Who needs two hands to travel? October & December at the World, mostly pictures

[ehagerty]

My "icon" for the trip report:

The "cast":
Blue Cast, Gray Hair (BC-GH) = me
Green Cast = Lisa

The scene: Festival Center at Epcot

The dialogue:
Me: "You, too?"
Lisa: "Well, I'm not from around here. I'm from Buffalo, NY"
Me: "Dr Paul Paterson?"
Lisa: "Me, too!"

After this introduction, we had a very nice lunch-chat about our surgeries, living in WNY and being in FL often.

So, this trip involved getting to know people I'd never met before, sharing Disney with people I've known for 20-30 years, people who came up to me because they recognized me (or, maybe the camera) from the DIS - all sorts of fun experiences. I hope to get as many pictures posted as my now uncasted, but VERY stiff right hand will allow!

----------------------------------------------

Always a believer in making the best of any situation, my ever-planning brain went into overdrive with the realization that I would have my right hand in a cast for the month of October. Little did I know, at the time, that my hand would be stiff as a board after 6 weeks in a cast, and not able to keyboard the necessary duration and accuracy for work immediately after it was removed - so, I scrambled (again) and managed a few weeks at SSR - more on that later...

Once upon a time, 9 years ago, I did something similar (before my participation in digital photography - click here for that description)

This report is likely to include the following, each of which will either be updated with links, expanded on or removed based on your interest, or mine!

Phase 1 - Visiting all the parks with a friend from high school
Phase 2 - Doing all the non-Park activities with my MiL and DH
Phase 3 - Doing mostly F&W with my DS24

These will include:
Victoria & Albert F&W Signature Dinner
California Grill F&W Signature Dinner - LINK
Portabello F&W Signature Dinner
Illuminations Link
Link to full set of Osborne Lights
F&W Kiosk foods
F&W Demos

 

[annie1995]

Can't wait!!

 

[wiigirl]

Can't wait!

 

[ehagerty]

.... where anyone with a DVC ID and current resort key (does not have to be DVC resort) can visit (until late Dec)

 

[ehagerty]

... I saw more of the monorail this trip than usual because we stayed at BLT, but spent many days at Epcot. I happened to finish watching Illuminations from the Chase viewing area

... got on the monorail, then caught Hallowishes from the TTC ...

.... more on all that later - just wanted to provide some new screen savers for your collection!!


.

 

[ehagerty]

I have to admit, I was a little intimidated by travelling with my right hand immobilized and not to be used ("don't lift anything heavier than a coffee cup" said the PA). Just thinking about the people behind me in line at TSA waiting for me to unzip my laptop from multiple compartments, having a new metal plate attached to my finger, getting my carry on down the narrow aisle, and then into the overhead - well, it seemed like there could be a lot of room for problems.

But, thanks in part to the post-surgical meds, I managed not to remember all that too vividly. There was a true good Samaritan on the plane who stood up immediately when he saw my cast and offered to put my bag overhead - and, just to prove it is a small world after all, I saw him again 10 days later at Mass in Celebration and had a chance to thank him again. Oddly, even though I still had the cast on the way home, there were NO Samaritans on that flight, alas!! But, I digress.

So, TSA went as well as it could have, one handed. I mention details like this here so that others, who might be comtemplating a similar "post-surgical-Disney-recovery" might be inspired to try the same! I was really hoping that the "Trusted Traveller" TSA lane might be up and running, but not in Buffalo, not yet. Stay tuned for MCO on the return.

Flight was uneventful (best kind). DME uneventful (best kind). Arrived at SSR late afternoon - checked in - got half-n-half (essential) and eggs (best protein value for the dollar - besides, my HDL is the same as my LDL) and headed for room in Congress Park (you'd think with the load I was dragging and the newly added groceries, I might consider a bell services assist, but NO, it didn't occur to me - I get less stubborn as the trip progresses).

Now, a little background on Phase 1 - a week in an SSR 1B, high floor, Congress Park, as close to DTD as possible (I use the Marketplace bus as my personal transportation hub to the resorts). My friend, Anne (who has agreed her name and face can be used here) and I meet 42 years ago, when my high school closed (they could not manage to keep a girls boarding school open with 50 students in the 70s) and I transferred to the local, day girls high school (which happened to be about 20 yards from the local, day BOYs high school). We hit it off immediately, with Irish dads, German moms (or, French-German, in my case), lots of brothers (6 for me, 5 for her), well, you get the idea - we had a lot in common.

Then, came life. We went to the same college, but different programs (nursing for her, Math-English for me), different schedules (I worked full time throughout college), etc. We stayed in touch as families grew, even vacationing at WDW together in the 90s. Then, Anne moved to Seattle and we did not have much contact. Fast forward to 2012 - and viola - with Disney Alaska porting in Seattle, we saw quite a bit of Anne again. I kidded her that I was having hand surgery in the Fall, and wouldn't she like to "help" me by bringing here nursing background to bear on my hand recovery - and next thing you know, she's in!

As with anyone who comes along to WDW with me, we have a few - okay, maybe a half dozen - planning sessions on Skype, with worksheets - and our plans are in place. Days one is not worth using a park pass, so, instead, we do "free things" - as follows:

We start by walking (maybe 5 minute walk) from our prime location at SSR to DTD, and here, I start to realize that "taking pictures" (or, "makin' memories" as the old Disney-Kodak jingle used to go) is a big feature of vacation for Anne. Great - me, too!



Anne, and blow-up, Halloween Mickey

Anne, and Buzz

Ellen, with her new cast, omnipresent camera bag, and "northern" clothes (it was "warm, wet blanket hot") and another Disney-seasonal photo op (Anne took picture with my camera - we haven't sorted all the pictures out yet, but it will be what it will be!)

Evaluating, and acquiring, our bath bomb stock for the upcoming week, with Adam, a guy who thought he was working retail, but now knows that, if you work for Disney, you will be seen on the Disboards! Don't forget your discounts (DVC, PAP)!!

Departing DTD for Port Orleans, with the skipper

There you have the first couple of hours, of a 4 week stay. So much more to come! Stay tuned (subscribe)!




.

 

[lilwitch646]

Those photos are amazing!! And with only one hand too! I can't wait to read more about your trip. Hope your hand is feeling better.

 

[ehagerty]

Those photos are amazing!! And with only one hand too! I can't wait to read more about your trip. Hope your hand is feeling better.

Thank you for your kind comments - many more pictures to come - that's mostly what I do. Taking photos with essentially one hand was a new experience for me. We do what we must. Humans are so resilient!

 

[ehagerty]

... or any day (Wed-Sat)..

I learned about Bob Jackson here on the boards (the prime benefit of the boards, for me - getting new ideas from other people's experience), and added him to my "free things" rotation a few years ago.

I think Anne describes her experience best - "Bob was one of the unexpected, if not THE unexpected, highlight" of her trip.

Staying at SSR, it was a "natural" (I.e., carefully planned, including logisitics) segue from our bath bomb bonanza - walking a short distance to the boat launch that would take us to Port Orleans Riverside. I knew enough to get there before 8 (his show starts at 8:30) to secure a table (and, for Anne, ice cream from the nearby food court) and watched his always entertaining, bar sing-along show.

.. do some hokey-pokey ("Don't worry, you'll never see these people again" - Thanks, Bob - you look great - but I'm not worried about THESE people, I'm worried about the internet!!)

.. and checking out the beautiful Percheron horse (carriage ride), before boating back to DTD and walking "home" (SSR), and crash pretty hard after a long travel day!

p.s. - "free" as defined in the Disney context means "theme park admission expense not required" - bath bombs, ice cream and bar drinks did, indeed, cost something!!

p.p.s. - While watching the show, a very nice gentleman came over to our table and inquired, "You probably get this all the time, but are you, by any chance, ehagerty?" I responded, "Yes, I am ehagerty - and no, you are only the second person in 11 years on the disboards who approached me." He acknowledged that his wife (couple tables over) was really the person who recognized me, and that his disboard interest is largely around food. It was fun.


.

 

[ehagerty]

During our pre-planning, we worked out a rough plan that we would focus on getting up early and fitting a swim break into the day somewhere. At that time, I had two hands.

I never did end up swimming, even though I bought that waterproof arm-sleeve-thingy. Took 2 people to get it on, and I just did not bother.

Anyway, I expermented with the limits of my ability to prep breakfast (crack eggs, "slice" cheese, etc.), while Anne took her swim. Here, a quick view of our SSR 1B and Anne refreshed by her swim!

We thought to take a couple of pictures to have as memories for a "sense of place" - in this case, our view from the balconey - and Anne, refreshed by breakfast and her shower!

Keeping in mind that this portion of the trip was focus on food and pictures, there are lots of them! Here, the obvious, iconic backdrop for F&W inside the main gate at Epcot (as you will see in subsequent posts, there ARE other backdrops)

.

 

[ehagerty]

Pam Smith, hosting Laurent Carillon

... followed by a wine talk

.. allowing Anne to get a feel for the type of activities available, should she want to return in future years.




.

 

[ehagerty]

We completed our F&W scheduled activities and headed out into the warm, wet-blanket Florida sun, strolling at our picture-taking pace with a plan to eventually try some koisk food!

Outside the Festival Center

... handing over the camera to volunteers - some PhotoPass, some not

... taking advantage of the sunshine and clouds to take really nice shots of UoE

... and the classic Picasso shot of us in the mirrors....

... Geosphere

.

 

[ehagerty]

Our first kiosk food = Australa - Shrimp

Anne is holding the Passport booklet (free), displaying the Austalia page and stamp they apply (free), whether you buy anything, or not (fun).

The shrimp were fine - nice and buttery - not all that different from Red Lobster (working from memory here - haven't been there in 15 years). Good choice for the non-adventurous!

Checking out the F&W display in the train (Germany) - very cute replicas of the kiosks, cranberry bog....

Catching the Voices of Liberty

... followed by the Lobster Roll, with Sam Adams chocolate bock. I had never had LR before, so, had nothing to compare it to. Anne thought it tasty and good value for the dollar. She liked it so much, she got another one - with less lobster - alas.

... finishing up with Cracklin Oat Bran (COB) & Chocolate Bock (Breakfast of Champions!!). We always travel with a ziplock of COB for whoever gets a hunger pain out of synch with meals, a little bag of oatmeal cookies!

.

 

[ehagerty]

Caught a couple of sets. Some performers bascially only have one set of familiar music to play - always a very good set, but they play the same pieces for each of the 3 performances, each day they are there. Mickey Thomas has a broader repertoire, having performed in the Jefferson Starship and a solo career ("Fooled around and fell in love").

The woman who sings Grace Slicks part - WOW - or, in the words of the newlywed groom from Chicago we were chatting with at the Chase Illuminations view area said - "I thought I would miss Grace Slick, but I did not." She was fabulous and I was glad to be able to see this group last year and this year.

.. and Mickey still has his singing chops, which is not always true in this theatre (Spinners!)

Summary:
Mickey = great
Band = great
Camera's ability to handle shot = really great.

.

 

[ehagerty]

Keeping in mind that we are mostly on a mission for pictures, walking, eating - you may not see as many photos of rides as you might expect.

Here we are at AK for early opening...

... on an early safari ride

... taking silly pictures

... and nice ones!!

... and a decent salad at Flame Tree (first time here) - was not expecting it to be so good - ate it all. The gentleman cleaning the facility mentioned that the salad was new, and made for the new park manager, and subsequently, added to the menu.

... and finally, a great location for taking this picture of EE

.

 

[ehagerty]

On the walkway from the MK to CR - Cloud Mickey Ears!!

.... watching the monorail pass in front of BLT

.... saying hello to Gary Lee (Manager) enroute to bar

.... check in desk decorated for Fall

.... including a pumpkin with mickey ears (center)!

... watching the room being preapred from outside

.... Introductory sparkling rose

... Chef Brian Piasecki greeting guests

... Chilled Asian Style Oysters on the "Half Shell"

... Seared Waygu Beef Wellington

... "Chips and Dip" of Florida Rock Shrimp and Avocado

... Beluga Caviar with Yukon Potato Blini

... and view of BLT from reception room

.

 

[ehagerty]

Rather than duplicate post (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), I am providing the link to the CG dinner here, for those who want to view the entire meal..... Click here

 

[ehagerty]

I don't know why I thought I would make progress on the Oct report while continuing to rehab my hand here. Probably because I am in the World, alone, and, in theory, should have some free time. Instead, I get up, eat breakfast, go to gym, do elliptical for an hour, do PT for hand for 1.5 hour, go back to room, eat lunch, choose a park, then proceed to take even more pictures, rather than edit, upload and/or post the ones I already have. So it goes.

In deference to the first overcast weather day since I arrived, I will complete the CaliGrill Dinner post before leaving for the gym!


.

 

[ehagerty]

I posted a more complete set on the Theme Park Thread, but here is a "Picture and a Link".....

Link to all Illuminations pictures


Sample Picture

.

 

[ehagerty]

Posted full set of pictures in Theme Park thread - but here is a sample picture and a link.....

Link to full set of Osborne Lights

Sample Picture

.