony. The trees were so thick you could not see through them, either up or down. If you leaned out over the balcony, you did get a view of garbage filled rain gutter below. This was the side that faced Epcot, the easternmost end of the building, and you could not see anything but a thick cover of trees. If they had occasionally thinned out the stand of trees you could probably have seen some of Epcot, or at least the sky or ground, but this was just solid wall to wall trees. We were totally disappointed in the room, especially after having such a nice ( and probably not much smaller) room at PO-FQ for about 1/3rd the price. When the bellhop arrived, he realized how disappointed we were ( in the room, not his service, which we tipped properly). He told us he would see if he could find a better room for us, and made some calls. He told us that they could move us to a room with a full size balcony the next day, but nothing was available for today, unless we wanted to pay an extra $100 a night for a water view. I was really upset after looking forward to a nice stay at the Beach Club, and paying out the extra money for the deluxe resort. We agreed to the different room the following day, and he assured us it would have a full balcony and nicer view. I really dont like the fact that you can get such a lousy room and view in a deluxe resort. I have stayed in four other WDW deluxe resorts, and never had that happen before, even with standard view rooms. I had heard there were some rooms at Beach Club that had sub standard views, but this is one that they could have rectified with some tree pruning. Of course, they would also have to occasionally clean out the rain gutter too. I think they gave us one of the smaller rooms because we were just a couple, and saved the daybed rooms for families. Since we only had three nights at BC, this was a big pain to have to pack up and move again in the morning, not to mention another round of bellhop tips. After the bellhop left, and we unpacked, or unpacked enough for one night, we went downstairs to the bus stop. I probably should have spoke to a manager about the room, but I really didnt want to waste anymore time on the matter, and I had to be at the Magic Kingdom for my part in the Flag Retreat Ceremony.
We caught a bus to the MK, arriving about 4:00pm. We stopped off at City Hall, and changed our dinner PS for Friday from Le Cellier, to Alfredo, as the time we had at Le Cellier was not really a good time for us. We secured a better time going with Alfredos, and we had never eaten there, so we figured it would be a nice change. After making the dinner change, we headed over to the flagpole area. I met up with the Security CMs, and was told that todays ceremony would include the WDW Marching Band!! When I participated in the flag ceremony in December, there was no band , just a recording of the National Anthem. This was a nice surprise. For those of you who arent familiar with the Flag ceremony, every day at 5:00pm, the Magic Kingdom does a Flag lowering ceremony at the flagpole in front of the train station by the Roy & Minnie statue. They allow a US veteran to participate in the ceremony, and I had previously done it last December. I was able to get in on it again this trip, and today was my day. After being instructed in the movements and all by the Security CMs, we waited for the band. They arrived right on time, coming down Main St, and finally stopping by the hub. An announcement was made regarding the flag lowering, and the band began the National Anthem, at which time we did the flag retreat ceremony. As it was going on, a Disney photographer was on hand to take pictures, along with Jeanne doing the same. It was really stirring to be a part of it, and to see the crowd watching and enjoying the ceremony. As it ended, we walked back to the front of the hub, and an announcement was made introducing me, listing my dates of service. I was then given a nice certificate from the MK Park manager , listing my name and participation in the ceremony, along with a Veteran of the Day pin in the folder. I was also given a certificate for a free photo at the photo center from the pictures the Disney photographer had taken. It really is a nice feeling to be a part of such a patriotic ceremony, and if you or anyone in your party is a veteran, you should inquire about participating next time youre at the MK. After the ceremony ended, we went to the Expo Center, and looked over the photos they had taken, which they had ready in about 10 minutes, not the usual one hour wait. We couldnt decide which one we liked best, and the CM said we could have the two that we were trying to decide on, instead of the usual one freebie. It was a really nice gesture on her part. They printed up the pictures, and we thanked her for her kindness. In addition, Jeanne had the pictures , pin, and certificate professionally matted and framed for my birthday, and it now hangs in my living room, looking great over my recliner!!!
After getting the pics, we left the MK, and caught a bus to AKL, where we had a dinner PS for Boma. We arrived at AKL, and since we had some time to kill, first went to Zawadi, the gift shop. I bought a matted AKL print by Larry Dotson, the 8x10 size, for $17.50. It shows a nice view of the rear glass wall of the lodge, with some of the Savannah in the print. I also got another fridge magnet. We then headed up to Victoria Falls bar for a libation. I wanted one of the drinks I had at Dawa Bar in AK, but couldnt remember the name ( I now know its Jewel of the Nile!). I told the bartender some of the ingredients, and he was able to make a reasonable facsimile, while Jeanne had her usual merlot. No sooner did we sit down when the fire alarm in the Lodge started to sound. The staff began to hustle everyone outside, and we joined the crowd, which went out the front doors in an orderly fashion. Luckily, we had taken our drinks out with us. Once we were outside, they made everyone move away from the over hang area, which seemed like a smart move. We ended up standing outside in the heat for a good twenty minutes, but everyone was in a good mood about it. As we were finally given the OK to re-enter, I saw a manager with a pin lanyard and went over to see if there was anything worth trading for. As luck would have it, he had an Artists Choice pin on his lanyard, and when he saw I was interested in it, he gave it to me for free, rather than accept a pin in trade. He said it was for the inconvenience of us standing outside. I thanked him for his kind gesture, and we went back inside. Unfortunately, the fire alarm had set back the dinner seatings at Boma, so we ended up waiting for our PS, finally getting seated at 7:00pm. We had a nice table by one of the windows, and had just settled in with our first course, when the fire alarm sounded again. Once again, we were all evacuated, this time out a rear door in the Mara area. We once again waited about 15-20 minutes, before being given the all clear. I understand the fact that the fire alarm could be for real, and it is important to get everyone out, but twice in under an hour was really making for an unpleasant evening. We went back in, sat down, and waited, wondering when the next alarm would go off. Luckily, there were no more false alarms, and we got to enjoy the rest of our dinner in peace. We had a bottle of Guardian Peak merlot with our dinner, and the total came to $88, with a $16 tip, for a total of $104. As always, the dinner and wine at Boma was superb, and I highly recommend this restaurant if you have never been here. After finishing up with dinner, we took a bus over to MGM, and from there caught a boat back to the beach Club. We then went back to our (small) room, and changed into bathing suits. We then headed down to explore Stormalong Bay, at least until it closed. We ended up spending 30 minutes down there, and had a blast. We did the lazy river thing, with a few floats that were left behind, then did the regular free form pool. I managed one spin down the slide too before closing. After leaving the pool area, we decided to take a romantic walk to BW and back, which was a perfect way to end the evening. We then went back to our ( small) room, and sat on the balcony for awhile, staring at the wall of trees for a few minutes, before calling it a night and hitting the sack.
Stay tuned for the next part.....
Who : Bill (45), veteran of numerous WDW trips; Jeanne ( forty something), only her 4th WDW trip, but learning quick.
Where : PO-FQ for 10 nights, followed by 3 nights at the Beach Club
How : Driving from NYS
Day 11 Thursday , May 27, 2004:
Thursday morning saw us up at about 8:30am, and we were all packed up and ready to go by 10. We had previously arranged for Bell Services to pick up our luggage for the transfer to beach Club, with a 10:30am appointment. I called down around 10:15, and they told me the bellhop was on the way over. About 10:45am, I called again, and was told he was still on his way over. Since PO-FQ is such a small resort, I couldnt figure out why it would take him 30 minutes of travel time to get to our room. After another half hour, and another call to Bell Services ( being assured he was on the way), we got tired of waiting, and loaded our own stuff outside to the van at 11:15am. I really appreciated the 95º heat and the humidity, not to mention the late start to our day. I also was wondering what made me purchase so much stuff as I made numerous trips from the room to the van. This took a good ten minutes, and the bell hop never did show up. I was pretty upset, so after we were done loading up, we drove around to the front desk, and I asked to speak to a manager. The desk clerk went in the back office, and a manager named Cheri came out front. I told her about my scheduled bellhop service, and my three calls to Bell Services, and the fact the guy never did show up. I told her that it was a rather unpleasant way to end a 10 night stay, having to lug about a dozen suitcases and packages from Building 2 to the parking lot, especially in this high heat. She apologized profusely, and then asked if I had a lunch planned. I told her we were going to DTD before heading over to the Beach Club, and she offered us a free lunch, and best of all, a free lunch at Fultons Crab House!!! I was more than satisfied with that, and I thanked her for the nice gesture. She told me to put it on my room charge, and she would watch for it and make sure it was comped when it came back to PO. I thanked her again, and we drove off to DTD.
After we parked at DTD, we walked over to Fultons. We were seated immediately in the upstairs room overlooking the water and Saratoga Springs. We had eaten here a few days ago, and really enjoyed our lunch. We decided on the Fultons Cold Seafood platter appetizer, and Jeanne also had a bowl of seafood chowder, while I had the blackened shrimp Caesar Salad. The platter contained a half lobster, king crab legs, peel & eat shrimp, and blackened sea scallops. It came with both cocktail and remoulade sauces. It was outstanding, and we didnt leave any of it. Jeanne enjoyed her chowder, and I loved the salad. The shrimp were of a nice size too, not like the little dinky things you get in some places. The total came to $40 with my AP discount, and I left an $8 tip. Since the meal was going to be free, I left the tip in cash, and only put the actual meal on the room charge. I didnt want them to think I was taking advantage of their generosity, although some might say a $40 lunch might be stretching it!! After leaving Fultons, we wandered back to the Marketplace area. We stopped at World of Disney, and I got the rest of the marked down desk set accessories to complete the set that I had started at the outlet store. I got the Dumbo Stapler, and now I have the entire set on my desk, consisting of Cinderella Castle pen holder, Peter Pan tape dispenser, Mad Hatter Tea Party paper clip holder, Splash Mtn notepad holder, and Cinderella Carousel business card holder. I really enjoy seeing them on my desk every day, even more so knowing I got the set for half price. While at WOD, we also bought a scrapbook kit, a Where Magic Lives fridge magnet with Disney icons ( Tink, Mickey ears, Jiminy Cricket, RR train, Simba) that stick out on springs, a watch for my son, and some earrings for my youngest daughter. The total came to $88 with the AP discount. We then stopped by the Pin Stop, and they had CM with a book where you could trade for any pin in the book. We each found a nice one, and made our trades before leaving. We then walked back to the van, and headed towards Beach Club. We first stopped at the Hess Station right near the Boardwalk ( which used to be an Exxon) . We gassed up the van, put air in the tires ( free at Hess, a nice feature), and used the car wash bay they have there.
We then exited the gas station, and drove up to the Beach Club, full of anticipation. I have stayed at 9 different on-site resorts, and this would our 10th. We pulled up under the overhang, and were greeted by a bell services guy. We gave him our luggage, and he took it away, while they moved our van to the side. We then went inside, hoping to encounter Art the Greeter, but he wasnt there. We waited in a real short line for check-in, and were soon at the desk. Unfortunately, we had an extremely slow clerk for the check-in. We asked if we would be getting a full balcony, not one of the partial balconys, and she told us that our room did in fact have a full size balcony. It took her about 20 minutes to complete the check-in, which she said was due to a slow computer that day. Eventually we were given our keys and assigned room 3522. We asked about bell services, and she seemed clueless. She said we would have to get them ourselves. I then saw the bell services desk, and we walked over to it, and provided our receipt for the bags they had taken from our van. In a few minutes a nice friendly bellhop arrived and said he would bring our stuff up to the room. We headed on up, and when we opened the door, were pretty disappointed. The room was a small, dormer type room. We had been told that the rooms had two queen beds and a daybed, similar to those at the Polynesian. This room had the two beds, but no daybed, and the desk was alongside the beds and cramped. There was no coffeemaker , the minibar had no key to open it, and to top it off, the balcony was not full size as we had been told. We went out on the balcony, and saw that the view consisted of a wall of trees about 10 feet from the balcony. The trees were so thick you could not see through them, either up or down. If you leaned out over the balcony, you did get a view of garbage filled rain gutter below. This was the side that faced Epcot, the easternmost end of the building, and you could not see anything but a thick cover of trees. If they had occasionally thinned out the stand of trees you could probably have seen some of Epcot, or at least the sky or ground, but this was just solid wall to wall trees. We were totally disappointed in the room, especially after having such a nice ( and probably not much smaller) room at PO-FQ for about 1/3rd the price. When the bellhop arrived, he realized how disappointed we were ( in the room, not his service, which we tipped properly). He told us he would see if he could find a better room for us, and made some calls. He told us that they could move us to a room with a full size balcony the next day, but nothing was available for today, unless we wanted to pay an extra $100 a night for a water view. I was really upset after looking forward to a nice stay at the Beach Club, and paying out the extra money for the deluxe resort. We agreed to the different room the following day, and he assured us it would have a full balcony and nicer view. I really dont like the fact that you can get such a lousy room and view in a deluxe resort. I have stayed in four other WDW deluxe resorts, and never had that happen before, even with standard view rooms. I had heard there were some rooms at Beach Club that had sub standard views, but this is one that they could have rectified with some tree pruning. Of course, they would also have to occasionally clean out the rain gutter too. I think they gave us one of the smaller rooms because we were just a couple, and saved the daybed rooms for families. Since we only had three nights at BC, this was a big pain to have to pack up and move again in the morning, not to mention another round of bellhop tips. After the bellhop left, and we unpacked, or unpacked enough for one night, we went downstairs to the bus stop. I probably should have spoke to a manager about the room, but I really didnt want to waste anymore time on the matter, and I had to be at the Magic Kingdom for my part in the Flag Retreat Ceremony.
We caught a bus to the MK, arriving about 4:00pm. We stopped off at City Hall, and changed our dinner PS for Friday from Le Cellier, to Alfredo, as the time we had at Le Cellier was not really a good time for us. We secured a better time going with Alfredos, and we had never eaten there, so we figured it would be a nice change. After making the dinner change, we headed over to the flagpole area. I met up with the Security CMs, and was told that todays ceremony would include the WDW Marching Band!! When I participated in the flag ceremony in December, there was no band , just a recording of the National Anthem. This was a nice surprise. For those of you who arent familiar with the Flag ceremony, every day at 5:00pm, the Magic Kingdom does a Flag lowering ceremony at the flagpole in front of the train station by the Roy & Minnie statue. They allow a US veteran to participate in the ceremony, and I had previously done it last December. I was able to get in on it again this trip, and today was my day. After being instructed in the movements and all by the Security CMs, we waited for the band. They arrived right on time, coming down Main St, and finally stopping by the hub. An announcement was made regarding the flag lowering, and the band began the National Anthem, at which time we did the flag retreat ceremony. As it was going on, a Disney photographer was on hand to take pictures, along with Jeanne doing the same. It was really stirring to be a part of it, and to see the crowd watching and enjoying the ceremony. As it ended, we walked back to the front of the hub, and an announcement was made introducing me, listing my dates of service. I was then given a nice certificate from the MK Park manager , listing my name and participation in the ceremony, along with a Veteran of the Day pin in the folder. I was also given a certificate for a free photo at the photo center from the pictures the Disney photographer had taken. It really is a nice feeling to be a part of such a patriotic ceremony, and if you or anyone in your party is a veteran, you should inquire about participating next time youre at the MK. After the ceremony ended, we went to the Expo Center, and looked over the photos they had taken, which they had ready in about 10 minutes, not the usual one hour wait. We couldnt decide which one we liked best, and the CM said we could have the two that we were trying to decide on, instead of the usual one freebie. It was a really nice gesture on her part. They printed up the pictures, and we thanked her for her kindness. In addition, Jeanne had the pictures , pin, and certificate professionally matted and framed for my birthday, and it now hangs in my living room, looking great over my recliner!!!
After getting the pics, we left the MK, and caught a bus to AKL, where we had a dinner PS for Boma. We arrived at AKL, and since we had some time to kill, first went to Zawadi, the gift shop. I bought a matted AKL print by Larry Dotson, the 8x10 size, for $17.50. It shows a nice view of the rear glass wall of the lodge, with some of the Savannah in the print. I also got another fridge magnet. We then headed up to Victoria Falls bar for a libation. I wanted one of the drinks I had at Dawa Bar in AK, but couldnt remember the name ( I now know its Jewel of the Nile!). I told the bartender some of the ingredients, and he was able to make a reasonable facsimile, while Jeanne had her usual merlot. No sooner did we sit down when the fire alarm in the Lodge started to sound. The staff began to hustle everyone outside, and we joined the crowd, which went out the front doors in an orderly fashion. Luckily, we had taken our drinks out with us. Once we were outside, they made everyone move away from the over hang area, which seemed like a smart move. We ended up standing outside in the heat for a good twenty minutes, but everyone was in a good mood about it. As we were finally given the OK to re-enter, I saw a manager with a pin lanyard and went over to see if there was anything worth trading for. As luck would have it, he had an Artists Choice pin on his lanyard, and when he saw I was interested in it, he gave it to me for free, rather than accept a pin in trade. He said it was for the inconvenience of us standing outside. I thanked him for his kind gesture, and we went back inside. Unfortunately, the fire alarm had set back the dinner seatings at Boma, so we ended up waiting for our PS, finally getting seated at 7:00pm. We had a nice table by one of the windows, and had just settled in with our first course, when the fire alarm sounded again. Once again, we were all evacuated, this time out a rear door in the Mara area. We once again waited about 15-20 minutes, before being given the all clear. I understand the fact that the fire alarm could be for real, and it is important to get everyone out, but twice in under an hour was really making for an unpleasant evening. We went back in, sat down, and waited, wondering when the next alarm would go off. Luckily, there were no more false alarms, and we got to enjoy the rest of our dinner in peace. We had a bottle of Guardian Peak merlot with our dinner, and the total came to $88, with a $16 tip, for a total of $104. As always, the dinner and wine at Boma was superb, and I highly recommend this restaurant if you have never been here. After finishing up with dinner, we took a bus over to MGM, and from there caught a boat back to the beach Club. We then went back to our (small) room, and changed into bathing suits. We then headed down to explore Stormalong Bay, at least until it closed. We ended up spending 30 minutes down there, and had a blast. We did the lazy river thing, with a few floats that were left behind, then did the regular free form pool. I managed one spin down the slide too before closing. After leaving the pool area, we decided to take a romantic walk to BW and back, which was a perfect way to end the evening. We then went back to our ( small) room, and sat on the balcony for awhile, staring at the wall of trees for a few minutes, before calling it a night and hitting the sack.
Stay tuned for the next part.....
