Bill From PA
Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That
- Joined
- Nov 8, 1999
- Messages
- 3,217
Fri, 3/3 marked our first full day at WDW and the day we were to meet up with several other DISers vacationing that week at the Rose&Crown at 3pm. We got up at 7, planning to follow TGM's advice to hit MGM and avoid the EMH park. We toasted a couple of bagels, we brought the toaster in a suitcase and picked up the bagels and cream cheese at Publix on the way in, had a coffee infusion and did a power-walk to MGM. As we neared the park, we noticed a guy in one of those Water Sprite boats, or whatever they're called, doing tight circles in the canal. Soon, one of the WDW 'garbage scows', a pontoon boat that CMs sail to scoop debris out of the waterways with pole nets, pulled along side the Sprite, matching it in its tight circling. I soon realized that the guy in the Sprite wasn't steering, his boat was stuck in a counter clockwise turn and he was just sitting there, hands off the wheel. After several rotations, the scow caught up with the Sprite, a line was hooked to it and one of the CMs hit the kill switch on the outboard, or perhaps pulled a sparkplug wire, ending the dizzy ballet. Not something you see everyday at Disney.
Closer to MGM we heard a male voice, drunk sounding, and I'm quite accustomed to that sound, LOUDLY cheering for several pro teams in succession. At first I thought someone was being thoroughly un-Disney so early in the morning but soon realized that it was staged for the ESPN Weekend just starting. This was taking place about where the security checkpoints are. We didn't stop to gawk, we weren't there for the ESPN stuff, we were just hoping not to be inconvienenced by the goings-on. We got to rope drop, and on cue, bolted for ToT which we both rode and R'nR which I did alone. Mary can't take the head jostling of that ride, and I made a film of the pre-show from which I hope to capture a frame of Steven Tyler, establishing once and for all whether he issues a 'Shocking' hand gesture or not. More on that later.
Over the course of the morning we rode or attended, Great Movie Ride, a sentimental favorite of ours, Star Tours, ToT again, Muppets 3D after which we hopped the boat to Epcot, actually exiting the boat at BC as it's quicker to walk from there than to stay on the boat. BTW, ESPN Weekend had no negative effect on the rides and attractions. Other that ToT and R'nR, we did not need FP.
I wanted to show up at the Rose & Crown for the gathering of DIS Board members in an unimpared state with a good protein base on board, so we stopped at the Cantina outside Mexico and ate, after which we strolled towards the R&C the long way around. As we approached England, the World Showcase Players were just setting up for a performance, so we sat right on the curb outside the shop near the square where they perform. I turned on my video camera to tape the whole show, but it was not to be. When it came time to draft a King Arthur from the audience, the CM drifted by my left side, got behind me and plunked the crown down on top of my head. Mary took the camera and resumed taping. The show takes about 20 mins., is a lot of fun to see or to be in and I got to ham it up a bit. I'll try to capture a frame off the tape later, we have no stills of it yet.
As it was getting on to 3 pm, I thought being the center of attention near the R&C might make the DIS Meeting easier. None of us had met before and the sorry picture of us below is the only identifier anyone had of who to look for once in the pub. I was wearing a lime green golf shirt and the ever-present cap and shades so I was hoping that Tom Petty was right, "It's Good to be King", and that some of the audience were DISers there for the get together. Not so. We entered the cool pub, got a couple of Stellas and secured the tall table by the window on the left, just inside the door. Before we got halfway to the bottom of the glass I locked eyes with a gal coming through the door who turned out to be Cindie-rella. My shirt was the giveaway, so lime green works. Shortly, we met suevee, Hawk, WDW LOVR and their, what's the plural of 'spouse'? Spouses? Spice? Anyway, husbands and wives joined in and we had the makings of a pleasantly boistrous DIS Party. At least 2, no names will be mentioned here, had elaborate, printed itineraries, one on lime green stock, trumping the MS Word calendar I usually produce for our trips. Naturally, the conversations started out on a Disney theme but we soon established that we were a diverse group with many interests, and from my standpoint, a nicer, funnier and more interesting group could not be found. After a few cold ones, I thought folks might want to get on with their days, but someone was always there to buy another round so, near as I can recall, we chatted and laughed for 2 hrs, perhaps more. (Anyone who was there, feel free to correct the record).
At any rate, by 6 pm we'd made it over to the ESPN Club at BW where I had Buffalo Wings, Mary had a Chicken Ceasar Salad and we probably has a Sasparilla or two, but who's counting? On leaving there, I got dragooned into ANOTHER show, this time by a juggler who nabbed me and some poor young kid and the deal was, while the juggler juggled, on a signal, I was to throw a club to the kid, the kid was to throw a club to the juggler then catch mine and throw that to the juggler. Clearly, the kid had the hard part, but I was the doofus. I couldn't get my simple task straight in my head. Go figure! I caught the club from the juggler, I could underhand it to the kid, I just couldn't pull the trigger on cue. The performer actually got some good laughs out of my inepetitude, and we finally did pull it off, but I said, 'Sorry, man!' to the guy as he thanked us for being in the show. A mind is a terrible thing...
So, back to the Swan to freshen up for a night at JellyRolls. That and The Adventurers' Club are two places I'd fly to Orlando for, in and of themselves. We got there fairly early and took up our usual places, on the right, along the railing/bar above the main floor. About halfway through our second Corona, and before I got to make any requests, we were hailed from the floor and saw that there was Scott and Laurie from the DIS gathering a few hours ago! Kindred spirits! Scott invited us down and we resumed the revelry from that afternoon. You get to know a person quickly in the presence of Spiritus Fermenti, and what I know about Scott is this, he like his music and he wants it NOW! I don't know what he was slipping in the napkins he tossed on the piano, but whatever it was, it was sufficient to get his requests moved to the top of the list. Either that, or the player REALLY liked to play the stuff Scott was asking for. At any rate, Mary and I had a blast there and I can only hope to cross paths with Scott and Laurie on some future trip. BTW, this isn't the last we saw of others we met at the R&C that day. We were to have more fun with the some of the attendees later in the week, as you'll see.
That's about it for Fri., 3/3, but I think it was sufficient, we certainly didn't feel cheated. More to come tomorrow or the next day, hopefully with some links to some pics.
Bill From PA
Closer to MGM we heard a male voice, drunk sounding, and I'm quite accustomed to that sound, LOUDLY cheering for several pro teams in succession. At first I thought someone was being thoroughly un-Disney so early in the morning but soon realized that it was staged for the ESPN Weekend just starting. This was taking place about where the security checkpoints are. We didn't stop to gawk, we weren't there for the ESPN stuff, we were just hoping not to be inconvienenced by the goings-on. We got to rope drop, and on cue, bolted for ToT which we both rode and R'nR which I did alone. Mary can't take the head jostling of that ride, and I made a film of the pre-show from which I hope to capture a frame of Steven Tyler, establishing once and for all whether he issues a 'Shocking' hand gesture or not. More on that later.
Over the course of the morning we rode or attended, Great Movie Ride, a sentimental favorite of ours, Star Tours, ToT again, Muppets 3D after which we hopped the boat to Epcot, actually exiting the boat at BC as it's quicker to walk from there than to stay on the boat. BTW, ESPN Weekend had no negative effect on the rides and attractions. Other that ToT and R'nR, we did not need FP.
I wanted to show up at the Rose & Crown for the gathering of DIS Board members in an unimpared state with a good protein base on board, so we stopped at the Cantina outside Mexico and ate, after which we strolled towards the R&C the long way around. As we approached England, the World Showcase Players were just setting up for a performance, so we sat right on the curb outside the shop near the square where they perform. I turned on my video camera to tape the whole show, but it was not to be. When it came time to draft a King Arthur from the audience, the CM drifted by my left side, got behind me and plunked the crown down on top of my head. Mary took the camera and resumed taping. The show takes about 20 mins., is a lot of fun to see or to be in and I got to ham it up a bit. I'll try to capture a frame off the tape later, we have no stills of it yet.
As it was getting on to 3 pm, I thought being the center of attention near the R&C might make the DIS Meeting easier. None of us had met before and the sorry picture of us below is the only identifier anyone had of who to look for once in the pub. I was wearing a lime green golf shirt and the ever-present cap and shades so I was hoping that Tom Petty was right, "It's Good to be King", and that some of the audience were DISers there for the get together. Not so. We entered the cool pub, got a couple of Stellas and secured the tall table by the window on the left, just inside the door. Before we got halfway to the bottom of the glass I locked eyes with a gal coming through the door who turned out to be Cindie-rella. My shirt was the giveaway, so lime green works. Shortly, we met suevee, Hawk, WDW LOVR and their, what's the plural of 'spouse'? Spouses? Spice? Anyway, husbands and wives joined in and we had the makings of a pleasantly boistrous DIS Party. At least 2, no names will be mentioned here, had elaborate, printed itineraries, one on lime green stock, trumping the MS Word calendar I usually produce for our trips. Naturally, the conversations started out on a Disney theme but we soon established that we were a diverse group with many interests, and from my standpoint, a nicer, funnier and more interesting group could not be found. After a few cold ones, I thought folks might want to get on with their days, but someone was always there to buy another round so, near as I can recall, we chatted and laughed for 2 hrs, perhaps more. (Anyone who was there, feel free to correct the record).
At any rate, by 6 pm we'd made it over to the ESPN Club at BW where I had Buffalo Wings, Mary had a Chicken Ceasar Salad and we probably has a Sasparilla or two, but who's counting? On leaving there, I got dragooned into ANOTHER show, this time by a juggler who nabbed me and some poor young kid and the deal was, while the juggler juggled, on a signal, I was to throw a club to the kid, the kid was to throw a club to the juggler then catch mine and throw that to the juggler. Clearly, the kid had the hard part, but I was the doofus. I couldn't get my simple task straight in my head. Go figure! I caught the club from the juggler, I could underhand it to the kid, I just couldn't pull the trigger on cue. The performer actually got some good laughs out of my inepetitude, and we finally did pull it off, but I said, 'Sorry, man!' to the guy as he thanked us for being in the show. A mind is a terrible thing...
So, back to the Swan to freshen up for a night at JellyRolls. That and The Adventurers' Club are two places I'd fly to Orlando for, in and of themselves. We got there fairly early and took up our usual places, on the right, along the railing/bar above the main floor. About halfway through our second Corona, and before I got to make any requests, we were hailed from the floor and saw that there was Scott and Laurie from the DIS gathering a few hours ago! Kindred spirits! Scott invited us down and we resumed the revelry from that afternoon. You get to know a person quickly in the presence of Spiritus Fermenti, and what I know about Scott is this, he like his music and he wants it NOW! I don't know what he was slipping in the napkins he tossed on the piano, but whatever it was, it was sufficient to get his requests moved to the top of the list. Either that, or the player REALLY liked to play the stuff Scott was asking for. At any rate, Mary and I had a blast there and I can only hope to cross paths with Scott and Laurie on some future trip. BTW, this isn't the last we saw of others we met at the R&C that day. We were to have more fun with the some of the attendees later in the week, as you'll see.
That's about it for Fri., 3/3, but I think it was sufficient, we certainly didn't feel cheated. More to come tomorrow or the next day, hopefully with some links to some pics.
Bill From PA
We love DVC -- we used to stay at the Swan and Dolphin with the teacher's rate like you do, but discovered DVC by renting a studio for one trip. We've never looked back! (though we do stay at Swan/Dolphin occasionally -- it is so nice there and you can't beat the location!)
)
