When in doubt, feed the bear....but not that!!!Day 6- Last day blues

[Wicket's Mom]

I'm new to your TR, but saw it on another TR, so I jumped on for the ride.

 

[Poolrat]

I am also going to have to drive to SC. I can't believe how fast it went up and by how much They said it should only go up be about $.10, but so far it has gone up about $.25 in the last 10 days. Luckily I work close to the state line and can go at lunch if I need to.

I passed $2.50 on the way home. I think on the way home I got gas for around $3.00 when at home it was $3.28 or so. I am not too far away either. I can get my shots in the Ballantyne area and just drive 5 min to cross the border.

I'm new to your TR, but saw it on another TR, so I jumped on for the ride.

Glad to have you.

 

[mom3sonstt]

I'm here!!

Can't guarantee I will stay caught up, since I am still playing catch up everywhere else....but if I disappear....I'll Be Back

 

[Poolrat]

I'm here!!

Can't guarantee I will stay caught up, since I am still playing catch up everywhere else....but if I disappear....I'll Be Back

I won't be going fast .... until June.

No really I hope be more even paced this time around but we shall see.

 

[Poolrat]

 

[Poolrat]

I last left at the entrance to SSR after a most eventful start.

We walked right up to online check-in and that was taken care of rather quickly. The CM sort of assumed I knew my way around so he was taken aback when I answered no to the question. “You are in the Grandstand section, you are familiar with the resort, right?”

So he gives me quick directions- out, turn left go around the building past the pool.

How hard can it be?

So we get that far and then well, stop. The nice CM gave us the map and since I had the carryon, Chris had the map.
Our room was

Somehow I got it in my head I was looking for building 83. We get past the pool and veer right. I am following a path looking for “the entrance” so I can see a sign for room numbers. I look around and Chris goes one way.

Through what looks like a side entrance. I figure I would catch up with him around the front. I am not seeing any room numbers that are close to 8301.
I go back to the sign, no help. When he doesn’t come back, I figure I will call him to figure out where he went.

He says he was just going to call me, he is up in the room. Finally I get that we are on the third floor so I elevator up- remember I have the bag and I am not lugging it up 3 flights.

I walk and walk and walk and finally find the room. Ahhhh we are on the end hence the 01 and right by stairs. Super I request near transportation so near the stairs was good.

The room

The view

I never took a picture of the bed !!! Man.

We dropped the stuff and Chris showered. You see this morning I opted to wait to wake up the bear, because you never wake a sleeping bear until you have to. I thought I gave him plenty of time for a quick shower but I apparently didn’t according to him. So since we were going straight to dinner from the park ( so I thought) now was a great time to clean up.

When he was ready to go, we just went down the stairs and we were at the Grandstand bus stop.

We were first to be picked up but had to ride around SSR for another 5-7 minutes before we got on the road to the park.

We were on a bus to

I wanted to head to EPCOT but Chris was feeling Star Tours. We got on the bus for DHS. As we entered the parking lot, I check wait times on Mobile Magic the Verizon Disney App. Star Tours 75 minutes

So as soon as we got off the bus we walked over to the path to EPCOT.

I think a boat was loading and we knew we would not make it so we opted to walk. Chris never has walked over so this was new for him.

We admired this lovely creature.

We make it to the Boardwalk area and see a wedding.

Knowing we have to head across to the other side, we opt to go by the yacht club instead of the boardwalk. After figuring out we needed to back to the bridge and around we figure we saved no time.

As we pass Stormalong Bay, I hear a generator. Curious, we take a closer look.

Holy Cow! The sand pool is empty. During the busiest week of the year!

Management types just looking and shaking their heads. This can’t be good.
As a pool operator, taking a pool “down” like that is a major deal. Pumping all that water out, not mention the sand factor.

At that moment I was so glad I could just walk away. I was on vacation, and this was not my pool.

We continued walking to the IG.
As we approached the IG I saw this.

Holy crowds batman!!

We venture in and find some pavement.

Chris makes his way down there so I stop to take these.

Chris looks up at me and says” I came down here to give you a head start.”

I take my cue and start walking towards France.

I am sure most of you can guess where I am heading!!!

 

[tinacaplan]

Very curious as to why they had to take the sand and water out of SAB. But its funny that, for you, you could have be reminded of your work life like that.

And hmm...going for a slushie, perhaps?

Oh, and keep the transportation info coming. I'm really scared I'm going to hate being at SSR without a car. But you seem to be doing just fine for now...

 

[Poolrat]

Very curious as to why they had to take the sand and water out of SAB. But its funny that, for you, you could have be reminded of your work life like that.

And hmm...going for a slushie, perhaps?

Oh, and keep the transportation info coming. I'm really scared I'm going to hate being at SSR without a car. But you seem to be doing just fine for now...

The only thing I can think of that would take down a pool like that would be a broken pipe. It would have to be a major leak to cause them to do the repairs that week.

I heard it was up and running 2 days later so at least it was an easy fix.


After the morning I had - a slushie would have hit the spot.


I was new to SSr so the transportation was a learning curve. I think we had it figured out by the time we left.

 

[glennbo123]

 

[wigdoutdismom]

Great start on the report! When I read the title I knew it was yours immediatly.....

 

[glennbo123]

Chris looks up at me and says” I came down here to give you a head start.”

He's finally got you figured out!

Wow, those sure are some major crowds.

 

[eandesmom]

Holy crowds batman! SAB being down like that sounds like a major major project.

Yeah. I'd have been going for a slushie at that point. The question is...where was Chris going?

 

[Millie12591]

Here! I'm glad you're doing another report!!

 

[MEK]

I can't believe SAB was empty! Wow! What could have gone wrong? That looks serious! When we were there a few weeks before you the villa pool was also closed for a refurb. Imagine 2 out of 3 pools being down. Yikes.

75 minutes for star wars. Yikes.

Epcot looks seriously crowded. How long was your slushy wait?

 

[Poolrat]

I learned from the best.

Great start on the report! When I read the title I knew it was yours immediatly.....

Oh Yes. There was a lot about the bear this trip.

He's finally got you figured out!

Wow, those sure are some major crowds.

Imagine his surprise, when I stopped too, to take more pictures.

This first one of the patio area looks nice and quiet. Then I zoomed in across the lake and...

Holy crowds batman! SAB being down like that sounds like a major major project.

I was glad when I heard it was back up a couple of days later. I just knew it had to be major because of the timing.

Yeah. I'd have been going for a slushie at that point. The question is...where was Chris going?

Slushie= Chris was just getting out of the crowd to let me get a head start walking since I am always lagging behind, partly because I stop to take pictures.

Here! I'm glad you're doing another report!!

Glad you made it over.

I can't believe SAB was empty! Wow! What could have gone wrong? That looks serious! When we were there a few weeks before you the villa pool was also closed for a refurb. Imagine 2 out of 3 pools being down. Yikes.

My best guess is a broken pipe. I heard it was up in a couple of days so they must have worked straight through to get it fixed.

75 minutes for star wars. Yikes.

Epcot looks seriously crowded. How long was your slushy wait?

My plan was for EPCOT- so when I told him that he was game to follow me over. I could not believe when I zoomed in and saw all those heads.
There was no space across the lake.

Slushy= :

 

[nowellsl]

I'm pretty sure I will never go to WDW between Christmas and New Years We went last year on the first day of the Food and Wine Festival and I thought it was crowded then, but WOW, judging from your pictures I'd say it was worse while you were there!! I just don't enjoy it when it's that crowded. I do love being able to go during the off seasons!

 

[Poolrat]

I'm pretty sure I will never go to WDW between Christmas and New Years We went last year on the first day of the Food and Wine Festival and I thought it was crowded then, but WOW, judging from your pictures I'd say it was worse while you were there!! I just don't enjoy it when it's that crowded. I do love being able to go during the off seasons!

I will say that this year it seemed to be really bad. 2 years ago I was able to avoid most of the crowds and felt good doing it. This year I was trying to go more with the flow and the results were not great.
The first day of F&W was crowded too!!! Different corwd though. The F& W are usually those who travel there al ot so I find it harder to avoid the crowds since we all have the same resources to avoid the crowds.
During that week, it was easy to use FP and look at park crowd predictions to avoid the crowds.

I will say that I think Mobile apps are changing the way people tour. IT results in a swelling of crowds at times.

 

[MeMom]

I'm pretty sure I will never go to WDW between Christmas and New Years I do love being able to go during the off seasons!

You are very fortunate to be so close so that tranportation is not such a huge factor in taking the trips. With annual passes, the parks part is not really a big deal. Resort prices fluctuate, of course, but we usually get some kind of AP discount, unless it's at a holiday time. We're pretty practical with our eating. All of that keeps it do-able. It's when you add in $300+ per plane ticket (there and back) that things start making the budget squeak.

Have fun at Pop, and send us some pictures! I tried to get some good ones of AoA, but you can't really see much.



Pat, my post from this morning didn't go through, I see. I was doing one of my photo walks on one of the days they were working on Stormalong Bay.

 

[Poolrat]

You are very fotunate to be so close so that tranportation is not such a huge factor in taking the trips. With annual passes, the parks part is not really a big deal. Resort prices fluctuate, of course, but we usually get some kind of AP discount, unless it's at a holiday time. We're pretty practical with our eating. All of that keeps it do-able. It's when you add in $300+ per plane ticket (there and back) that things start making the budget squeak.

Have fun at Pop, and send us some pictures! I tried to get some good ones of AoA, but you can't really see much.

I also like not being tied to the school calendar. Of course if I can wrangle my girlfriends to go along again, both are in education so I am still tied to the school calendar.

The only time I got to see AoA was when ME picked up POP people. There was a good bit visible from the road but trees combined with a moving bus did not yield good results.

Pat, my post from this morning didn't go through, I see. I was doing one of my photo walks on one of the days they were working on Stormalong Bay.

I had difficulty checking on my own TR this morning. I look forward to seeing wat you saw when you went by.

 

[swwake]

Subscribing to another great TR!!