stephicakes
01-29-2014, 01:09 PM
SAT 1/25: the plan is DHS EMH in the AM. Walked over to the Boardwalk Bakery on our way to DHS – a tradition! We love the walk to DHS by the water so we sip our coffee and enjoy the morning. Cold again! Good thing I brought my winter coat (never thought I’d say that here!) but it did warm up eventually today. Our FP+ were for: 9-10am ToT, 10-11am Star Tours, 11-12 TSM. We were able to ride RnR twice before doing ToT. The line for ToT was only 10 minutes so we rode once saving the FP for later. Went on TGMR and went through the Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time. That was ok but once was enough. It was really warm in there and standing so close to everyone got uncomfortable. Back to ride ToT with FP and then on to TSM with FP (stand by was 70 minutes by 11am). We had an ADR for noon at the Hollywood Brown Derby (made easily on MDE app the morning of) and we were seated early. Service was wonderful and the food was good but I thought it was overpriced. I understand you pay for the experience, but the food seemed just average to me. My DH had the chicken breast sandwich with bacon which we all agreed he could have gotten anywhere and not for $33. But it was a lovely time regardless. Dad had the filet mignon which he enjoyed and I had the famous cobb salad. After lunch it was a walk back to BC for some rest. We were able to sit in the sun for a short while by the pool and that felt great! :vacation: Back to walk and nibble around WS in the evening.
SUN 1/26: Last day at the parks. It was back to MK to finish up Tomorrowland and a couple things we hadn’t done yet. Our FP+ were for: 9-10am SM, 10-11am Buzz, 11-12 VotLM. Again because we got there early we were able to do SM twice in a row first thing. We also took a spin on the TTA (one of my favs) and we were able to do HM again and finally PotC. PotC was walk-on and we almost were the only 3 people on the boat until another family walk up last minute. This again is why we love hitting the parks first thing in the morning (not for everyone, but it works for us!). We left around noon after watching The Dapper Dans for a spell. Saying goodbye to the castle is always tough :( but we know we will be back again one day. Back to BC to do laundry and rest before our Via Napoli ADR at 4:30pm in Italy. This was our first time there but now it will be a must do! We split a large pizza between the 3 of us with leftovers to take back. The pizza crust is so thin and light that the meal does not seem too heavy. So delicious! :eat: Tried a yummy Italian beer. We will be returning here for sure. One last walk around WS and a final ride on Maelstrom and the Gran Fiesta Tour before heading back to BC to start packing and to pay off our bill. We did a quick dip in the quiet pool & hot tub before heading off to bed.
MON 1/27: Up early to pack and check out. Checked our suitcases for the airline outside by the bus loop, then checked our carry-ons with Bell Services so we can enjoy the last couple of hours strolling the Boardwalk and rocking in the white rocking chairs outside of the BC enjoying the water, boats coming in & out, and watching the Boardwalk. This is always a bitter-sweet time to know you’re headed home but watching the happy families just heading out to the parks for the day. I love seeing how excited everyone is. DH says we most likely will renew our annual passes so here’s hoping for a fall trip back to the world! ME was at 11:05am and we had a direct flight home on Southwest. Flew into frigid temperatures in Rochester. Calgon… take me away again… PLEASE!!! :teleport:
OVERALL: Beach Club was amazing as always and I really feel like I’m home when we stay here. Of the deluxe resorts we’ve stayed at so far, this is by far my favorite because of the amenities and location to EPCOT and DHS. I love sitting in the lobby while sipping coffee in the morning watching all the comings and goings, and I LOVE the way the lobby smells too! It is hard not to feel relaxed here. The room was tidy and clean as usual but the bed seemed very uncomfortable this time. The nights left my hips and shoulders aching from the hard mattress.
FP+ had its pros & cons but overall it seemed to work for us. There were times that we didn’t need to use them but because we were so close to our ride window, the MDE app wouldn’t allow me to switch to another ride or to simply drop the reservation altogether. Hopefully Disney will continue working out the flukes on this. But I give FP+ a thumbs up for our family. The MagicBands were great and we loved the ease of getting into our room & parks quickly, and paying for things easily. Can't wait to go back!
Thanks for reading peeps! :dory:
steph :D
SUN 1/26: Last day at the parks. It was back to MK to finish up Tomorrowland and a couple things we hadn’t done yet. Our FP+ were for: 9-10am SM, 10-11am Buzz, 11-12 VotLM. Again because we got there early we were able to do SM twice in a row first thing. We also took a spin on the TTA (one of my favs) and we were able to do HM again and finally PotC. PotC was walk-on and we almost were the only 3 people on the boat until another family walk up last minute. This again is why we love hitting the parks first thing in the morning (not for everyone, but it works for us!). We left around noon after watching The Dapper Dans for a spell. Saying goodbye to the castle is always tough :( but we know we will be back again one day. Back to BC to do laundry and rest before our Via Napoli ADR at 4:30pm in Italy. This was our first time there but now it will be a must do! We split a large pizza between the 3 of us with leftovers to take back. The pizza crust is so thin and light that the meal does not seem too heavy. So delicious! :eat: Tried a yummy Italian beer. We will be returning here for sure. One last walk around WS and a final ride on Maelstrom and the Gran Fiesta Tour before heading back to BC to start packing and to pay off our bill. We did a quick dip in the quiet pool & hot tub before heading off to bed.
MON 1/27: Up early to pack and check out. Checked our suitcases for the airline outside by the bus loop, then checked our carry-ons with Bell Services so we can enjoy the last couple of hours strolling the Boardwalk and rocking in the white rocking chairs outside of the BC enjoying the water, boats coming in & out, and watching the Boardwalk. This is always a bitter-sweet time to know you’re headed home but watching the happy families just heading out to the parks for the day. I love seeing how excited everyone is. DH says we most likely will renew our annual passes so here’s hoping for a fall trip back to the world! ME was at 11:05am and we had a direct flight home on Southwest. Flew into frigid temperatures in Rochester. Calgon… take me away again… PLEASE!!! :teleport:
OVERALL: Beach Club was amazing as always and I really feel like I’m home when we stay here. Of the deluxe resorts we’ve stayed at so far, this is by far my favorite because of the amenities and location to EPCOT and DHS. I love sitting in the lobby while sipping coffee in the morning watching all the comings and goings, and I LOVE the way the lobby smells too! It is hard not to feel relaxed here. The room was tidy and clean as usual but the bed seemed very uncomfortable this time. The nights left my hips and shoulders aching from the hard mattress.
FP+ had its pros & cons but overall it seemed to work for us. There were times that we didn’t need to use them but because we were so close to our ride window, the MDE app wouldn’t allow me to switch to another ride or to simply drop the reservation altogether. Hopefully Disney will continue working out the flukes on this. But I give FP+ a thumbs up for our family. The MagicBands were great and we loved the ease of getting into our room & parks quickly, and paying for things easily. Can't wait to go back!
Thanks for reading peeps! :dory:
steph :D