Saturday, In the Park - I Think it was the Fourth of July Wrapping it Up 6/26

[PrincessV]

Great update V! Multiple "new" resorts with minimal call backs. I'm impressed. Can't wait to hear all about it!

Thanks! I'm excited... yet cautious. I have some iffy resort luck.

Sounds lovely... Wish I could see all you gorgeous ladies again, too -

Me too, CE, me too!

But the price is right ( hey where have I heard that saying before )Mine is FREE! Yup as in NADDA!!! I know we get hoppers and the DDP too!!

And there is NOTHING Fuzzy about that!

OMG - that photo montage has me all verklempt!

Tell me about it! I was all sorts of verklempt putting it together.

I wanna go back NOWWWWW!!!!

2 weeks!!!

You know what? After staying at BC in January, Andy could have easily been manipulat....errrr coaxed into BCV. Oh well, there's always next time!

You still have three weeks to change.

True!

Oh no...I've begun to make friends on here. I'm meeting some DISers, um, tomorrow as a matter of fact. Am I in jeopardy?...

Your life may never be the same! Hope you're having a terrific time!

For a second there I thought we were singing to theme song of "The Facts of Life".

Who are you and what have you done with V?

Me too. I am thinking we need to plan a Fockerfest 2...2013 anyone

I'm in! Then again, I'm always in.

Two new resorts in the same trip--awesome!

I'm hoping for awesome... but I'll settle for drama-free, lol!

I used to be afraid of doing that, because I thought it would be a hassle to move. But it sounds pretty smooth, and for a long(er) trip I'd be willing to do it.

My thoughts exactly. I don't really like moving, but if I can get at least 3 nights in one place it's not so bad.

Awwww...so fun looking back at those old pictures!!

It was so fun finding them!

We're all looking forward to our annual group trip and it can't come soon enough!! Heck - I enjoy these big trips more than our little trips of just the 3 of us! Shhhh....don't say anything!!

I won't tell!

First it was the annual "What the fruit is this??" pictures...

This could be the year of the iZombie photos...

I still have iPhone envy though...just sayin'...

You can get last year's model for $99 come July 24, when the new one comes out. $55/month for the lowest plans. Just sayin.'

 

[Sooze]

YACHT CLUB?!?!


......





I will be sitting at the edge of my comfy computer seat waiting to hear all about these two resorts! I've never stayed at either.... either...

Glad you got to test out the Bonnet Creek resort before putting it on your Big Trip agenda! Looks like you made a great call on that one!

Have a great day, V!

 

[DisneyJo]

I'm so jealous about you staying at the YC, Leo will love the pool there and the animals at AKV. Lucky boy

Oh and another trip without me

 

[PrincessV]

YACHT CLUB?!?!

I've been in love with the YC lobby for as long as I can remember; I'm excited to see what the rest is like, lol!

Glad you got to test out the Bonnet Creek resort before putting it on your Big Trip agenda! Looks like you made a great call on that one!

Let's hope! My luck's been a little too good lately, y'know?

I'm so jealous about you staying at the YC, Leo will love the pool there and the animals at AKV. Lucky boy

That he is; I hope he knows it! He's been to SAB once, but it was Oct. and chillier and he didn't get much time in it. He's downright STOKED to go back!

Oh and another trip without me

We really must remedy that situation soon Jo.

 

[jcc0621]

Me too, CE, me too!
I'm in! Then again, I'm always in.

Oh and another trip without me

August, 2013 - lets start planning now

 

[jordanyosh]

okay..I'm here...thanks for the links..I'll be catching up over the next few days...

 

[PrincessV]

August, 2013 - lets start planning now

LOL! It's a little early for me, but you go ahead!

okay..I'm here...thanks for the links..I'll be catching up over the next few days...

Hi Jordan! Thanks for joining in. I'm woefully behind on your TR, so don't rush on my account!

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

I need to do some more introductions, don’t I?!

The Big Trip? Saturday, Not in a Park? Sort of on the 4th of July? It’s a group trip. The same-ish group trip we’ve managed the previous three years. See, a few of us DISers took a gamble, rolled the dice, played the ponies, spun the wheel and met one another – in person! – years ago. Our lives have never been the same. In every wonderful way possible.

That very first meeting led to more meetings, which led to planned trips together, which led to planned activities together, which led to non-Disney gatherings together, which led to more Disney trips together… you get the idea.

These folks are in my life for good.

Awwww....



Two weeks!!!!!!!!!

 

[jordanyosh]

No worries V. Catch up when you get a chance.

 

[englishrose47]

Hi V!!!!

 

[jordanyosh]

I love your resort choices. I just stayed at AKV in Feb. I thought the remote location would bother me, but it really wasn't that much of a factor.

I stayed at YC in 2001...great resort, great location. Can't go wrong with an Epcot resort.

 

[ArielSRL]

Joining in (a little late) for this one. V, you probably don't remember me but I used to read all your TRs. However, I took a DIS break for about 9 months (before about 2 weeks ago, I hadn't been on since 8/26/2009) so I'm way behind. I am currently finishing "Like a Bad Meal" b/c I was in the midst of it when I took my hiatus. Plan to read "There's an App for That" next, then this one. I'm a teacher, so it shouldn't be too hard, as I don't have to be back at work until August 4th...but it might be awhile b/c I have a little thing called a wedding and a honeymoon to take care of first...

Anyway, just re-read Trip #1 of "Like a Bad Meal" but had to stop to get ready for our combines bachelor/bachelorette event that is going down in a few hours. I'm glad to be back and reading.

BTW, I love the Dawgs and pretty much hate the Gators...which might stir your memory of me...but might not.

 

[PrincessV]

Two weeks!!!!!!!!!

One-ish now!!!

No worries V. Catch up when you get a chance.

Hi V!!!!

Hi Rosie!

I love your resort choices. I just stayed at AKV in Feb. I thought the remote location would bother me, but it really wasn't that much of a factor.

I stayed at YC in 2001...great resort, great location. Can't go wrong with an Epcot resort.

Yay! I tend to really enjoy the more remote resorts; I need to get away from the chaos a lot.

Joining in (a little late) for this one. V, you probably don't remember me but I used to read all your TRs. However, I took a DIS break for about 9 months (before about 2 weeks ago, I hadn't been on since 8/26/2009) so I'm way behind. I am currently finishing "Like a Bad Meal" b/c I was in the midst of it when I took my hiatus. Plan to read "There's an App for That" next, then this one. I'm a teacher, so it shouldn't be too hard, as I don't have to be back at work until August 4th...but it might be awhile b/c I have a little thing called a wedding and a honeymoon to take care of first...

Of course I remember you Renee - Go Gators! Heh heh. I'm so glad you're back. Congrats on the upcoming nuptials and honeymoon!
I'll apologize in advance; the pictures are still missing from the last TR I think. I've been trying to fix the links, but keep running out of time.

 

[PrincessV]

I promise not to spend too much time harping on this. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t at least mention the food situation at WDW.

It plagues me. Like… well, a plague.

Way back, when I was but a young girl, the food choices at The World were to be tolerated if you absolutely had to eat within Mickey’s kingdom, and avoided if you had any means of getting out. I remember meals at Howard Johnson, a fancy steak place, a Chinese buffet and even McDonald’s. I remember not a single meal on Disney property before age 20.

As a young adult in college, I found pretty much the same thing. But, as young adults of college age, driving out of The World for lunch was less desirable than choking down “Disney food.” Young adults of college age not always being the most ambitious of folks.

Then, along came the 90s. And, under the Eisner regime, WDW suddenly began offering culinary adventures that made the taste buds tingle. Conveniently, I happened to have managed a career by that time and was able to afford more than college-aged V would have. I remember wonderful, evening-long meals at the California Grill. The then-new fusion flavors of Flying Fish. A rib-sticking, fire-breathing gumbo at Bonfamille’s. I remember a time when we could safely try almost any new restaurant on Disney property, secure in the knowledge that we’d find something with which to be wowed. (Almost any restaurant… the Maya Grill was bad from day one.)



Alas, those days were not to last.

Each year for the past few years, I’ve watched food quality and service decline. I’ve watched menus grow ever smaller and more homogenous. All while prices have escalated.



Where has all the yummy gone???




Listen, I’m not opposed to rising prices. I live in tourism-city, so I’m used to that. But I darned well want a decent meal and good service if I’m paying more.

So, while planning this trip I decided to do more off-site eating and speak with my wallet.
Take THAT Mickey!


Ahem.



Guess who has a whole bunch of WDW restaurant reservations now?!


Yeah, well in my defense, I really tried to come up with ways to eat elsewhere. I found a Carrabba’s near WDW, and a Panera, too. I located what’s supposed to be a great Mexican place and learned that nearby Celebration has its very own Columbia restaurant (we looove the Columbia here in the Tampa Bay area!)

But we’d really only bother going to those for dinners. And in the torrid heat of summer, we want to hit some parks in the evenings. Know what starts a lovely park evening off right?

Dinner.



Sigh.

And so it is that I have zero plans to go off-site for dinner, and many plans for on-site meals. The upside is that some of those meals are in places new to us, so I hold out hope. Could the yummy be hiding at Restaurant Marrakesh or Sanaa? We’ve found it before at Tutto Italia, Jiko and Narcoossee’s… might it be there again? In all honesty, I’ll be happy to exit ‘Ohana and Yak & Yeti minus food poisoning. But, you never know; they could surprise us. In a good way, I mean.


So much for talking with my wallet.

Apparently, the only message it’s sending is “Your food sucks Mickey, and I’m still willing to fork over a mortgage payment to get it.” D’oh!

Next: some random trip prep stories aaaaand... we're off!

 

[ArielSRL]

Of course I remember you Renee - Go Gators! Heh heh. I'm so glad you're back. Congrats on the upcoming nuptials and honeymoon!
I'll apologize in advance; the pictures are still missing from the last TR I think. I've been trying to fix the links, but keep running out of time.

Thanks so much for the good wishes! No big deal on the photos. For one, I had read most of it the last time (just refreshing my memory now) so, in that case, I saw most of the photos then. Also, I'm just trying to shoot through it to get to the more recent and current TRs, so don't go to any trouble for me.

Gonna go read a few posts before DF gets home from work...have a great night!

 

[__disneygirl]

I agree and disagree about the food... agree because, well, you're right! But disagree because there are still plenty of places, in my opinion, that knock it out of the park. The menus and portions have definitely decreased in quality and size, but overall I'd say 8 times out of 10 i'm super happy with our dining experience. Now, for the money they charge, it should be 10 out of 10 but I can deal with it.

We ate at 1900 Park Fare in 2006 (dinner) and thought it was beyond incredible, so we returned this April. Well... ugh. It might as well have been a whole different restaurant. It was really disappointing and we will not be back for dinner.

As for 'Ohana, I always heard it was amazing... then for awhile I heard it was awful, and recently I am hearing that it is amazing again because they have a new chef. I can't wait to try it on our trip in Oct. And Yak & Yeti I thought was average. Not fantastic. We'd go again but there are just so many other places we want to try.

 

[PrincessV]

We ate at 1900 Park Fare in 2006 (dinner) and thought it was beyond incredible, so we returned this April. Well... ugh. It might as well have been a whole different restaurant. It was really disappointing and we will not be back for dinner.

OMG, this! ^^^ I swear, going back to a place at which we've had a delicious meal is the kiss of death. Boma, Plaza, 'Ohana, Chef Mickey's... all lost my future business thanks to a lousy meal following a terrific meal. Consistency is key, Mickey!

As for 'Ohana, I always heard it was amazing... then for awhile I heard it was awful, and recently I am hearing that it is amazing again because they have a new chef. I can't wait to try it on our trip in Oct. And Yak & Yeti I thought was average. Not fantastic. We'd go again but there are just so many other places we want to try.

I can vouch for 'Ohana; we'd had a great meal and then an okay meal, followed by a not-at-all-great meal. We're only going back because of location and group consensus. Good to hear about Y&Y - I'm a little scared of that one!

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Wow, where is everyone? Was my last update that lame?!

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

OMG, I can vouch for 'Ohana; we'd had a great meal and then an okay meal, followed by a not-at-all-great meal. We're only going back because of location and group consensus. Good to hear about Y&Y - I'm a little scared of that one!

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Wow, where is everyone? Was my last update that lame?!

Never lame, V.

It is kind of funny how all your ressies ended up in the world. I specifically remember talking about where we were eating off site. How does the mouse do it?

As for 'Ohana....they don't know what they've got coming.

 

[PrincessV]

Never lame, V.

Thanks Kate!

It is kind of funny how all your ressies ended up in the world. I specifically remember talking about where we were eating off site. How does the mouse do it?

It's that dinner component, I swear. If I didn't want to be in a park in the evening, I'd be fine. But it's too much work to go off-site to eat and then get to a park afterward.

As for 'Ohana....they don't know what they've got coming.

No... but Tambu does!

 

[sharkB8HooHaHa]

No... but Tambu does!

I saw the pineapples growing in The Land. They have no excuses this year.