BroganMc's 2023 Spring (Tron, Cirque, Family)

Have fun Jen! I really enjoy the auto train, it makes it so much easier to travel. We are taking it this summer:)

Enjoy!

Well we did it. Arrived at Sarasota Springs by noon. Our room was not ready though. So we sat down and had lunch at artist palette. Then went off to get groceries at Publix. And by the time we were done, our room at grandstand was waiting for us. What also was waiting for us was the heavens opening up and pouring. It's going to be one of those weeks. Warm and sunny with thunderstorms. Don't worry I brought extra rain ponchos.


We took a little time to settle in our room. Get some snacks. Meanwhile Sherry and Brohawk made their way to Orlando. In the crowds fled the parks it seems.

Around 6:30 I saw in my app that the bus for Epcot was on its way. So I grabbed my things and raced out the door. This was probably my only hiccup so far. Well the bus was supposed to come at 6:34, I didn't actually see and Epcot bus until 7:07. I saw lots of Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios but no Epcot. And make matters worse, there were people sitting on the handicap seats and the bus driver would not ask them to move. So he left me at the bus stop. I was fed up and decided to just go for my car. I probably should have hopped in the van to begin with but I wanted to give the buses a chance. Oh well, at least the rain had stopped

I was in the park by 7:30. First thing I did was renew my DAS And then met up with Sherry for a quick snack at the Canada pavilion. Since it wasn't crowded, we decided to eat right in front of the Port of entry. In an excellent spot for fireworks. A local family with these adorable kids came up to join us and Sherry was just getting comfortable when a message popped up on my phone. Brohawk had arrived! He's making a beeline for guardians.

The time 8:30 p.m. So much for fireworks right? I made a beeline myself and the two of us went on Guardians with like three people. Seriously there was no crowd tonight. Anywhere! If this is what rain does, then bring it on.

I do love my guardians. This time we got everybody wants to rule the world and I swear it makes the ride seem smoother.

It was exactly 9:00 p.m. when we exited the building, so I made a beeline back to the fireworks spot. Caught a few fireworks over the new encanto topiaries. I am only seen the topiaries by night and they are gorgeous! I cannot wait to see them tomorrow AKA later today by daylight.

The CMs were nice enough to let me sneak back into the wheelchair viewing area where I joined Sherry and her lovely new friends for the big finale. Now I was a big fan of Harmonious. Yes with all the barges. I enjoyed those LED displays. And I wasn't so impressed with luminous when I first saw it last year. However, I've had a chance to watch it again through YouTube and it's grown on me. It's the music and the story that that music tells that gets me. He truly is the story of us. The story of life, love, sorrow and happiness. Listen to the lyrics. Listen to those voiceovers. To me, it brings back the magic of Illuminations. Illuminations was a favorite of my dad's and mine. The lyrics of We Go on through the laughter and the tears, rang true for us for so many years. Because I was with him and his last years of life when it got hard. When he had lost his wife. When he struggled with health. When he worried about what he was leaving behind. When I got to spend so much time alone with him while my siblings were busy raising little kids. I cried at that show. And this new one luminous brings back those feels.

It is the bit in the middle when they talk about a times we are a pair and they play music from enchanted. And then they talk about loss and they play Jessie's song from Toy Story. But it ends with the sentiment that we are never alone. Not really. We may go through periods of joy and loss, we may feel like we are abandoned, but the truth is life does go on. And while I know longer travel with my dad, my life is filled with family and friends. And I enjoy my time with them as well. Because life does go on through the laughter and the tears.

Not much more to tell. I made it back to my car and home again. I did wear down my chair battery quite a bit yesterday but she held up like a trooper. Ended up taking a much-needed hot shower after a long day and night of travel. And crawled in my bed. My very low and way too soft bed. I really hate the new mattresses it's Saratoga. Honestly what the hell were they thinking? You sink into these things and not in a good way. It feels like I'm laying on a very mushy marshmallow. Those of us who are back and side sleepers hate this. But that's all we've got. And yes it's going in my review of the resort. Everything else about the remodel I can like. Especially the automatic doors on the handicap rooms. They're wonderful. Now the shower remodel that let's water everywhere in the room sucks! I miss my three and a half old shower completely tiled and angled toward the drain. That didn't get water anywhere. But some idiot designer thought they knew better. Oh well! Disney really needs to hire real disabled people and ask them how to do it right.

I'm back to sleep. Set my alarm for 6:45 a.m. trying to get in the morning cue for Guardians again. And we have breakfast at Garden Grill. My sister will be joining us too. So I look forward to an Easter egg hunt in the park with her. Let's pray the showers don't dampen our fun.

My chair has been charging for 8 whole hours and IT'S STILL CHARGING!!! Oh for heaven's sake. And it would need a deep charge on a day that I'm out for 12 hours. Wondering if I should pack up the charger in my ToGo bag. But who wants to sit still for an hour waiting for their "legs" to recharge? Arrrrgh!!!

Meanwhile breakfast is in 80 minutes.

I'm definitely driving over. Buses take too long. And yesterday the Epcot bus was 40 minutes late and full. The driver wouldn't take me so I booked for my van and was in the park 15 minutes later.

Ok morning rant over.

I love your trip reports so much💕

Good morning peeps!

I know posted a little bit yesterday morning but then I just dropped off. That was because I was having fun with my family. And that's what I do when I'm down here.

I did finally get off to the park but I was running late. I left the room at 10:00 a.m. and our reservation for breakfast was at 10:20. So I was just going through security at 10:15. And there was a long line for wheelies. Brohawk and Sherry were already inside and checked in waiting. Of course the restaurant wouldn't let them officially check in until I was there. So I thought it was going to be another half hour, but fortunately one of the security guard saw me and ushered me through another lane. All told, I think I got there around 10:30 a.m.

Now Garden Grill has two levels of seating. There are booth seatings All along the bottom level where the glass wall is and you can clearly see the landscape rotate before you. Unfortunately it's very narrow and there's no place for a wheelchair like mine. So we sat on the second top level above it. Tables are up there. It was okay. The wall between the two levels could be a little bit lower or see through. But you can see the landscape. Just not great.

The characters were at our table almost immediately. Mickey Mouse kept photobombing us. Pluto came as soon as our food showed up. I joked that like any dog he was begging for scraps. And of course we had Chip and Dale visit us plenty of times. And I finally learned how to tell the difference between the two. Chip has the chocolate nose because he likes chocolate chip cookies. Dale likes strawberries and other red fruits. And that's how I will forever remember them. We had a good time interacting with the characters and teasing them. And they teased us. Got some good photos. I know we're grown adults but it's fun to play with the characters. They can't say anything so you make up all the dialogue. And they react. Grumpy or happy or whatever. It's cute.

Our waitress was fantastic. She made sure we had triples of everything. We had a huge skillet of steak, bacon, eggs, potatoes. And since Sherry doesn't do well with cheese, the potatoes were without cheese well we had another skillet of cheesy potatoes. We had lots of monkey bread and fresh watermelon. We had pog juice, coffee, tea and huge cups of ice for our water mugs. We had so much food, Sherry and I took a little bit home with us. The rule there is that they will not pack up food for you but they will look away if you do. The food is all sort of family style so it's just going to get thrown out anyway. Better to conserve and have snacks later. Just don't take the eggs unless you're going right to your room. I doubt they would hold up well.

After breakfast, Brohawk took an hour or so to himself to go explore. Sherry and I went on soaring together. I'm glad they brought back the around the world version. I like it better than California. I know others may disagree but I enjoy seeing the Eiffel Tower. And truth be told, I really want to visit some of these places in person. The only thing I don't like about soaring is that they change their rules in the last few years about who needs the little safety belt. You know the tiny little child one for the little aviators who don't measure up to the mark on the back of the seat? Well for us shorter adults with shorter torsos, that Mark is about 2 in too high. Trust me we're not falling out of any seatbelts. I wrote it was just a seat belt for 10 years without any issues. But now they make me use the damn safety belt. And it is too short. So it's a very awkward situation. Somebody has to reach under my bum and pull it between my thighs. I usually only go with a close personal friend. And it's not a ride I can ever do by myself again. I get there reasoning. Some idiot in the fire marshal department was worried. but they really need to come up with a better system for people who are four to five feet tall with short torsos. At least have a longer safety strap.

After that the crowd was really picking up. It was a sunny day but not hot. Perfect spring day. The weather forecast called for rain in the afternoon but by noon it was 80° and clear skies. Good thing I put on my sunscreen.

We split up at moana's journey of water and I made a beeline to meet up with Brohawk. The day before when I reactivated my DAS The CM in guest relations would not let me link all of my travel party. He said they had to be in the park with me. But the CM at the umbrellas shaked her head said that's not true. So she linked my entire travel party to me. Now I can choose five of them at a time to Go on rides with me.

Now usually we've been converting our VQ at Guardians to a lightning Lane with DAS but I miss seeing all the exhibit in the standby queue. And since we weren't in a rush, we just went through by standby. It probably took us about 30 to 40 minutes to get on the ride. But it was good sibling time for us both. We had a long conversation about life and all the stuff in it. As well as enjoy the exhibits. I really love that life side display of the capital of Xandar with it six projectors of light above it. Xandar truly is a liberal Utopia. But we do wonder what happens to the little people who don't quite fit in their perfect society.

The other question we have is how this planet billions and trillions light years way or using Roman base ranks for their military. Also do they not know that a millennium and a centurion are swapped. The ranks go corpsman, Millennium, centurion and Nova prime. You figure that out.

Now my second ride on Guardians I got September by Earth wind & Fire. That's two rides in 2 days with two different songs. Yes I am keeping count. Oh and we learn something new from the cast member loading us. There is a hat graveyard on the ride. It's near the Milky Way section. Dozens and dozens of hats have flown off of guest heads and landed there. But it's so high up that it can only be reached with a crane. So they can't even get those hats down at night when the ride is closed. They're going to have to wait for a long renovation. And if you look closely on the top far right of the Milky Way, you will see a rose gold Mickey hat. Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. I think that's hysterical.

Of course the guest sitting right in front of us decided to pull out their camera midride which had me terrified I was going to get a phone in my face. I saw what they were filming. It was just a bunch of dark faces screaming.

By the time we finish with the ride, my sister had arrived in Orlando. Her husband was settling into their resort while she came to ours. He brought his sister and her husband along for the week. They're staying in the dinky little place we found but the last minute last week. Nothing to ride home about but it gives them time to be together. My sister on the other hand has her AP So she's hanging out with us in the park this week. And I'm loving it.

Brohawk and I ended up getting separate tables at connections Cafe. His was over by the bathroom. Mine was right by the glass windows at the entry. And we waited to see which table she would choose. I made a joke of it and said whoever she loved most. Of course she picked me. I am her favorite sister.

For the three of us met up and we had more sibling time. Which is really what all these trips are about. That's why my parents bought their first timeshare week to Orlando. Why my dad and I continued buying. We loved being down here and playing. And we wanted our family to enjoy it as well. It's a good time to catch up and do something fun.

Speaking of, Brohawk's daughter back in NC had heard about this item on the menu for flower and garden festival. A nitro-infused cheesecake. So we went off and search of it. They said in the booklet it was on the walkway from imagination pavilion to the World showcase. Of course that meant we just walk through the new garden area over to imagination and probably discovered the walkway is blocked due to construction. So we had to walk back again to the center and then take the other front walk away towards imagination but not actually to the pavilion. It takes you around the bathrooms there to the refreshment port. And that's where the booth is. Just next to Canada. Swirling something or other. We got nitro infuse cheesecake and soft serve peanut butter and jelly ice cream.

I found a little table right along the lake in the shade for us to have our feast. Sent pictures and videos home to the niece who added her commentary. She wanted to know if there was a show and then producing the nitro cheesecake. But we didn't really say anything. We think the liquid nitrogen was used to make the cheesecake cold and fluffy. Whatever it was it was delicious. And it comes with little edible flowers. Or at least we think they're edible cuz none of us have died yet. The ice cream is good but I think I prefer the peanut butter to the grape jelly.

I think the things I enjoy the most was just sitting there along the lakeside hanging out with my siblings. I had this moment of just pure enjoyment. Something that reminded me of being with my dad in Disney. We spent a lot of time here together. And we had a great friendship. We would talk about all kinds of things. It made us closer. And every time we would feel that, we would think of our family and wish they were there enjoying it with us. And now we are. So it makes me feel so happy. Happy for everything that my parents did for us. Happy that we've embraced everything that they did for us. And hopeful that the next generation will do the same thing. Having a good family is a choice for every individual. We all get on each other's nerves. We all fail each other at times. But when you choose family, you choose to work things out and make the best of it. And when you all choose it, you come up with something really special.

After our snack, bro hawk wanted to go off on his own again. He brought his little white convertible down to Florida and it was a nice sunny day. So he wanted to take it out for a drive and get a car wash. Poor little thing has been bundled up in our cold Maryland winter with snow and ice. At least that was his excuse. We made an agreement that it was his turn to try to get in the 6:00 p.m. EMH guardians queue. And if he did he'd be back for fireworks.

Meanwhile my sister and I went off for a walk in the countries. Oh I thought maybe Sherry would return after soaring. She had gone back to her room and beach club for a nap and a recharge. She's still recovering from her journey down yesterday. But it got a little too comfortable for her She never did make it back out until sunset. She texted me that her scooter wanted to go to Hollywood Studios and see fantasmic. That's her favorite show. And she's worried about being able to see it with all this rain in the forecast. So you know you make hay while the sun shines.

The rain in the forecast never did show up by the way. We lucked out. I didn't get to see and photograph several of those beautiful topiaries. This is the beginning of flower & garden festival so everything is in perfect condition. And the bathrooms at UK are indeed fully renovated. Everything is sparkling new.

We saw the band play in the Garden Courtyard. And I went on a hunt for my Mary Poppins skirt. I've been looking at this thing for a year debating it. It's too long for me so I have to mend it. I debated making one just like it but when I researched the materials, I would spend just as much or more. I wasn't sure they would carry it anymore but they did. Funny how we get excited over the simplest things. I'll be making a trip to match so you'll have to wait until October to see that Disney outfit.

My sister and I continued our "roll & stroll" thru the countries and onto France. I had booked a ride on Remy just in case. It went down in between but was back up when we arrived. It really is a cute ride. And it has entered my nostalgia database because it opened the first time my sis and I didn't or first solo F&W trip at the Boardwalk. I remember us both exploring the skyliner just before sunset as well. And getting drenched in sudden October thunderstorms.

We were hungry for snacks this time. Crepes filled the role. I got the berry compote but after a bit of my sister's, I think she got the better chocolate and hazelnut. I'll get one of them next time.

We had just enough time to get in line for the 6:45pm Garden Rocks concert. Richard Marx tonight. One of my college favorites. Got a seat up front about 6 rows from the stage but off to the left. Had a fabulous time singing along and recording for our brothers stuck at home.

Marx had a surprise for everyone. He looks for and comments on other amateur artists posting covers of his songs on social media. And he found one a couple weeks ago right here in Orlando. When he reached out to the kid, thre kid told hed be at the concert. So Marx invited him to join him instead on stage for a duet of that cover. Very cool when successful musicians help mentor the next generation.

Not much else to tell after that. We went for potato pancakes in Germany and Brohawk found us for fireworks. Showing off, it was time to go catch up to the Trio.

I can remind you that my uncle has come down with an injury for this trip. A pulled groin. Which means he's not very mobile off his scooter. So we have been working out the logistics of his Disney touring everyday. Sunday was a travel day which meant the only thing they had to do was settle in to our condo and go grocery shopping. This second day was the first park day for the trio. But they got a very late start and almost didn't make it at all. So when they did arrive, everything was sort of a blur as they made their way to France and hope so catching us but instead seeing the movie. Unfortunately there wasn't time to do other shows like the American Adventure.

Epcot's rides may be open late on their EMH, but not the shows. Even Connections Cafe is shuttered at 9:00 p.m. I don't understand that one. It's a perfect journey for them to Make money.

The threatening rain never came. That goodness. My siblings went back to catch the last Richard Marx set. I joined the Trio in that wheelchair section by Port of Entry. Got there by 8:30 p.m. It was more crowded than the night before. And my siblings joined us just in time for the show.

I'm liking Luminous more and more each time. My family prefers Harmonious, but if you just concentrate on the narration I think you'll fall in love with it too.

The show begins in an African storytelling style. Each countries gas flame lights around the lake. And the story of us begins with a beating heart. That's the colored lights in the fountains. We learned when we start out as babies we first find our voice. And you hear the Tarzan song. A baby crying then cooing and eventually harmonizing.

The next section is about how sometimes we find others to harmonize with. And we get the love songs from Enchanted.

But eventually we suffer the loss of that harmonization. Our partners pass on or we lose them some other way. And we feel alone. That's when we hear Jesse's song from Toy Story.

But then you hear a multitude of voices all crying out trying to harmonize. And the narrator tells us that we are never really alone. We all have a voice and we're all crying out to be heard. That's when me here the song from Tangled. It's a love ballad but also is one of a lost little girl attracted to the floating lights that are meant for her and never knowing that she is the most wanted in the kingdom. And she was never really alone. She had an entire community missing her.

These are the emotional parts that remind me of Illuiminations. Remember the part right after the globe would come out and we would get the second to the last finale? The song that played was "We would go on" together hand in hand through the laughter and the tears. It was a very poignant sentiment for me when I would see the show with my father. I had no idea how long I would have him in my life, but I was grateful for all of our time together. And some of it was hard as his health failed. Eventually that show ended as did my dad's role in my life. He was very difficult and bittersweet time for me. Just like the story of luminous my voice cried out and I found many voices around me that I could harmonize with. Friends and family have become a dependable and ever-present force of my life. I'm grateful for that. It's not the same as it was just my dad and me. I think I'm more of an individual now. More independent. But I am appreciated for what I am.

To try it next time. Listen to the narration. Understand the story. I think once you do, you will appreciate the show so much more.

Our EMH experience consisted of my siblings and I guiding the trio through the brand new courtyard area in the old future world. They had zipped by earlier so fast it was a blur, remember? We took a picture with Walt and I discovered something. While there is a step platform right in front of him, as long as you've been transfer and chair, you could sit next to him. And that is what I did.

It was getting late so my uncle and one of my cousins went home my bus. That left Brohawk, Cuz J and I went on Guardians while my sister happily waited outside with our stuff. I dragged her on Guardians once but roller coasters are not her thing.

Since it was 10:30 and so close to closing, we decided again to go into the standby line see all the exhibits. I really love this area. It's so cool. Yes it does add a little more time to your wait but everything was moving super fast late at night. And for my third ride I got yet another third different song. So far I have heard Everybody Wants to Rule the World, September and Disco Inferno. I have to write it at least three more times so I can get the other songs in the mix. I absolute favorite is One Way or Another by Blondie.

I had driven over and so did Brohawk that morning so we all went home by cars. My sister and cuz came with me.

He didn't take my chair quite as long to charge that night but the next days tail Is even more interesting. To be continued...

Hey everyone,

I'm back for another update. Sorry they've been sporadic. As you can see, once I start having fun with my family, I don't have time for much else. That's one of the joys of my life. And complications of this trip.

Now 60 days ago when the ADR window opened I pulled up Brohawk's bucket list of suggestions and started booking. The idea is that we eventually sample every Disney restaurant the is a few each trip.

If breakfast at Garden Grill was Monday then today is dinner at Mama Melrose's. There's no particular reason why we've never been there. I guess because the food is so good at 50s Primetime that we can't imagine getting food anywhere else decent in Hollywood. Now we can add another favorite to our list.

Our reservation was 5:55pm, just around dusk. I told everyone to meet by 5:45. And it turned out we were all coming from different directions. My siblings and I had separately gone to the last Indiana Jones Show of the night. The trio (My uncle and two cousins) had been in Hollywood all day going to shows. My uncle's still limited to the scooter because of an injury just before a trip. No rides for him.

Now the restaurant is in a tiny little corner across from the exit to the Muppet Show. It's easily lost in the shuffle. And I always assumed it was a tiny place. It's not. But there was confusion getting there because cast members were sitting up for some special event at Pizzarizzo's. I got a bit of a third degree before they let me down the pathway to check in. It was just the confusion of trying to set up for an event while having guests wonder about. And they did have a door to the backstage open. I wanted to make sure none of us were peeking inside and taking pictures. We must preserve the show!

They said it might take a little while but we were seated within 10 minutes of checking in. Our table was through the restaurant towards the back, which allowed us to experience all the decor of placement side. There are faery lights dangling from the ceiling giving this a secret garden ambiance. And there are plenty of rooms inside with tons of tables. I don't know why I ever thought this was a small place. It's not. And it's very popular.

Now the menu is typical for an Italian restaurant. Meatballs and pasta, chicken parmesan, and even a nice strip steak with macaroni and cheese done with rigatoni of course. We ordered the mozzarella and meatballs as appetizers. I mostly wanted the meatball because I had my eye on that steak. I'm a steak girl.

Our waitress served us a big basket of freshly baked bread hot out of the oven as soon as our drinks were on the table. The vinaigrette dip wasn't really our favorite but I happily dipped my bread in The marinara sauce for my meatball. And we had plenty of good old fashioned butter to share.

My cousin ordered the fried mozzarella with herbs. That plate was a little small and not really conducive to sharing but we still had plenty on the table.

Our entrees came out pretty quick and very hot. My uncle had the pasta with meatballs. And he ordered extra sauce inside. Brohawk and cousins got the chicken Parm. And of course I got the steak. Serving portions were very generous. So much so I can only eat about a half. And we were way too stuffed to even consider dessert.

Maybe the only thing I wish was better was the attention of our waitress. She was Asian so there was a little bit of a language barrier. I don't think she understood everything we were telling her and I know the opposite was true. Plus she was very busy and did not take her time with us. We had to flag her down a few times to remind her of things we wanted, but it wasn't terrible. She did make sure everything came out quickly and satisfactory. So she did earn her tip. And I guess I will chalk it up to it being a busy dinner time.

Definitely the food was worth a repeat visit. Maybe at a less busy time.

My only regret is that my sister couldn't join us. Her husband's family came for a visit to Orlando this week so she's been trying to split her time. And she cut out early to have dinner with them instead off site. Brohawk came for dinner but also left early to go attend a comedy concert in downtown Orlando. So it was just me and the trio for the rest of the night.

Anyone who knows me knows I have favorite rides in every park. And one of them in Hollywood is Slinky Dog dash. My nephew turned me into a roller coaster fan several years ago. I won't go on anything that goes upside down or dangles my feet, but I will go on the others. With getting help on and off of course. (FYI If you're ever in Disney when I am and you think you could lift a 90 lb woman in and out of a roller coaster, look me up. I'll happily use my connections to cut our wait times down in exchange for help getting on and off these rides. Just saying... )

Anyway I booked a time on Slinky Dog dash in hopes that my cuz would want to go with me. He's got his hands full looking after his dad right now but he's been able to sneak away for half an hour or so. And it worked out just fine this time. My uncle and his other son, who does not like thrill rides, spent their time in the Walt Disney Museum while we snuck off for thr ride. Everybody is happy except maybe Mother nature. That was a problem to beginning of this week. Storms!

They kept forming off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and sweeping northeast to us. Sunday it rained. Monday it threatened. Tuesday was downright ugly according to the radar. So after we got off Slinky Dog dash, the radar said we needed to make another mad dash to the buses. We were about to get drenched.

So we grabbed my uncle and cousin and made a beeline out of the park. No fantasmic for us tonight. The crowd was busy watching the projection show on the Chinese Graumin theater. I kept my eye on the weather radar counting down the minutes until we got hit. Since all four of us had wheels, that meant we had to go through two buses before we were safely in our rooms.

The first bus came pretty quick. My uncle and cuz got on it. My other cousin and I waited about 15 minutes for a next bus. And we were certain we were going to get rain all the way back. But by the time we were in our room the radar had changed. Sure the storm hit but not on us. It was breaking apart. Sort of just fizzled out.

Now we can get rain that night. In the middle of the night. A big bad storm with lots of lightning and thunder. Fortunately we were all safe and sound and asleep inside our condo at Saratoga. And thanks to Mama Melrose since we were very well fed.