wdw1972
05-27-2008, 12:57 PM
DAY 4 – Monday 5/26/08
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
Plan: AK or MK, Pool, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: Once again I woke up really early, then fell back asleep and this time woke up with the alarm at 7. I showered, dressed, finished & posted the report, and had an English muffin & cappuccino for breakfast again. SB had wanted me to wake him up at 8:15, so I called him then, and after we chatted briefly I gathered what I needed for the day and headed to the bus stop. Today is my “trash & towel” day, so I pulled the privacy sign off the door so the housekeeper would know she can come in.
The housekeeper was outside my door when I left, so I’m assuming she had my studio finished before I even reached the bus stop. This time the Magic Kingdom bus arrived just after I got there, which was a pleasant surprise considering last night. We got to MK by 8:45, and arrived before the ferry & monorail so I pretty much breezed through the bag check & the turnstiles without anyone in front of me at either. I stood in the shade waiting for the opening show to finish, then walked down Main Street with everyone else.
I started with Space Mountain but since I was so near the front of the crowd I just rode it without getting a fastpass. I was back outside, finished with the ride, by 9:15. My next stop was Peter Pan’s Flight, which I did with no wait on my way over to Frontierland. Big Thunder had a 10-minute wait posted but I don’t think it took that long. I waited for the next train so I could be in the last car, and it was a nice ride. Afterwards I walked back to Fantasyland, coming in along the path next to the castle. I had about a 2 minute wait to ride the Pooh attraction, and then I headed back to do Haunted Mansion. I realize I zig-zagged across the park, but when I’m solo I can do that without anyone bitching <g>. Plus, I knew exactly which attractions I wanted to ride, and didn’t mind walking extra in between them.
By now I was just about done, so I went back to Tomorrowland one more time to end the morning by riding Tomorrowland Transit Authority. The park was looking much busier now, but the waits at Buzz Lightyear and Space Mountain were still listed as 10 minutes. It was 10:30 or so when I got off the TTA, so I worked my way back down Main Street and exited the park. There were many possible ways I could have gotten to Downtown Disney from here, but I decided to take a bus to OKW and ride the boat from there – realizing it would probably take a while.
As I got to the OKW bus stop a bus pulled up, but he was only dropping people off. He suggested I let the person with the radio know I was here so a bus could be called. That cm came over, and she explained that in the morning the buses drop off but don’t pick up, which seems rather stupid to me. Why send a bus back empty to get more people, especially when there are people who want to get to a resort early?? She said she’d have a bus for me in about 10 minutes, and that was pretty accurate. I was the only passenger, and spent the time chatting with the driver, who was also a dvc member.
At OKW I got off at the Peninsular bus stop, and walked over to the Hospitality House area. The bus to Downtown Disney left 10 minutes ago, and wouldn’t be back for another 20. I thought about just taking a bus, but instead I sat on the steps at the dock and read some of the Reader’s Digest I had in my bag. Surprisingly, the boat pretty much filled up when it arrived, and at the Saratoga Springs stop he had to leave people at the dock because there was no more room. Now why those people don’t just WALK over is beyond me – none of them looked like they had mobility problems. From the boat dock it’s an easy walk to the West Side, and a longer walk to the Marketplace. Trust me, the boat ride is nothing special, since they switched us over to those tacky bigger boats like at Port Orleans.
I got off at the Marketplace and looked in the Christmas store. A co-worker is getting married soon, but they didn’t really have anything nice for bride & groom. By now it was close to noon, so I went to Wolfgang Puck’s Express and just beat the line! I was hungry, so I ordered the tortilla soup and the side Caesar I’d enjoyed last time. To go with it I had a glass of the 14 Hands Riesling that I loved last time. Now I have the name of it, as I looked for it in Publix by looking for a familiar label but didn’t see it. I can look in Total Wine at home now that I know what it is. The food was excellent, and I was able to eat just about all of it. The soup comes in a bowl that looks big, but it’s only about ½ inch deep. I guess that’s why it’s only $3.95 <g>.
While I was eating my lunch, a large family took the 2 tables on either side of me. They had 4 little kids at one table, and older people at the other – all jabbering in Spanish back & forth. I asked the dad if he’d like my table, and I’d take his – so they could all be together. He agreed, and thanked me, but truthfully – I did it as much for myself as for them <g>.
When I finished lunch I browsed through some of the shops, again looking for wedding gift idea but coming up with nothing. She’s not a Disney person, but maybe I’ll get a basket of stuff from Basin tomorrow. I decided to head back to the resort, since SB’s game had started. At the bus stop the day started going bad. The wait was ridiculous! I was seeing the 2nd bus for some resorts, and still nothing for Boardwalk. Many buses were dropping off only, but not picking up anyone. Some trashy woman drove in with an ugly PT cruiser and drove into the buses-only area. She parked in a spot for Disney vehicles only, because after all the rules don’t apply to her. She had a little boy with her, and they’d walk (holding hands) around right where the buses drive in. Finally the tattooed smoking woman she was waiting for arrived from the Marketplace, and they all went to the car. But – first they stopped to let the little boy urinate in the bushes (in public). And then they got into their ugly rental car and drove away. The hordes of people at the bus stop were just in shock, lol – you could hear the hushed comments being made.
Finally a bus came and went to the next bus stop, but flashed the names of our resorts so we all ran over there and stormed the bus – almost filling it. By now it had been at least 45 minutes of waiting, which is totally unacceptable. I need to remember this and last night when I get my comment survey after the trip. We stopped at Pleasure Island, where of course we had a bus driver change and the new guy must have had to fill out 17 pages of reports or something because we sat there a long long time. Next stop was Typhoon Lagoon where 4 people got off and several more crammed on. After that it went to the Swan, and I bolted off the bus there to avoid being on it for another 30 minutes as it went to the Dolphin, then Yacht Club, then Beach Club, and finally Boardwalk. It would have been almost 2 hours to get back to my resort if I’d stayed on, and previously I thought people who said they had a 2-hour bus experience were grossly exaggerating. Now I see they probably were being honest. Needless to say, I’m done with the friggin’ buses and I will be letting Disney know I feel about their transportation for people staying at their deluxe resorts!
It was a nice walk back to the Boardwalk, and soon I was up in my studio. I tuned into SB’s game about halfway through, and soon their pitcher just lost it and the other team massacred them (scoring 10 runs in a single inning). It was absolutely disgusting, and did little for my mood.
I updated the report, then uploaded some photos while watching General Hospital and trying to ignore the game. General Hospital ended up being a repeat of an episode from over a year ago, which made no sense. It was the start of a big story that ran for weeks, so why play it again? SB’s hitter made a valiant comeback, but the team still lost by a couple of runs. When it ended sometime after 4 I headed out of the studio unsure exactly what I was going to do.
It was pretty nice out, so I thought about just wandering around the Epcot resorts area, but decided to just go ahead into Epcot again. The weather today was nicer (bit cooler) than normal, and I wanted to enjoy it! I started in France and sprayed a little Insolence on my wrists in the Guerlain shop, then browsed through the shop where the movie lets out. They have some cute shirts, but I have more than I can possibly wear already. I don’t outgrow my clothes, I wear them out – but it takes decades.
I continued walking, and stopped to look in the big store in Japan, then went to the counter service place for a cup of ice. Next I went to Germany and got a glass of wine, and noticed that German wine tastes the same whether the ice is German or Japanese <g>. I took the wine and ice back to the USA and found a seat for the 5:45 Cowsill’s concert with about 15 minutes to wait. The concert was similar to yesterday, but today they ran over by almost 10 minutes. As one brother said to the other – it’s just the 8:15 show they have to stick to the time, due to the fireworks. Evie – they did Hair again. It was a very nice concert, and when it ended I left Epcot and walked back to the Boardwalk.
to be continued..
Who: Sue (49), DVC member
Plan: AK or MK, Pool, Comedy Warehouse
Actual: Once again I woke up really early, then fell back asleep and this time woke up with the alarm at 7. I showered, dressed, finished & posted the report, and had an English muffin & cappuccino for breakfast again. SB had wanted me to wake him up at 8:15, so I called him then, and after we chatted briefly I gathered what I needed for the day and headed to the bus stop. Today is my “trash & towel” day, so I pulled the privacy sign off the door so the housekeeper would know she can come in.
The housekeeper was outside my door when I left, so I’m assuming she had my studio finished before I even reached the bus stop. This time the Magic Kingdom bus arrived just after I got there, which was a pleasant surprise considering last night. We got to MK by 8:45, and arrived before the ferry & monorail so I pretty much breezed through the bag check & the turnstiles without anyone in front of me at either. I stood in the shade waiting for the opening show to finish, then walked down Main Street with everyone else.
I started with Space Mountain but since I was so near the front of the crowd I just rode it without getting a fastpass. I was back outside, finished with the ride, by 9:15. My next stop was Peter Pan’s Flight, which I did with no wait on my way over to Frontierland. Big Thunder had a 10-minute wait posted but I don’t think it took that long. I waited for the next train so I could be in the last car, and it was a nice ride. Afterwards I walked back to Fantasyland, coming in along the path next to the castle. I had about a 2 minute wait to ride the Pooh attraction, and then I headed back to do Haunted Mansion. I realize I zig-zagged across the park, but when I’m solo I can do that without anyone bitching <g>. Plus, I knew exactly which attractions I wanted to ride, and didn’t mind walking extra in between them.
By now I was just about done, so I went back to Tomorrowland one more time to end the morning by riding Tomorrowland Transit Authority. The park was looking much busier now, but the waits at Buzz Lightyear and Space Mountain were still listed as 10 minutes. It was 10:30 or so when I got off the TTA, so I worked my way back down Main Street and exited the park. There were many possible ways I could have gotten to Downtown Disney from here, but I decided to take a bus to OKW and ride the boat from there – realizing it would probably take a while.
As I got to the OKW bus stop a bus pulled up, but he was only dropping people off. He suggested I let the person with the radio know I was here so a bus could be called. That cm came over, and she explained that in the morning the buses drop off but don’t pick up, which seems rather stupid to me. Why send a bus back empty to get more people, especially when there are people who want to get to a resort early?? She said she’d have a bus for me in about 10 minutes, and that was pretty accurate. I was the only passenger, and spent the time chatting with the driver, who was also a dvc member.
At OKW I got off at the Peninsular bus stop, and walked over to the Hospitality House area. The bus to Downtown Disney left 10 minutes ago, and wouldn’t be back for another 20. I thought about just taking a bus, but instead I sat on the steps at the dock and read some of the Reader’s Digest I had in my bag. Surprisingly, the boat pretty much filled up when it arrived, and at the Saratoga Springs stop he had to leave people at the dock because there was no more room. Now why those people don’t just WALK over is beyond me – none of them looked like they had mobility problems. From the boat dock it’s an easy walk to the West Side, and a longer walk to the Marketplace. Trust me, the boat ride is nothing special, since they switched us over to those tacky bigger boats like at Port Orleans.
I got off at the Marketplace and looked in the Christmas store. A co-worker is getting married soon, but they didn’t really have anything nice for bride & groom. By now it was close to noon, so I went to Wolfgang Puck’s Express and just beat the line! I was hungry, so I ordered the tortilla soup and the side Caesar I’d enjoyed last time. To go with it I had a glass of the 14 Hands Riesling that I loved last time. Now I have the name of it, as I looked for it in Publix by looking for a familiar label but didn’t see it. I can look in Total Wine at home now that I know what it is. The food was excellent, and I was able to eat just about all of it. The soup comes in a bowl that looks big, but it’s only about ½ inch deep. I guess that’s why it’s only $3.95 <g>.
While I was eating my lunch, a large family took the 2 tables on either side of me. They had 4 little kids at one table, and older people at the other – all jabbering in Spanish back & forth. I asked the dad if he’d like my table, and I’d take his – so they could all be together. He agreed, and thanked me, but truthfully – I did it as much for myself as for them <g>.
When I finished lunch I browsed through some of the shops, again looking for wedding gift idea but coming up with nothing. She’s not a Disney person, but maybe I’ll get a basket of stuff from Basin tomorrow. I decided to head back to the resort, since SB’s game had started. At the bus stop the day started going bad. The wait was ridiculous! I was seeing the 2nd bus for some resorts, and still nothing for Boardwalk. Many buses were dropping off only, but not picking up anyone. Some trashy woman drove in with an ugly PT cruiser and drove into the buses-only area. She parked in a spot for Disney vehicles only, because after all the rules don’t apply to her. She had a little boy with her, and they’d walk (holding hands) around right where the buses drive in. Finally the tattooed smoking woman she was waiting for arrived from the Marketplace, and they all went to the car. But – first they stopped to let the little boy urinate in the bushes (in public). And then they got into their ugly rental car and drove away. The hordes of people at the bus stop were just in shock, lol – you could hear the hushed comments being made.
Finally a bus came and went to the next bus stop, but flashed the names of our resorts so we all ran over there and stormed the bus – almost filling it. By now it had been at least 45 minutes of waiting, which is totally unacceptable. I need to remember this and last night when I get my comment survey after the trip. We stopped at Pleasure Island, where of course we had a bus driver change and the new guy must have had to fill out 17 pages of reports or something because we sat there a long long time. Next stop was Typhoon Lagoon where 4 people got off and several more crammed on. After that it went to the Swan, and I bolted off the bus there to avoid being on it for another 30 minutes as it went to the Dolphin, then Yacht Club, then Beach Club, and finally Boardwalk. It would have been almost 2 hours to get back to my resort if I’d stayed on, and previously I thought people who said they had a 2-hour bus experience were grossly exaggerating. Now I see they probably were being honest. Needless to say, I’m done with the friggin’ buses and I will be letting Disney know I feel about their transportation for people staying at their deluxe resorts!
It was a nice walk back to the Boardwalk, and soon I was up in my studio. I tuned into SB’s game about halfway through, and soon their pitcher just lost it and the other team massacred them (scoring 10 runs in a single inning). It was absolutely disgusting, and did little for my mood.
I updated the report, then uploaded some photos while watching General Hospital and trying to ignore the game. General Hospital ended up being a repeat of an episode from over a year ago, which made no sense. It was the start of a big story that ran for weeks, so why play it again? SB’s hitter made a valiant comeback, but the team still lost by a couple of runs. When it ended sometime after 4 I headed out of the studio unsure exactly what I was going to do.
It was pretty nice out, so I thought about just wandering around the Epcot resorts area, but decided to just go ahead into Epcot again. The weather today was nicer (bit cooler) than normal, and I wanted to enjoy it! I started in France and sprayed a little Insolence on my wrists in the Guerlain shop, then browsed through the shop where the movie lets out. They have some cute shirts, but I have more than I can possibly wear already. I don’t outgrow my clothes, I wear them out – but it takes decades.
I continued walking, and stopped to look in the big store in Japan, then went to the counter service place for a cup of ice. Next I went to Germany and got a glass of wine, and noticed that German wine tastes the same whether the ice is German or Japanese <g>. I took the wine and ice back to the USA and found a seat for the 5:45 Cowsill’s concert with about 15 minutes to wait. The concert was similar to yesterday, but today they ran over by almost 10 minutes. As one brother said to the other – it’s just the 8:15 show they have to stick to the time, due to the fireworks. Evie – they did Hair again. It was a very nice concert, and when it ended I left Epcot and walked back to the Boardwalk.
to be continued..