Team Renfroe's 2nd Trip Report - 1,500 pictures, dining reviews, and DISmeets!

[alan_renfroe]

WooHoo! Thanks Alan Poor Wil.. I am so glad he knew what to do. I am thinking that this afternoon rest stuff makes some sense... the difference in Juliana is amazing.

I think we would hit the proverbial wall if we didn't get our afternoon break! There was only one day when we didn't get an afternoon break...and we regretted it.

Wow, the pool looks pretty busy for mid-day!

I'm very impressed with Will. He does seem like a very mature 12 yo. It's also great that he had his own cell. Do both your children carry their own cell? Thanks for the report on the American Idol show I hadn't read any others yet. Looking forward to your Boardwalk review. We've never been there either.

The pool at Coronado Springs is so nice....it can get crowded during mid-day if the weather is nice.

I was proud of Wil, too. He was so cool about the way he handled the whole situation. Us? Not so much.

No, both of our children do not have cell phones yet...only Wil. He only got his in March of this year. In our little town, we do not have a middle school, so Elementary goes from K-6th grade, and high school is 7-12. SO, Wil will be in high school starting in the fall. We felt like it was time for him to have a cell...and especially before our Disney trip. Good call!

Alan loved the update !! American Idolis on the TO DO" list for September !!!

You'll love it, Rosie. It is just like watching the real show.

Oh my goodness! That is so scary about Wil! I can't believe that driver!!!!!!! And that woman commenting back to your wife! The nerve! I would have stood up and shouted down the driver for leaving a child behind! Arg!

Gets me all hot and fired up!

SO SO SO glad to read he was cool, collected and SMART about it all. What a great kid you have!!!!

I'm looking forward to what the "Mickey pass" actually was...

Trying my best to be diplomatic, I'm assuming from the driver's perspective he had probably already cleared for takeoff and here we come jumping on at the last second. However, why would you intentionally leave people who are obviously rushing to board? Believe me, Elizabeth DID stand up and shout, "You left my son!" That's when the comment came, "no lady, YOU left your son." Wow. Hostility at the Happiest Place on Earth! It all seems a little petty now....but at that moment, it felt like the World was against us.

Wil is a smart kid. He'll be a teenager in January....and I think he makes great decisions....most of the time.

That must have been really scary, Wil being left behind!! Kudos for him being such cool headed and doing the right thing (using his cell phone, getting on the next tram, etc.).

Me, I would have jumped right off the tram, using a particular woman for cushioning my fall!!


Regards,

luis

Believe me, that thought crossed our minds! I was just trying to calm Elizabeth down. I kept telling her, "we're only going a few hundred yards away. I'll just walk back to him." When I started to get worried was when the tram stopped and they wouldn't let me walk back in the same direction we came. Then, after all of that, we had to deal with Elizabeth not having her pass to get back into the park. By the time we got seated at the American Idol Experience, we were ALL ready to calm down a bit.

the tram story is totally scary! What the heck was wrong with the tram driver and that woman?! Your wife showed great restraint. And good for Will being so mature, calm and collected!

Uh oh... I have a feeling we'll hear more about the special Mickey card. I think I know where this is going.

It was definitely scary at the time. I did feel guilty because I thought about what that woman said. Did WE leave our child? From that point on, I made sure that I was the last person to board any means of transportation. All of that being said, there is no way those drivers should have left our child standing there.

That special card that the guest relations cast member gave us was identical to Elizabeth's Keys to the World card, only with a little Mickey head in the top left corner. The cast member drew it on there so that we wouldn't get it confused with her other Keys to the World card back in the room. More on that story on Day 3.

Will do! As long as you let Juliana know she's got a big sis up in Massachusetts!

OMG, I wanna beat up that tram driver AND the rude lady! how scary! my daughter woulda had a mini stroke! glad it all worked out!

Thank you! The rude lady should've kept her comments to herself....and the driver was totally insensitive about pulling off without our son. When the tram finally arrived at the front gate, and they denied letting me walk back the way we had come, I did yell something at the tram driver. I was not happy.

Poor Wil! He is one smart kid and apparently cool under pressure! That woman was beyond rude. I keep wondering how she would feel in that situation. No mother should act that way. I would have joined Elizabeth in yelling at the driver to stop! Can't wait to read about the rest of your day......

It was really unfortunate because we had been having such a perfect day up until that point. I kept thinking, "We're at Disney World! We shouldn't be this stressed out!"

Unbelievable how that tram driver handled the situation. As for the woman, I would have had something snippy to say right back. I'm not normally a confrontational person - but say something rude to me about my kids or how I handle them and you may have your rear-end handed to you.

Normally, Elizabeth probably would have said something back to that lady, but at this point she was too busy trying to get the tram driver's attention. She was in "Mom mode."

 

[alan_renfroe]

Seriously? That woman told Eliz "YOU left your kid???" Nope, see at that point I would have gone all SC redneck on her. There was no need for that comment. Period. First of all, she did NOT leave her child. Second of all, well, refer to SC redneck again...... I'm so mad just thinking about that!!!! Why must people TRY to be obnoxious?

You crack me up, Kara!!! Remember, we are from Alabama, so we can get all red if we need to! I did yell an explicative to the driver as we got off the tram. I kept thinking, "oh great. they are going to throw us out of Disney World!"

I knew everything would be fine with Wil. I knew he would do the right thing, and the worst that could happen would mean me walking all the way back to get him. It was just a stressful moment.

As for the obnoxious woman, I can't understand why some folks cannot just mind their own business.

The whole tram incident is crazy! Isn't that why they have 2 CM's, one in the front, one in the back to prevent that from happening? Ridiculous! And that lady who said you left your son is just crazy, people. PFFFT!

I regret not going to AI attraction, I am going to put it on the list of things to do next time!

YES!!! Exactly!! The driver waits on the guy on the back of the tram to say "all clear!" Somebody jumped the gun too early and they knew it.

Loving your trip report. This is the first time I have ever replied on the board. We are leaving for Disney on July 17th. We will be eating at Sci Fi and Whispering Canyon also, first time for both.

Hi Paula! Welcome to the report! We are normally pretty nice people....sorry you've had to join us in the middle of a rant! We will now return to our nice, wonderful family vacation!

I hope you all enjoy Sci Fi and Whispering Canyon! July 17th will be here before you know it!

crazy tram ride!! Thank goodness Will has a good head on his shoulders!!
The American Idol attraction looks so cool

Whew....just glad when that little incident was over. I've got to tell you though...that tenseness stayed with me for the rest of the day.

all caught up Alan!! Can't wait to hear about your time at the Boardwalk....this resort is a must visit each trip for my family. That tram story is really scary..I am glad your son met up with all okay and everything worked out for you!!! Looking forward to your next installment!!!

I think I fell in love with Boardwalk immediately. If there is ever an upgrade in our future, my choice would be Boardwalk.

Your tram story is exactly why I now let Disney do the driving. When our kids were little, we always made sure that one adult had one kid. But, on one trip, somehow, me and the two kids got on and my husband did not. Thank goodness it was my husband and not one of the kids.

Yeah Wil for his level headed thinking and thank goodness he had a cell phone.

That's a good call about Disney doing the driving. The bus system has its advantages and disadvantages. Certainly one of the advantages is not having to be at the mercy of trams.

That cell phone we got for Wil certainly came in handy on this trip!

I found your report a few days ago and I am all caught up now. You have a lovely family. I have enjoyed hearing about your trip so far. Coronado Springs looks really pretty, I can see why you all like it so much. DHS is my husband and daughter's favorite park. It sound like you all had a great day there. We are AI fans and I can't wait to see that show sometime. I can't believe how rude some people are. That lady on the tram should mind her own business. I am glad everything worked out.

Awwww....thanks very much! Welcome to the trip report!

We LOVE Coronado Springs! I think there is a sentimental attachment for us now because it is associated with having so much fun!

If you are AI fans, you'll really like the show! As we were watching the show, I remember thinking that this was a great addition to DHS.

So sorry that happened to y'all. Wil seems to be a very mature boy and he proved it by doing the right thing. I cannot believe that woman had the nerve to say that you left your son. What an idiotic remark.

I'm so excited to hear good things about the AI Experience. We're going to have limited park time in October but I'm making sure we head to DHS just to experience it!

Somehow I knew you'd love the Boardwalk.

We are so lucky that it was Wil and not Juliana that was left behind. If it had been Juliana, she would have flipped out! Wil is very independent and level-headed. He seemed to just take it in stride.

The AI Experience is really great. There are clips during the show of past idols giving the contestants advice, and they even make up little footage "packages" that are played on the big screen about each contestant. The contestants really are made to feel like stars!

Okay.....I'm seriously angry with the tram driver!!!!! I SOO would have jumped up and made SURE he KNEW that my son would TOO get on the TRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and @#$%%&*@#$%% to the "lady??!!" who shouted back to Mrs. Griswold.

Oh, and I keep thinking of auditioning for Idol but am afraid that my video would end up on some "worst of the Disney Idols" video!

Bless his heart, poor Wil was just following orders. We were telling him to get on and yet the tram driver (or the guy on the back of the tram) was on the microphone saying, "DO NOT board! Do NOT board! This tram is now in motion!" If I were Wil, I would have been intimidated also. He did the right thing.

You made me laugh out loud with the "Worst Disney Idols" comment!! The great thing about this experience is that it really is open to everyone, and you actually have a pretty good chance of being picked to be one of the performers. If you 9 shows a day and there are 3 performers per show, that's 27 daily contestants. I don't know how many people sign up, but the odds are pretty good I would think. After watching the show I was even thinking that I could compete with these folks.

Why do some people have to be so snotty about things. Don't they realize that they are just making themselves look bad? That lady deserves all the tongue lashing she can get for the comment she made. If I had been aboard the tram I would have tried to help Wil get on! I just can't believe that they would leave a child behind. But, he was a smart young man and I'm sure you are very proud of how he handled the situation. Glad it didn't ruin your evening.

Can't wait to hear about Flying Fish. We would like to try it some day.

That's what I'm saying! Now why would someone just randomly make that comment? It's too bad that even at Disney World, some people just can't help but to show their true colors.

The rest of our afternoon is coming up...

 

[alan_renfroe]

After our American Idol Experience experience, we headed over to Toy Story Mania to use our FastPasses we had obtained earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, Juliana made a new friend.

This was Elizabeth and Juliana's third time to ride and the second time for Wil and I!!

As we left the ride, we noticed this promotional poster for "Up." Last year, the promotional poster was for "Wall-E." On a side note, we went to see "Up" this past weekend and loved it. I think it's a new Disney classic.

By now, it was 7pm. The park's closing time was 7pm, so it was virtually empty as we walked out. I took a few pictures along the way.

Back on the tram to take us back to our car. Notice that THIS time, the whole gang is on board first!

Finally, we arrived at the Boardwalk. I had been excited about visiting this resort for a long time. I love the theme!

It was love at first site for me!

We made our way down the stairs to the boardwalk and checked in with the Flying Fish around 7:35pm. We were given a beeper and told that we could roam around the boardwalk as we waited.

Coming up next: exploring the Boardwalk and dinner at Flying Fish.

 

[castmemberb4]

Don't know if I've posted on your TR before, but I've read all of it.
Had to comment I felt the same way about American Idol when it began, and I stared watching it because of Bo Bice too ! Now I never miss it.

Loving your trip report, I always like reports with a lot of pictures.
Lynn

 

[akayek31]

OMG Bo is the reason I started watching AI! He is awesome. I only got to ride TSM once while we were there. We did make it to the AI finale that day. It looks like they have different judges and hosts than when we went.

 

[LovingDisny]

What a great trip report! I am planning our trip for June 2010 and I just loved looking at your pictures and reading about your disney adventure.

 

[LovingDisny]

Just finished up your report. I have to say that because Coronado Springs is the business center, I never really considered it for my stay. After reading your trip report and seeing your pictures however, it is now in the running. I love that they have Queen size beds. thanks again for the great report

 

[CRdisMom]

Like everyone said, kudos to Wil for being so on the ball. love the photos. It does make it a little easier not to be there. Keep up the great work and next time try out for idol.

 

[alan_renfroe]

Don't know if I've posted on your TR before, but I've read all of it.
Had to comment I felt the same way about American Idol when it began, and I stared watching it because of Bo Bice too ! Now I never miss it.

Loving your trip report, I always like reports with a lot of pictures.
Lynn

Hi Lynn! Thanks for posting, and for your great comments!

OMG Bo is the reason I started watching AI! He is awesome. I only got to ride TSM once while we were there. We did make it to the AI finale that day. It looks like they have different judges and hosts than when we went.

Bo rocks it old skool. He is such a genuinely nice guy...you can't help but like him. Had he not been on the same season as Carrie Underwood, I think he could have won.

What a great trip report! I am planning our trip for June 2010 and I just loved looking at your pictures and reading about your disney adventure.

Thanks! Good luck with your planning! Thanks to the DIS, we feel like we've become pros!

Just finished up your report. I have to say that because Coronado Springs is the business center, I never really considered it for my stay. After reading your trip report and seeing your pictures however, it is now in the running. I love that they have Queen size beds. thanks again for the great report

For me, the fact that CSR is a convention resort doesn't bother me at all. In fact, during the day it is very nice. You feel sorry for the poor saps in the suits heading to their next session. Meanwhile, we are in flip flops and board shorts! Oh well! Stinks being you! (Nah...but the resort is very quiet during the day. At times, you feel like you have the whole place to yourself!)

Like everyone said, kudos to Wil for being so on the ball. love the photos. It does make it a little easier not to be there. Keep up the great work and next time try out for idol.

Thanks! More photos on the way.

 

[lovedonaldduck]

Love your pictures of the Boardwalk. I can't wait until we have time on a trip to check it out!

 

[alan_renfroe]

This was our very first time to visit the Boardwalk. I SOOO want to stay here sometime! I love the whole boardwalk retro vibe. I've always been fascinated with classic pictures from Coney Island....so much so that we decided to open our own hot dog restaurant!

Anyway, we had a great time just enjoying the atmosphere on the boardwalk.

This was one of those magical Disney World moments when you realize where you are in life. I don't think it gets much better than this! For anyone who might question whether Disney World is worth the money or not....it is DEFINITELY worth the money. These are the kinds of memories that last forever. It is really awe-inspiring to be "in the moment."

The Renfroe's at The Boardwalk:

It was now nearly 8pm. We were all getting really hungry. We had a big lunch, but that was like 8 hours ago. We decided to go next door and check out the candy store:

Finally, about 8:10, our beeper went off and we were seated 25 minutes after our reservation time. I thought that was the whole point of making reservations!?! Anyway, that was the longest wait we had before being seated at any restaurant all week. As we were about to find out, it would all be WORTH IT!

Coming up next - our dinner at the Flying Fish and the end of Day 2.

 

[Must C Mickey]

OMG I love love love the Boardwalk resort. Being there in March during the NCAA Tourney, my hubby insisted we take an afternoon break from DHS and go over to watch the UNC game at ESPN Club. It got a lil noisy in there once the game started and thought that it'd be a great opportunity for me to tour the resort solo. Their water slide is amazing, love the atmosphere, so many restaurants to choose from and the lobby..... gorgeous. Plus, it's such a nice boat ride from DHS with beautiful views and an up close Dolphin and Swan Resort encounter. Boardwalk is def one of my fav Disney resorts and cant wait for your review on Flying Fish.

 

[jjk]

Hi Alan, cant belive i missed this,Just spent an enjoyable evening catching up.
Lovin all your food piccies, we arre trying the dining plan for the first time this august

 

[KatMark]

I'm really looking forward to this Flying Fish review. MickeyNicki did one that was absolutely outstanding. I want to see how they compare! And I would say Wil is a chip off the old block! Very mature young man--you should be proud.

 

[pmama]

I've never visited Boardwalk area either. I hope to stop by during our December trip to see the decorations at Boardwalk, Swan/Dolphin, Beach Club and Yacht Club. There are so many great resorts in that area!

 

[nettii]

OHHH I cant wait for your review of FLYING FISH It is not one of our planned resuraunts but things can change I am making my adrs FRIDAY so please hurry back!LOL

 

[DisneyBarlans]

That's so scary about the tram-that happened to us last trip and thankfully it was DH that got left behind instead of one of the boys.

I know what you mean about being "in the moment" at Disney. That's what keeps us going back year after year.

 

[reelmom]

We visited the Boardwalk for the first time this past April. We feel in love with it also. Thanks for the great pictures of it and I'm really looking forward to hearing( and seeing) the dining review.

 

[Jeanine3kids]

Great Broadwalk Pics its a real nice hotel we have stayed there however I do Like the Beach Club better.

 

[TigerKat]

We've stayed at BWI twice, the last time we had a room right above ESPN's arcade overlooking the Boardwalk. It was unbelievable sitting out there at sunset and sunrise. Hoping y'all loved FF as much as we do!