March Trip Report -- Part 9: Dirty Dancing at Margritaville

[BarryHom]

March 10, 2001

The cast:
Me (the 29 year old)
Donna (aka Molokai Gram, didn't ask age, from Hawaii)
Ohai (Donna's DH, didn't ask age either, from Hawaii)

Ohai needed to stop by Cigarz for some cigarettes. We went up there while Donna and I looked through one of Citywalk’s shops. This shop really had nothing of practical use. It was like a Spencer’s Gifts. Of course, no one shops for a hammer or scouring pad on their vacation!

Donna wanted to eat at Margritaville to try the key lime pie. She thought that she did not eat the real thing at Sea World. We worked out way to Margritaville and it was getting close to 9:00. The restaurant was packed! The wait for a table was two hours, but with our room keys, our wait was about an hour. I thought I had flashed my Hard Rock room key, but I had shown my Portifino key. They said, “Portifino guests get the next available table.” Hey, I paid a lot for the room. I might as well get all the benefits I can!

We were given a beeper and we were told that it had a 50-foot radius. We sat on a bench outside the restaurant. We watched a rather bored-looking lady holding a sign on a clipboard. The sign was for a party at Margritaville. We also chatted. Ohai was pretty quiet. I guess he was enjoying his cigarettes too much. I learned Donna works as a supervisor on a welfare office. I could not get the lyrics to a Neil Young song out of my head: “Welfare mothers ain’t better lovers!” I have no idea what the song is about. In addition to shooting sharks, Ohai was a preschool teacher. He always got the kids to sit down when he said it for the first time. He also got a lot of gifts from single mothers at Christmas! Hmmm, maybe I ought to be a preschool teacher…

We checked several times to see how much longer it would be. We were so bored at one point that we just started at people in the gift shop. Finally, our beeper went off. I was never so thrilled in my life! We got a table in front of the stage. A house band was about to take the stage and people already paid their cover. We got in without paying the cover charge.

I had the Pulled Pork Sandwich. I don’t recall what Donna and Ohai had, but I do remember finishing off their fries and onion rings. I don’t know why this is, but the older people get, the less they eat. My mom and grandmom are like that too. If they can’t finish something, they give it to me. Maybe I ought to order small next time. The Pulled Pork Sandwich was pretty good. While we ate, employees were moving tables and chairs. I wonder if we were going to get kicked out! We got to keep our table.

In the midst of our meal, the house band came on stage. It was a rock band with one steel drummer. It was interesting to hear “Uncle John’s Band” with a steel drum. During the performance, we ordered desert. Donna and I had the key lime pie. We had to shout our order to the waitress. The key lime pie was good, but it tasted like cheesecake.

As the band played “Hotel California,” two girls started dancing in front of the stage. They were getting too friendly, if you know what I mean. My back was facing the stage, so I could not get a good look at these dancers. Too bad I didn’t break out the video camera! Donna said that the men suddenly became really interested in what was happening. The women suddenly became really interested in their meal. Donna said that she could not tell if they were really into each other or just playing around. It was interesting to see them balance their cigarettes between two fingers as they danced. They did not drop their smokes once! At the end of the song, the singer thanked the two girls for making it easy to concentrate on the song!

We headed back to the hotel at around 11:00. I had to go by Donna and Ohai’s room for some Hawaiian nuts. They were for the globe meet people, but she forgot to bring them along. Donna was in room 3141. I was in exactly one room below in 2141! In Donna’s room, they had put all their on-ride photos on the headboard. I got the nuts and headed back to my room.

I planned on early entry for Universal Studios tomorrow. Donna and Ohai wouldn’t make it since they could not get up that early. I could have banged a broom on the roof of my room to wake them up! I planned to meet them tomorrow at 9:30 in front of Hard Rock Live.

Barry Hom
Moderator, Universal and Sea World Boards

Click HERE for interesting Universal Orlando information!

 

[nhrenee]

Great reports Barry! I really wish I could have been there. It's sounds like everyone had a blast.

 

[Molokai Gram]

Aloha,

The wait for a table at Margaritaville was forever, room key or not! We sat and sat and sat. I actually wanted to eat there because of all the good comments I had read here. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't too sure who Jimmy Buffet was. All I could remember was that he had sung a couple of songs in the past some time. (Sorry if you are a fan <IMG WIDTH="15" HEIGHT="15" SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_redface.gif" alt="red face"> ) When we finally got seated, it was clear that there was hadly any tables to eat at, no wonder we waited so long! I think there was a party going on that took up alot of the tables... Before the band started, they had a big sceen that played only JB's music videos and concerts. This guy must really be popular to have such a "shrine". I noticed that they have "cheeseburger in paradise" on the menu. There is a restaurant of the same name in Lahaina Maui, is the term significant? <IMG SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif" alt="confused">

Ohai had the crab/corn chowder which he enjoyed. He did not care for the pulled pork sandwich. I think I had fish, but to tell the truth I cannot remember even after looking at the menu. The food we chose was not impressive I guess. I do remember the Key Lime pie. Again I was disappointed, but only because I enjoy the chiffon "key lime pie" here, which is clearly not real key lime pie! LOL

Our table was directly infront of the stage and as people around us finished, the waitstaff removed the table to clear the "dance floor" so we ended up on the dance floor when those girls started dancing. I will not add any comment to Barry's about the girls except to say I am very surprised that Barry noticed how their hands...not many other people did, I bet. They seemed to really enjoy each other.

Barry never mentioned the Neil Young song to me and I never heard of it. I actually supervise the offices for two islands and Ohai now works construction (preschool teacher to construction, natural progression, the blocks are just bigger!). But on vacation, I didn't really want to talk about work...I am so thankful that Barry didn't give me his opinion on welfare-most people do. I told you he is a nice and sensitive guy.

Barry did not jump on our beds...he must have been tired.

Aloha,
Donna

[This message was edited by Molokai Gram on 04-10-01 at 11:35 PM.]