MEK
DIS Legend
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
- Messages
- 20,088
Before I get on with this next update I just want to mention that I update all our chapter links. So if you missed Cynthia's last update or her amazing cooking lesson, please check that out. Also there is a link to a special guest appearance by Pat!
DIS Meet Extreme
When I envisioned writing this update, I had hoped that the outcome would have been dramatically different.
You see, not only did we have a big group DIS meet planned for this afternoon, we also had a very special DIS meet planned for the morning. Several weeks or more before this trip I had been talking to Tracy on FB. She seemed very certain that she would be coming to F&W. She had two more treatments to go and was pretty positive her doctor would clear her to travel. I knew Tracy was staying at BLT and Cynthia and I already had a Wave breakfast planned. So I asked Tracy if she would join us. She happily agreed.
I was very excited and a little nervous to see Tracy. I know she really struggled with her cancer treatments. Apparently she had a gene set that made her particularly vulnerable to the side effects of her chemotherapy. She needed to be hospitalized after almost every round of chemo for IV fluids. She was very concerned about her weight loss and was looking forward to eating and enjoying food again.
Since breakfast wasn't until 10:30 we both got up and exercised - Cynthia to the workout room and me to the great outdoors. We stopped in the gift shop on our way over to the Contemporary. We wanted to pick out something nice for Tracy and Cynthia ended up finding the perfect gift.
Now you would think that Cynthia and I could be on time from our breakfast date, but the Disney transportation conspired against us and we ended up being a few minutes late. Here's why - instead of our boat going straight to the Contemporary, it went to Fort Wilderness. Oh rats!
But I enjoyed our little bonus cruise and used it as an opportunity to take some pictures.
Looking over our shoulders we had a great view of the WL
Here we are approaching the dock at FW
Bye FW
Once we were on our way we passed another boat
Another great view of the lodge
We also passed this little island which had obviously been inhabited at some point
Anybody know what this is? Didn't there used to be some island, Discover Island?, that was a bird sanctuary?
Approaching the Contemporary
Zooming in on the WL
I think these rooms at the Contemporary are really neat. I know everyone wants to be in the tower, but I think these rooms right along the water are pretty cool. A little isolated with a wonderful view.
I felt bad that we had kept Tracy waiting. It was so wonderful to see her and we literally had the restaurant to ourselves. The Wave has a nice breakfast menu, plus a lovely buffet. Really the best of both worlds. We went to check out the buffet and we all decided that would be our dining choice.
My favorite thing on the buffet - lox and bagels! I love this. I could eat it every single morning and never get tired of it. So good.
Here's my platter. Sorry its a cell picture and the lighting is doing nothing to demonstrate how yummy my breakfast was.
We stayed at the Wave after breakfast and talked for quite awhile. Despite Tracy's concern over her weight loss, I think she looked wonderful. Besides her arms and legs being painfully thin, she looked lovely and had a pretty glow to her skin. At one point she told us that she didn't want to give up the fight - she was fighting for her father because losing her would destroy him. Gulp! I could just feel my eyes welling up with tears. It was a poignant moment and one I will remember forever.
I did not take any pictures during our meal, but I am thankful that Cynthia took this picture of Tracy holding the pillow we gave her.
Cynthia hit it out of the park when she selected this gift. It was perfect!
It's hard to believe that this lovely lady left this world less than two months after this photo was taken.
I know that many of you already watched this, but if you haven't, here is a link to the youtube video I posted for Tracy. We were all in a photo pass share, so between the pictures I had from prior trips and these photos, I was able to put together the video. I contacted her brother Jim to get permission before I posted it. I wrote the second song for her. It just came to me. Unfortunately, I recorded the guitar and vocal as a single track, so the guitar sounds pretty dead. No amount of remixing it could make it come alive. I hope to re-record the guitar as a separate track.
Here is my favorite picture of Tracy from the video. She is accompanied by her niece and her friend, Sue.
After breakfast we went back to Tracy's room at BLT. She had a lake/MK view that was lovely. The last time I stayed at BLT the sink was outside of the bathroom. I really like how they remodeled the studios and I really would like to stay there again.
From Tracy's room the three of us walked over to the Contemporary to catch the monorail to Epcot. It was time to head over to the DIS meet!
I took a few pictures while we were waiting to catch the Epcot monorail
Being artsy
Our monorail
Continued In Next Post...........
DIS Meet Extreme
When I envisioned writing this update, I had hoped that the outcome would have been dramatically different.
You see, not only did we have a big group DIS meet planned for this afternoon, we also had a very special DIS meet planned for the morning. Several weeks or more before this trip I had been talking to Tracy on FB. She seemed very certain that she would be coming to F&W. She had two more treatments to go and was pretty positive her doctor would clear her to travel. I knew Tracy was staying at BLT and Cynthia and I already had a Wave breakfast planned. So I asked Tracy if she would join us. She happily agreed.
I was very excited and a little nervous to see Tracy. I know she really struggled with her cancer treatments. Apparently she had a gene set that made her particularly vulnerable to the side effects of her chemotherapy. She needed to be hospitalized after almost every round of chemo for IV fluids. She was very concerned about her weight loss and was looking forward to eating and enjoying food again.
Since breakfast wasn't until 10:30 we both got up and exercised - Cynthia to the workout room and me to the great outdoors. We stopped in the gift shop on our way over to the Contemporary. We wanted to pick out something nice for Tracy and Cynthia ended up finding the perfect gift.
Now you would think that Cynthia and I could be on time from our breakfast date, but the Disney transportation conspired against us and we ended up being a few minutes late. Here's why - instead of our boat going straight to the Contemporary, it went to Fort Wilderness. Oh rats!
But I enjoyed our little bonus cruise and used it as an opportunity to take some pictures.

Looking over our shoulders we had a great view of the WL

Here we are approaching the dock at FW

Bye FW

Once we were on our way we passed another boat

Another great view of the lodge

We also passed this little island which had obviously been inhabited at some point

Anybody know what this is? Didn't there used to be some island, Discover Island?, that was a bird sanctuary?

Approaching the Contemporary

Zooming in on the WL


I think these rooms at the Contemporary are really neat. I know everyone wants to be in the tower, but I think these rooms right along the water are pretty cool. A little isolated with a wonderful view.

I felt bad that we had kept Tracy waiting. It was so wonderful to see her and we literally had the restaurant to ourselves. The Wave has a nice breakfast menu, plus a lovely buffet. Really the best of both worlds. We went to check out the buffet and we all decided that would be our dining choice.
My favorite thing on the buffet - lox and bagels! I love this. I could eat it every single morning and never get tired of it. So good.
Here's my platter. Sorry its a cell picture and the lighting is doing nothing to demonstrate how yummy my breakfast was.

We stayed at the Wave after breakfast and talked for quite awhile. Despite Tracy's concern over her weight loss, I think she looked wonderful. Besides her arms and legs being painfully thin, she looked lovely and had a pretty glow to her skin. At one point she told us that she didn't want to give up the fight - she was fighting for her father because losing her would destroy him. Gulp! I could just feel my eyes welling up with tears. It was a poignant moment and one I will remember forever.
I did not take any pictures during our meal, but I am thankful that Cynthia took this picture of Tracy holding the pillow we gave her.

Cynthia hit it out of the park when she selected this gift. It was perfect!
It's hard to believe that this lovely lady left this world less than two months after this photo was taken.
I know that many of you already watched this, but if you haven't, here is a link to the youtube video I posted for Tracy. We were all in a photo pass share, so between the pictures I had from prior trips and these photos, I was able to put together the video. I contacted her brother Jim to get permission before I posted it. I wrote the second song for her. It just came to me. Unfortunately, I recorded the guitar and vocal as a single track, so the guitar sounds pretty dead. No amount of remixing it could make it come alive. I hope to re-record the guitar as a separate track.
Here is my favorite picture of Tracy from the video. She is accompanied by her niece and her friend, Sue.

After breakfast we went back to Tracy's room at BLT. She had a lake/MK view that was lovely. The last time I stayed at BLT the sink was outside of the bathroom. I really like how they remodeled the studios and I really would like to stay there again.
From Tracy's room the three of us walked over to the Contemporary to catch the monorail to Epcot. It was time to head over to the DIS meet!
I took a few pictures while we were waiting to catch the Epcot monorail


Being artsy

Our monorail

Continued In Next Post...........