spaceprincess32
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2017
The next time I go to Disney I have to try the drinks more, didn't even realize they had some many drink options. Yum!
'mSaturday, September 2nd
I woke up early that morning of departure, eager to go! I'd already packed all but what I needed that morning, so I quickly emptied the dish washer, cleaned the cat pans one last time, set up their dry food feeder and cleaned their water fountain, set out cans of cat food and additional dishes for the pet-sitter, took out the garbage, and then finally showered. While dressing, I put on my shiny new bright green Magicband because why not?! (It rarely left my wrist for the next 12 days.) I'd allowed myself enough time to have a simple breakfast before calling for a taxi because I knew I wouldn't have time for a proper meal until early evening at the soonest--and I was glad I did.
I arrived at Reagan National in DC and checked in without incident, but we were about 10 minutes late in boarding my Southwest flight. The flight down to Atlanta was uneventful. I was a little concerned about my 30-minute window for my connection since I'd never been to that airport before and had heard stories--I'm used to dealing with O'Hare and having to transfer wings because of the stupid logistics whenever flying home to central Wisconsin. But since I was sticking with Southwest for both legs, the gates were close to one another, which was a good thing because as our plane came to a stop at the boarding dock, they couldn't get it to latch on properly to the plane. We sat there for a good 15 minutes before they finally gave up, asked everyone to stow away their carryons again and sit back down while they backed up the plane and moved to another gate. Feeling a little panicked, I flagged down one of the flight attendants to let her know that I had a connection in less than 30 minutes--she got my connecting gate/flight numbers and said she'd notify the pilot about it. Then she came back a minute later and told me my next gate was only two away and that their flight hadn't started boarding yet so I still had a little time. They finally succeeded and we were able to deplane. I had just enough time to hit the restroom before getting on onboard. Unfortunately, that leg was extremely rough and bumpy, to the point that they canceled the drinks and the flight attendants rode it out strapped to their seats. By the time I arrived in Orlando, it was after 3pm and I was already feeling a bit beat up.
One of the best perks from staying at a Disney resort is their Disney Magical Express (DME) service. It provides a special luggage tag and airport sticker that directs your luggage straight from the plane to the DME buses, meaning I never had to reclaim my bag--I could go straight to the DME service desk and board the appropriate bus that would take me to my resort, where my bag would arrive and be delivered to my room later without my needing to wait for it.
I stepped outside the airport toward my designated bus and was nearly bowled over by the virtually solid wall of humidity that hit me! Ugh! The reality of doing a Disney trip over Labor Day weekend sank in as I realized this is what I'd have to deal with for the next 9 days. I was grateful to get on the bus, which was comfortable and blessedly cool. They played Disney orientation videos and the occasional classic Mickey cartoon on the way to WDW. Unfortunately it was right around rush hour and the traffic reaching WDW was quite heavy at times, with periods where the lights changed but we didn't move. When we finally reached WDW, my bus first stopped at the Old Key West and Port Orleans: Riverside resorts before we finally arrived at Port Orleans: French Quarter. I actually liked the opportunity to see the Old Key West resort--it was very lovely and relaxed.
Once I got off the bus, I decided to stop at the Front Desk anyway, even though I didn't need to technically check in since that was handled via the My Disney app by my agent earlier that day. I wanted to get a map of the resort, I had some questions, and I wanted to ask for one of the Birthday pins I'd been told I should get. The cast member was friendly, helpful, and personalized the pin for me.
I headed off to find my room. PO:FQ is what's called a Moderate Resort (meaning moderately priced), and all the rooms face the outside, akin to a motel. I had decided while booking the resort that I didn't want to pay extra for an upgrade (most resorts have tiered prices depending on where the room is located and what it faces). With the PO:FQ you have the choice of water, pool, garden, or standard (no "glamorous" views). I went with Standard. The next step up (garden view) was around $20 a night more and since it was only me and I'd probably rarely be there during the day to know the difference, I didn't feel it was worth it. I quickly discovered that the resort is so small (the smallest in all of Disney) that the differences in views were almost nonexistant--all I had to do was walk to the end of my floor and I would view the garden, and there was enough lush foliage that I couldn't see the parking lot from my room anyway. I was placed in Building 3, on the third and top floor in Room 3339. As it turned out, my building was right next to the main lobby/shop/restaurant building, so I actually had better placement convenience-wise, IMO, than those who'd paid more. Here's the view from outside my door.
Here's my room. The decorations were simple and functional, which I appreciated. Although I was alone, I liked how the toilet and shower/bath had their own solid door, but the mirrors and sinks had the additional curtain you could draw to not disturb fellow guests. I did NOT like the choice of white coverlets on the beds. While I'm sure that's easier for cleaning, I found it offputting because they always looked unmade to me. They also made me self-conscious about staining it, and it kept reminding me of hospital beds.
My main bag had not arrived yet from DME, so I quickly unpacked my carryon bags, freshened up, then headed out to wander around and familiarize myself with the rest of the resort. I was gratified to find that the resort lived up to my expectations for delivering a well-shaded, relaxed, quiet, and intimate feel that would act as an oasis from the parks. The day I took these pics it was overcast so they don't do the beauty of the place justice. It was lovely and I'd absolutely stay there again (best ratio of convenience to value in all of Disney, from what I saw on my trip). Of all the Moderate and Luxury resorts, this one had probably the least elaborate or themed pools, so I didn't think to take pictures--sorry.
I then walked over to the boat dock with the intention of enjoying the leisurely ride over to Disney Springs (while it's within the WDW grounds and features some of the same perks, like using the MagicBands to charge to your room, same level of customer service, and and open and family-friendly environment, it is a functioning public mall with all sorts of non-Disney shops and restaurants, etc.). However, it was raining on and off and so the boats weren't running. I then headed over to the one and only bus stop at our resort (all the other much larger resorts have multiple stops) to catch a bus to DS. I'll say that in my entire stay, this was the only time I had to stand because all the seats were taken.
It took about 20 minutes to reach DS from PO:FQ (lots of stoplights and traffic). My first impression was that it was a very confusing maze with no logical layout, made even more confusing by the fact that it was dusk when I arrived. I was trying to hold an umbrella with one hand, a confusing map with just numbers (all the accompanying names were inside the crease on the other side) all while navigating through the heavy Saturday night/Labor Day crowd. While I had done a little studying of the map while at home, I'd done it from the orientation point of the boat dock--but the bus stop threw me off because I wasn't sure where I was in relation to things and it took me a while to get a clue where I was or where I was heading. It's also confusing because most all of the stores have multiple wide-open entrances without doors, so it's easy to forget which side you entered from or what direction you're heading when you leave.
All I knew was that that my blood-sugar levels had to be rock-bottom by that point because I hadn't eaten anything since the peanuts on my first leg of the flight in, and a PB&J sandwich for breakfast. I had one destination in mind by that point--I wanted to find Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar! I'd read about it, friends told me it was great, and I'm a huge Indiana Jones fan, so it was a MUST DO stop. It felt like forever by the time I finally found it. I shook off my umbrella and stepped up to the door. The group of cast members at the door greeted me with big Happy Birthdays because of my button. I told them I was just relieved to have finally found the place. One of them told me to follow her and she led me into the back and proceeded to introduce me to every single bartender in the place because she wanted them to know it was my special day and she wanted me to know each by name!
My impressions of Jock Lindsey's Hanger Bar? I LOVED it. The decor was rich with details and in-jokes and an exotic collection of 1940s-era memorabilia that you would expect to find in an Indy movie, etc. The cast members were a hoot--friendly and funny and clearly enjoying themselves while still being super helpful and efficient.
I tried a couple of crazy drinks including Reggie's Revenge, the toxic green brew in the bubbling decanter (Florida Cane 'Orlando Orange' Vodka, Midori Melon Liqueur, White Cranberry Juice, and fresh Lime Juice). I also tried the Mac's Pork Belly Sliders (crisped Pork Belly Slider with Braised Red Cabbage, Swiss, and House-made Russian Dressing served on a Butter-brushed Baguette) which were tasty and just what I needed.
While sitting at the bar (the place was packed) I struck up numerous conversations with fellow customers as they came and went, as well as the two bartenders serving me. At one point I asked if someone could take my picture, and as she did so, the bartender photobombed me and handed me a pair of pewter "Wings"--my first magical moment!
The next drink I ordered had to be the one in the monkey head because reasons. It was okay but I'll admit I liked Reggie's Revenge more.
At one point another cast member entered the bar and suddenly the other cast members and a number of the customers started cheering, as if he was some minor celebrity. I was a little nonplussed as I watched my bartender walk over to him, say something and then point at me! He came over and introduced himself (sadly I can't recall his name and I can't read his nametag in the pic). He was wonderful, enthusiastic, and said he wanted to make my birthday vacation very special.
He asked me if I knew what gris-gris is. I said that I'd heard the term before and thought it had something to do with Voodoo. He explained that yet, it came from that origin and how there were different types and how he was going to help me create my own piece of gris-gris for good luck. He handed me a penny and asked me to mark my initials on one side and to draw some sort of symbol on the other side. I drew the Mickey ears. Then he had me hold the penny in my palm and close my hand tight, then start to imagine it getting softer, like something was melting. After a minute, he had me open my hand and the penny had bent!
Later I was talking with a young couple that settled next to me, and we had a long and entertaining conversation, and they bought me a drink! I didn't want to abuse their generosity by ordering one of the expensive novelty drinks, so I just got a Hanger Lime vodka with soda.
After probably a good two hours, I figured I should finally leave and wander a bit before heading back to the resort. It had stopped raining by then, so I explored several of the Disney-related shops looking for cool souvenirs and shirts I might want later. I found a couple of things, and just enjoyed walking around and soaking in the night life while feeling perfectly safe.
There was a live concert on one dock, and next to the Dockside Margarita stand there was a single guitarist playing Santana-style music. He was fantastic so I decided to have one last drink for the night, ordering the Sunset Margarita (Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Cointreau, fresh Lime Juice, Sweet-and-Sour and Orange Juice), which was fantastic and became in my instant go-to whenever I wanted a drink for the boat trip home.
After a couple of false starts, I finally figured out how to reach the boatlanding that would take me back to my resort (it's out of the way and a bit of a walk from the shops). The view along that boatride at night was lovely, calm, quiet, and relaxing. There's no question, if I have a choice between a bus or a boat, I'm going with the boat!
It took about 20 minutes to reach my resort, and my luggage was waiting for me in my room when I got there. I finished unpacking, organizing my room, and basically making myself at home.
My first overall impressions after that first evening? Excellent service everywhere I went, cast members from all strokes and levels wishing me a happy birthday (and even a lot of fellow guests), a clean and safe environment, and just lovely landscaping and decorating everywhere. I didn't have a single moments' doubt that I'd made the right decision in coming to Disney World for my first destination vacation in over 15 years. I was looking forward to my first full day at Disney!
Saturday, September 2nd
I woke up early that morning of departure, eager to go! I'd already packed all but what I needed that morning, so I quickly emptied the dish washer, cleaned the cat pans one last time, set up their dry food feeder and cleaned their water fountain, set out cans of cat food and additional dishes for the pet-sitter, took out the garbage, and then finally showered. While dressing, I put on my shiny new bright green Magicband because why not?! (It rarely left my wrist for the next 12 days.) I'd allowed myself enough time to have a simple breakfast before calling for a taxi because I knew I wouldn't have time for a proper meal until early evening at the soonest--and I was glad I did.
I arrived at Reagan National in DC and checked in without incident, but we were about 10 minutes late in boarding my Southwest flight. The flight down to Atlanta was uneventful. I was a little concerned about my 30-minute window for my connection since I'd never been to that airport before and had heard stories--I'm used to dealing with O'Hare and having to transfer wings because of the stupid logistics whenever flying home to central Wisconsin. But since I was sticking with Southwest for both legs, the gates were close to one another, which was a good thing because as our plane came to a stop at the boarding dock, they couldn't get it to latch on properly to the plane. We sat there for a good 15 minutes before they finally gave up, asked everyone to stow away their carryons again and sit back down while they backed up the plane and moved to another gate. Feeling a little panicked, I flagged down one of the flight attendants to let her know that I had a connection in less than 30 minutes--she got my connecting gate/flight numbers and said she'd notify the pilot about it. Then she came back a minute later and told me my next gate was only two away and that their flight hadn't started boarding yet so I still had a little time. They finally succeeded and we were able to deplane. I had just enough time to hit the restroom before getting on onboard. Unfortunately, that leg was extremely rough and bumpy, to the point that they canceled the drinks and the flight attendants rode it out strapped to their seats. By the time I arrived in Orlando, it was after 3pm and I was already feeling a bit beat up.
One of the best perks from staying at a Disney resort is their Disney Magical Express (DME) service. It provides a special luggage tag and airport sticker that directs your luggage straight from the plane to the DME buses, meaning I never had to reclaim my bag--I could go straight to the DME service desk and board the appropriate bus that would take me to my resort, where my bag would arrive and be delivered to my room later without my needing to wait for it.
I stepped outside the airport toward my designated bus and was nearly bowled over by the virtually solid wall of humidity that hit me! Ugh! The reality of doing a Disney trip over Labor Day weekend sank in as I realized this is what I'd have to deal with for the next 9 days. I was grateful to get on the bus, which was comfortable and blessedly cool. They played Disney orientation videos and the occasional classic Mickey cartoon on the way to WDW. Unfortunately it was right around rush hour and the traffic reaching WDW was quite heavy at times, with periods where the lights changed but we didn't move. When we finally reached WDW, my bus first stopped at the Old Key West and Port Orleans: Riverside resorts before we finally arrived at Port Orleans: French Quarter. I actually liked the opportunity to see the Old Key West resort--it was very lovely and relaxed.
Once I got off the bus, I decided to stop at the Front Desk anyway, even though I didn't need to technically check in since that was handled via the My Disney app by my agent earlier that day. I wanted to get a map of the resort, I had some questions, and I wanted to ask for one of the Birthday pins I'd been told I should get. The cast member was friendly, helpful, and personalized the pin for me.
I headed off to find my room. PO:FQ is what's called a Moderate Resort (meaning moderately priced), and all the rooms face the outside, akin to a motel. I had decided while booking the resort that I didn't want to pay extra for an upgrade (most resorts have tiered prices depending on where the room is located and what it faces). With the PO:FQ you have the choice of water, pool, garden, or standard (no "glamorous" views). I went with Standard. The next step up (garden view) was around $20 a night more and since it was only me and I'd probably rarely be there during the day to know the difference, I didn't feel it was worth it. I quickly discovered that the resort is so small (the smallest in all of Disney) that the differences in views were almost nonexistant--all I had to do was walk to the end of my floor and I would view the garden, and there was enough lush foliage that I couldn't see the parking lot from my room anyway. I was placed in Building 3, on the third and top floor in Room 3339. As it turned out, my building was right next to the main lobby/shop/restaurant building, so I actually had better placement convenience-wise, IMO, than those who'd paid more. Here's the view from outside my door.
Here's my room. The decorations were simple and functional, which I appreciated. Although I was alone, I liked how the toilet and shower/bath had their own solid door, but the mirrors and sinks had the additional curtain you could draw to not disturb fellow guests. I did NOT like the choice of white coverlets on the beds. While I'm sure that's easier for cleaning, I found it offputting because they always looked unmade to me. They also made me self-conscious about staining it, and it kept reminding me of hospital beds.
My main bag had not arrived yet from DME, so I quickly unpacked my carryon bags, freshened up, then headed out to wander around and familiarize myself with the rest of the resort. I was gratified to find that the resort lived up to my expectations for delivering a well-shaded, relaxed, quiet, and intimate feel that would act as an oasis from the parks. The day I took these pics it was overcast so they don't do the beauty of the place justice. It was lovely and I'd absolutely stay there again (best ratio of convenience to value in all of Disney, from what I saw on my trip). Of all the Moderate and Luxury resorts, this one had probably the least elaborate or themed pools, so I didn't think to take pictures--sorry.
I then walked over to the boat dock with the intention of enjoying the leisurely ride over to Disney Springs (while it's within the WDW grounds and features some of the same perks, like using the MagicBands to charge to your room, same level of customer service, and and open and family-friendly environment, it is a functioning public mall with all sorts of non-Disney shops and restaurants, etc.). However, it was raining on and off and so the boats weren't running. I then headed over to the one and only bus stop at our resort (all the other much larger resorts have multiple stops) to catch a bus to DS. I'll say that in my entire stay, this was the only time I had to stand because all the seats were taken.
It took about 20 minutes to reach DS from PO:FQ (lots of stoplights and traffic). My first impression was that it was a very confusing maze with no logical layout, made even more confusing by the fact that it was dusk when I arrived. I was trying to hold an umbrella with one hand, a confusing map with just numbers (all the accompanying names were inside the crease on the other side) all while navigating through the heavy Saturday night/Labor Day crowd. While I had done a little studying of the map while at home, I'd done it from the orientation point of the boat dock--but the bus stop threw me off because I wasn't sure where I was in relation to things and it took me a while to get a clue where I was or where I was heading. It's also confusing because most all of the stores have multiple wide-open entrances without doors, so it's easy to forget which side you entered from or what direction you're heading when you leave.
All I knew was that that my blood-sugar levels had to be rock-bottom by that point because I hadn't eaten anything since the peanuts on my first leg of the flight in, and a PB&J sandwich for breakfast. I had one destination in mind by that point--I wanted to find Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar! I'd read about it, friends told me it was great, and I'm a huge Indiana Jones fan, so it was a MUST DO stop. It felt like forever by the time I finally found it. I shook off my umbrella and stepped up to the door. The group of cast members at the door greeted me with big Happy Birthdays because of my button. I told them I was just relieved to have finally found the place. One of them told me to follow her and she led me into the back and proceeded to introduce me to every single bartender in the place because she wanted them to know it was my special day and she wanted me to know each by name!
My impressions of Jock Lindsey's Hanger Bar? I LOVED it. The decor was rich with details and in-jokes and an exotic collection of 1940s-era memorabilia that you would expect to find in an Indy movie, etc. The cast members were a hoot--friendly and funny and clearly enjoying themselves while still being super helpful and efficient.
I tried a couple of crazy drinks including Reggie's Revenge, the toxic green brew in the bubbling decanter (Florida Cane 'Orlando Orange' Vodka, Midori Melon Liqueur, White Cranberry Juice, and fresh Lime Juice). I also tried the Mac's Pork Belly Sliders (crisped Pork Belly Slider with Braised Red Cabbage, Swiss, and House-made Russian Dressing served on a Butter-brushed Baguette) which were tasty and just what I needed.
While sitting at the bar (the place was packed) I struck up numerous conversations with fellow customers as they came and went, as well as the two bartenders serving me. At one point I asked if someone could take my picture, and as she did so, the bartender photobombed me and handed me a pair of pewter "Wings"--my first magical moment!
The next drink I ordered had to be the one in the monkey head because reasons. It was okay but I'll admit I liked Reggie's Revenge more.
At one point another cast member entered the bar and suddenly the other cast members and a number of the customers started cheering, as if he was some minor celebrity. I was a little nonplussed as I watched my bartender walk over to him, say something and then point at me! He came over and introduced himself (sadly I can't recall his name and I can't read his nametag in the pic). He was wonderful, enthusiastic, and said he wanted to make my birthday vacation very special.
He asked me if I knew what gris-gris is. I said that I'd heard the term before and thought it had something to do with Voodoo. He explained that yet, it came from that origin and how there were different types and how he was going to help me create my own piece of gris-gris for good luck. He handed me a penny and asked me to mark my initials on one side and to draw some sort of symbol on the other side. I drew the Mickey ears. Then he had me hold the penny in my palm and close my hand tight, then start to imagine it getting softer, like something was melting. After a minute, he had me open my hand and the penny had bent!
Later I was talking with a young couple that settled next to me, and we had a long and entertaining conversation, and they bought me a drink! I didn't want to abuse their generosity by ordering one of the expensive novelty drinks, so I just got a Hanger Lime vodka with soda.
After probably a good two hours, I figured I should finally leave and wander a bit before heading back to the resort. It had stopped raining by then, so I explored several of the Disney-related shops looking for cool souvenirs and shirts I might want later. I found a couple of things, and just enjoyed walking around and soaking in the night life while feeling perfectly safe.
There was a live concert on one dock, and next to the Dockside Margarita stand there was a single guitarist playing Santana-style music. He was fantastic so I decided to have one last drink for the night, ordering the Sunset Margarita (Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Cointreau, fresh Lime Juice, Sweet-and-Sour and Orange Juice), which was fantastic and became in my instant go-to whenever I wanted a drink for the boat trip home.
After a couple of false starts, I finally figured out how to reach the boatlanding that would take me back to my resort (it's out of the way and a bit of a walk from the shops). The view along that boatride at night was lovely, calm, quiet, and relaxing. There's no question, if I have a choice between a bus or a boat, I'm going with the boat!
It took about 20 minutes to reach my resort, and my luggage was waiting for me in my room when I got there. I finished unpacking, organizing my room, and basically making myself at home.
My first overall impressions after that first evening? Excellent service everywhere I went, cast members from all strokes and levels wishing me a happy birthday (and even a lot of fellow guests), a clean and safe environment, and just lovely landscaping and decorating everywhere. I didn't have a single moments' doubt that I'd made the right decision in coming to Disney World for my first destination vacation in over 15 years. I was looking forward to my first full day at Disney!