faline
09-13-2009, 08:11 PM
Cast of Characters: Gene & Me
Date: Sunday, August 23, 2009
Plan for the Day:
Off Day
Pool??/Downtown Disney??
Check out of Port Orleans and check into Wilderness Lodge Club Level
Roarin’ Forks for Lunch
Citrico’s for Dinner
How the Day Really Went: When we started this trip, Port Orleans French Quarter felt like the placeholder – the add-on – that would allow us to be here until we got our Club Level booking at Wilderness Lodge. Instead, I find I am reluctant to leave. I have greatly enjoyed this resort!
We get up around 8 and finish packing things. Gene brings coffees back to the room and we eat leftover chocolate cake and brownies. Gene calls bell services. After 10 minutes without an answer, he gives up. We devise a plan to get all bags out to the front curb. We bring some of them to the front of the resort and I remain with them. Gene then returns to the room to gather the remaining bags and brings them out to the curb.
Surprisingly, we never received a call the day before to remind us we were checking out and there was no envelope on our door this morning. Once all the bags are at the curb, I leave Gene with the bags and I go to checkout and ask if they are no longer doing express checkout. They apologize for the oversight and print out our final bill. I’m told we still have 6 quick services (This must be a mistake as my accounting indicates there should be 4 left) and have 4 snacks left as well.
We take a cab to Wilderness Lodge and check in at Club Level. The process is quicker and more efficient than when we did this last year. We’re told our room is not yet ready but that we have a Magic Kingdom view.
While we’re waiting for our room, we decide to rent a Pontoon boat. We’re provided with a 45 minute allowance for a 30 minute rental. Cool! We chug our way all the way around the Seven Seas Lagoon – taking pictures and trading off on driving. When we get over by the Poly, we’re near to the Ferry Boats. I’m careful to give them right of way as I’ve been instructed. Still, we hear a siren and a whaler comes screaming along telling us we need to leave that area. Okay. If we weren’t supposed to venture where we were located, I missed that instruction but we’ll follow orders and head over the other way. As Gene noted when we returned our boat, “We only got yelled at once.”
http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/43208/2726861640104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2726861640104031159roAggv)
http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/19479/2622118770104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2622118770104031159kaxJXb)
As we exit the boat, my phone buzzes and I have a voice mail message. Our room is ready! Yay!
We find we have been assigned to the SAME, EXACT room we stayed in last year! How does that happen?! We have our bags brought up and we unpack.
http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/44869/2560426570104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2560426570104031159ignryV)
http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/5016/2667995650104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2667995650104031159kHuOVT)
This is the last day we can use any of the credits from our free dining. For this portion of the trip, we are no longer on the free dining plan as the pin number discount we got for our accommodations was a much better deal than the dining. We head to Roarin’ Forks and use up two quick service meals – tuna sandwich for Gene; Roast Beef wrap for me. We bring our meals outside to eat. While there, we see ducks and bunnies. We hear thunder. It begins to rain. We pick up our tray and retreat back to our club level floor where we find a window table and finish our lunch.
In our room, we found an invitation to complete an entry for a drawing which includes a night in the room at the Castle and a stay at Bay Lake towers as the prize. We fill it out and bring it down to the DVC desk. We review the changes that have occurred to the DVC program since last year and we’re provided with another chance to enter the drawing as Gene can fill one out too. Wouldn’t that be a cool prize to win?! It’s such a long shot that’s it’s only a fleeting thought! We would like to see the Bay Lake Tower model (when we toured last year, Bay Lake Tower was a badly kept “secret” that Disney was still denying!) so we head over to Saratoga Springs where we, once again, meet with Paul. He’s far less enthusiastic than he was last year but we have once again told him that we are intrigued by Bay Lake Towers but still feel we will get our best value out of purchasing on the used market and are not ready to buy now. Still, he brings us to the Bay Lake Tower model. It’s quite tempting but would still cost quite a lot more than the resale market – even with the lower maintenance fees. Paul says Bay Lake Towers will sell out by December or the latest – January. He tells us to call him by November if we want to go this route. We’re offered ice cream which we decline. They take, and give us, a complimentary picture of the two of us. The van then quickly returns us to our resort.
We relax for a while and then change for dinner. As we approach the boat dock, it is looking very much like a thunder storm is imminent. The pool is closed. Nevertheless, the storm does not materialize.
http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/43609/2251205120104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2251205120104031159IaDMMY)
We have just missed our boat to the Magic Kingdom so we hop on the boat to Fort Wilderness and over to the Contemporary. From there, we pick up the monorail to the Grand Floridian.
There’s a lot of construction going on at the Grand Floridian. They’re replacing the flooring with marble tiles and have relocated the band from the Mizner’s end to the opposite end of the balcony. The waitress at Mizener’s says everyone hates the disruption and they can’t wait until the band is placed back in their proper location come October! We have a cocktail at Mizner’s and then head over to Citrico’s for dinner.
We’re quickly seated at a table on the kitchen side of the restaurant. I have a romaine and blue cheese salad while Gene has greens with goat cheese. This is sort of funny as Gene is the blue cheese fan and this is the second time today I’ve had blue cheese (My roast beef sandwich at lunch included blue cheese).
Gene has a steak but says it is not as good as the one he had at California Grill. I think he liked the sauce it was served with here less. I have the stripped bass which is excellent! We end our meal with decaf coffees.
After dinner, we check out a shop or two and then get on the monorail.
Since hours for this month were first announced, Disney has made a number of schedule changes. Tonight is now an extra magic hours night at the Magic Kingdom. Should we change and head back to the park? As we pass by the Magic Kingdom entrance, we watch the folks just pouring into the park. We opt to return home and stay there.
I watch Wishes from our balcony but Gene is already asleep.
Miles Walked: 1.84
New Today: This is another day when I don’t think we did or experienced something new.
Date: Sunday, August 23, 2009
Plan for the Day:
Off Day
Pool??/Downtown Disney??
Check out of Port Orleans and check into Wilderness Lodge Club Level
Roarin’ Forks for Lunch
Citrico’s for Dinner
How the Day Really Went: When we started this trip, Port Orleans French Quarter felt like the placeholder – the add-on – that would allow us to be here until we got our Club Level booking at Wilderness Lodge. Instead, I find I am reluctant to leave. I have greatly enjoyed this resort!
We get up around 8 and finish packing things. Gene brings coffees back to the room and we eat leftover chocolate cake and brownies. Gene calls bell services. After 10 minutes without an answer, he gives up. We devise a plan to get all bags out to the front curb. We bring some of them to the front of the resort and I remain with them. Gene then returns to the room to gather the remaining bags and brings them out to the curb.
Surprisingly, we never received a call the day before to remind us we were checking out and there was no envelope on our door this morning. Once all the bags are at the curb, I leave Gene with the bags and I go to checkout and ask if they are no longer doing express checkout. They apologize for the oversight and print out our final bill. I’m told we still have 6 quick services (This must be a mistake as my accounting indicates there should be 4 left) and have 4 snacks left as well.
We take a cab to Wilderness Lodge and check in at Club Level. The process is quicker and more efficient than when we did this last year. We’re told our room is not yet ready but that we have a Magic Kingdom view.
While we’re waiting for our room, we decide to rent a Pontoon boat. We’re provided with a 45 minute allowance for a 30 minute rental. Cool! We chug our way all the way around the Seven Seas Lagoon – taking pictures and trading off on driving. When we get over by the Poly, we’re near to the Ferry Boats. I’m careful to give them right of way as I’ve been instructed. Still, we hear a siren and a whaler comes screaming along telling us we need to leave that area. Okay. If we weren’t supposed to venture where we were located, I missed that instruction but we’ll follow orders and head over the other way. As Gene noted when we returned our boat, “We only got yelled at once.”
http://inlinethumb09.webshots.com/43208/2726861640104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2726861640104031159roAggv)
http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/19479/2622118770104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2622118770104031159kaxJXb)
As we exit the boat, my phone buzzes and I have a voice mail message. Our room is ready! Yay!
We find we have been assigned to the SAME, EXACT room we stayed in last year! How does that happen?! We have our bags brought up and we unpack.
http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/44869/2560426570104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2560426570104031159ignryV)
http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/5016/2667995650104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2667995650104031159kHuOVT)
This is the last day we can use any of the credits from our free dining. For this portion of the trip, we are no longer on the free dining plan as the pin number discount we got for our accommodations was a much better deal than the dining. We head to Roarin’ Forks and use up two quick service meals – tuna sandwich for Gene; Roast Beef wrap for me. We bring our meals outside to eat. While there, we see ducks and bunnies. We hear thunder. It begins to rain. We pick up our tray and retreat back to our club level floor where we find a window table and finish our lunch.
In our room, we found an invitation to complete an entry for a drawing which includes a night in the room at the Castle and a stay at Bay Lake towers as the prize. We fill it out and bring it down to the DVC desk. We review the changes that have occurred to the DVC program since last year and we’re provided with another chance to enter the drawing as Gene can fill one out too. Wouldn’t that be a cool prize to win?! It’s such a long shot that’s it’s only a fleeting thought! We would like to see the Bay Lake Tower model (when we toured last year, Bay Lake Tower was a badly kept “secret” that Disney was still denying!) so we head over to Saratoga Springs where we, once again, meet with Paul. He’s far less enthusiastic than he was last year but we have once again told him that we are intrigued by Bay Lake Towers but still feel we will get our best value out of purchasing on the used market and are not ready to buy now. Still, he brings us to the Bay Lake Tower model. It’s quite tempting but would still cost quite a lot more than the resale market – even with the lower maintenance fees. Paul says Bay Lake Towers will sell out by December or the latest – January. He tells us to call him by November if we want to go this route. We’re offered ice cream which we decline. They take, and give us, a complimentary picture of the two of us. The van then quickly returns us to our resort.
We relax for a while and then change for dinner. As we approach the boat dock, it is looking very much like a thunder storm is imminent. The pool is closed. Nevertheless, the storm does not materialize.
http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/43609/2251205120104031159S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2251205120104031159IaDMMY)
We have just missed our boat to the Magic Kingdom so we hop on the boat to Fort Wilderness and over to the Contemporary. From there, we pick up the monorail to the Grand Floridian.
There’s a lot of construction going on at the Grand Floridian. They’re replacing the flooring with marble tiles and have relocated the band from the Mizner’s end to the opposite end of the balcony. The waitress at Mizener’s says everyone hates the disruption and they can’t wait until the band is placed back in their proper location come October! We have a cocktail at Mizner’s and then head over to Citrico’s for dinner.
We’re quickly seated at a table on the kitchen side of the restaurant. I have a romaine and blue cheese salad while Gene has greens with goat cheese. This is sort of funny as Gene is the blue cheese fan and this is the second time today I’ve had blue cheese (My roast beef sandwich at lunch included blue cheese).
Gene has a steak but says it is not as good as the one he had at California Grill. I think he liked the sauce it was served with here less. I have the stripped bass which is excellent! We end our meal with decaf coffees.
After dinner, we check out a shop or two and then get on the monorail.
Since hours for this month were first announced, Disney has made a number of schedule changes. Tonight is now an extra magic hours night at the Magic Kingdom. Should we change and head back to the park? As we pass by the Magic Kingdom entrance, we watch the folks just pouring into the park. We opt to return home and stay there.
I watch Wishes from our balcony but Gene is already asleep.
Miles Walked: 1.84
New Today: This is another day when I don’t think we did or experienced something new.