Spring break - we're not in college anymore Toto - Feb 2018 TR

[pooh'smate]

To make the point keeping easier, I'm changing 5 pointers to 1, 10 pointers to 2, etc.

So, new contest questions:
What was the second stop for?
a) souvenir
b) FL welcome center
c) car trouble
d) gift for mom

Overall, how was traffic?
a) horrible
b) okay
c) great

1.) B
2.) B

 

[docsoliday1]

Late to the game but I'll guess b - welcome center and b - okay.

Oops, where are my manners.


Good to have ya here Darcy.

 

[declansdad]

Oops, where are my manners.


Good to have ya here Darcy.

Thanks.

I won't go back to answer more of those questions. I will be slow in reading this anyway, going to be away for a bit.

 

[docsoliday1]

This post has two purposes. Pictures (I can hear the collective sigh of relief) and a bit of a hint for the last contest questions.
Go back and read my post:

Can I have a good trip to FL? Yes, yes I can.

It contains hints that will help with the answers to the latest two questions. The initial questions were probably a bad choice on my part (it is my first PTR/TR after all) since I didn't even know the answers to many of them at that point, but at least now they're able to be scored.

Now the pictures...


This is PR at the main station looking down main street towards the castle. The sun was hitting her eyes, so the smile is a bit off. I promise better pictures to come, but I liked the view. As previously stated, I'm by no means a photographer, but I think this one (and you'll agree when you see others) turned out above average.

If you have a queasy stomach, you may want to stop reading now.





This is a picture of my face before the weight loss. Please don't all go running away screaming...I did warn you!


This is my face after. No, I'm not mad, just the flash was blinding me and I was concentrating on taking the picture (I don't normally do selfies...not my thing).


This is me before the weight loss with one of the guys we minister to who's become a friend. Please pray for him...he's going through chemo right now.


I deliberately chose the same shirt...this is me with my mom just before leaving for da world. You may not be able to tell as much as I can, but this shirt is baggy on me now and hangs down well below my belt. Before, it was an effort to tuck it in so my belly didn't stick out the bottom. It's also shrunk as I've shrunk (well technically, I'm no longer stretching it back out every time I wear it).


Okay, enough before and after pictures...I'm really not that fond of pictures of myself in general. I've always preferred to be taking the pictures not in them. With that said, you're probably going to get more tired of pictures of me than I will. You have been warned. Ya know, I just thought...I need to work on keeping my 3 readers, not scaring them off. Okay, no more pictures of me!!! Woo hoo!


I took pretty good notes, but I can't even remember where I took this photo. I'm pretty sure based on pictures before and after it, but at least it's not a picture of me!



I was debating about having this be a contest photo, but it's just too pretty to wait. This was our first night there and was just an Ahhhhhhh good to be here moment.

 

[docsoliday1]

Thanks.

I won't go back to answer more of those questions. I will be slow in reading this anyway, going to be away for a bit.

I understand AND I'm happy for you and the family!

 

[docsoliday1]

Frying bacon, being fried, shopping with mom and ADR changes galore!

As I mentioned already, I woke up early Saturday morning. I normally wake up early anyway and I've got Disney tomorrow, so the adrenaline is flowing, but the stupid mutant roosters woke me up earlier than I wanted while on vacation unless I'm getting up for rope drop....I wasn't! I may have joked about giant eagles, but I'm not joking about mutant roosters. I wish I was! I grew up on a farm and I'm used to roosters crowing, but NOT AT 4:00!!! Roosters are supposed to crow when it's daybreak not at oh-dark-hundred!! Brings back memories (bad) of the military, except it was TIs yelling not roosters crowing. I'm not a violent person, but I really had to fight the urge to go rooster hunting. I tried to go back to sleep, but it was about 4 of them and at least one would crow every 5-10 seconds. I pulled up a game on my phone, you know the ones, takes no brain power and helps to induce sleep. I kept hoping, it would work. Then, the tiny bit of wit I actually possess kicked in...headphones. I was able to doze a little bit longer and then my alarm growled. I growled back at it, but it was completely not impressed or intimidated.

So, I got up and started filling the house with the wonderful aroma of cooking bacon. I think I need to talk to someone about making a bacon cologne. I think we'd have a hard time keeping it in stock. Mmmm, bacon. The bacon saw how I was drooling and eying it greedily, so it decided it was going to exact its revenge on me. The bad part is my mom uses only cast iron and her stove is electric. I don't mind cast iron for some things, but for bacon, not my favorite and I'm not a big fan of electric because controlling the heat is so delayed vs. gas. Because of not being able to control the heat and bumping the cast iron pan at one point, I ended up with 4th degree burns on my hands. I'm an over achiever and 3rd degree burns may be good enough for other people, but not for me. I upped the ante. Returning to reality, having speckled hands from 1st degree burns for a day or so was interesting...it somewhat resembled chicken pox, but just on my hand. The bacon was very tasty, but not very nice. Mean bacon! The bacon tried to fight back and even succeeded on a smale scale, but I had the last laugh and last bite.

When I came down last month for an interview, my mom introduced a store call bulk nation to me. While there the first time, I found fondant in many different colors. DW makes some amazing cakes. Here's one:


and so I bought a LOT of fondant. The other things the store has are keto friendly items. Several sugar free treats as well as physillium husk (keto friendly thickener), almond flour, etc.. Since I had flown down on a cheap (some say budget, I say cheap) airline and would incur ridiculous fees for even a carry on and knowing we were coming back in a month, I left all the fondant (as well as a few other things) with my mom. Today, she wanted to go back and frankly, so did I...the sugar free toffee they have is amazing. I also got some more giant gummy bears for PR. I think they're related to the eagle from the drive down, but they don't poop and PR thinks they're more tasty than normal sized gummy bears. My mom lives on a very tight budget and regularly calls me because she can't pay this bill or that bill. The reason I tell you that is to relate a funny story. When we went last month, they have a sticker card and you get a sticker for each $20 spent. Well, because of the amount of fondant I bought as well as the other things, I had 1 full card and another with 2 stickers. I gave those cards to her, which entitle her to get $10 off a purchase of $15 or more. She used the full card for her purchase which ended up costing her only $5.60 vs. $15.60. Woo hoo! She handed me the other card, which had 2 stickers already. My items added up to around $31, so I got another sticker. When we got to the car, my mom insisted she had a 3rd sticker because of what she bought. I told her no, they had added 1 for my order, but then she said it obviously only had 1 sticker previously and she got a sticker and so did I. Yes mom, you got a sticker and so did I. In my head, I'm thinking you got $15 worth of stuff and got $10 off, how exactly do you get a sticker for that, but for those of you with elderly parents, maybe you understand...it's called an excercise in futility. Yes mom!

We did some additional shopping. Not really my favorite thing in the world, but mom loves it, so....of course we did.

Another cool (and also sad and a bit quirky) tidbit about my mom. She's similar to the lady in Mark 12. She has very little, but what she does have, she wants to spend and/or give to others. Sad, because she spends what she doesn't really have sometimes and I get another phone call from her. Cool, because if she were a millionaire, I can only imagine how many people she could help. She also loves to eat out, but has caviar taste buds on a ramen noodles budget. I'm sure any of you who've been to college can relate. She had been given a cracker barrel gift card for Christmas. The FIRST time I found out she had it and suggested we go to cracker barrel was when I called her to let her know we were on the way. I know at this point the earliest we could get there was about 7:30 or 7:45 and she eats much earlier. That didn't stop her from saying let's go to cracker barrel...I have a $25 gift card. Any of you who've been to cracker barrel know, that's enough for 1 person with a really good tip or maybe 1 1/2 people. This day, while driving to shop, shopping and returning home, she mentioned the cracker barrel gift card at least 7 other times. I think it was more like 12, but I'm being conservative. I finally persuaded her we had ribs, ground beef, ham, brats and numerous cheeses that I'd brought and she should save her gift card. Don't get me wrong, I like cracker barrel and me needing to cough up the remainder of the bill wouldn't have been an issue, but I knew that unless we started eating some of what I'd brought, it would go to waste. Unfortunately, this is not the end of the GCBGCS (Great Cracker Barrel Gift Card Saga).

When we got home, my brother was just finishing up some yard work, so we invited him over and we all had some great burgers. Another thing about my mom is she starts planning the next meal before this one is finished. She decided we were going to have ribs for dinner. No problem mom, I'll just starve. Did I mention I don't care for ribs? Good. I knew I did. I wasn't at all concerned about starving though, because I knew I could have another burger, ham sandwich or something else for dinner...no biggie. As it turns out, I wasn't all that hungry for dinner. So...that's brings me to the next contest question (still not too late to join in for those who haven't already...there will be prizes...might even be some amazing bacon)...

Why was I not very hungry for dinner?
a) We went to a movie and I had a ton of popcorn and soda
b) Because of my diet and losing 59 lbs, I just can't eat as much as I once did
c) It was a late lunch
d) A relative I hadn't seen in a while stopped by with my favorite dessert and I had dessert (more than one serving) before dinner

Why did we not have ribs for dinner like my mom planned?
a) Because everyone else wanted brats
b) Because she thought they were already cooked
c) Because she doesn't have a grill
d) Because she changed her mind

Ya know, as I sit here formulating these questions, a thought occurs to me...every once in a blue moon the synapses in my brain actually do their job and I have an epiphany. It's a lot easier to do questions for a contest when you know the answer yourself. Unlike my original questions which were based on what I'd planned and not what actually ended up happening.

We ended up having a great dinner! I won't say what it was because that would reveal answers, but it was all delicious. It was my brother, SIL, niece, a friend, me and PR. After we finished dinner, we enjoyed some of the treats I'd brought from Patak's and some we'd bought at bulk nation. If any of you have ever had Kinder eggs, one of the highlights were kinder joy which are not the same, but at least similar. I know these first couple of chapters have been picture shy, but I promise, once we get to Disney, there will be plenty of pictures. I then spent most of the evening on my phone and/or table making ADR changes. Since they (my family) now knew their schedules and thus I knew their schedules, I could solidify the ADR locations and number of people before I hit the penalty time. My mom doesn't have wifi (remember limited budget?) and the cell phone signal there isn't the greatest, so between trying to make ADR changes on my phone or use my phones wifi to use my tablet, it was about 10:45 before I got done. That may not seem like a big deal to you, but I normally get up between 5 and 5:30, but because of the mutant roosters I got up earlier and had way less sleep, 10:45 was resulting in blurry screen and excessive yawning syndrome. It's a real thing, look it up! **makes note to post a new page on wikipedia and try to figure out how to get webmd to link it before posting this chapter**

 

[disneyAndi14]

Those darn roosters, that stinks! Sounds like a good day visiting with family. Your mom sounds like mine. My parents would eat out every day if they could!

I am going to pick D for the first question in your last post and B for the second one. I feel good about my answers I hope I am right, lol!

Your wife is a great cake decorater, I am not very crafty and my cakes taste pretty good but look very plain.

I love bacon, not Disney bacon but good thick cut bacon!

 

[pkondz]

Nice shot. I like the framing. What's the crest? I guess it's her school, but what is it?

If you have a queasy stomach, you may want to stop reading now.

Nah, I can handle it..

Gah!!!

Okay, just kidding.

This is my face after.

Noticeable difference!

This is me before the weight loss with one of the guys we minister to who's become a friend. Please pray for him...he's going through chemo right now.

Prayers sent.

I deliberately chose the same shirt...this is me with my mom just before leaving for da world. You may not be able to tell as much as I can, but this shirt is baggy on me now and hangs down well below my belt. Before, it was an effort to tuck it in so my belly didn't stick out the bottom. It's also shrunk as I've shrunk (well technically, I'm no longer stretching it back out every time I wear it).

Ya done good.

I'm really not that fond of pictures of myself in general.

ditto

Okay, no more pictures of me!!! Woo hoo!

Yuss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


er... I mean... Oh, shoot.

I was debating about having this be a contest photo, but it's just too pretty to wait.

It is a pretty photo.

 

[pkondz]

I'm used to roosters crowing, but NOT AT 4:00!!!

Well, next time, make sure you set their alarms properly.

Brings back memories (bad) of the military, except it was TIs yelling not roosters crowing.

Sorry to hear that (bad memories). What's TI stand for?

I'm not a violent person, but I really had to fight the urge to go rooster hunting.

That's not violence. That's self preservation from sleep deprivation.

I growled back at it, but it was completely not impressed or intimidated.

Work on that. You need your sleep.

I think I need to talk to someone about making a bacon cologne

I'm not a big fan of electric because controlling the heat is so delayed vs. gas.

Best decision I ever made was insisting on gas for the house.

Because of not being able to control the heat and bumping the cast iron pan at one point, I ended up with 4th degree burns on my hands.

Did you actually burn yourself on the pan? Or just artistic licence. I get that you got burned from bacon grease.

Nice job! Pretty impressive.

I think they're related to the eagle from the drive down, but they don't poop and PR thinks they're more tasty than normal sized gummy bears.

But do they make her poop?

for those of you with elderly parents, maybe you understand...it's called an excercise in futility. Yes mom!

Any of you who've been to cracker barrel know, that's enough for 1 person with a really good tip or maybe 1 1/2 people.

I didn't know. But now I do.

Another thing about my mom is she starts planning the next meal before this one is finished.

Is that a bad thing?

Did I mention I don't care for ribs?

What? What is wrong with you????


Actually, DW doesn't either. She doesn't like the bones. Is that what it is with you? Eating with your hands and/or around the bones?

b) Because of my diet and losing 59 lbs, I just can't eat as much as I once did

b) Because she thought they were already cooked

There's my guesses.

Ya know, as I sit here formulating these questions, a thought occurs to me...every once in a blue moon the synapses in my brain actually do their job and I have an epiphany. It's a lot easier to do questions for a contest when you know the answer yourself. Unlike my original questions which were based on what I'd planned and not what actually ended up happening.

If any of you have ever had Kinder eggs

Oh sure. Legal up here. I was going to bring some down... until I found that I could be given up to a $5,000 fine for bringing just one down.

It's a real thing, look it up! **makes note to post a new page on wikipedia and try to figure out how to get webmd to link it before posting this chapter**

 

[docsoliday1]

Sadness, frustration, sorrow, reflection, joy, relaxation, satisfaction – all in one day

Sunday dawned bright and early. Normally we go to church with my mom and brother's family, then head to Disney for check-in (hopefully early). Today would be the departure from the norm. Because we were checking in to BCV and I'd heard and read so many good things about storm along bay and the ONLY time we'd be able to use it was while staying there, I decided we'd forgo church. Not really an easy decision for me...I don't feel obligated or anything, but I enjoy that time. Round 2 of the GCGCS. Shortly after getting up, my mom said we should go to church as we (almost) always do and then we could go to lunch at cracker barrel after and then go to Disney. I had told her the day before we were not going to church this time, but undeterred, that $25 gift card was still burning a hole in her pocket. As I went about cooking the rest of the bacon I'd brought per her request, she mentioned it at least 2 more times (that I heard). This bacon was not as evil as the bacon the day before and although I got the occasional splatter, escaped relatively unscathed. I can't say the same for the bacon. Did I mention me likes bacon? The real reason for doing bacon again was for my brother. Mom decided she couldn't eat that much bacon, so we (that would be I) were cooking it for them.

Leaving my mom's for Disney is always bittersweet. I don't like saying goodbye, but I'm happy to be heading to Disney and it's a short trip. Sadness

We left and went to Publix. I had some water bottles with us, but needed to grab some 1 gallon jugs to use during our stay. As much as I like FL, the water is NOT included in that sentiment. We also needed to get a few other items, but I don't recall what they were. We then went and gassed up the car, because gas prices in Orlando and especially around Disney are much worse. Here's where the first frustration hit. After gassing up the car, it would not start. As with many newer vehicles, the rental car was push start. I had the key fob, put my foot on the brake (important step) and nothing. Nada, Zilch, Zip! I checked the shift lever because at one point I had forgotten to put it into park and wondered why the door locks wouldn't lock. I started checking everything. I got out, clicked the unlock and lock buttons on the remote – nothing. Re-opened the door to see if the light came on – nothing. Great, in the time I gassed up the car, somehow the battery went dead or the electrical system went haywire. I can't even push the car out of the way away from the pump because without starting, I can't shift into neutral. So, I'm thinking the owner or attendant is going to come out and yell at me because I'm impeding other potential customers. Not much I can do. I call the rental car place and explain to them what is going on. Well, to make a long story shorter so we can get to Disney sooner, right before I was going to hang up with them and have to wait at least 2 hours for someone to get there, I tried (for the 5th or 6th time) to open and close the door and voila, it started finally. The rental car roadside assistance person calmly explained sometimes after re-fueling it could do this. Seems like a MAJOR design flaw if simply gassing up would do this. Shaking my head at the idiocy of this design, I was at least happy to be finally on our way.

We made our way towards I-4 and the GPS was telling me there was a 7 minute backup, but yet I-4 was the fastest route. Knowing the area fairly well, I'm thinking if I-4 is backed up before US-27, it would have been faster to go east to 27 and then north to I-4, but okay GPS, you're supposed to monitor all the different routes and make the best choice. Shortly after we got onto I-4, we came to a complete stop. Then we moved a couple of car lengths, stop. Lather, rinse, repeat. Again, knowing the area fairly well, I'm thinking this will definitely be much more than 7 minutes at this pace to 27. Then the Frustration got greater. FL traffic often annoys me. Remember the previous comment about the idiots in the left lane that won't get out of the way? Well, this was all 3 lanes. I wasn't frustrated at them, but rather we should've already been at Disney and now we're delayed even more. Also at the GPS...7 minutes in what universe? I guess the GPS was a Rocky horror picture show fan and was doing the time warp. Well, after about 30 (I forgot to look at the exact time) minutes, we see an indication of the problem. I was just able to get the camera and get the picture in time (keep in mind we were at a dead stop again, so no safety concerns)...



About another 10 minutes of the stop for a minute, move 5 feet process, we were at a point where we could see no other traffic going the other direction and the reason why.



And then another helicopter



The frustration quickly disappeared and was replaced with great sadness and reflection. Great sadness for those people and their families and friends. Reflection for several reasons. If the car hadn't not started, it could've been us. We never know when something like that could happen to any of us, so maybe I should be less frustrated when traffic sucks and more grateful I'm alive and well enough to be inconvenienced by it. We never know when our last breath may occur and we should cherish whatever time we're given. I found out later the SUV was traveling the same direction as us (eastbound) and had gone through the median, went airborne and over another car traveling westbound, rolled at least once and came to rest. 4 of the 7 occupants weren't wearing their seatbelts and were ejected. With the exception of the 2 month old baby, all were teenagers between 16 and 19 years old. Several were injured badly including the 2 month old baby although she was in a rear facing car seat. If not, she would likely be dead. Back to the reflection part...make sure you tell the ones you love that you love them...you may not have another opportunity. Another reflection or PSA if you will...when you're driving, get off your phone. There is not a text or email important enough to risk your life or someone else's for. Okay, I promise I'm getting off my soapbox now and will get to more pleasant things, but felt there were a couple things that needed to be said. If I offended you, I'm not sorry...maybe you needed to be offended.

After getting past the accident and saying more prayers for those involved as well as the people on the westbound side that might be missing an important doctor's appointment or some other time sensitive issue, we were again on our way. Part of me was happy we were again getting closer to Disney, but still having multiple emotions about what had happened. We then started seeing things that helped me to get happier and happier...




Jolting me back to the harsh reality of what we'd seen minutes later, PR said she saw another red & black chopper heading that way.

And then we finally saw this sign. I'm not sure how it does it, but it just washes away all the other emotions and then there's joy. I knew BCV was near EPCOT, but was thankful for having the exact address and the GPS guiding me.



We kept passing other signs indicating we were getting closer and closed. The picture of the BC was too blurry, but I'm sure many of you are familiar with what it looks like.


After hearing the greatest 2 words at Disney – Welcome Home!, the guard at the gate did and said something I'd never experienced with a DVC resort before. Instead of handing me my parking pass, he said you can either Valet park for $25 a day or free 3 hour parking. I'm like WHAAAA? I'm staying at the resort, why would I need to pay an additional $25 a day or be towed after 3 hours? He said I wouldn't be towed, but there are a lot of people that want to come park and then go to EPCOT all day. The one working brain cell said wait a minute...if they're not staying at the resort, don't let them in...problem solved! Since he said I wouldn't be towed and while I know Disney is expensive, I can't see paying $25 a day to simply leave my vehicle there. So, after check-in and giving our bags to bell services, we went back and parked. We went in and saw the BC lobby for the first time. I'm not going to gush about the lobby...all Disney lobbies are nice, so other than different decorations and theming, pretty much standard fare.





I asked for early check-in. I don't check-in online ahead of time, because I've heard from multiple people they MIGHT upgrade your room by checking in in person. Never hurts to try. I asked if they had any potential room upgrades and/or we could check-in early. No and no. Dang, I thought the magical experience training said they couldn't say no. Mistaken again (times 2). They did say we could enjoy the pool and other resort amenities until our room was ready. I already knew I could do anything else in the resort without being in a room, but thanked them and went on our way. Thanks again to the one working brain cell, we'd packed our swimsuits in my backpack. I knew our ADR for Ale & Compass wasn't until 1pm, so before we went to the pool, I wanted to pop over to BWV to see if we could get a better room or early check-in tomorrow by showing up a full day in advance. Mistaken again (times 4 now). I told PR she could go to the pool if she wanted and I'd be back. She opted to go with me. I'm not sure why, considering how many times we've been to Disney, she still is leery about being alone. In that regard, she's an atypical teenager (IMHO). While at BWV, we came across the DVC stand. After hearing the guy tell another lady about their FPs and they'd get their $100 gift card after the tour, I decided to check for us. Since I'm already a DVC member, I'm not eligible for the $100 gift card, but yes for the FPs and the great thing is the “tour” is only about 1/2 hour. I tried to schedule initially for Thursday (our down day), but that would only allow us 1 day/park to use the FPs, so I decided to come back later this afternoon.

We decided to walk back (instead of boat) to BCV. This allowed me to scope out the boardwalk a bit and decide where I wanted to come back to and explore more. This also allowed us to enter our 3rd new resort in the first 2 hours of being on-property. We went though and checked out YC as well. We passed by where our ADR at 1 was at and it was about 12:45, so rather than change and pool time, we opted to wait. We had a friend of the family (well, more like family) meeting us for lunch. I called and checked with him again and he said he should be there soon. We'll call him T for the purposed of this TR. Earlier when I'd spoken to him, his GPS was not working and he was asking me for directions. I tried to explain he'd have to find Disney on his own, because I didn't know all the local roads and the numbers he was saying he was on or going to turn on. I told him once he got to Disney, follow the signs for EPCOT and EPCOT resorts and then look for the Beach club. I also told him look for the big green swan because it's close to that and you can see that from a good distance away. Aside from that, not sure I can help you much.

PR on bridge walking back to BCV from BWV.


He showed up about 5 minutes before the ADR and about 4 minutes before they called us. I had warned him everything at Disney was expensive, but he still moaned and groaned when they gave us the menu.



Have to stop here, because I've hit my picture limit.

 

[docsoliday1]

PR and I both got the bacon cheeseburger and T got the lobster roll.



Mmmm, bacon!


You can see, T isn't a much better photographer than I am. Actually, as we went along I found out two things about the camera...1) it does way better at distance shots than close up. If you don't press the button fully, it will try to auto focus and make it worse whereas the auto focus when the button is fully pressed seems to work okay.


I normally tip very well, but the guy serving us rightfully earned the less than 15% tip award. Our glasses remained empty for lengthy periods. We had to ask for mustard and mayonaisse several times. Seems to me we had to ask for ketchup too, since there wasn't a bottle on the table. We asked for lemons for our tea and finally got them about 10 minutes before we were done (and again after asking numerous times). I wanted to leave him a written tip also...”If you can't remember what people have asked you for, write it down”. I can't tell you how many times he said, sorry I forgot, but yet had the rather long expanse of time to talk to someone at the next table who he knew. Again, it's rare I tip less than 15%, I usually start at 20% and work up or down from there accordingly(most often up). Enough about the poor service, it was good food.

After that, we decided to go swimming. T had to go out to his car to get his swimsuit. Turns out, we went on a very long expedition finding his car. He thought he was parked in YC parking and since we were leaving A&C, easy peasy, right? Not so much. We went out, found out that was not the right parking lot, so then we figured we'd just walk around the outside parking area and/or sidewalk to get to BCV parking. Guess what! No can do kimosabe. They're adding on to the convention center at YC, so between the areas blocked off for everything except buses and the sign saying no pedestrian traffic beyond this point, can't get there from here. We then went into the convention center thinking we'd find a hallway or door leading back to YC or BC. Nope. Every door we went to was either no entrance except contractors or no entrance except cast members. After trying different avenues and doubling back upon ourselves (I think I have an understanding of what rats in a maze feel like now, except I didn't find cheese ANYWHERE), we eventually ran into three ladies with vacuums. The one offered to show us the path. When we got back to A&C, I was thinking you've got to be kidding me! This vast resort area and there's only ONE path. I thank her for her help and said we've got it from here, but she still wanted to help. I think she was happy to have something different from vacuuming to do or she was just very helpful. Anyway, we finally made it back to BCV parking and T got his swimsuit. We all went into bathrooms to change and then made our way to the pool.

The pool was fun and here's a few pictures. I enjoyed it for three very distinct reasons. Lazy river area had a section deep enough to submerge without bending my legs. Only Disney pool I've found where this is possible. The slide was great. Longest of any Disney slides unless someone knows of a better one somewhere else. The sand in the pool was much nicer than walking on a concrete pool bottom. Not that the concrete pool is horrible, but the sand was very nice. I had to leave T and PR alone for a while while I left for my DVC “tour”. I was back and we swam and slid some more. Now we know why this is the most popular pool on property.









A little while later was the time my brother was supposed to be joining us. We had an ADR at 7:15 for Cape may cafe. He was also slated to go with us tomorrow to the park, so was going to stay with us after dinner. Unbeknownst to me, T decided he wanted to stay for dinner even though he had told me originally he'd said he couldn't stay that late. I was like “Houston, we have a problem”. The ADR is for 3. When I told him it could be a problem, he was completely puzzled. I explained to him the reservations and things at Disney in general have to be done well in advance and if changes are made last minute, either I'll pay a penalty or be unable to modify. I immediately got on the phone because I knew trying to change around an hour before would result in a declination or a fine. Fortunately, since the tables seat 4, the CM I spoke to said no problem and no penalty. Score!!!! So, after meeting my brother and going back to the room (oh yeah, we stopped by the front desk because it was now after 5 and yet I'd never gotten a text saying our room was ready) and took my brother's luggage up and starting drying things in the dryer. T also wanted to try to catch a little of the Daytona race. We ended up going to CMC and had a great meal. Our server was not the best, but far better than at lunch. Still, given it was a buffet and all she was really responsible for was drinks, it was disappointing. She got 15%, but that was generous. If you think I'm being a tightwad with tips, stay tuned and I'll remind you she was ONLY responsible for drinks (and clearing away used plates) both of which were quite slow.

PR's first plate.



My first plate.

T's first plate.


PR's second plate. Yep, we went to a buffet and she got one tiny plate of food and then almost the same amount of dessert. Normally, I'd tell her no way, but we're on vacation after all and I wasn't planning on eating healthy per se, so when in Rome (err Disney). This is where the DISdad part of me overruled the fiscal side of me. I mean, it is a buffet after all, let's get our money's worth. This will not be the last buffet PR wasted my money. Happily, B and T more than made up fiscally with the amount of crab legs they ate.

 

[MeghanEmily]

I agree with you about the Florida water! We try to avoid drinking it when we can.

How sobering to see that kind of an accident on your travels. I'm glad to hear you were safe and sound, but sad for those involved!

Too bad about your less-than-adequate servers. We also usually tip fairly well, I was a server for a while and know how difficult that job is, but on the rare occasions when I have bad service at Disney I don't feel badly lowering my tip.

The pool looks so refreshing! I'd love to stay at BC (or YC as a second choice) someday to check it out! And also for the proximity to Epcot.

 

[docsoliday1]

One other picture...you've seen it once, but more in the correct timeline...before we went to dinner, I got this picture from the balcony. It's not the best one I took, but one of the better ones and I love it, so here it is again:


I had told my brother about hidden mickeys all around WDW. On the carpet, on walls, in art work, etc. etc.

He decided to do his own:


After dinner, T had to say his goodbyes and B (brother), PR and I tried to figure out what we were going to do. B said he was thinking about getting an annual pass and when I found out the DVC price and the FL resident price were the same, I decided it would be a good idea for me as well. Also, since I'd gotten the new job offer and I knew I'd have more vacation time, I figure I'd definitely have the opportunity to make it worthwhile and save my non-expiring tickets for the future.
We took the boat to EPCOT and went to guest relations.


Although I'm not into selfies, PR convinced me.

Then the folks next to us (who were really nice) jokingly said we didn't get them, so...



They were going to BW and were disembarking before I could catch their names, but just one of the things about Disney I love. People who would possibly never give you the time of day away from Disney are friends and wanting to take pictures with you at Disney. So cool!

B and I both got our APs. We then came back and had a nice relaxing time at the room and headed to bed. Rope drop at AK tomorrow.


A few pictures of the room and the resort:






Saw this when first walking up to resort or when we got lost trying to get back to BCV from YC parking lot.
My thought was, surely storm along bay is better than this.


Next up, Animals (duh) and amazing service/food or animals that are amazing food

A few more questions I need to ask before I post the next chapters.

What ADR did I change from?
a) Rainforest cafe
b) Tiffins
c) Tusker house
d) Yak & Yeti

What did I change it to?
a) Rainforest cafe
b) Tiffins
c) Tusker house
d) Yak & Yeti
** Small hint...the answer to both should not be the same **

What show(s) did we see that we've never seen before?
a) River of Light
b) Lion King
c) It's a bug's life
d) a & b
e) a & c
f) b & c

A DISmeet was scheduled for Monday. Did it happen?

How many new (to us) rides did we do at AK?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4

What did we do Tuesday that wasn't originally planned.
a) took a special trip to Polynesian for dole whips
b) Got a last minute ADR for Ohana
c) Went to EPCOT
d) Rented boats and got in trouble with the harbor patrol

 

[docsoliday1]

I agree with you about the Florida water! We try to avoid drinking it when we can.

How sobering to see that kind of an accident on your travels. I'm glad to hear you were safe and sound, but sad for those involved!

Too bad about your less-than-adequate servers. We also usually tip fairly well, I was a server for a while and know how difficult that job is, but on the rare occasions when I have bad service at Disney I don't feel badly lowering my tip.

The pool looks so refreshing! I'd love to stay at BC (or YC as a second choice) someday to check it out! And also for the proximity to Epcot.

Very sobering....hence the tone of my post. As you hopefully see by now, I like to be more light hearted.

I normally base my tip on drink mostly and not food quality or correctness. They don't cook the food, so can't do much about the quality. If it's not the correct item(s), it might be their fault, but could be the kitchen also. If the food is cold, it could mean they were late getting there or the kitchen didn't notify them it was ready or the kitchen cooked one thing and then it sat and sat while everything else was completed. The one thing that is DEFINITELY in their control is how full my glass is or how long it takes when it's empty. Okay, I guess two things...any condiments or extras we need...how long that takes.

The pool was nice. I would highly recommend a stay at BC or YC for the pool and proximity (same reasons they're so popular with many). I regret only having one day there, because I would have liked to explore more.

 

[MeghanEmily]

Although I'm not into selfies, PR convinced me.

Then the folks next to us (who were really nice) jokingly said we didn't get them, so...

Always nice to meet fun new friends on vacation!

My thought was, surely storm along bay is better than this.

Really though! Can you imagine...if this was the pool that got so much hype...

The one thing that is DEFINITELY in their control is how full my glass is or how long it takes when it's empty. Okay, I guess two things...any condiments or extras we need...how long that takes.

This is a good point!

 

[docsoliday1]

Sorry to hear that (bad memories). What's TI stand for?

I don't recall if it's Technical or Training Instructor. I think the latter. Basically the same as DI (Drill Instructor) in other branches.

That's not violence. That's self preservation from sleep deprivation.

View attachment 305896

Figures...someone stole my idea already. I was joking, but as good as it smells, it does make sense.

Did you actually burn yourself on the pan? Or just artistic licence. I get that you got burned from bacon grease.

Artistic license...yeah, we'll go with that one.

Nice job! Pretty impressive.

On behalf of DW...Thank you sir!

But do they make her poop?

Not a discussion I've had with her, but then again it is a form of food, so logic would dictate.

What? What is wrong with you????

That's a LOOOONG list...you really don't want me to go there.

Actually, DW doesn't either. She doesn't like the bones. Is that what it is with you? Eating with your hands and/or around the bones?

Actually, although I might be fat, I don't like fat and/or gristle and ribs (and wings) have way to much of both. Also, it's the concept of that much work for one bite of meat is wasteful to me. Give me a filet mignon, one sweep with the knife, fork to mouth, YUM!

Oh sure. Legal up here. I was going to bring some down... until I found that I could be given up to a $5,000 fine for bringing just one down.

It's legal in every country except the we want to sue everyone when we do something stupid country (US). If there's one thing I really hate about the US, it's the concept of always wanting to put the blame on someone else. Yes, they have small parts...don't give them to your babies people!!!! It's not someone else's fault if you do and they choke on them!!!!

 

[docsoliday1]

Your wife is a great cake decorater, I am not very crafty and my cakes taste pretty good but look very plain.

That's just one of them. I thought I had some pictures of the others, but will have to try to find them. She's made some amazing looking ones. And unlike most professional bakeries I've experienced, they TASTE good too!

I love bacon, not Disney bacon but good thick cut bacon!

If you ever come through the Atlanta area or we happen to be down at Disney at the same time again, I'll swing by Patak's and get some thick sliced. I have no doubt you'll be a happy camper.

 

[docsoliday1]

Posting pictures on here is no fun. I know I had this picture loaded at one point and I guess it disappeared. Well, considering I forgot to tag @ariane37 in the original post, I guess I can fix both with one.

After dinner at CMC, they brought these. Another happy place for Chris if y'all haven't been already.



PR didn't want hers and looked rather perplexed about the concept, so I had two!

 

[AirGoofy]

PR and I both got the bacon cheeseburger and T got the lobster roll.
.

I like the lobster roll when it has more lobster than mayonnaise.

 

[docsoliday1]

I like the lobster roll when it has more lobster than mayonnaise.

Norm!

I'm more of a purist...I like my lobster with clarified butter. Not really any other way.