BigRedDad
03-14-2010, 07:42 PM
March 7
Cast: Grandma, DD, and me (DW comes down on Tuesday)
OK, this was the nightmare morning. Princess Half Marathon killed all plans of enjoyment, at least until 10:10AM.
At 7AM grandma got hooked by DVC. She agreed to meet with them on Monday March 8. We talk with the lady there for DVC and two CMs from Concierge. We tell them of our plans to visit Epcot and they said to enjoy and that we could just catch the bus out front and be there in no time to take pictures out front. Issue #1: Well, we get on the bus at 8AM, get dropped of at TTC at about 8:45AM. The lines were all over the place and there was no rhyme or reason to where the line ends. It was out there. The CMs warned that MK would take an hour to get to and Epcot was 1.5-2 hours. They directed us to a bus to DHS if we did not want a long wait. We board the bus, it leaves quickly afterwords. We pass by Poly and up the road to the main street at the TTC and get stopped. We sit there for 30 minutes and are not permitted to get off the bus. Eventually, the buses are allowed to go and we finally enter DHS at 10:10AM.
Oh well. We get in and make our way to the Hat where Daisy and Donald are taking pictures. DD loves characters so we do that. Right after, HSM3 is getting ready to start. DD has no clue about and she is only 4. She gets into the show and dances around a bit. She almost gets selected to come out with them. Grandma gets selected to go out when they pull adults in. DD had a blast watching the show. We head over to the Little Mermaid show and she really enjoys it. It is almost noon and DD is getting tired. We head out at 12:15 back to CSR for a nap. DD crashes for 3 hours.
About 5PM, we head out to Epcot for Illumintations. We head to Innovations for some play time, walk on the Clam Mobiles, walk into Turtle Talk, and have a "real" dinner at Living with the Land. I can't remember what we ate, but it was more traditional. I had roasted chicken, DD had some turkey, carrots, grapes and milk, and grandma had soup.
We head out and take some pictures of the topiary. I found out how little I know how to use a DSLR and pictures are not turning out that good. We head to the Rose and Crown. A couple just gets up from a table right next to the wall so we could sit and enjoy. It was an hour until the show. Grandma and DD are freezing because of a brisk wind off the water. DD used my sweatshirt to stay warm. Grandma went and found a scarf to buy. When they rang it up, she told them she did not want it. It was $145. She though it said $14.50.
I learned that taking fireworks pictures requires an extremely wide angle lens, people next to you not messing up your view, and that I should have been much farther back. My pics were garbage. So, no more fireworks photos because it is too much gear for me with DD in tow. After, grandma and DD head back to CSR and I head to MK for EMH from 10PM to 1AM. I get there walk on PoC, BTMRR, SM, HM, and SM was a 10 minute standby that took almost an hour.
ISSUE #2: This is a peeve of mine and I have complained to WDW already. I even tested it after it irritated me. CMs do not check the room keys for EMH. They glance at them and that is all. They do not check dates. I used a room key from 2 years ago as a test on BTMRR, SM, and HM after the CM at PotC just glanced for a blue card. At PotC, one person occupied the CMs attention while their entire group of about 50 people, not staying at a resort, walk in.
EMH is broken and screws those of us that are staying on site.
Cast: Grandma, DD, and me (DW comes down on Tuesday)
OK, this was the nightmare morning. Princess Half Marathon killed all plans of enjoyment, at least until 10:10AM.
At 7AM grandma got hooked by DVC. She agreed to meet with them on Monday March 8. We talk with the lady there for DVC and two CMs from Concierge. We tell them of our plans to visit Epcot and they said to enjoy and that we could just catch the bus out front and be there in no time to take pictures out front. Issue #1: Well, we get on the bus at 8AM, get dropped of at TTC at about 8:45AM. The lines were all over the place and there was no rhyme or reason to where the line ends. It was out there. The CMs warned that MK would take an hour to get to and Epcot was 1.5-2 hours. They directed us to a bus to DHS if we did not want a long wait. We board the bus, it leaves quickly afterwords. We pass by Poly and up the road to the main street at the TTC and get stopped. We sit there for 30 minutes and are not permitted to get off the bus. Eventually, the buses are allowed to go and we finally enter DHS at 10:10AM.
Oh well. We get in and make our way to the Hat where Daisy and Donald are taking pictures. DD loves characters so we do that. Right after, HSM3 is getting ready to start. DD has no clue about and she is only 4. She gets into the show and dances around a bit. She almost gets selected to come out with them. Grandma gets selected to go out when they pull adults in. DD had a blast watching the show. We head over to the Little Mermaid show and she really enjoys it. It is almost noon and DD is getting tired. We head out at 12:15 back to CSR for a nap. DD crashes for 3 hours.
About 5PM, we head out to Epcot for Illumintations. We head to Innovations for some play time, walk on the Clam Mobiles, walk into Turtle Talk, and have a "real" dinner at Living with the Land. I can't remember what we ate, but it was more traditional. I had roasted chicken, DD had some turkey, carrots, grapes and milk, and grandma had soup.
We head out and take some pictures of the topiary. I found out how little I know how to use a DSLR and pictures are not turning out that good. We head to the Rose and Crown. A couple just gets up from a table right next to the wall so we could sit and enjoy. It was an hour until the show. Grandma and DD are freezing because of a brisk wind off the water. DD used my sweatshirt to stay warm. Grandma went and found a scarf to buy. When they rang it up, she told them she did not want it. It was $145. She though it said $14.50.
I learned that taking fireworks pictures requires an extremely wide angle lens, people next to you not messing up your view, and that I should have been much farther back. My pics were garbage. So, no more fireworks photos because it is too much gear for me with DD in tow. After, grandma and DD head back to CSR and I head to MK for EMH from 10PM to 1AM. I get there walk on PoC, BTMRR, SM, HM, and SM was a 10 minute standby that took almost an hour.
ISSUE #2: This is a peeve of mine and I have complained to WDW already. I even tested it after it irritated me. CMs do not check the room keys for EMH. They glance at them and that is all. They do not check dates. I used a room key from 2 years ago as a test on BTMRR, SM, and HM after the CM at PotC just glanced for a blue card. At PotC, one person occupied the CMs attention while their entire group of about 50 people, not staying at a resort, walk in.
EMH is broken and screws those of us that are staying on site.