No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems: A Tremendously Tropical PTR

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Hey Rinky! I've barely been on the DIS at all in the last couple of weeks and I am so far behind on all my subscriptions!

Most importantly, I hope all is well at your home and Irene didn't effect you too badly.

Now, I have to go allllllll the way back to your favorite resort question - I told you I was behind! My favorite resort that I've stayed at is AKL, it's just so beautiful and relaxing. The one I have yet to stay at, but really really want to try is BC. I love the whole feel of the resort and SAB is awesome, not to mention the great location, being within walking distance to two parks! Someday I'll get to stay there!

I totally agree with your resort picks. I love BC, but would like to stay at AKL too.

I love your day 1 WDW plans........minus the 'Ohana dinner, yes, you read that right I think I'm the only DISer that is not in love with that restaurant! I probably need to give it another try, maybe we just hit it on a bad night, but we were completely unimpressed. Service was terrible, food was dry and overcooked, it just wasn't a good experience at all.

Well, you really need to give Ohana another try. I think you definitely hit it on a bad night. I would say the first time we ate there the meats were slightly cooked too much for my taste (probably perfect to everyone else though). But the second time we went, it was PERFECT! Our service has also been good on both visits. You really should try it again sometime.

I have to say though that I totally agree with you on your favorite MK CS option. We love CHH! I always order the tuna sandwich, but I've tasted several of their other options as well and it's all been good. As far as favorite TS at MK I guess I would have to choose Crystal Palace. I've eaten at LTT & CRT and didn't much care for either one of them (I've been told I need to give LTT a try at lunch, that it's much better than dinner, so it's on the list). Haven't tried Tony's or the Plaza yet, so that leaves CP!

CHH is good isn't it? My DH is really looking forward to getting back there.

I want to try LTT too, but couldn't decide between lunch or dinner. The reviews are so mixed that I don't know what to do???? We haven't done Tony's or the Plaza either. I'd like to try the Plaza soon though.

replies in blue

Hey Rinky hope you are ok there in NC. Irene is gone from Ct but we have no power and no idea when we will, I just wanted to hop on real quick to see if you were alright on my laptop battery power and my wifi which if I am lucky I will have 2 hours time total so I probally will not be back until our power comes back on

Do you have power yet? I was expecting to be without power for at least a week, but they got it back on much quicker than that this time. When Fran came through, we didn't have power for 2 weeks. I think we got lucky though b/c lots of our neighbors still don't have power.

Did you have any damage? I sure hope not!

Just popped over to see how you all managed the storm! I see that you are safe! Yay!!!
Just LOVE that sweet pic of your daughter ready for her first day of school. Her hair is adorable! Glad to know that she is happy with her classmates and teacher too...

I really think you will be good to go on your cruise, I'm sure they are getting everything squared away right now! You know it's how they make their money!!!

She does like 2nd grade so far, even though she has only gone 2 days. She is so ready to get back to school now that all this is over. I am hoping that school will be back in tomorrow, but it's doubtful.

DCL is stil lgoing to Nassau. Right now CC is scrapped till they get a grip on what the damage is.

I sure would like to know when it will reopen. If you find out anything, I would be so appreciative if you'd share it with me. I've read they have a lot of damage on the island. I wonder how long it will take them to get things back in order. We still have almost 2 months until our cruise, so maybe that will be enough time. I just don't know????

Thank you for stopping by to post this info!

For us: good service - not awesome, but adequate. Our food, however was better than good! The steak was melt-in-your mouth tender. I'd give it one more try one of these days, if I were you, before you write it off. If you go 0 for 2, then you can scratch it.

I second that Memom!

I could be wrong, but I am guessing that Rinky still does not have power. There are widespread outages down here. They are saying it all won't be restored until Friday, they hope.

I do hope it is only her power and/or internet!!

You guessed right!

I have been wondering about you Stacy. How did you do with the storm? I sure hope you didn't have any damage. Do you have power? I've been thinking about you and your family!

Oh no, I thought they were OK!!!
I hope she gets back on here soon!

We are fine! Thank the Lord!

So relieved to hear that you are indeed safe. Sorry that you have been through so much torment throughout this storm.
I hope you keep that power on and your house gets nice and cool so you get that much needed rest!

Thanks! I slept like a baby last night. It was cool and there was no wind or storms. It was blissful!

Yikes, what a mess! I'm so glad that you don't have any major damage though and that you are all safe and sound

Thank you! Me too! After this past week, I can't ask for much more than my safety.

Yikes!!! I'm glad to hear that everything is okay now and that you are all safe.

Thank you! So am I!

Good to hear from you. Jill's area was messed up, too, during those tornadoes, and they were without power for days, so we can very well relate to what you are seeing around you and what you are going through. Luckily, she was able to get most of her fridge/freezer food up here quickly, so she didn't have to throw away much.

I know that air conditioning felt so good!

It will be an inconvenience and a hassle to get things repaired, but at least all of your people are safe and your house is still standing. You are fortunate.

Our neighborhood looks similar to those pictures you posted of the tornado damage. The only difference is that the houses aren't leveled like in the tornado. Most of the houses are still standing, but they have 100 year old trees cut through the middle of them. It very sad to see people lose so much.

That a/c felt like angels breathing on me from Heaven!

I AM so blessed and I thank God for sparing me and my family. It could have been so much worse than it was for us. All I have to do is drive down our road if I need a reminder.

 

[mindyd]

I am so happy that you guys are safe. I can't even imagine what you went through and can imagine how scared you would be. I am horrible with storms and am always worried about a tornado. That stinks that you had to throw all the food away. I hope your week gets better and things get back to normal for you soon.

 

[Woth2982]

Glad to hear you are all safe and had minor damage! Such a relief. We didn't get it bad where I live. The coast of MA got it bad though with the surges from the water. Most of CT, and RI are still without power, and HALF my town has no power....not sure how that happened. I had power the whole storm, my paranoid father made me eat all the ice cream......not that I objected....but we did have a VERY large tree branch fall at my neighbors house that I heard from several houses down the road. Just lots of loud wind. The lady at Target was making fun of me because instead of buying a flashlight and batteries I bought cleaning supplies. I told her if it gets dark I will light some candles and relax then go to sleep, but during the day I need SOMETHING to entertain me.

 

[Happy Elf]

What a scary experience! Glad you are all ok!

 

[sjs314]

Hi Rinky

We just got power back this evening after nearly 58 in the dark. I stopped over onto Jo and Shelly's thread and seen that you were back, I had been wondering about you. Goodness on top of the hurricane then a tornado

Glad you and yours are all ok sorry to read about your SUV

 

[stace208]

I have been wondering about you Stacy. How did you do with the storm? I sure hope you didn't have any damage. Do you have power? I've been thinking about you and your family!

Thanks Rinky, we are just fine, thankfully! We were without power for a few days and had one ugly grocery bill yesterday since we lost most of our food, but no damage to the house so we are very thankful for that. Many people around us were not so lucky. Several people at school are still without power too.

I am so super glad that you guys came through okay as well!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I am so happy that you guys are safe. I can't even imagine what you went through and can imagine how scared you would be. I am horrible with storms and am always worried about a tornado. That stinks that you had to throw all the food away. I hope your week gets better and things get back to normal for you soon.

Thank you! It was very scary. I've always been afraid of bad weather, even as a child. I wish I was more like my DH b/c it doesn't bother him in the least. I just don't know how anyone can feel that way.

Throwing out all our food was quite depressing! Having to go to the grocery store and start all over was even more depressing. Things are getting back to normal though and I'm thankful for that.

Glad to hear you are all safe and had minor damage! Such a relief. We didn't get it bad where I live. The coast of MA got it bad though with the surges from the water. Most of CT, and RI are still without power, and HALF my town has no power....not sure how that happened. I had power the whole storm, my paranoid father made me eat all the ice cream......not that I objected....but we did have a VERY large tree branch fall at my neighbors house that I heard from several houses down the road. Just lots of loud wind. The lady at Target was making fun of me because instead of buying a flashlight and batteries I bought cleaning supplies. I told her if it gets dark I will light some candles and relax then go to sleep, but during the day I need SOMETHING to entertain me.

I think eating all the ice cream in the freezer is a great hurricane prep plan! Believe me, it's not a pretty sight after 3 days in a hot fridge!

I'm so glad to hear that you didn't have any damage or lose power. That is great! I hate to hear of the damage that all the northern states got though. So sad.

What a scary experience! Glad you are all ok!

Thank you! Me too!

Hi Rinky

We just got power back this evening after nearly 58 in the dark. I stopped over onto Jo and Shelly's thread and seen that you were back, I had been wondering about you. Goodness on top of the hurricane then a tornado

Glad you and yours are all ok sorry to read about your SUV

Thanks! I'm just thankful that we are ok. The car and the house can be fixed, and that makes me a very fortunate person right now.

Glad you are getting back to normal too. It's been quite an ordeal for everyone!

Thanks Rinky, we are just fine, thankfully! We were without power for a few days and had one ugly grocery bill yesterday since we lost most of our food, but no damage to the house so we are very thankful for that. Many people around us were not so lucky. Several people at school are still without power too.

I am so super glad that you guys came through okay as well!

I can relate to the grocery bill! It really stinks! Do you have coverage for food loss on your homeowner's insurance? Most people do around here because of hurricanes. If so, you can get reimbursed for what you lost. We switched insurance companies last year, and I forgot to ask about adding that on, so we were not covered.

I'm so glad to hear that you didn't have any damage though. Hopefully we can all start getting back to normal now.... that is if this next storm takes a hike!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I am very happy to say to you this morning that..................

WE
ARE
GOING
TO
DISNEY
NEXT
MONTH!!!!​

​

Break out the 'naners!

And in other news... I broke down and called DCL because I couldn't find out anything reliable about what was going on at Castaway Cay. I am so excited b/c the CM told me that the island is fine and reopened this week!!! So it looks like I was fretting over nothing, and our cruise will be stopping there for sure... that is if Katia and all her little friends find somewhere else to play!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Oh my goodness-what a week you have had! I'm so glad you received some good news from DCL about CC! You NEEDED some good news! I too have been looking online for damage reports and everything is very vague - it will start rolling in soon enough though on what exactly happened. I'm sure there are some plants to replace, but hopefully all the people and structures are okay!

We here didn't get hit too bad-by the time she hit NYC she turned into a Tropical Storm. A few trees down around the neighborhood and some minor flooding, but that's about it.

Many prayers and hugs to you, your family and community as you clean up from all the damage!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I found this really cool link and thought I would share it with you. It is a live webcam of the Disney Dream at Port Canaveral. I've read that when the ship is boarding, the webcam operator zooms in on the people walking around on the top decks. So if you have family or Dis friends cruising anytime soon, you might want to look at it on their departure date and watch them sail away! I wish I had known about this when Anita and Michelle sailed back in June and when Jen sailed in March! Oh well, next time.

(Jen, this webcam is stationed at Fish Lips where you guys ate at the night before your cruise!)

http://portcanaveralwebcam.com/

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Oh my goodness-what a week you have had! I'm so glad you received some good news from DCL about CC! You NEEDED some good news! I too have been looking online for damage reports and everything is very vague - it will start rolling in soon enough though on what exactly happened. I'm sure there are some plants to replace, but hopefully all the people and structures are okay!

We here didn't get hit too bad-by the time she hit NYC she turned into a Tropical Storm. A few trees down around the neighborhood and some minor flooding, but that's about it.

Many prayers and hugs to you, your family and community as you clean up from all the damage!

Thank you! I really appreciate that! It looks like most everyone did ok in our neighborhood through the tornado. Only one house down the street had any damage. I think maybe it only touched down briefly. Still scared us to death though. Such a helpless feeling to sit there in a closet and wait for it to hit you. I hope I never have to go through that again.

I'm so glad to hear that you didn't have any major problems with the hurricane. I saw your pictures on FB from your neighborhood. Why do people try to drive through flood waters EVERY time something like that happens?

Very good news on CC indeed!!! A report I read here on the DIS said that there were lots of tattered trees and leaves, and lots of debris on the beach, but not too bad otherwise!

 

[*dreamit*doit*]

Hi Rinky! I read your post after the storm and thought I had commented...guess not. Anyway, glad you're all safe!!! I know just what you went through, as we've been through so many hurricanes here in South Florida, the worst being Andrew and we were without power for 2 weeks, but still very lucky compared to sooo many others here.

Did your DD start school again?

Glad CC is up and running again and yes, hopefully Katia and her friends will go play elsewhere!!


for NEXT MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Hi Rinky! I read your post after the storm and thought I had commented...guess not. Anyway, glad you're all safe!!! I know just what you went through, as we've been through so many hurricanes here in South Florida, the worst being Andrew and we were without power for 2 weeks, but still very lucky compared to sooo many others here.

Did your DD start school again?

Glad CC is up and running again and yes, hopefully Katia and her friends will go play elsewhere!!


for NEXT MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you! I am very thankful too! It seems like Florida and NC are just hurricane magnets doesn't it? We have been through 3 major hurricanes now (since I have been an adult and can remember anyway). I certainly hope we have seen the last of them for this year, but it always seems like Labor Day weekend is about the peak of the season. I'll be glad when September is over and then maybe we can put this crazy weather season behind us. Although, the fall can have some crazy storms too as the seasons change, but I hope we have all had our fair share of it! I mean, I was thinking about it and we had an earthquake, hurricane, tornado, and major hail storm all in one week's time!! Enough already!!

Looks like Katia will be missing you if the forecasts are right. That's good news! I just hope it misses everyone else too. Some of the models show it just turning out to sea. I sure hope that's what happens. And the same for all the little ones just getting revved up behind her!

And yes, school is finally back in. Today was their first day back. Now I am worried that they are going to have to make up these days over their fall break which is when our trip is happening! That will totally mess up my plans! I scheduled the trip during that time so she wouldn't miss so much school. They get 3 days off at the end of October, which left her only missing 4 days. If they use that time for make ups, she will miss 7!! I tell ya... you do all this planning, and just when you think you have it all figured out...

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

I just saw this story on the news and thought I would share if you're interested.

The night the hurricane hit DH and I were supposed to be going on a dinner cruise for our anniversary. There is a man who lives on the sound that takes people out for cruises on the weekends. It's a three hour cruise of the sound at sunset and you get a steak dinner. We were really looking forward to it. Needles to say, once we realized that the hurricane would be coming through our area at the exact time we were going to be on the boat, we knew it would be cancelled. Well this is what happened to our dinner cruise boat that night:

http://www.wral.com/weather/hurricanes/video/10077889/#/vid10077889

 

[Mndisneygirl]

So glad that CC is okay!! We have used the webcam a few times and there was one from Ron Jon's Cape Caribe resort we used too.

Hope that you don't have to suffer through any more severe weather!!

 

[MeMom]

Thanks Rinky, we are just fine, thankfully! We were without power for a few days and had one ugly grocery bill yesterday since we lost most of our food, but no damage to the house so we are very thankful for that. Many people around us were not so lucky. Several people at school are still without power too.

I am so super glad that you guys came through okay as well!

It's good to hear from all of our DIS friends. I think minor damage and loss of power was the worst anybody got, so we are thankful for that!





That boat on the dock - that's some pretty crazy stuff!!!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Wow, that boat perched up on the dock was quite a sight!!!

Just this evening I was sitting across the room from Jen and I was saying "next month when we wear our costumes to the party at Disney"....
It sure felt good to say that "next month"

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

So glad that CC is okay!! We have used the webcam a few times and there was one from Ron Jon's Cape Caribe resort we used too.

Hope that you don't have to suffer through any more severe weather!!

Me too! I'm done with it for this year!

I'm excited about that webcam. Now I just need a Dis friend to go cruising so I can watch it. Know any volunteers?

It's good to hear from all of our DIS friends. I think minor damage and loss of power was the worst anybody got, so we are thankful for that!

That boat on the dock - that's some pretty crazy stuff!!!

Yep, it sounds like we were all very fortunate. It is heartbreaking to ride around town and see people's homes destroyed. It has convinced us that we need to get rid of the trees in our yard. I'm really bummed about that b/c I love trees... they give shade, they are so pretty in the fall (all ours are sugar maples), but I can't stand the thought of my home being flattened by one of them, and considering where we live, it's only a matter of time before we are hit again with another storm. We are going to wait until after the leaves change though so I can enjoy them for one last fall.

Wow, that boat perched up on the dock was quite a sight!!!

Just this evening I was sitting across the room from Jen and I was saying "next month when we wear our costumes to the party at Disney"....
It sure felt good to say that "next month"

That boat story was crazy. The power of a storm like that never ceases to amaze me. We thought we would just reschedule our dinner cruise for the next weekend, but that's not happening.

For being able to say "next month"! It does sound awfully good ringing in your ears, doesn't it!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Alright, I think it’s time to move on to happier times! The second day of our Disney trip will be spent at my VERY favorite place, World Showcase!! I adore everything about WS. I could spend several days there just milling around and taking pictures. It is truly my happy place! I suppose I love it so much because my dream would be to actually visit all those countries, but my budget will probably never allow that to happen, so for now, Epcot will do quite nicely!

These are some of my favorite pictures from WS during our last two trips:

I LOVE taking pictures in WS, and I have three photo missions this time…

First, I always seem to come home with several silly hat pictures and they are always some of my favorites. So this time I want to try to get a hat pic in each country. Here are some old ones I’ve taken:

Secondly, I always intend on getting a picture with a CM from each country but I never seem to complete my project. In fact, every year I say I am NOT going to forget it and then I do. I’ve actually only ended up with 2 measly pictures after all my trips to WS. Shameful! This time I am going to rectify that. I just love that all the CMs in each country are actually native to that region and are dressed accordingly. I think it would make a great collage if I can remember to get them all, and something fun that DD can share with her class when she gets back. These are the only two I have so far:

Continued in next post

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

And finally, I’d love to get some empty WS pics. We have a 10:45 breakfast ressie for Akershus in Norway. My plan is to get there a little early so that maybe I can get some empty WS pictures since they don’t open until 11:00. Maybe I will start in Canada and work my way around and see what I can get before the crowds come in.

We last ate at Akershus in 2008 when DD was 4 years old. I booked it for the princesses, not expecting much in the way of food, but was pleasantly surprised. The breakfast there was VERY good. Their potatoes are awesome and the swiss cheese cubes on the appetizer buffet were the best I have ever had. We really enjoyed the food there, and we are looking forward to going back (It is SOOO much better than CRT). Normally I don’t book a restaurant more than once (except for Ohana) b/c we like to try new places, but now that my DD is getting older, I thought I better book this one again before she is “too cool” for the princesses. It may just be our last visit there.

A few ’08 flashbacks…

She loved the fancy glasses… don’t all little girls.

She wore her Belle costume last time. Poor thing, it was so itchy that she had to leave her t-shirt on underneath which sort of ruined it for her. I hope I have solved this problem with the costumes she will wear this year.

DD will be wearing a Jasmine costume here this time. It was actually a recital costume that I am doing some altering to. I’ll try to remember to post a pic of it when I am done. It’s taking me a while b/c I am not the best sewer in the word.

After breakfast, it’s time to explore the WS and the F&W Festival. I’m not sure how much room we will have for snacking, but I do have some things in mind. I found a survey online that really helped me decide which booths to try. It basically had people vote on the food at each booth, and it was pretty clear who the winners were. Here’s the link for anyone who might be interested in seeing what foods were most popular last year:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=DicEz9_2bsc4e64CYreJRN0W7f0HOFaLSJpaG3K7fG0bQ_3d

I have narrowed my “must eat” list down to the following:
(We will probably just order one of each and share them, just to get a taste.)

*Fisherman’s Pie (lobster and scallop pot pie)- Ireland
*Chocolate Lava Cake w/ Bailey’s Irish Crème- Ireland
*Cheddar Cheese Soup- Canada
*Pecan Praline Bread Pudding- America

I have narrowed my “must eat if we aren’t about to explode” list down to:
(We will probably sample a few of these if we have any room left.)

*Apple Strudel w/ Caramel Sauce- Germany
*Baklava- Greece
*Beef Skewer w/ Chimi Sauce- Argentina
*Waffles w/ Berries- Belgium
*Crab Cake w/ Remoulade Sauce- America
*Lobster Roll- America
*Chocolate Crème Brulee- France
*Lamb Slider w/ Tomato Chutney- New Zealand
*Maple Salmon w/ Lentils- Canada
*Chicken Chipotle Sausage w/ Polenta- Canada

Sounds like a pretty good use of all those snack credits to me!

I’d love to hear your opinions if you have tried any of these or if you know of something yummy that isn’t on my list. This will be our first time going to the F&WF, so any advice will be appreciated.

As for rides, attractions and entertainment, we plan to take a sail on Donald’s boat and Maelstrom, and I am hoping that we get to see some of the entertainers that we have missed in the past. It can be hard to time those out well with all the other park touring though, but I do love the WS performers. We are going to just sort it take it in stride and catch the ones we can, but I would really like to see the Voices of Liberty. I’ve written down their performance times and am going to make it a priority to see them.

After we take in all the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of WS, we plan to end the night watching a wonderful showing of Illuminations!

Ok, confession time…

I think I have become a Disney fireworks snob. Ever since we watched Wishes from the pirate cruise, and MVMCP fireworks from the Poly beach on our last trip, I can’t seem to bring myself to watch them from Main Street anymore. The crowds just kill me! So again, I started thinking of ways to see the fireworks without being among the hoards of humanity on this trip as well. We’ll see the MNSSHP show from the Poly beach on our first night, and I’ve planned to see Wishes from a new place outside the park that I’ll tell you about later, so I figured why not do the same for Illuminations.

This year we will be watching it from the new La Hacienda restaurant in Mexico. We have an ADR for 8:00 with Illuminations at 9:00. If we are lucky, we will get a seat by the wall of windows overlooking the lagoon. They turn the lights off and pipe the music in during the fireworks! I can’t wait! I really hope we like watching the show from there.

Everyone gets chips and two types of salsa for an app.

I’ve looked over the menu and I think I will order either the shrimp tacos…

Or the grilled Tilapia.

I’m at a loss on what to order for dessert. They all sound good! If any of you have eaten here and have any suggestions on what to order, I would love to hear it!

One thing is for sure… no one is going hungry on this day! In fact, I will probably be so full by the time we get to La Hacienda that we may just order appetizers for our meals and pay OOP. I really only booked it for the fireworks anyway.

So for our Disney Hall of Fame entries this time... tell me what your World Showcase favorites are. It can be anything... favorite restaurant, snack, entertainment, ride, favorite country... whatever! Just tell me what you love about WS.

Well that pretty much wraps up day two. Day three is coming up and will be a totally new experience for us… totally new park (yep, you read that right), all new food, new everything… and it definitely adds to the ‘tropicalness’ of this trip!