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 9 Tuesday , May 25, 2004:
We got off to a late start today. We puttered around, got dressed, and caught a boat to DTD to have lunch at Fultons. The ride was beautiful, and it is so relaxing. You pass along Port Orleans, the treehouse villas, golf course, and Saratoga Springs , before docking next to Capn Jacks in the Marketplace. The trip takes about 20 minutes, and is so much better than a bus ride. We docked at 12:30pm, and walked to Fultons. Neither of us have ever eaten here before, and we were looking forward to it. We were promptly seated at an upstairs table along the front window, with a nice view across the water to Saratoga Springs. It was very hot outside today, otherwise we would have tried one of the outdoor tables, but the window table was fine. There were about 10 tables occupied in the room we were in, so it wasnt too crowded or noisy. We started with the King Crab and shrimp combo appetizer, which consists of chilled King Crab and shrimp steamed in the shell then chilled. It comes with lemon and cocktail sauce, and is delicious. They also gave us some type of crabmeat and cheese dip with some flat crackers to start, which was very tasty. We asked for, and were given the recipe, but have yet to try it at home. We then each ordered the Dungeness Crab Club sandwich, and it was huge. It comes on herb country bread, with lump crabmeat, greens, tomato, and rosemary potato chips. We barely finished them after the appetizer. We would have been better off splitting one of the clubs along with the appetizer. The service was fine, but a few times we had to seek out the waiter for more water. The total came to $36 with the 10% AP discount, with an $8 tip, for a total of $44, and was worth every cent of it. I would highly recommend Fultons, at least as far as lunch goes. I notice that dinner prices are very high, but if the quality is as good as at lunch, it is probably worth it.
After finishing our lunch, we waddled over to World of Disney. We picked out another photo album, a Our Disney Vacation frame, and some pins. The frame is $25, and has room for 10 pictures. It has Our Disney Vacation written on it, and also has several Mickeys (6) scattered around the matting. In addition, it has nice scrolled Mickey heads in the four corners of the frame in gold colored trim. Its a very nice frame for that price. We also stopped at Arribas Brothers and bought some personalized etched glasses as gifts for those stuck back home, and decorative plate hanger to hold the set of 4 Park Icon plates we bought at the Home Store . I also bought Jeanne one of the Tea for 1 sets at the Home Store, in the Mickey shape, and then we bought a build a pin with a 04 graduation theme for my son at home, who was graduating HS at the end of June. We also got one with an 03 tag for his sister, who graduated last year. We then went to the Art of Disney store for something I had my eye on for quite some time. They have the framed and matted poster of the castle lit up at dusk, with four smaller boxes below depicting the building of the castle. It also has a fifth box below that, inscribed Cinderellas Castle, Building a Dream. It cost $225, and I thought it would look perfect in my living room. Rest assured, it does, as I bought it, and it now hangs proudly at home. We also got a special Mickey LE pin they had, ( LE 750, $25), and a 3d ceramic of the Mickey Painting Walt Self Portrait, which Jeanne actually bought for me. It cost $60, and is well worth it. It sits on a coffee table in my living room, and I love it. We had our loot shipped to the Beach Club, as we would be transferring there in two days, and didnt want to be stuck lugging it between two resorts. They advised us this would not be a problem, and it turned it that it was delivered and held there without any slipups.
We then caught a 4:30pm boat back to PO-FQ, and once again, we had a skipper who didnt utter a word once we started. I guess we got spoiled with the first skipper, but I dont think it would hurt them to mention a few things along the journey. Either way, the ride is still very nice and I highly recommend it over the bus. Once we got back to PO, we went to Bell Services in the main building, to arrange our luggage transfer on the 27th. It only took a minute, they asked us to give them an amount of luggage we needed transferred, and a time we would like it picked up. We also picked up Jeannes cat towel at the gift shop, where we had it shipped from MGM. It came out perfectly, and she was very satisfied with it.
We then drove to Universal, intending to eat at Jimmy Buffets at Citywalk tonight. We arrived, and parking was free since it was after 6:00pm, which was nice. Unfortunately, the parking area is a long distance from the parks and Citywalk, and the moving sidewalks were all programmed for exiting patrons, so we had to walk for what seemed an eternity to get to Citywalk. Once we got there, they were handing out coupon books, with 2 for 1 coupons for most of the bars, buy 1 drink and get one free. We browsed some of the shops, and Jeanne bought some trinkets in one of the shops, but I dont recall the name. This area seemed very different from DTD, and much louder, both in noise and decor. I havent been here in about 4 years, so didnt know what to expect. We walked by Pat OBriens, and since we had time to kill before Buffetts, and a 2-1 Hurricane coupon, decided to step inside and have a hurricane. We went in the smaller bar to the left, not the dueling pianos room to the right. The bar also has an open walk up window to the street. We ordered our Hurricanes, which were in the $8 range for the two. I had never had a Hurricane before, and about half way through, I was feeling the effects of it. I couldnt believe how strong it was. Jeanne said the same thing. I went and asked the bartender what was in it, and he told me that each one had 4 shots of Bacardi 151, along with the hurricane mix. If he was telling the truth, no wonder it was so potent. One of those was plenty. After we finished, we staggered over to Jimmy Buffets, and gave our name to the hostess. We were seated in the main room in about 5 minutes. The video screens were playing Buffett songs, and the atmosphere was very fun filled. We ordered a margarita in a souvenir glass, which was $10.95, and you got to keep the glass ( which was $8 for an empty one in the gift shop). I ordered the crab sandwich, while Jeanne ordered the coconut shrimp. Neither was spectacular, but they were good enough, and we were there for the atmosphere, not gourmet food. They had performers on stilts in the dining room, and they would come to tables and do balloon tricks, pose for pics, and such. The girl on stilts stopped by our table for about two seconds, said she would be right back, and then never came back. We even asked the waitress, as we wanted a picture of her in her getup, and the waitress told us she would be right back. For whatever reason, she never did come back, even after the waitress reminded her. The service in the restaurant also seemed as if they were trying to rush people through, in order to get more people in. I would have enjoyed myself more if I wasnt made to feel bad for lingering while watching the videos when we were done eating. The dinner came to $50, which included $22 for the two margaritas in the souvenir glasses, and with a $10 tip ( which probably should have been less based on the service), made for a total of $60. I also stopped by the gift shop afterwards, and bought a Margaritaville tshirt, a foam cup holder, and a fridge magnet. The shirt was $19, and the other items were around $5 each. All in all, it was a fun stop, but as I said earlier, its more the atmosphere and music than the food ( and service). Well probably be back in the future, but its not something I would make a habit of visiting.
After leaving Buffetts, we walked back to Pat OBriens, had another hurricane in the dueling piano bar ( which we didnt finish), and watched a few of the piano tunes. They were pretty good, and even though it was still early, the crowd was getting pretty into it. Must have been those hurricanes!!! We then walked over to Bob Marleys restaurant, which had a live band playing. We sat inside for awhile, and enjoyed the music. The band was pretty good, and the bar is set in an open air courtyard. It was a nice evening, and it was pretty relaxing sitting in there. When the band finished, the DJ played Marley tunes, and I requested ( and he played ) Redemption Song, a favorite of mine. We then headed out, and made our way back to Pleasure Island, to catch a comedy show or two. We were able to make it in time for the 10:30pm CW show, after dealing with the nonsense of the new admission policy, which really slowed down the club entry line. The show featured Mary, Matt, Lisa, Joy ( still Jeannes favorite), & Krista. They opened the show with the name game, using my name ( Bill, for those of you who forgot). After the show, we got back in line and waited for the 12:05am show, catching the NYE celebration on the West End Stage while waiting. The 12:05am show featured Mary, Todd, Joy ( still Jeannes favorite), Krista, and Matt. One of the skits they did was the Torture The Actor, where the actor is taken outside, and they come up with a scenario for the actor to figure out. They used my suggestion of a Phish concert as the place the scenario was in, but I dont recall the whole phrase he had to guess. After the show ended, we made our way back to PO, at a rather late 1:00am, and settled into dreamland.
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 9 Tuesday , May 25, 2004:
We got off to a late start today. We puttered around, got dressed, and caught a boat to DTD to have lunch at Fultons. The ride was beautiful, and it is so relaxing. You pass along Port Orleans, the treehouse villas, golf course, and Saratoga Springs , before docking next to Capn Jacks in the Marketplace. The trip takes about 20 minutes, and is so much better than a bus ride. We docked at 12:30pm, and walked to Fultons. Neither of us have ever eaten here before, and we were looking forward to it. We were promptly seated at an upstairs table along the front window, with a nice view across the water to Saratoga Springs. It was very hot outside today, otherwise we would have tried one of the outdoor tables, but the window table was fine. There were about 10 tables occupied in the room we were in, so it wasnt too crowded or noisy. We started with the King Crab and shrimp combo appetizer, which consists of chilled King Crab and shrimp steamed in the shell then chilled. It comes with lemon and cocktail sauce, and is delicious. They also gave us some type of crabmeat and cheese dip with some flat crackers to start, which was very tasty. We asked for, and were given the recipe, but have yet to try it at home. We then each ordered the Dungeness Crab Club sandwich, and it was huge. It comes on herb country bread, with lump crabmeat, greens, tomato, and rosemary potato chips. We barely finished them after the appetizer. We would have been better off splitting one of the clubs along with the appetizer. The service was fine, but a few times we had to seek out the waiter for more water. The total came to $36 with the 10% AP discount, with an $8 tip, for a total of $44, and was worth every cent of it. I would highly recommend Fultons, at least as far as lunch goes. I notice that dinner prices are very high, but if the quality is as good as at lunch, it is probably worth it.
After finishing our lunch, we waddled over to World of Disney. We picked out another photo album, a Our Disney Vacation frame, and some pins. The frame is $25, and has room for 10 pictures. It has Our Disney Vacation written on it, and also has several Mickeys (6) scattered around the matting. In addition, it has nice scrolled Mickey heads in the four corners of the frame in gold colored trim. Its a very nice frame for that price. We also stopped at Arribas Brothers and bought some personalized etched glasses as gifts for those stuck back home, and decorative plate hanger to hold the set of 4 Park Icon plates we bought at the Home Store . I also bought Jeanne one of the Tea for 1 sets at the Home Store, in the Mickey shape, and then we bought a build a pin with a 04 graduation theme for my son at home, who was graduating HS at the end of June. We also got one with an 03 tag for his sister, who graduated last year. We then went to the Art of Disney store for something I had my eye on for quite some time. They have the framed and matted poster of the castle lit up at dusk, with four smaller boxes below depicting the building of the castle. It also has a fifth box below that, inscribed Cinderellas Castle, Building a Dream. It cost $225, and I thought it would look perfect in my living room. Rest assured, it does, as I bought it, and it now hangs proudly at home. We also got a special Mickey LE pin they had, ( LE 750, $25), and a 3d ceramic of the Mickey Painting Walt Self Portrait, which Jeanne actually bought for me. It cost $60, and is well worth it. It sits on a coffee table in my living room, and I love it. We had our loot shipped to the Beach Club, as we would be transferring there in two days, and didnt want to be stuck lugging it between two resorts. They advised us this would not be a problem, and it turned it that it was delivered and held there without any slipups.
We then caught a 4:30pm boat back to PO-FQ, and once again, we had a skipper who didnt utter a word once we started. I guess we got spoiled with the first skipper, but I dont think it would hurt them to mention a few things along the journey. Either way, the ride is still very nice and I highly recommend it over the bus. Once we got back to PO, we went to Bell Services in the main building, to arrange our luggage transfer on the 27th. It only took a minute, they asked us to give them an amount of luggage we needed transferred, and a time we would like it picked up. We also picked up Jeannes cat towel at the gift shop, where we had it shipped from MGM. It came out perfectly, and she was very satisfied with it.
We then drove to Universal, intending to eat at Jimmy Buffets at Citywalk tonight. We arrived, and parking was free since it was after 6:00pm, which was nice. Unfortunately, the parking area is a long distance from the parks and Citywalk, and the moving sidewalks were all programmed for exiting patrons, so we had to walk for what seemed an eternity to get to Citywalk. Once we got there, they were handing out coupon books, with 2 for 1 coupons for most of the bars, buy 1 drink and get one free. We browsed some of the shops, and Jeanne bought some trinkets in one of the shops, but I dont recall the name. This area seemed very different from DTD, and much louder, both in noise and decor. I havent been here in about 4 years, so didnt know what to expect. We walked by Pat OBriens, and since we had time to kill before Buffetts, and a 2-1 Hurricane coupon, decided to step inside and have a hurricane. We went in the smaller bar to the left, not the dueling pianos room to the right. The bar also has an open walk up window to the street. We ordered our Hurricanes, which were in the $8 range for the two. I had never had a Hurricane before, and about half way through, I was feeling the effects of it. I couldnt believe how strong it was. Jeanne said the same thing. I went and asked the bartender what was in it, and he told me that each one had 4 shots of Bacardi 151, along with the hurricane mix. If he was telling the truth, no wonder it was so potent. One of those was plenty. After we finished, we staggered over to Jimmy Buffets, and gave our name to the hostess. We were seated in the main room in about 5 minutes. The video screens were playing Buffett songs, and the atmosphere was very fun filled. We ordered a margarita in a souvenir glass, which was $10.95, and you got to keep the glass ( which was $8 for an empty one in the gift shop). I ordered the crab sandwich, while Jeanne ordered the coconut shrimp. Neither was spectacular, but they were good enough, and we were there for the atmosphere, not gourmet food. They had performers on stilts in the dining room, and they would come to tables and do balloon tricks, pose for pics, and such. The girl on stilts stopped by our table for about two seconds, said she would be right back, and then never came back. We even asked the waitress, as we wanted a picture of her in her getup, and the waitress told us she would be right back. For whatever reason, she never did come back, even after the waitress reminded her. The service in the restaurant also seemed as if they were trying to rush people through, in order to get more people in. I would have enjoyed myself more if I wasnt made to feel bad for lingering while watching the videos when we were done eating. The dinner came to $50, which included $22 for the two margaritas in the souvenir glasses, and with a $10 tip ( which probably should have been less based on the service), made for a total of $60. I also stopped by the gift shop afterwards, and bought a Margaritaville tshirt, a foam cup holder, and a fridge magnet. The shirt was $19, and the other items were around $5 each. All in all, it was a fun stop, but as I said earlier, its more the atmosphere and music than the food ( and service). Well probably be back in the future, but its not something I would make a habit of visiting.
After leaving Buffetts, we walked back to Pat OBriens, had another hurricane in the dueling piano bar ( which we didnt finish), and watched a few of the piano tunes. They were pretty good, and even though it was still early, the crowd was getting pretty into it. Must have been those hurricanes!!! We then walked over to Bob Marleys restaurant, which had a live band playing. We sat inside for awhile, and enjoyed the music. The band was pretty good, and the bar is set in an open air courtyard. It was a nice evening, and it was pretty relaxing sitting in there. When the band finished, the DJ played Marley tunes, and I requested ( and he played ) Redemption Song, a favorite of mine. We then headed out, and made our way back to Pleasure Island, to catch a comedy show or two. We were able to make it in time for the 10:30pm CW show, after dealing with the nonsense of the new admission policy, which really slowed down the club entry line. The show featured Mary, Matt, Lisa, Joy ( still Jeannes favorite), & Krista. They opened the show with the name game, using my name ( Bill, for those of you who forgot). After the show, we got back in line and waited for the 12:05am show, catching the NYE celebration on the West End Stage while waiting. The 12:05am show featured Mary, Todd, Joy ( still Jeannes favorite), Krista, and Matt. One of the skits they did was the Torture The Actor, where the actor is taken outside, and they come up with a scenario for the actor to figure out. They used my suggestion of a Phish concert as the place the scenario was in, but I dont recall the whole phrase he had to guess. After the show ended, we made our way back to PO, at a rather late 1:00am, and settled into dreamland.
Stay tuned for the next part.....
