Day #9 - Returning to Reality

 Another early day. But not as early as the day we left! Today we didnt have to get up until 0430! Because we had to catch the Magic Express at 0530! Finished the last minute packing, washed breakfast dishes, and downstairs by 0530 to wait...

Had several stops to pick people up. At one of them the people were not there at all! Hope they made their flight! So then they rerouted her back to pick some people up early and we had to wait for some of them....

Got to see a lovely sunrise!

Once again I am so glad I let Tom talk me into paying the extra money for the extra legroom!!

Left hot and humid Florida and flew over snow on the way into Seattle!

About an hour layover in Seattle. As we left it looks so big and crowded - like any city would - but what a lovely setting! 

Funny, we flew to WDW across the aisle from a family.....and then flew all the way back to SFO across the aisle from them!

Got back and found my coupon for the parking had expired! Well, it was still cheaper then sleep and fly....

And then found that someone hit our car while it was parked! But they left a note. And it was only a scrape on the bumper.....Tom checked it again the next day and no structural damage. He did call the guy and explained that we were not concerned. 

1.5 hour drive home - the opposite direction most of the way home was a parking lot! Glad we werent going in that direction!

The dogs were happy to see us and no cold shoulder at all. We managed, barely, to stay awake until 9:30 PM and then we were sound asleep!

At least they get some down time!

Day #8

 Well, our first day here we spent at Magic Kingdom.....our last day spent at Magic Kingdom!

Got there about 8 AM and got all the rides done that we skipped before done by 10 AM!!! 7 Dwarves Mine Ride, Jungle Cruise, People Mover (I love the People Mover at WDW - it is a nice long ride with a good breeze!). So then we doubled back on a few of the rides

Lunch at the Crystal Palace. Another limited menu - but not too bad considering they had to switch from buffet to a menu. First they give you a lovely salad to share - a nice big one, refreshing, green "weeds", tomatoes, feta cheese, candied nuts, and watermelon with a vinegareitte. Also a plate of really good little biscuits, savory and regular. 

Then Tom had the fried chicken which I really wanted - he said it tasted like Shake & Bake! Served with a side of mac & cheese, and greens. I had prime rib, scalloped potatoes and creamed spinach (I did try 2 bites but I gagged too much on both bites to try any more).

Very good and plentiful ice tea!

And then dessert is a medley of things. Nothing that was really good. We took the leftovers home but did not end up eating them. 

It was hot - but not overly humid - and there was a nice breeze/ But time to leave and hit the pool/spa. Luckily the clock watchers were not there today....

Did the last laundry and packed.

Walked 5.37 miles today.

Day #7, Epcot the Second Time Around!

 Ate breakfast at Trattoria al Forno. What a mistake. First thing we walked in - snotty looking person "Do you have a reservation?". Um excuse me, 95% of your tables are EMPTY! 

First of all the dont have eggs and bacon, or eggs and sausage. They have eggs. OR eggs, bacon, sausage and ham! And toast does not come with the meal - you order that separately. So Tom ordered his usual eggs sunnyside up with the 3 meats, and toast....and the waitress even repeated it back. So of course they bring scrambled eggs......And we couldnt find the waitress! Finally found her and she said she would "put the order in" for the right eggs. Wait, you made a mistake and you have to put an order in???? So meanwhile his toast is cold, the meats are getting cold, and 10 minutes later they bring his eggs....Should have asked for new toast at the very least but who knows how long that would take after she "put that order in"!!

I had pancakes. A stack of 4. Larger than silver dollar but smaller than usual - BUT they were almost 1" thick! They came with a fruit compote, and syrup - but no butter! Luckily Tom had plenty of butter for his toast.....

So we went to the front desk to find out about checking in for the flight, printing boarding passes and luggage tags. Well, no business center is open so they will do things for you - they can print boarding passes but not allowed to print luggage tags. Sorry, I just dont get it, but it is "policy" so not worth arguing...

Tom decided we needed to get to Epcot early because they start letting people in early. Well, the boats dont even start running for Epcot until 1100 (according to the sign) so we walked over. And stand in a long line....the line did start moving at about 1011.

The line at 3 Caballeros ride ("in Mexico") was much shorter today. But boy it was hot. So we got in line and got all the way to the front and guess what - the ride broke down! They first told us that it would reopen in 20 minutes if we wanted to come back....excuse me??? Wait in the line again? Which by then was probably longer? After 20 minutes it became they had no idea when/if it would reopen so we gave up.....and yet they were still letting people into line! Which was quite a bit longer!

We did get to enjoy the DVC Members lounge for a little bit. Charged my phone. Got some nice cold soda. But they only had 1 choice of cookies there not several. And I did buy the shirt I had seen before, and the Figment ears for Katie.

We went back to the room about 4:30PM and went to pool/spa. Well, the time keepers were there today. I think they are related to the chair watchers I have been reading about at Aulani....

When we got there the spa was full. So we waited, not at the side of the spa, but we waited. And first one person left, then another.....Tom went over and called me over. Said there was only 1 person in the spa to come on in. So I put my book down, took off my coverup, walked over. He was already in the spa. I put down my towel and talked a minute or two and got into the spa. Enjoyed talking with the woman in the spa.

And then 2 women walked over and said - "Are you getting out now?"

excuse me???? They said that the time limit for the spa is 15 minutes - it says so right on the sign!

I responded oh, I never noticed that before - and never noticed anyone sticking to that time limit the whole time we had been there.

"Well we want to get into the spa"

And the other woman said, oh I have been in here awhile so I will get out (which she did) and you can get in.

And they said "no we cant..."

Tom looked at the sign and said, yes you can, because the sign says 4 people....."Well, our husbands want to enjoy the spa too"

So Tom said - the timer is set for 15 minutes and when it goes off we will get out and you can have the spa.....

"Well those are the rules and just how long do you think  you have been in there anyway?" they said to me.

Oh I dont know - maybe 5 - 10 minutes?

"NO, you have been in there 15 minutes - we saw you walk over here."

Wow - you could see that little bitty clock, which is lower than the bushes, from the pool??? To know what time it was? Ok, maybe one of them had a watch on...

And I said - ok, but did you also see that I did not get in exactly the minute I walked over here?

They huffed and they left.....the timer finished like 3 or  4 minutes later and we got out......and watched them and their husbands leave the pool area!

Went back to Epcot and had "pizza" at "Italy". Remind me not to order pizza if I ever get to the real Italy!!! The best thing I can say is it was edible and it was filling!

Finally got onto the 3 Caballeros ride - and also the film about France!

So tired and so achy......made the mistake at looking at the Step Tracker - 9.85 miles today!!!!!!!!!!!

(I just read today, 5/20 that 712 manatees have been found dead in Florida this year already - compared to just over 200 last year. Most have been emaciated - the sea grass that they feed on is dying in large amounts. So very very sad what we are doing to these gentle giants)

Its Dory!

Day #6, Animal Kingdom

 My favorite place!

The Park opened at 0800. And at 0809 we were in line for Avatar, Flight of Passage. First a 65 minute wait - then 75 minutes - then 90 minutes. We were off the ride at 0909!!! I enjoyed the ride far more than the Star Wars rides, but I am not a big Avatar fan - so I basically knew what was going on but...This was reminiscent of the old ET ride....you got onto a motorcycle shaped thing, and then did a Soarin' type trip....

After that we went on Na'Vi River Journey. It was pretty. A canoe ride. 

I swear the Safari was much shorter than usual. But I learned some interesting things. If they are true.

1.  Elephants communicate via a rumble that is too low for humans to hear. But elephants can hear it, or feel it, up to 10 miles away!
2. Elephants are afraid of bees! So bee hives are often used as fencing to keep elephants out of farmland!

All the walking we have been doing has been great for our feet etc. But cool air is no preparation for heat and humidity! So glad we did not bring only cloth masks; the paper ones are much easier to breathe through.

So we had lunch at Flame Tree BBQ because we enjoyed it last time. But now they expect you to order online....insisted it was much faster...totally discouraged any other way. Figured out how to do it; and meanwhile, just finished ordering online and a woman walked up, ordered in person AND got her meal before ours was ready! Finally got our food and boy, not as good as before. My fries were not even room temperature - they were literally cold. And there were no condiments for the hotdog! I should have gone with the pulled pork......The Flamingo cupcake was lovely - and it tasted really good too! My only complaint was the guava filling was very skimpy.

Went to dinner, after our usual hot tub and pool time, at The Fountain over at The Swan and Dolphin. No wait. Not busy. And SO GOOD!! The cheeseburger was fabulous - they do need to work on their fries, but that is ok - the hamburger and milk shake more than made up for them! The Shake was fantastic - I was a little sad I ordered a small1

Walked 8.14 miles today!

Day #5 Disney Springs - No Park Day

The bed is killing me. Now that I have caught up with my rest, I know it is the bed. It is too soft. It kills my back, my hip, and my knee.

It took him awhile to decide but hubby finally decided that yes he is going to play golf. While he was making up his mind I "reserved" a 2d day at Hollywood Studios just in case.

The next couple of days are supposed to be much warmer, and more humid. Ay yi yi.

So I took the boat across the lake to the Beach Club Villas. Yes, I was being lazy. But I also just love the boat. So I wandered a little. We have a contract with this resort too. The downstairs looks lovely. And everyone raves about the pools. I dont know - looks like mostly kids at the pools! Wonder if they have a quiet pool too?

The Market Place is so much bigger and better stocked than the "General Store" at the Boardwalk. You can actually get breakfasts and hot meals there. Plus more of a selection of the other food too. Bought Tom some cereal for breakfast. Want to bring him back so he can see some DVC shirts. 

I decided not to be lazy and walked back. It is about 1/2 way around our part of the lake. Yeah, it is slightly later, so it is even hotter and more humid - what was I thinking!

Got back to the room and found they had dropped off what I called Housekeeping for before i left. Sorta. I called for washcloths and bathtowels. They left about a 4" high stack of washcloths....

I made the mistake of turning on TV while I sat and cooled off.. Got hooked on a couple of programs I have never seen before....made lunch and ate it, and soon Tom came back. 

We have dinner reservations at Raglan Road for 6;30 PM. So excited when we were able to get these - originally could not get any, so booked reservations at The Boat Yard but I kept checking back.

Not sure what is up with Tom and being early. He knows there really are only 1 - 2 shops I am interested in going into. But no.....we had to leave very early to get to Disney Springs. Very early. If we had been running late, we could have shopped after dinner but no....

Went to the big Disney Store and did shopping. Went to the Christmas store and did no shopping. Tom waited in line to go into the Pandora store. It was hot. It was humid.

We found an outdoor bar and stopped and had a hard cider and a beer. Then we walked towards Raglan Road. I am going to have to start writing things down for him I think. Our reservations were for 6:30 PM and I dont know why or how in the world he thought they were for 4:30 PM. So we sat and people watched for awhile and then walked back. And luckily they were able to take us early - but we had to sit outside. Which was ok. We didnt get to see the Irish dancers but there was someone playing guitar and singin; he was from County Cork. . And the sun was going down a bit so it was cooler. We both ended up having bangers and mash.

We were walking back to the busses and stopped at Sprinkles and each got a cupcake to eat for dessert later. 

Only 4.62 miles today.

They have a cupcake vending machine! But we did not use it. We went inside and ordered

I jsut thought the name was funny!

I would love to do the amphicar but I am too cheap....They look like fun though!

They look like aliens dont they? I think Toms was a red velvet and mine was probably vanilla. They were good. Nothing really outstanding but good

Day #4 Hollywood Studios

 I love riding the boats on the little lake where we stay at Boardwalk Villas. So we rode the boat over to HS this morning.

Had to rush right to Star Wars area and husband was all upset when he went to the Rise of The Resistence Ride to find out  out that you have 2 chances/day to get on a queue to possibly get a chance to ride. Even though we discussed this way before we went to WDW. And you have to be online at 0700 and 1300 to maybe get in the queue and he had decided it wasnt worth it...

So then we went to the Millenium Falcon ride....stood in line forever. Got on and rode it. Again, Star Wars is not my thing.....so it really wasnt that interesting to me. And when we got off he told me that once we got on the ride he realized that THIS was the ride he really wanted to do! YAY!!!

To me the whole area was lame. But it probably has to do with Covid. I thought there were supposed to be Troopers walking around and interacting, and other costumed people. When we first went in there were 2 Troopers on a stage that were talking to people walking by but that was all...

So they replaced the Movie ride with something that was called Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Train. Sounded silly and dumb - but it was a sit down AC ride! And it was kinda fun! Reminds me a lot of the Ratatouille ride. And I still preferred the Movie Ride but it was an okay replacement. 

Got to ride the Skyliner! LOVED IT! Sitting down plus a lovely breeze during the whole ride. Amazing how much you can see - and if you go on the whole ride you get to see some other resorts. The parking lots were amazingly empty.

Ended up taking our own sandwiches for lunch today since we could not get reservations at any of the sit down places. 

On the way back to the room (and the hot tub and pool!!) we stopped at the Bakery and got breakfast things....also picked up a salad to have with our leftovers from Sunday. 

Walked 6.1 miles today.

Day #3 - Epcot

 Oh my gosh - it all caught up to us! Getting up early - walking - jet lag! We slept until 0930!!! Luckily Epcot doesnt open until 1100 and it is right next door to the Boardwalk Villas!

We went and visited Figment first of all! Love Figment! 2d daughter loved Figment! And the store there has something I am pretty sure I am going to buy for her (I did - Figment ears!) and a (non Figment) T shirt I want. Will pick those up when we come back on Friday. 

The only "ride" we did was Test Track. And that was an hour wait. It "broke down" one time while we were in line. 

We ate at our hands down favorite place to eat in WDW - Les Chefs de France. Always our favorite - and even more so when we are sans kids. First of all, they had lots of space to move around in there because of rearranging tables because of Covid. Lovely for the dinners - easier for the servers I am sure!

But you know, lots of disappointments. None of the people working were French! Disney has always had/tried to have people from the countries working in the countries in The World Showcase. Not now because of the big C.

I made the mistake of having the prix fixe meal. I should know better! And OMG the French Onion Soup was TO DIE FOR! I barely kept myself from licking the bowl! Then I had a chicken breast salad. Which would have been good if they hadnt drowned it in dressing. Wish I had thought to ask for it on the side - but I didnt expect a swimming pool of dressing with a salad on top of it! And their french bread was good - as was the house Chardonnay. Wish I had thought to ask about that.....And then came dessert. Creme brulee. Honestly I dont like slimy foods but I love the topping on the creme brulee.....but this topping was, well, you know how you put your spoon into the brulee and it cracks????? This one didnt. It bent. Bent. And it didnt even taste good. Tasted like burnt sugar ....All in all I was so disappointed. Husband had a salad, beef bourginone, and a chocolate tart and he enjoyed his meal. He said the iced tea was much much better than yesterdays!

Just looking at the menu was disappointing. The choices were not up to their usual standards. Not even a croque monsuier! Not really a French meal at all except for what husband had....

It was hot. We were tired. The wait for the 3 Caballeros ride was 1 hour, so we skipped it. Too hot and too soon to shop at Werther's. So back to the room we went - and to the hot tub and pool! And then to Abracadbar for a drink! Also went to the bakery and picked up criossants for breakfast and a coconut macaroon. Not the best....not the worst...

So they had a different variance of the Food & Wine thingie going on - the Flower & Garden. But basically one huge outdoor bar - people drinking all day long (so much money in those overpriced drinks! It amazes me!). Poor Walt....

Walked 6.82 miles today

Day 2, The Magic Kingdom

 Gotta start at the very beginning, right?
So gotta start with The Magic Kingdom!

For some reason I first ride was Its A Small World! NOT my favorite ride at all - not after getting stuck on it twice! And I like the ride better at Disneyland than Disney World but ok....

We got most of the rides done that we wanted. A few had longer lines so we will do them first when we come back next Saturday. Not too crowded in the morning, but as the day progressed the lines were getting longer and the place was getting busier (guess not everyone is like hubby who wants to be there when it opens!!)

Started raining on our way into the Haunted Mansion. Once we got in we could see why that long line was actually moving very quickly. Due to Covid they do not have the opening of the ride in the haunted room...you just walk through and go right onto the ride.

When we got out it was POURING! And they would not let you stop under the awning covered walkway to put on ponchos etc. Really???!!!!! We found that WDW is not very customer friendly....

Got under the covering for the Riverboat ride

And as the rain was tapering off decided we might as well ride the Riverboat now as later

Before the ride was over it had stopped raining.

People are so irritating. Long line at Pirates too. But it was moving ok - just seemed longer when you were out in the sun. Part way through the couple in front of us started to let a family  cut in line....I think they, like I did, thought it was just a man trying to catch up with his family. No, it was a whole damn family of ADULTS who were cutting in line. So the couple in front of us did not let them cut - and neither did we - but the couple behind us did. Way to enable these entitled people. Like I said, these were not kids, or teen agers, these were adults.

Lunch at Tony's Town Square Restaurant. Tom said we have eaten there before. I do not remember. Our reservation was for 3 PM but by 1:30 PM we were done with the park and ready to leave. They told us they could fit us in on the waitlist but it might be 20 - 30 minutes. We said we would take it and 10 minutes later we were seated. It wasnt bad but.....The worst ice tea I have ever had! It was beige colored water. And my caprese salad was those little tiny balls of mozzerella - not the nice thick slices you usually get. They told us we would get garlic bread with out meal....which turned out to be slices of not-so-good foccacio not the least bit of garlic on it. My chicken Parmigian was ok - it was a 1/2 chicken breast - not pounded out like I am use to. But it was ok. The marinara sauce was a bit spicy. They do not bring around, or offer, Parmesan cheese to put on top of anything - what kind of Italian restaurant is this? Tom had spaghetti with meatballs and he asked to have one sausage along with the meatballs. They brought out a saucer with 2 sausages, not a drop of sauce on them at all - strange sausage, it literally crumbled when you tried to cut it. But we took the leftovers home and that will be dinner sometime this week.

We checked to see if the People Mover had opened - the wait for it was an hour. We decided to skip it. I am disappointed.

We walked 6.15 miles that day.

Changes due to Covid - I think that is an easy excuse for - we decided to save money. No throw pillows at all. Which made the couch very uncomfortable until we started using the bed pillows there too. So ok, I can understand those might be harder to clean.....but no notepaper? No pen???? And no shower cap! But boy they sure stocked us with toiletries! And more laundry soap and dishwasher soap than we usually got - 2 rolls of PT (one more than usual). Coffee for the coffee maker (and sugar and sugar subs and creamer) - but no tea bags!

And somehow my headband and scrunchie that I got out of the drawer to put in the suitcase did not make it to FL! I bet I will find them when I get home....I could buy a Disney themed headband for $14 but I would never wear it again so why?

The best thing after all that walking? The hot tub and pool! And we were so tired we both walked back to our room - the long way around - forgetting to put our masks on! And. Not. One. Person. Stopped. Us!

Day #1 of Our Big Adventure

 So we belong to DVC (Disney Vacation Club). And last year we booked a Hawaiian vacation at Aulani for September 2020. Well, we all know what happened in 2020. Everything shut down. Aulani closed down. Hawaiian Airlines stopped their flights to Hawaii.....so of course that vacation (along with all the camping adventures we planned) was canceled. 

We got our points returned to us, and the airlines gave us credit. But our points were points that we had banked and that we had to use by June 1, 2021. And. Nothing. Was. Open. 

Even if it was, did we feel safe?

By this year we started feeling more safe about things, and things were opening up. Plus we both got our vaccines and we completely immunized. So we decided to book a vacation at WDW. Unfortunately Hawaiian Airlines does not fly there, so we did  have to spend $$ for air fare. 

And yes, I was still ambivalent about all this. All the way up to when we arrived in WDW. But what we were reading from their sites, but also from others who had visited WDW we felt this was probably one of the safest places to travel to at this time.

We flew out of SFO on April 24. Normally we would drive up the night before, stay at a hotel where we could also park our car for the duration, and use their shuttle to get to the airport. Guess what? They dont offer shuttle service during a Pandemic. And yet the cost for hotel stay + parking is exactly the same as for hotel stay + parking + shuttle. 

So since our flight wasnt until 10:15 AM we decided to drive up that morning. After all, it is a Saturday....but I am married to a man who worries about "what ifs"....what if there was traffic? What if there was an accident? So unlike his mother, we have to arrive early.....in this case very early.

Up at 0345 and on our way by 0430. No traffic. None really. We got to the parking garage, on the shuttle, and arrived at SFO at 0600. For a 1015 flight.....

The most exciting thing? THERE ARE BOOKSTORES AT SFO!!!!!

I didnt need to buy abook - and I didnt - but just being able to browse.....heaven!

The flight attendents were nice and one was funny - he introduced the Flight Deck as Capt Crunch and Chocula. And the flight crew as Chandler, Ross, Monica, Rachel!

My pre flight entertainment was watching one of the people who load the luggage - being unable to fold a stroller down

And then getting help from 3 more people:

And none of them could do it either. So they loaded the stroller not folded up....

No more inflight magazines. They keep pushing about FREE movies to watch. But what they fail to tell you is that you have to PAY for the wifi! Prior to the flight they were begging people to turn in their carry ons for free check in because it was a full flight yada yada yada. Yet at the time of take off - there was at least one overhead compartment next to us that was completely empty!

I was extremely happy, on this non stop flight and the two flights home, that we paid the extra $$ for extra leg room. And at the time for both going to FL and coming home, Alaska was still not filling the middle seat. And that was SO LOVELY. Extra leg room and extra elbow room!

We wiped everything down that we thought we would be touching (but we have been doing that for years since we saw how some people sprawl out on planes and put their feet on everything). And keeping our masks on the whole flight wasnt as horrible as I expected.

Flight went well. Got to the airport and had to get the tram and go completely across the airport to get out luggage, and then turn around and go back the other way to get to the Magic Express. They use to take care of the luggage for you which was a blessing. I think we did about a mile and a half walking just for this.....so glad I took a little nap on the plane!

This is also the last year for the Magic Express. Not sure all the politics or finances involved but I think it is pretty dumb. They are building a light rail system that will go from airport to Disney Springs but that isnt even started yet. And Mears apparently has transportation you can pay for. But as far as I am concerned - the whole idea behind Disney is that they want you to be a captive audience so that you spend all your time, and all your money at WDW.  And if we have to rent a car from now on - we will be spending money, on food and entertainment, at places other than Disney! But guess I am in the minority....

Got our first sight of the Skyliners! Cant wait to ride one!

Also groaned in jealousy seeing the gas prices - from $2.59 - $2.89/gallon!

Got to our room. Wiped everything down with our sanitizer wipes. The bell service delivered the grocery order that we had placed with a company called www.dizzydolphindelivery.com and they even included a little thank you gift which I thought was nice!

And then we took a walk around  the lake where Boardwalk Villas is

Stopped at Abracadabar for a drink and then to bed......hard to sleep! The room got too cold and everything hurt and ached, probably from being so tired and the luggage....

Quick Catching Up

 35 minutes ago the delivery people called saying they would be here in 20 - 25 minutes.

Dont you people know we have been waiting 6 months for these recliners??? C'mon - get them here! LOL

Now we can start looking at deciding what to do for the one bedroom/den, cause that will allow us to clear out the other bedroom....

Went for our "short walk" today, and my body actually did not complain too much!

Had dinner with friends who moved to Panama the same year we moved down here (they had already deserted us by moving from Northern CA to Southern CA prior to that). They came back to tie up some loose family ends, get their Covid vaccines, and to just GET OUT! But they did say visiting has ended up being so expensive this will probably be their last visit to CA! We really enjoyed seeing them and I am not sure why I - the person who takes photos all the time! - did not get a photo of the 4 of us!

Meantime we got a notification that the power was out at the house....apparently someone took out a power pole a few blocks away...but PG&E had the power back on well before we got home.

And found out son in law was FINALLY on the way home from his surgery earlier that afternoon. Sounds like everything went well. We will talk to them again today. Daughter was supposed to have today off, but she was called to appear in court. She was not happy but admits it is a DA who doesnt pull crap like this for no reason....

I have a weeks worth of posting and photo posting to do eventually.....and I will get there!

Next week we got camping for the first time this year - yay!!!