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Rob Patterson -- October 2003 -- Walt Disney World (BWRV)Who
Dates: Where: Boardwalk Villas (BWV), first time using our DVC points INTRODUCTION This trip began because I wanted a free sandwich, sort of. I should explain. Our previous trip was February 2003. We rented DVC points from a member (Thank you Bob), and stayed at the BWV. On our next to last day, we decided to stop by the DVC office on the Boardwalk for some information. We had been curious about the Disney Vacation Club for some time, and as I had heard that if you saw the presentation, you got a lunch voucher, it seemed like a good idea all around. Within a week, we had decided to purchase our points. In the long run, especially with our girls being so young, it made sense financially. On a side note, we used the lunch voucher at Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club (BC), and I had a hamburger. So, to paraphrase Wimpy “I will gladly buy a timeshare from you on Tuesday, for a hamburger today”. Planning for this trip began in late May. We found out that my mother-in-law would be snow birding (yes, an acceptable term) in the Sarasota area by mid-October. She graciously offered to keep Emma and Lauren for us, so we could have a quiet ‘adult’ vacation. My thanks again go out to her. Based on an ‘adults only’ vacation, we chose BWV rather than the BC (our home resort), largely because we knew our plans would include Jellyrolls (the dueling piano bar on the Boardwalk) at least 2 of the nights we were there. We chose the last week of October to be in the midst of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival (F&WF). Those dates kept us away from the opening weekend crowds, and leaving before the Veterans Day holiday. We called and were waitlisted for a standard view Studio. Slowly, days were added to fill out the reservation. By late July, we had all of the days together on one reservation, so we were set. The rough plans (which of course were subject to, and often did, change) were to drive down from NC to FL (Sarasota area) on Friday 10/24. Spend a few days with the in-laws, then, leaving the girls there, Tara and I would drive up to WDW on Sunday. We planned fewer meals this trip than ever before, leaving all but one of the lunches open, for walking around Epcot and ‘grazing’ our way through the F&WF. A typical day was planned to looked like: Early morning parks, back to Epcot for lunch, late afternoon nap, then heading out for the night. Friday 10/24 – left the house @ 4:40 a.m. Yes, a crazy hour to say the least, but timing our departure was important. From NC, coming down I-77 to I-26 to I-95 and down to I-4, the traffic problem areas usually are Charlotte, NC, Jacksonville, FL, and of course Orlando, FL. By leaving at such an inhuman hour, we hoped to go through Charlotte before morning rush, Jacksonville before lunch, and Orlando after lunch. The actual drive put is SC at 5:45 a.m., onto I-26 before 7:00 a.m., onto 95 South @ 7:30 a.m., and into GA well before 9:00. We stopped at exit 87 just past 9:00 for food and fuel, and were back on the road by 9:30. (NOTE: We really like this exit, because of the many food and fuel options there.) We hit the FL state line @ 10:40 a.m., got on I-4 at 12:30, and had we been going straight to WDW instead of cutting across to Sarasota, we would have been parked on property by 1:30 at the latest. We enjoyed the next few days relaxing at the beach near Sarasota, and of course won’t bother any readers with the details of that. Aside from being a bit early getting to Orlando (we hit the later part of lunch hour traffic), there were no real delays, except for a slowdown of rubber necks, staring at a wreck on the other side the road on I-95 just past St. Augustine, FL. No construction delays we saw, beyond slight slowdowns in mid GA, @ exit 70. As a side note, leaving that early in the morning also meant the girls slept until we stopped for breakfast. It made for a very peaceful first 4 hours of driving. (I could include more on this, including detailed miles and drive times, but that would be cumbersome for this trip report. If anyone needs more info on the drive, feel free to email me.) NOTE: One thing we did observe is that FL seems to have a lack of drivers in one certain demographic, the ‘5-10 mph over the speed limit’ group. We saw plenty of people zipping by at 20 mph (and more) over the limit, lots of drivers doing the speed limit, and of course, a few of the ‘clueless’ drivers who get in the passing lane going below the speed limit, then wonder why people are honking at them and cutting them off (and those are some of the more polite responses I saw). I would have to call it a strange mix of drivers in some areas of Florida. It seems that many people have a specific sight or go through a certain routine that signifies, to them, “I’m on vacation”. For some, it is when they see the castle. Others, when they drive through the front gates of WDW. For me, it is when I see the sun come up on my left. Sounds crazy, sure, but just after we turned south on 95, the morning sun cleared the trees on our left. That, for me, always signals that we have the car headed south, and are on our way to WDW. My acknowledgement of being on vacation began right then. SUNDAY 10/26/03 Plan: Drive to WDW, check-in, lunch RFC, dinner Shula’s, Jellyrolls On Sunday 10/26, leaving the girls in the capable hands of my mother in law, we headed back up I-75 toward Tampa, then on to I-4 to WDW. Construction on some of the I-4 stretches is crazy. Concrete barriers, orange barrels, sudden lane changes, and lots of traffic. This was the first thrill ride of our adult vacation, and we didn’t even need a FastPass for it. (A lot like Test Track, except you don’t have to wait years for this to open). In fairness, it is a surreal experience, whipping down the highway, traffic flowing at 70 mph, concrete barriers inches away, all the time listening to the smooth Sunday Jazz Brunch out of Tampa. 100+ miles later, we were at exit 67. In less than 10 minutes, we were parked at Downtown Disney (DTD) at 11:15 a.m., for our traditional first meal at Rainforest Café (RFC). This trip we chose to go straight to DTD, rather than drop the bags at BWV first. Our room was not ready last trip until after 1:00 p.m. anyway, so we decided to cut out the extra stop to help avoid any RFC crowds. FLASHBACK – Last trip we got to RFC right at noon, and the wait was already up to 40-50 minutes, on a Sunday. We ended up getting the last 2 seats at the bar, which FYI is first come first served, no PS needed. I think I sat on a zebra (if you have eaten at the bar before, you know what I mean). FLASHBACK OFF. There was a 15 minute wait this time, as they only had the elephant room side open until 11:30. Even the trusty Safari Club (SC) card had no magical powers, so we browsed the shop for 15 minutes before they called our party. We were seated in the gorilla room, right next to a really neat wavy glass fish tank, which about gave me a headache if I looked at the fish for too long at a time. Ray was our server. He was very good, knew the menu, and was familiar with the Safari Club card, and our gift certificate we were using (for joining SC). We had a quick lunch, in and out in 40 some minutes. I had the awesome appetizer entrée, Tara had the maya mixed grill, and we both had a drink. After 10% SC discount, the total was $44 plus tip. Drove from DTD to BWV, 3 miles. Dropped bags at the front entrance, then self-parked. The lot was almost full, like I have never seen. Baggage drop was 90% full also. I asked the bellhop who helped unload the car, and he said Sundays were the worst for checking in and out at the BW. Waited maybe 5 minutes in line to get up to the front desk, and we had the nicest CM I have ever met checking us in. Lincoln was great. He answered all of our questions, most before we could ask them. He was pleasant and friendly, and we even got our first official Welcome Home (though we were not at the BC). When he pulled up our room on the computer, he stopped for a second, and said that there was a plumbing problem with our room, so they had to move us, so when we get to the room, don’t worry it is indeed the right room, at no additional points. Neither of us thought much of it, figuring we had been upgraded to a BW view, which was fine. I mean, we had ‘paid’ for the ‘cheapest’ points room at BWV, so any room was fine. We had never gotten a complimentary upgrade anyway, even on our honeymoon, so we don’t even ask. Our room was at the end of the hall towards MGM, room 4135. After walking the 260 steps (I counted later that week) to trek back there, we opened the door to find we had been upgraded to a 1-bedroom villa. I had forgotten how big this type of room was, not seeing it since the DVC presentation model. The balcony overlooked the tennis courts directly, and the waterway to MGM off to the right, with Tower of Terror (ToT) in the distance. This was our first magical experience at WDW, and we hadn’t asked for it or mentioned any special occasion, which probably made it even more magical still. Tara called bell services for the bags, while I went back out and got a few odd things out of the car (pens, notepad, etc.) The bags came, we unpacked, and caught a quick nap before our 6:30 PS at Shula’s. (The total time from the check in line to the room was less than 20 minutes.) We called to check on the girls, and then headed over to the Swan/Dolphin (S/D). We were right on time, as I stopped for a minute to try to sneak a peak into the new BlueZoo restaurant that is under construction on the ground floor. Having no luck at that, we went on to Shula’s, and were seated with no wait, the table beside where we sat the last trip. At least this time, we had the extra room, as it was a table for 4, instead of the small table for 2 along the wall that we had before. If you haven’t eaten at Shula’s before, they serve in teams of 2. It appears to be an excellent system. Our what I would call primary (or lead) server was Danny. He was great. Maybe the best server we have had anywhere at WDW. He explained the menu, did the spiel with the cuts of beef, covered the specials, and got our drink orders, everything to perfection. I can’t say enough about the level of service he gave us the times when he was at our table. On the other hand, the secondary server, who I will not mention by name here as it brings me great pain, was horrible. We knew we were in trouble as he came over to take our order, when Danny walked by (going to another table) with the beef cart, he said to ‘tell them about the soufflé, I didn’t mention it’. We already knew about the chocolate soufflé for two, and no, Danny hadn’t mentioned it, but we thought maybe he would when they took the entrée order. This other server ******* then turned to us and grumbled, “So do you want the soufflé?” Expressionless face, no description of the item, no explanation about the longer cooking time needed, nothing, just a terse “So do you want the soufflé?” After this exchange, and his general lack of enthusiasm when dealing with us, we dreaded seeing this guy, and unfortunately, he was serving our table most of the night. For more examples: he ‘snatched up’ and took away my almost empty bloody mary without asking if I wanted another, while I was sitting right there. Our drinks (soda) were completely empty (twice) before they were refilled, and at one point he psuedo-chastised me for getting butter from the bread plate on another plate, that he had to take away. When he did attempt to communicate with us, he was looking around the room while we responded. You really had to witness this service to understand how poor it was, as words cannot describe the general disdain with which we were served. (This was the worst server we have had at WDW since the ESPN club in 1997, when the waiter ‘threw’ our food on the table to the point of bouncing the plates, as he ran by to get to another table). I would categorize this Shula’s server’s attitude towards us as either he was having a really bad day and took it out on us, or he was trying to rush us out of there so he could seat a bigger party and earn more tips. It really was that bad, maybe beyond bad, and totally unacceptable in a restaurant as upscale, and costly, as Shula’s. As always the beef was superb. We had the oysters Rockefeller and Stone Crab claws for starters this time, also excellent. Again I must note, Danny’s service remained flawless when he was at our table, but we had much more contact this evening with *******. We ordered the chocolate soufflé dessert, which was to die for. However, when the bill for $140 came, ******* service was so poor, and his attitude even worse, that for the first time at Shula’s, we did not leave a 20%+ tip. I wish there was some way to have tipped only Danny, but there was not. As we were leaving, Tara looked for comment cards to fill out about how bad this one server was, and how it did partially ruin an otherwise perfect meal. After strolling over to the room to drop off the leftovers (and yes, with a 32 oz prime rib there were leftovers), we headed to the BW in time to sit down on a bench and watch Illuminations off in the Epcot distance. By 9:20, we were seated in Jellyrolls, for the rest of our night. While I don’t think we stayed long enough to justify our $7 per person cover charge, we had a good time. The place was only 75% full. Ray was playing that night, which was great because we hadn’t seen him last trip. Scotty continues to get better each time we go. We stayed for 2 rounds of drinks, and were out of there by midnight, going back to the big room at the end of the hall. MONDAY 10/27/03 Plan: Get AP’s, EPCOT F&WF, dinner House of Blues (HOB), Pleasure Island (PI) Because of the late night, we skipped any thoughts of an early entry morning and just walked over to the ticket booths at World Showcase to buy our annual passes (AP). Total time in line for both of us was right at 10 minutes. We then headed to Mission Space, which I rode for the first time. I went through the singles line, had a 5 minute wait at the end of that. Wow! What a great attraction. Tara had to skip it because she tends to get motion sickness, but I say it is the best attraction at WDW. Got FastPasses (FP) for Test Track, then went to Honey I Shrunk the Audience (HISA), toured through both Innoventions, and returned to ride Test Track using FP. By then, it was 11:30, so we headed over to World Showcase for the F&WF. (Note: Glad to see a new pre-show video in HISA). We started our F&WF ‘grazing’ right at the entrance to World Showcase (WS), hitting Greece for baklava and Greek salad. We proceeded counter clockwise, stopping at Canada (fudge, soup, salmon), Spain (everything), and France. The only food we found unacceptable was in France. The goat cheese tomato tart was terrible, as in burnt, and we never did find any tomato anywhere in it. Also, the crème Brule was overcooked, and had cooled to a solid sheet, making cracking the sugar topping like trying to break through a block of ice with a toothpick. Ended up walking past the Terrace cooking seminar area between France & Morocco, and it was packed to the gills. While touring Italy, we saw there was a sign up for a chocolate cooking demonstration in about an hour, so we signed up for that. We proceeded as far as the Australia wine area, then doubled back to Italy for the seminar. The Piemonte region chocolate seminar was a brief cooking demonstration inside La Original Alfredo de Roma, in the small back room. Sign up was limited to maybe 40 people. It was a half hour presentation where the chef prepped and baked lake perch coated in bittersweet chocolate, served over a broiled tomato. Sounds crazy, but the samples tasted good. All attendees got copies of the recipe, though I can’t say that this is anything we will be making soon. From there, we headed back over to BWV for an afternoon nap before dinner. Dinner was a PS for 6:30 p.m. at HOB at DTD. We, as usual, opted for WDW bus transportation. This evening is where our transportation adventures began. We left the room just before 5:45, and waited at the bus stop while using the cell phone to check on the girls. After not seeing a DTD bus for a while, I hit the timer on my watch, just out of curiosity. The first DTD bus came right at 16 minutes after we first walked up to the bus stop. It was packed. The driver squeezed in maybe 12 of the 30 people waiting there, and off he went. The next bus came 4 minutes later, and it was right at standing room only already. We all squeezed in like sardines, and I had the always fun ‘hanging strap ride’ to DTD Marketplace. Got to sit after others exited there. Arrived at the PI bus stop at 6:25 p.m., and briskly walked to HOB. Just made it at 6:30. Were seated within 5 minutes. We were seated outside, near the boat dock. A pleasant October evening for an outside dinner, maybe 75 degrees with a slight breeze. While we were being led to our table, we went around the left side of HOB. Turns out the inside was reserved for a private function at 8:00 p.m., so all diners were outside. Also, the concert hall line was wrapped all the way back to the water, filled with teenage girls, with some moms thrown in here and there. As we found out later, there was a Hanson concert that night, and the lines had already begun. (While I admit I never found Hanson all that interesting as a group, I was impressed by their drawing power these many years later). Our server was Julie, who did a great job of serving us without hovering around all the time. After drinks, we started with the calamari, which is served fried, then tossed in a fairly spicy red chile sauce. Too hot for Tara, but perfect for me. I had a bowl of gumbo, and then the jambalaya, while Tara had a burger. All the food was excellent, and the portions were too big for us to finish. As we weren’t going right back to the room, we opted not to lug any leftovers around with us. Total came to $54 before AP discount and tip. NOTE: One ‘almost’ problem we had was the restroom. Halfway through the meal, I asked a greeter or manager type, as they came by, where the restroom was. She said that the dining room was closed for a private function, so we would have to go across to use the facilities at the Cirque building. I very politely pointed out that it was a long way to have to walk, and I thought that as they (HOB) were continuing to serve food and drinks tonight, that they would need to have a restroom available on site. I was very polite, and phrased it carefully not to sound irritated. I think my wording may have started the wheels turning, and as she thought about it, she said that since the private function hadn’t started yet, we could use the ones up front. I thanked her, but was confused that they hadn’t already thought of this, and simply routed people around the building and through the front doors to the restrooms. (In NC, to be serving food & beverages in a sit down restaurant, you have to have public facilities available on the premises where they had their permits.) As it turns out, it was a non-issue, but still, I don’t think anyone would have been happy having to trek over to Cirque because of a private function in the HOB dining room. After dinner, we headed to PI. We got the 5 for $5 add on ticket, which was perfect for this trip. After the ID and wristband, we went straight to the Adventurer’s Club (AC) and got a drink. With no library shows starting soon, we headed back across to the Comedy Warehouse (CW) for the 8:15 show. We waited in line from 8:00 to get in, doors opened at 8:15, and the show started at 8:30. I think they were waiting for more people, as they kept letting people trickle in. Show started at 8:30. While I don’t remember many details about the show, I do recall that they didn’t give the little warning reminding everyone that they are in the most magical place on Earth, for when they are calling out suggestions. Also, this show did not start with the phone call. Anyway, it was a good show, but seemed short, right at 30 minutes from keyboard start to goodbye. We headed back over to the AC for more drinks, and stayed for the Balderdash Cup and the Radio-thon events in the Library. Somewhere around 11 we meandered out to the bus stop, and caught the bus back to the Swan/Dolphin/YC/BC/BW. 8 minutes later we exited at the Swan and walked over to the BWV. Back to the room, where we noticed that from the balcony, you could just see the brief PI fireworks display celebrating New Year’s Eve. TRANSPORTATION NOTE: At no time during our trip did we see any breakout of the S/D/YC/BC/BW route, i.e. we never saw just a S/D bus, or just a YC/BC bus. It was all 5 resorts on the bus LED window signs every time. More on that later. TUESDAY 10/28/03 Plan: MK, monorail to EPCOT for F&WF, dinner CG, Jellyrolls Woke up maybe 7:30, headed to the bus stop for the MK bus just after 8:15. First bus came by, packed beyond belief. 4 people squeezed on, nobody with strollers even tried. We decided it wasn’t worth the hassle, so we waited for the next one. It came in 5 minutes, almost empty. 13 minute bus ride to MK. Saw the train come around with the characters (our first time seeing that), and the gates opened right on time. Our adult’s only tour plan took us to Pooh, Mickey’s Philharmagic (which is also a great new attraction), Space Mountain (which already had a 20 minute wait), and TTA. We also visited Toontown, scooping it out for a future visit with the girls. Around 11:00, we headed for the monorail, and rode to TTC for the EPCOT switch. Arrived at EPCOT, headed straight back to F&WF, and walked and ate (clockwise this time). The quesadilla in Mexico was good, but the taco was wet. The corned beef and colcannon in Ireland was excellent, as was the potato and leek soup, while the whiskey flan was interesting. Stopped for the obligatory fiesta margarita at the cantina, which isn’t too outrageous at $7.49 with tax. Maybe a little sweet, but good for a warm (86 degrees) day. We continued sampling around to Australia again (the shrimp and beef were good), then headed out the back way to BWV for a nap, just after 2:00 p.m. Got ready for dinner around 4:30, and then started to head to CG for our 5:50 PS. Rain had started, and the crush of people at the bus stop getting on the MK bus when we walked up ‘inspired’ us to take a taxi. Went to the valet stand at BW, and asked the one guy there to call us a cab, as none were in line. It took him 2 minutes while we stood there, the only ones at the counter, to pause in telling his buddy a story long enough to get our information. After picking up the phone and calling, I was waiting for him to tell us an estimated time, where to stand, that it was done, anything. He never spoke to us again, and went right back talking to his friend. His tip (for calling the cab) stayed in my hand. After 10 minutes more of waiting, we finally walked up to the first taxi in line (there were 3 by now). Lo and behold, it was there to pick us up. She had the name and destination already. The valet captain (for lack of a better term) never said we should go wait over there, or that our taxi was here. I was unimpressed with his customer service skills this time, and also on the other day I saw him working. Anyway, we hopped in the taxi, hoping to make it for our PS. Just made it with 2-3 minutes to spare. The taxi ride was a straight shot to CR, and cost $11 plus tip. Our server was Beckey, and she was very attentive. Dinner started with drinks and the triple cheese flat bread. Entrees were salmon for Tara, and pumpkin ravioli for me. Both were outstanding. Dessert was the crème Brule and a valrhona chocolate cake. Total was $92 before tip. After dinner, we headed out to the observation deck. It was misting rain, but not enough to soak anyone quickly. Anyway, the announcement came on that Wishes was delayed. It ended up only being a 15 minute delay. Wishes is one of the best fireworks displays we have seen. It was a bit strange seeing it from somewhere other than Main Street, as all of the fireworks seemed to be on the right of the castle. But, WDW really did this one right. I look for this event to stay around for a long time. After it was over, everyone from the deck was grouped at the elevators, trying to leave. We caught maybe the third one, packed full, and felt sorry for the people who were staying on lower floors of the Contemporary, just trying to catch an elevator going down. We stopped on 3 floors, and each time the door opened, nobody standing there attempted to get on. (If I were staying in the tower, and couldn’t get a free elevator for 20-30 minutes, I would not be happy). Rode the resort monorail to TTC, switched to the EPCOT line, and we were inside by 8:20. In hindsight, it wasn’t very crowded because of the misting rain, so we should have grabbed a spot for Illuminations. Instead, we hoofed it out the back and over to BW, figuring that walking off that CG meal was a good thing. Went in Jellyrolls just before 9:00, another $7 cover each. Floor area and tables were full. Found chairs and a tall table, this time on the outer rim, that is, nearest the windows that face the BW. After 10 minutes, we got tired of waiting for the server to stop on his run-by, so I went to the bar for drinks. When we first walked in, the place was maybe 60% full. By 10:30, the 21-23 year old crowd was everywhere. I believe Tuesday is CM discount night here, just as Thursday is or was at PI. The crowd was so thick it was tough to make your way to the restroom, and people were piling up trying to get in the door. We enjoyed the music, as always, but couldn’t see any of the piano area after the first hour. Aisles were blocked, people couldn’t move, really packed in there in beyond belief. We left about 11:30 p.m. and headed back to the room. It is interesting to note that at no time during our 2 and a half hours there did a waiter or waitress ever stop to check if we needed a drink. We have been disappointed in the drink service there in the past, and this night was no exception. WEDNESDAY 10/29/03 Plan: Fantasia mini golf, shopping, lunch RFC, BWV quiet pool, dinner PH, PI Slept in until past 8:30 a.m., stopped by the BW Bakery for breakfast (muffins, juice, pastry). We ate there twice this trip, and each time the line was out the door. Meandered over to Fantasia Gardens (FG) mini golf, to play the fairways course. This has been one of our must-do activities every trip. Last time, we played the more traditional mini-golf side, for the first time. We enjoyed it, but the fairways course is still the favorite. We arrived about 10 minutes early, but the CM’s went ahead and opened the gate, which we thought was excellent customer service. Total cost with AP discount was under $11 for both of us. We were first to play the fairways side for the day. It took about an hour, and the twosome behind us never had to wait. I should add that I shot a 56, which is 5 under par, and a personal best. I don’t know how the person who has the course record shot a 50, but it must have been impressive. Tara shot a respectable 71 (excellent for someone who doesn’t play any kind of golf). NOTE: When we were finishing up, we saw a group with a young child (maybe 5 years old), on the Fairways course. This child did not appear to be enjoying himself at all. I believe that the fairways course is just too complex for most children to enjoy. The rails and bumpers on the other course are much more like traditional putt-putt, and the smaller children we have seen playing there always seem to be enjoying themselves a lot more than any young children we have seen playing the fairways course. Walked back by the Swan pool (and the beach playground area) to the room, then retrieved the car and drove to DTD for lunch at RFC, with some shopping to follow. The 3 miles from BW to DTD goes very quickly when you drive. We were seated at RFC (no wait), at one of the crowded together tables right inside the aquarium swimway entrance. We were surprised, with the restaurant being maybe 30% full this early, that they still seated groups right on top of each other. But hey, at least we didn’t have to wait. Our server was Ken, who I can best describe as a Dennis Leary type comedian who seems to be waiting tables at the moment. While we didn’t find all of his jokes funny, a few were just terrible, he was overall very amusing, and the service was good. This time, we used the Safari Club (SC) card for a free quesadilla appetizer. I had my traditional Margarilla (only 1, I had to drive back), and the pastalaya (served over rice). Tara had the monsoon grill, which she liked a lot. Too much food, we couldn’t finish it all, but also we were hoping to save room for dessert at Ghiradelli’s after shopping. RFC total before tip was $52. After browsing both Basin and the incredibly large Disney Store (I got lost in there for a few seconds), we each got a sundae at Ghiradelli’s. Excellent chocolate and ice cream, as usual. We then drove back to BWV, and headed to the quiet pool for some sun. When we got to the quiet pool (nearest MGM), there were maybe 6 couples there, including a mother and young daughter quietly playing in the pool. It was quiet and relaxing. About 20 minutes later, this loud family rolled in, and changed the entire atmosphere. Loud may not be the correct term for them, as when I think of the quiet pool as being for people who are quiet, I think of the waterslide pool as being for those who want to yell and run around. This family needed a pool beyond that. Within 15 minutes, this loud family of I think 3 kids (sounded more like 6 or 7) and their parents and grandparents (I believe), had ran off 4 of the other couples that were catching some sun. We held out another 10 minutes, and then had to go in. The kids were loud, as in screaming loud, and running around the pool and adjoining sidewalk areas. The parents were equally as loud playing with the kids, but doing nothing to control them, as they were clearly disturbing everyone else. The grandmother (I think) was loud voiced, but didn’t encourage the kids to run and scream as much as to just get in the pool. We were very disappointed at the noise level for a ‘quiet pool’, and equally disappointed that the 2 CM’s who walked around from the other pool did nothing to tone down the noise level, or at least herd them towards the ‘loud’ pool. After the rude guests won out, we headed in for a quick nap. About 5:30, we got ready and headed to the bus stop to catch the DTD bus and have dinner somewhere, still undecided. (That is about as close to spontaneity as we get during a trip). Waited 15 minutes, first bus came already packed, not everyone in line was going to fit, so we stood back and waited. 2 minutes later, another bus, maybe half full, pulled up. We rode to DTD Marketplace, and stayed on for the PI stop, which is right beside Planet Hollywood (PH). We decided during the bus ride to check the wait at PH, and if it were under 20 minutes, we would do that. The wait was only 15 minutes, so we went on up the steps. When we got to the top stand, they ushered us inside to wait. I ordered 1 drink, at the bar, and we were paged. Not even 4 minutes. Up to the second floor we went, I had my drink in hand. Only when we got there, we were put in a little line, with metal poles and straps, where we (and all others directed to the 2nd floor) got to line up again. So really, our table was not ready, we just were moved away from our comfy barstools, up to a pre-show staging area. After 10 minutes of standing there (empty drink now in hand), we were seated. If we thought the tables earlier at RFC were tightly packed, this was even worse. Fortunately, we were on a corner, so we were not right on top of anyone else. Crystal was our server, and she was good. Tara had a Caesar salad, which looked great. I had the fried lasagna, and it was good. With a couple of terminators (drink) and a corona thrown in, the total was $53, after AP discount and before tip. We summed up our PH meal as an experience in contrasts. There was supposed to be a 15 minute wait, which turned out to be less than 5 minutes. Then when we were paged (we thought) to go to our table, it wasn’t ready, and we waited some more, regaining those minutes of waiting. The tables were small and right on top of each other, but you couldn’t hear your own conversation (or those nearby) over the blaring movie clips. And finally, while the kitchen there was super fast, and servers and bussers hustling everywhere, there was a noticeable lag in getting our check when we were through. Go figure. In closing, we have been there (again), we still like the food (again), but won’t rush to go back for dinner, except for a drink or two. After dinner we ambled in to PI, obtained the appropriate beverages, and waited in line for the 8:15 CW show. Again, no magical warning about being at WDW, and they still didn’t open with the phone call. This was a great show, and the first time this trip we have seen Matt perform. Since Layden and Greg have left, Matt is now by far our favorite performer to see at CW. The entire show ran 34 minutes, and was very funny. As we exited, we headed to the AC, and it was packed. People couldn’t even get downstairs off the steps. We waited a few minutes for a break in the mob, then made our way down, got drinks from the waitress (still couldn’t reach the bar), and checked the library show schedule. All repeats for us, so we went hustled back to CW and just got in for the 9:15 show. Again, we got to see Matt, and really enjoyed the whole show. Still no phone call to open the show, or a ‘most magical place on Earth’ warning. Maybe those days are in the past, and it changed since Feb 03. After the show, we headed out to the PI bus stop, and back to the BW, via exiting at the Swan and walking again, as all 5 of the Epcot resorts were still on the same bus route, and we didn’t want to wait through the other stops. THURSDAY 10/30/03 Plan: MGM, F&WF, dinner at Spoodles, PI Slept in, got dressed, and took the walkway from BWV to MGM. Got there at 9:00 a.m. Fairly inefficient security check this time, and this was the only time we noticed it this trip. The security guard wanted me to unzip every pocket on my fanny pack, even the one for change that couldn’t hold 3 dimes. But, the lady before us in line had a diaper bag, and security just flipped the top, peered in, and let her go on. Strange. Walked straight up the street and cut back to the TOT. The ride was one half shut down for maintenance during our trip, so we figured the lines would build up quickly. Sure enough, 20 minute wait, so we got our TOT FastPasses (FP) and went to ride the R&RC next door. After that, and a call to check messages, our FP window wasn’t up yet, so we went to scope out Playhouse Disney for a future trip with the girls. Back to TOT for FP usage, which took us by the crowds and all the way into the lobby. Really like the random drop sequence there. We wanted to ride again, but with the ride at one half capacity, the wait time was now posted at 60 minutes, so we chose not to wait around. We browsed the shops afterward, and didn’t want to wait for any other shows, so we caught the bus back to the YC/BC, where we got off to check out the pool (also scooping it out for a future trip with the girls). Walked to EPCOT, and began the final F&WF ‘grazing’ for this trip. Lunched our way around, (hitting our favorites) until almost 2:00, then back to the room for the last afternoon nap of the trip. NOTE: This time we stopped at the Italy booth, as we had skipped it other days. The 3 CM’s working were much more interested in themselves than the line of customers waiting. This was the only bad F&WF booth service we experienced during the trip. After the nap and getting ready to go out, we went to check out Spoodles on the BW. We hadn’t been there before, and this is one of the restaurants we wanted to try, so we added it for this trip. Were walk-in seated at 6:00 p.m. exactly. We told the server we wanted to be out by 7:00, so she would know in advance that we were not going to have the most leisurely meal in the world. Our server, Kristin, kept things moving, and after drinks, calamari, flatbreads, and a salad, we were out of there at 6:50 p.m., with a total bill (pre tip) of $40. Good service, good food (loved the flatbreads), and a good setting. It will be added to the list, for when we stay in the BW area again. Not wanting to go through the bus fiasco yet again, we went straight for the taxi line. $7.00 plus tip and 6 minutes later, we were at the PI gates. Straight to the AC, where we hung out in the main area (no shows this time) until 8:45, when it suddenly got inexplicably crowded. From there, we headed out and went and got in line for the 9:30 CW show. This was the first show this trip where they used the phone call to open, and lo and behold, they got a jerk. The quick story on this was he was with a group of friends, was uncooperative (trying to be funny and failing miserably), and more than fairly obnoxious. The actor even asked to speak to the person next to him, who knew him and was with the same group, and she was just as bad. She couldn’t tell the actor what she did for a living in because it was ‘illegal’. After this, the performers slammed the 2 of them in the song, and in one other structure they did. We now saw first hand how the phone call can set the tone for the show. Out of CW, stepped in the AC, still overly crowded, so we headed back to BWV, via bus. FLASHBACK – Tonight’s group of nitwits paled in comparison to the rude and ignorant audience members from our February 03 trip. Without stereotyping any one group, let me just say that it was race week at Daytona, and the 2 guys sitting down the row from us were attired in all sorts of merchandise from their favorite drivers. During the show they were talking back and forth between themselves, and occasionally ‘hollerin’ out clearly inappropriate topic suggestions towards the stage. It seemed like the entire audience was turning to stare at the commotion they were causing. But what took the cake was when one of them took out a cell phone and called a friend, and proceeded to recap the entire show for him, loudly, over the phone (inserting his own remarks that were stupid enough the first time around). Rows of people turning to stare, but it didn’t phase him, he kept right on disturbing the show for a good 5-6 minutes. FLASHBACK OFF. FRIDAY 10/31/03 Plan: check out of BWV, load car, lunch at RFC Animal Kingdom As has become our norm, we ‘planned’ to check out quickly, hit AK for a few hours, and then have a quick bite at RFC AK. Nope. We got up slightly later than planned, checked out and loaded the car fairly quickly, then decided that neither of us wanted to sit around in wet clothes from the AK rapids ride while waiting to eat lunch. We detoured to DTD for a quick browse, then back to Sarasota to see the girls. SUMMARY FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL We enjoyed the festival immensely, and will likely be back for next year. That being said, a few things we learned. 1 – Some samples are a bargain, and some are overpriced, especially the wine samples. Either way, if you have enough of them, they really add up. 2 – The Terrace culinary demonstrations had so many people saving seats, that it was almost impossible to get in there unless you camped out early, and planned to stay for several events. (The Odyssey demonstrations worked much better, as from what we could tell, you had to leave the event at the end, and then get back in line each time). 3 – Just because you see a big name on the advertisements, don’t bet on getting to see them. Rick Bayless, Paula Deen, and Todd English were all listed, but from seeing the schedule, none of them appeared at more than a single public cooking demonstration the whole festival. (With the opening of his new Blue Zoo restaurant at the Dolphin coming late 2003, one would think that Todd English could have used this opportunity for some free publicity, at the least). TRIP SUMMARY Our first official trip as DVC members was a success. We enjoyed the BWV, and still look forward to staying at our home resort of BCV, maybe in the coming year. While we didn’t feel as if the BWV had the same atmosphere during the day as say the WL, at night the activity on the BW adds a lot to the experience of staying there. The quick walk to the Food & Wine Festival (F&WF) made the trip very enjoyable for us, and made meal selection and restaurant choices much easier, as we only had sit down meals for dinner most days. October seems to be a good time to visit, weather wise, but the F&WF appeared to cause bigger crowds than we expected, mainly in Epcot of course. The Good
The Bad
Thanks for staying around. Rob Patterson robpat@mysteryreviewer.com Mail a Comment to Rob Patterson |
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