Where are we, Jersey? Bye, Phoenicians! An August 2017 TR * NEW DINING/TR LINKS*

[ariane37]

I'm going to start chanting: "more! We want more! We want more!"

LOL! I promise soon! I planned on doing another update tonight and then (good thing!) work got in the way!

Love this quote. Used expertly, I see.

Sometimes they just fall right into place

I'm a bit late to the party, but wouldn't miss this one!

I'm just glad you're here! Can't wait to hear about YOUR trip

Me, either! In fact, I haven't been very happy with a few other changes they've made these days... (looking at you, GMR )

Right there with ya How was it being in HS with GMR closed? It had to be weird walking by and seeing..........nothing. I've seen pictures of the "coming soon" sign or whatever for the roller coaster and I guess I'll be excited when it opens but I'm not excited now lol.

And the one of your and Steve is perfect

Thank you

Finally jumping in! Living in 2 different cities is making it hard for me to keep up with my own TR, let alone others, but I knew you would have started by now and wanted to get the fun started.

So good to see you here Kelley! I can't imagine going back and forth between 2 cities but I totally respect you doing it and can completely understand why. It'll be worth it when it's done! Just stop by whenever you can

A lot of times I get the feeling you guys could avoid some frustration if the guys would just listen to you a bit more.

Um,
yes.

I'm also a huge Stephen King fan! Haven't seen Dark Tower yet, though I love the book series. Can't wait for IT next month!

So do I! And IT, OMG The only book that ever scared me. You KNOW I'm seeing it the night it comes out! Trying to talk Ricky into seeing it with me but he's a little bit of a scaredy cat

Report is off to a great start!

and may I say the same about yours that I finally read lol

as you know I make time for Big Brother and the occasional rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond at bedtime lol.

Aw, Everybody Loves Raymond. Miss that show! Also not liking Alex on BB anymore and I think she needs to go soon.....................

I hate when they do that!! Lies I tell you!

LOL! Untruths!

Not sure if y'all have yearbooks, but in ours we had a senior section where our parents could do a page for us with whatever pictures they wanted.

We do and besides asking for baby pictures of the seniors, you can submit a couple more pictures. You'll have to remind me in 2 years lol!

We always start in Adeventureland, too. The huge crowd tends to head toward Fantasyland, so the best tow places to start are here or Tomorrowland.

Agreed! Frontierland is nice to start in also. One day back in Nov. 2012 we had a really hot morning. We walked nice and slow over to Splash at park open and rode it 3x in a row, no waiting. Then on to BTMRR twice, again no waiting, because everyone at that time was at Space and PP!

It sounds like you had a really hot morning

The heat was SO draining this entire trip, more than our previous August trips. I thought 2015 was bad but this surpassed that year! It got worse as the week went on but I will still do summer again next year lol

It is an adorable picture. Everyone becomes a kid again when they are at Disney.

I hope that never stops

 

[Whit64130]

Aw, Everybody Loves Raymond. Miss that show! Also not liking Alex on BB anymore and I think she needs to go soon.....................

I just finished watching last nights show.... I'm at a loss on who I want to win. I haven't been a huge fan of Alex but I like Jason. I still think they all are going to let Paul weasel his way into the top three. Even though I don't hate him, they are just dumb for not getting rid of him weeks ago.

We do and besides asking for baby pictures of the seniors, you can submit a couple more pictures. You'll have to remind me in 2 years lol!

 

[Tracy161]

How was it being in HS with GMR closed?

Honestly it was terrible. I found myself avoiding it I'll see how I feel when the new ride debuts, but it has a LOT of living up to do.

 

[KathyM2]

I think I remember seeing you post your danish on FB

Yes I may be a bit of an over-sharer on FB especially when it comes to food lol. But everyone wants to see food, right?

 

[ariane37]

A GRAND NIGHT OUT
DAY 1, PART 2​

I'm back! I commented either here or on my dining report (which I recently started; see link in my signature if you haven't checked it out and would like to!) that things had finally calmed down a bit for me here so I thought I'd be able to bang out some updates pretty quick. And then...........BOOM! Busy again! It's certainly not a bad thing when my job gets busy, and all of a sudden it hit me that the kids start school next week and I had to get on the ball with buying some new clothes, Chris's supplies, etc.

Ricky also had his first football game last Saturday! Well, it was a scrimmage and his first REAL game is this Saturday but it was the first time he was playing football with people watching. He was a nervous wreck that morning, but luckily he played the whole scrimmage so he's much more comfortable about this weekend's game. I on the other hand, not understanding a single thing about the game, annoyed the hell out of Steve asking questions every 2 minutes and going "aaaahhhhh" every time it looked like Ricky would be tackled. I don't know why, because basketball is super physical too and he plays hard and aggressive but something about football...............we'll see how I do this Saturday

I left you last as we were relaxing and enjoying some adult beverages at what might be coolest pool on property, Stormalong Bay. Eventually we had to remove ourselves and get ready for dinner, as we were going to our only signature of the trip at Chris's request. They haven't been to some of the ones Steve and I have but they've been to a couple, and Narcoossee's at this point is a favorite of both of theirs. Originally I suggested taking a bus to MK and the monorail to the Grand Floridian, but Steve wanted to try a Minnie Van which sounded good to me. If you aren't familiar with how these work, well, we weren't either at this point! A CM in the lobby told Steve you "go through the Lyft website" so he did, and we promptly got a text that a gray SUV of some sort would be there for us in 7 minutes When Steve asked the CM's outside the Yacht Club, we found out that once on the Lyft site, a CM had to do some type of thingy and get us linked to the actual Minnie Van part of the site. So while we didn't have a special vehicle drive us, we did arrive to our dinner destination in record time.

Some pictures I took from the deck outside Narcoossee's:





And while I'll save the review of our (spoiler alert) pretty perfect dinner for my dining report, here's a picture of Chris relaxing when we got there:



Our reservation was for 5:30 and we were finished around 7:15, so we decided to go back to MK for a bit. I made everyone stop for some pictures on the way back to the main building:





That's about as dressed up as I can get them to agree to! Chris did start out with nicer shorts, until he got toothpaste all over them before we left
I absolutely love this Mary Poppins topiary hiding by the monorail entrance!



I'm embarrassed to say all we did when we got back to the MK was ride Haunted Mansion, and I have no pictures to prove it. I had made an 8:00 FP for that and once we used it, there was nothing left worth FP'ing and the waits for anything the kids felt like doing - BTMRR, Splash, a night ride on Jungle Cruise-were all over 45 minutes and nobody wanted to wait. However I do have a pp picture I forgot to share in my last update from earlier in the day when we rode Splash:



I always forget about our PP pics!

Back to the Yacht Club we went and we got there a little before 9:30, and here's where one of the best aspects of being at an Epcot resort comes in:



EVENING BOARDWALK ENTERTAINMENT!!!



Karate Kid Coney Island Chris. This guy was hysterical if you like dry, sarcastic humor which is right up mine and Steve's alley. We saw some parents looking at each other shaking their heads which just made us laugh more, especially because the kids of these somewhat unhappy parents were LOVING this guy! I mostly watched him but I was also watching the Epcot and then the SW fireworks going off in the distance which is another great thing about being in the BW area at night.

After his act the boys were hungry so they each got a sandwich from the bakery which was still open because it wasn't quite 10:00 shut-everything-down time yet so Disney was still allowing their guests to eat decent food. We'd been up fairly early so they took their sandwiches back up to the room and I packed up the little bit we'd unpacked. The next morning we were moving to my favorite resort:



Sorry, I know lots of you have seen this picture before but I love it! Besides having to bring our luggage to bell services in the morning for them to transfer we were planning to do 8am EMH, which meant nobody was going to be happy with me in the morning!

UP NEXT: IT'S GOTTA BE 10:00 SOMEWHERE..........​

 

[chunkymonkey]

I absolutely love this Mary Poppins topiary hiding by the monorail entrance!

Oooh I will have to check that out the next time I'm there, I have not noticed this before but I am rarely at the GF but that will change in the fall!

Awesome ride picture!!

Karate Kid Coney Island Chris. This guy was hysterical if you like dry, sarcastic humor which is right up mine and Steve's alley. We saw some parents looking at each other shaking their heads which just made us laugh more, especially because the kids of these somewhat unhappy parents were LOVING this guy! I mostly watched him but I was also watching the Epcot and then the SW fireworks going off in the distance which is another great thing about being in the BW area at night.

I have never seen Cony Island Chris but he sounds right up my alley. I love the Boardwalk at night! I will really have to savor my 2 nights at the Yacht Club this weekend...so much to do, so little time!

 

[Arielfan98]

What a great trip so far! All I can say is enjoy these magical moments before they go to college lol.

 

[Whit64130]

Ricky also had his first football game last Saturday! Well, it was a scrimmage and his first REAL game is this Saturday but it was the first time he was playing football with people watching. He was a nervous wreck that morning, but luckily he played the whole scrimmage so he's much more comfortable about this weekend's game. I on the other hand, not understanding a single thing about the game, annoyed the hell out of Steve asking questions every 2 minutes and going "aaaahhhhh" every time it looked like Ricky would be tackled. I don't know why, because basketball is super physical too and he plays hard and aggressive but something about football...............we'll see how I do this Saturday

You are going to do fine! Good Luck to Ricky and his team!

Sorry, I know lots of you have seen this picture before but I love it! Besides having to bring our luggage to bell services in the morning for them to transfer we were planning to do 8am EMH, which meant nobody was going to be happy with me in the morning!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Some pictures I took from the deck outside Narcoossee's:

I love how close Narcoossee's is to MK. We had a nice view of the castle changing colors for their Christmas lighting ceremony when we ate there back in December.

EVENING BOARDWALK ENTERTAINMENT!!!

I love these entertainers. We haven't caught all of them yet, but this Chris guy is hysterical. We loved his show. We also like to stop at the Boardwalk Bakery for dessert.

Sorry, I know lots of you have seen this picture before but I love it! Besides having to bring our luggage to bell services in the morning for them to transfer we were planning to do 8am EMH, which meant nobody was going to be happy with me in the morning!

I can't get enough of the WL pictures. I asked one of the CL staff about the trees in the courtyard. They are getting huge and obstructing the view of the lake. He said something about them being able to remove trees when they got too big and move them somewhere else.I hope they move some of them so there is a better lake view from the lobby windows.

I remember the days of getting teens to wake up for EMH's. We were fairly successful and only had the minimum amount of groaning. You just had to get them something to eat and bring it to the room for them. Otherwise, they never would have gotten out of bed.

 

[Smilelea]

I finally made it!

I hate the first night was so rough. That is a concern of mine if we ever arrive late on one of our trips. So far our arrivals are around lunch or a little later.

Sidenote: I know this can be "controversial" but I'm not happy they're removing her. Or redoing her or whatever. I think the reasons people are upset about the scene are ridiculous; people are reading too much into it and getting way to picky and whiny. I normally don't get upset about these things but this is pissing me off. I also realize the "official" reason for redoing the scene has nothing to do with guest complaints.

I did not know this! I need to ask Clint. There's a good chance he knows about it and either told me and I forgot or he just hasn't shared the info. He keeps up with all of that kind of stuff.

I'm so glad the rest of the trip seems to have gone well so far. Looking forward to more updates now that I made it over and am caught up (for now)

 

[Fia]

Im here Im late. But im here! Cant wait to hear all about your adventures!

 

[KathyM2]

I left you last as we were relaxing and enjoying some adult beverages at what might be coolest pool on property, Stormalong Bay.

That pool looked awesome!! Although "coolest" in temperature would have been nice too lol I just laughed because at the CR the pool may as well have been a hot tub...it was so not refreshing lol Still fun to lounge around in, but I was more wishing for an ice bath lol

 

[wdwnut61]

Tell Ricky good luck I'm sure he'll do great and so will his Mom
Love your pictures from Narcoossee so pretty. I like your dress
I just love visiting the GF it's such a beautiful resort.
Love, love, love your ride photo for Splash

 

[docsoliday1]

You didn't have to go too far to figure that out

Hey, wait a minute!!! I only had a 1 in 4 chance of guessing right. That was an excellent gue...err...deduction on my part. Sherlock Holmes, watch out!

 

[Tracy161]

I on the other hand, not understanding a single thing about the game, annoyed the hell out of Steve asking questions every 2 minutes and going "aaaahhhhh" every time it looked like Ricky would be tackled.

You're in good company, Ariane. That would be me, too! Except that I don't have the occasion to watch football at all

Gorgeous!!!

I always forget about our PP pics!

I need to remember to do this, too! It's not something I've been used to including in the past because I never really made much use of our PP, but with my AP, I went a bit crazy this trip

here's where one of the best aspects of being at an Epcot resort comes in:

Yes, I bet! It's a goal of mine to do the Epcot resorts someday!

 

[heathsf]

I'm already a few updates behind, but I'm here! I'll be back soon!

 

[thumper*]

Yay can't wait to hear about WL CL.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

Thanks for sharing another trip report with us.

As the father of a 13 year-old girl, I can definitely relate to the picture of your boys in the airport on their phones.

 

[kastoney]

I on the other hand, not understanding a single thing about the game, annoyed the hell out of Steve asking questions every 2 minutes and going "aaaahhhhh" every time it looked like Ricky would be tackled. I don't know why, because basketball is super physical too and he plays hard and aggressive but something about football...............we'll see how I do this Saturday

Let me know if you need some schooling. My brother had no interest in football growing up so my father felt the need to impart all his wisdom on your truly. Hope all goes well for Ricky today!!!!

I always forget about our PP pics!

Love Steve and Ricky!!!!

 

[ariane37]

Oooh I will have to check that out the next time I'm there, I have not noticed this before but I am rarely at the GF but that will change in the fall!

Yes look for it, it's so cute! When you go out to the monorail look to your right and down, it's in a little courtyard there. Actually if you're on the first level over by the entrance to the GFC I think, there's a door there that goes out to the courtyard where it is

I will really have to savor my 2 nights at the Yacht Club this weekend...so much to do, so little time!

You're there now, hope you're having a great time and get to see Coney Island Chris!

What a great trip so far! All I can say is enjoy these magical moments before they go to college lol.

Thank you and ugh, thanks for reminding me lol. I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that he'll be getting his driver's permit in April A bunch of my friends sent their kids off to college over the last couple weeks so I saw all their sad pictures on FB. Not looking forward to that! I'm positive Ricky will go away; Chris will stay close to home and live with us until he's 45

You are going to do fine! Good Luck to Ricky and his team!

Ha! I was pretty good today, not so much last night when we went to the walk-in to see if he'd cracked a rib at practice. And even though they lost today 34-14 Ricky played really well!

I love these entertainers. We haven't caught all of them yet, but this Chris guy is hysterical.

He was SO funny, and I loved all the snippets of 80's songs he played

I can't get enough of the WL pictures.

Me neither I love staying up to date with the WL thread on the Resorts board also. I like experiencing different resorts now and then and a change of scenery is nice, but I'm also sad we're not going back there in Nov.

I remember the days of getting teens to wake up for EMH's. We were fairly successful and only had the minimum amount of groaning. You just had to get them something to eat and bring it to the room for them.

The promise of food will generally do it! At least for Ricky and Chris is getting there. Ricky is better at getting up early since he's used to it for school and sports; Chris doesn't have to get up quite as yearly yet for school and he's definitely more my late sleeper

I finally made it!

Yay!!

I hate the first night was so rough. That is a concern of mine if we ever arrive late on one of our trips. So far our arrivals are around lunch or a little later.

I'm pretty sure we're done with late arrivals unless we absolutely, ABSOLUTELY can't avoid it..............

I did not know this! I need to ask Clint. There's a good chance he knows about it and either told me and I forgot or he just hasn't shared the info. He keeps up with all of that kind of stuff.

Did you ask and if so, how does he feel about it? I still need to go back and check the expected change date

Im here Im late. But im here! Cant wait to hear all about your adventures!

Glad you're here! Better late than never

That pool looked awesome!! Although "coolest" in temperature would have been nice too lol I just laughed because at the CR the pool may as well have been a hot tub...it was so not refreshing lol Still fun to lounge around in, but I was more wishing for an ice bath lol

Actually SAB wasn't too bad! When I got out for a little break I felt hot and sticky again pretty quick, and going back in the pool did feel good