|
|
Post by wdw1972 on Jul 26, 2024 5:32:50 GMT -5
Who/When/Where:
Who: Sue (65), DVC Member
SB (66-67), my husband
Chris (37), my son
Amanda (35), my daughter-in-law
Ari (8), my grandson
Dates: July 26 – 29, 2024
Resort: Disney’s Fort Wilderness Cabins
Experience: Very Experienced – but first stay at new cabins
INTRODUCTION:
A very long time ago I had a couple of trips at the old Fort Wilderness cabins (called Wilderness Homes then), with the last trip being around 35-36 years ago. Fort Wilderness is the last place I’d typically want to be, since it’s so far removed from the things I’d normally be doing on my trips. It’s a great location if you’re not going to the parks, although the pools are nothing special and I’m certainly not a camper. When Disney announced they were removing the old Wilderness Homes and replacing them with new modern-style cabins that would be DVC my curiosity caused me to take a look when they revealed more information.
For DVC families I find them a bit odd. First, who wants their kids sleeping in the same bedroom as the parents? I realize that’s the norm in non-dvc resorts, but that’s not what DVC is about. Second, there’s no washer and dryer in each cabin – DVC always has a washer & dryer in each 1-br and larger villa. The bathroom and bedroom are at opposite ends of the cabin – separated by the living/dining and kitchen areas. That seems odd too. I don’t get up in the middle of the night, but many old folks do and having to walk through the living/dining room and kitchen to get to the bathroom seems weird. In the living room the tv is on the wall next to the couch. Sitting on the couch you’re looking at a window. For most people I would think the tv is poorly located. For SB, who prefers to be laying down, he can lower the Murphy bed (sofa) and probably watch the tv just fine, but most people aren’t like him!
On the plus side, these cabins are cheap compared to most 1-br villas. They’re free-standing, so no potential of noisy neighbors on the other side of the wall or passing by in the hallway. I’d hoped to grab one of the 4th of July weekend but got shut out – they booked up in seconds! I was able to snag this weekend in late July, which happens to include SB’s birthday on Saturday. It’ll be a great opportunity to try them out, for a short stay when I would absolutely NOT be going to any parks. A plan soon came to mind to make it his birthday trip.
On arrival day we’ll get settled and just grab something to eat and/or drink there at Fort Wilderness or Wilderness Lodge. The Roaring Fork menu looks like the best bet, as they have a chicken dinner for him and there was something on the menu I’d order. I’ll most likely watch the Electrical Water Pageant from the beach some nights – the MK fireworks are at 9:20 and EWP is 9:45. The July weather (thunderstorms) may impact the plans. Saturday we’ll spend the morning at the quiet pool. Chris, Amanda & Ari will be arriving to surprise SB for our Hoop Dee Doo Revue reservation. I booked the 4pm show – that works best for us, and it allows the Hollands to get home at a reasonable hour. I booked category 1 seats so we will be down on the main floor rather than the balcony. Sunday will be another pool morning and I booked dinner at Steakhouse 71. I love the onion soup, which is more than enough for my meal. They also have prime rib on the menu, which is one of SB’s favorite meals. Having said that now, he’ll order something completely different <g>. Monday, I would have returned to work but a few weeks ago a piece of a tooth broke off suddenly. It’s one of the small molars and it has a filling, so I’m assuming a crown is in my future. My dental office is in Ft Myers so Monday we’ll drive down there, check our home and spend the night at Chris & Amanda’s (they won’t be there due to embarking on a Disney cruise this day). The dental appointment is Tuesday morning and then we head to Gainesville so I can return to work briefly.
I expect it to be hot, humid and miserable – there’s no getting around that this time of year. We’ll make the best of it, and not going to the parks at all helps! Mainly I’m just looking forward to giving the cabins a try and doing something somewhat special for SB’s birthday.
The plans so far are:
Friday 7/26: Drive to WDW
Saturday 7/27: Pool, Hoop Dee Doo Revue
Sunday 7/28: Pool, Steakhouse 71
Monday 7/25: Drive to Gainesville
|
|
|
|
Post by Joeli on Jul 26, 2024 5:46:12 GMT -5
Sounds like it will be a fun and interesting trip. Looking forward to reading your trip report!
|
|
|
|
Post by tomandrobin on Jul 26, 2024 6:44:00 GMT -5
Tagging along.
Your thoughts and concerns of the Cabins is exactly how we feel. Looking forward to reading all about this adventure!
|
|
|
|
Post by melk on Jul 26, 2024 8:43:07 GMT -5
Looking forward to following along. We too had stayed in the old Wilderness Homes years ago. We knew we would never buy there but I think for a short trip with low points we’d be willing to try it out. Have fun at the Hoop Dee Doo! Ari will love it, I know my kids did at that age.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eli's Nana on Jul 26, 2024 10:48:14 GMT -5
Excited to hear all about the cabins. I too have been wondering about the layout as it seems awkward to me too. As you mention it's also disappointing that there is no washer/dryer in the unit. We aren't interested in buying points here but thought it might be fun to bring the grandkids sometime. I tried to get a couple days to check it out when my husband and I are at WDW in January, but we were out of town the first day of the 7 month window and there was nothing left the day after. We enjoyed Fort Wilderness when our son was a kid but haven't really stayed there since.
As always Sue, thank you for taking the time to share. Happy Birthday to SB!
|
|
|
|
Post by MinnieMom on Jul 26, 2024 10:49:44 GMT -5
Sounds like a fun trip! I just booked two nights in Cabins in early October and am looking forward to both following your TR and trying out the new cabins myself.
|
|
|
|
Post by simbasmom on Jul 26, 2024 17:03:14 GMT -5
I'll be interested to hear your perspective on how the new DVC Cabins compare to the older type. I too remember them from the early 90s (our last trip staying there was 1992) and we even stayed there in the 80s, when they were the "Trailer Homes" with small metal stairs to get in, no nice big wooden porches.
|
|
|
|
Post by wdw1972 on Jul 26, 2024 19:46:01 GMT -5
DAY 1 – Friday 7/26/24
Who: Sue (65), DVC Member
SB (66), my husband
Plan: Drive to WDW,
Actual: We were on the road just before noon and had a relatively easy drive down. There’s lots of construction but none of it caused any significant delay. Going home will be another story, as I-75 near Ocala has been a nightmare for months – including today (northbound). We had no notifications from Disney at all, so we went straight to Disney Springs. This is what we’d talked about this morning, but of course SB was surprised and wondered why we were doing that <g>. In one ear and out the other, as they say.
We parked in the Orange Garage and there was plenty of empty spaces. I chose a row right by the stairs and had a great spot. There was no line at security, so we were in the Springs in no time. I could hear music and singing and saw it was the traveling piano player. I’d heard of this but don’t think I ever saw it in person – very nice! She was singing a Disney song.
SB wanted a bite to eat so I suggested Jock Lindsay Hangar Bar since they have (had) happy hour 12-3 and it was just a little after 2. Along the way he noticed Paradiso 37 had a happy hour sign outside, but it was mainly margaritas and beer, so I said to check out Jock Lindsay and if it was full we’d come back – they’re basically right next door to each other. Since we were in the neighborhood, we looked at Gideon’s and the standby line was 5 minutes! I’ve never seen it this short and never expected this on a Friday afternoon!
We joined the queue and were inside in no time. Even the inside queue was mostly empty. I got the orange pecan chocolate chip (July special) and he got the banana bread chocolate chip. At the register the lady asked if we wanted to get a 3rd cookie to get the box/shopping bag or stick with just the 2 and have the crappy little paper bags with no handle (crappy was not her word – it’s mine). SB doesn’t know Chris’ family is coming up tomorrow so I couldn’t order 3 more cookies for them, but I opted to get a 3rd cookie and got the lemon special one (July). I figure if SB asks about it, which I’m sure he won’t, I’ll just say I got it for them, and we’ll be leaving it in their freezer when we get down to their place Monday (they’ll be on a DCL cruise at the time).
From there we walked across the street to Jock Lindsay and although the bar was pretty full many of the tables were available. We chose one and when the cast member came to take our order, I learned they no longer have a happy hour here. Oh well. I ordered a glass of sauvignon blanc and SB had a couple draft beers. For food he ordered the chicken wings, and they were pretty good. From our table we got to see a lot of the different food being delivered, and it all looked great. I would gladly come back here for the sliders and even the stuff that I wouldn’t necessarily eat looked very good and was presented in a creative way.
Almost as soon as we entered the Gideon’s queue, I got the text that our cabin was ready, so after leaving Jock Lindsay’s we went back to the garage to get the car. I had a bit of the challenge finding my way out for some reason, but after a couple of loops ended up outside the garage, headed in the right direction.
At Fort Wilderness the lines were backed up entering but it didn’t take too long. I parked and left SB in the car while I went inside with our magic bands to make sure they were going to work. While in there I asked about golf carts, since I could see so many sitting outside ready to be booked. They’re $70/day for the 4-seater so I decided to get one for Saturday & Sunday. I can pick it up tomorrow after 9 and need to return it before 11 on Monday. We can squeeze Ari in and ride it over to Hoop tomorrow, plus SB & I won’t need to deal with buses after today.
The cabins come in several different colors, all of which fit into the woodsy theming. They still have that brand new cabin smell! We’re pretty far down the 2300 loop, so it’s a bit of a hike to our quiet pool but the golf cart will come in handy. The cabin itself is adorable. I could certainly do without the bunk beds in the bedroom, but it’s not the end of the world. The kitchen is nice and having the tv on the wall next to the couch is working so far since SB just sprawls out sideways and uses the 2 throw pillows to prop himself up. Speaking of which, it’s nice to see throw pillows again! The deck is nice as well, although probably more useful in cooler weather.
There are 2 separate thermostats here – bedroom and living room. The bedroom was nice and cool, but the living room was set at 73 and felt really warm. Thankfully after knocking it down to 68 it eventually cooled down. SB laid on the couch watching the olympics’ opening ceremony while I unpacked and got us settled. I took care of a few minor work things and then updated the report.
By 5:30 it was absolutely pouring rain outside! Thankfully it wasn’t due to last long. The sky was not too dark, and a check of the weather app showed the storms were due to end around 6pm. We hung out in the cabin until then and watched the rain slow until it stopped a little before 6.
Leaving the cabin, I said we should continue around the loop since we’d driven so far once entering the loop before we came to ours. That was a good call, as the end was just 4-5 cabins away and it was directly across the street from our bus stop! Along the way SB noticed other golf carts and asked if they were included with the cabins. I laughed and told him this is Disney – not hardly! He asked how much they are and when I told him he exclaimed “are you out of your mind?” lol! I told him that’s why I only booked 2 days instead of the whole trip. They’re $70/day which is not terribly expensive if you’ll get a lot of use out of them, but I knew today we wouldn’t. We could manage just fine without one – it was really a spur of the moment decision in a “what the hell” style.
The bus came quickly, and we were the only passengers. The driver asked where we were headed and so didn’t stop at any of the other stops since nobody was waiting for a bus. At the end we disembarked and walked past the huge crowd waiting outside Pioneer Hall for the 6:15 Hoop Dee Doo Revue. The line on the left side was huge – very long. The line on the right side had maybe 10 or so people. Keep that in mind - it was the same way last July when we came (we entered from the right side), bypassing the hordes on the left side.
We walked out to the boat dock, where there was a long line on one side and a much shorter line on the other side. Luckily the short side was what we needed. The long line was headed to the Magic Kingdom, while the short line was looping between the campground, Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary. On this loop boats run in both directions so you can end up with a direct ride or a longer ride each time you board. In our case this boat took us directly to Wilderness Lodge and then continued on to Contemporary.
We walked up to Roaring Fork, which was pretty busy. We really should have mobile ordered the food, but that’s a lesson learned for next time. We stood in a short line to order, then got a number to take to our table. The food was pretty slow coming out, as they had some problem in the kitchen and when the food was delivered to people it usually came with an apology for the delay.
I had the caprese sandwich on focaccia bread and it was excellent! It was also much larger than I expected, so half is in the fridge now. SB got the roasted garlic chicken dinner and a $5 bottle of diet coke. We later realized he should have just gotten a fountain diet coke – another lesson learned. I’d made the assumption that the chicken dinner was a half chicken, like at Beach Club Marketplace. The price was the same – maybe a dollar more. When it came the chicken looked very small. SB was starting with a mood and couldn’t find a drumstick on the chicken anywhere. It looked like a breast with a scrawny wing and some other weird bone. He sat there poking at it with his fork, like a child. When the supervisor stopped by, I asked him if that is supposed to be the portion because it doesn’t look like a half chicken and there’s no drumstick.
He apologized and said he’d get us another one but for SB to go ahead and eat that one. He came back shortly and said another was coming, and that was a quarter chicken on SB’s plate. He came back again with a whole new dinner – with extra sized sides and a half chicken! The sides were nice green beans and delicious mashed potatoes with the skins in them.
Not surprisingly, SB’s “too small” dinner filled him up! He ate a few bites of the drumstick from the new dinner but all the rest of it went into a to go box. He didn’t even finish all of the mashed potatoes (I helped – those were great) and green beans from the first plate. He commented that he’d eat this for dinner tomorrow, but I reminded him we have Hoop (all you can eat)!
Once the food was packaged up and placed in a to go bag, we bussed our table and headed outside for the boat dock. Again, there was a long line and very short line. The long line was headed to Magic Kingdom. The short line had just missed the boat to Contemporary. However, soon a boat left the Contemporary and docked here. We boarded and were taken right to Fort Wilderness – so we lucked out both trips! Ordinarily I wouldn’t mind a nice boat ride, but I knew SB was anxious to get back to the cabin to watch the replay of the Olympics opening ceremony. On the way out I saw other people with the chicken dinner, and they looked like quarter chickens, so maybe I’m the one who was mistaken and that’s the correct portion here. If so, the price should be lower. This is just a counter service place after all.
The bus was waiting, and we were back in the cabin by 7:45. I watched the Olympics a bit while finishing up the report, but I knew I’d probably be switching over to HGTV at 9 so he pulled down the murphy bed and spread out in the living room to watch more of it. It’s so nice having separate spaces vs sharing a single room 24/7.
Today was a great day, thankfully not marred by the small chicken <g>. Jock Lindsay’s was great and having a 5-minute wait for Gideon’s was unbelievable. The cabin is adorable – definitely with some little things I’d have done differently, but overall, we’re both very happy to be here and it will be fine for this short trip. I’ll try to find time to list those little things later, but they are truly kind of nit-picky. I guess the big deal is they’re just different from the typical dvc villa. Had I not been staying DVC for the past 25+ years I probably wouldn’t even notice them. I’ll also look for time to list the specific things I like as well.
Tomorrow we’ll head to the quiet pool, which I think will be a bit of a hike from our cabin. The golf cart can be picked up at 9 so at some point one of us will need to catch a bus over to the check in area to pick it up. Hopefully we can ride around after the pool, and we’re looking forward to Hoop Dee Doo Revue. SB will be surprised when he sees Ari & his parents!
|
|
|
|
Post by jawfish on Jul 26, 2024 22:20:25 GMT -5
Great day, looking forward to hearing about the things you liked vs the things you noticed. Don’t think we will stay they ever but always nice to hear about other places. Maybe get some photos for all and post to FB?
|
|
|
|
Post by dlwdwdvc on Jul 27, 2024 9:27:52 GMT -5
Hi I always enjoy your trip reports because they are “exactly the info about your trip and you kindly enclose details for a future guest trip planning : such as the time for MKFireworks & EWPageant Parade .
If you have time , visit the new DVC Welcome Home Center at Disney Springs , close to the DVC Guest Service location .
When it opened it only had the first floor but last week it includes an upper level that has model showrooms of RR and Freestyle Coke machine and snacks offered . Also many DVC Castmembers and guides . They only Welcome you and ask if you want to meet to update your MDE or DVC info…
P.S Happy Birthday to SB
|
|
|
|
Post by wdw1972 on Jul 27, 2024 19:16:31 GMT -5
DAY 2 – Saturday 7/27/24
Who: Sue (65), DVC Member
SB (67), my husband, birthday boy
Chris (37), my son
Amanda (35), my daughter-in-law
Ari (8), my grandson
Plan: Pool, Hoop Dee Doo Revue
Actual: We both slept very well – him on the murphy bed since he stayed up through the end of the Olympics (repeating what we’d already seen) and just went to sleep there. Both beds were very comfortable. It is odd having the bathroom at the opposite end of the cabin but it actually works for him since he’s the only one of us who might get up in the middle of the night to use it. This way I don’t hear the Disney toilet flush (although this one isn’t loud like those value resorts).
We were both up before 5:30. I made my cappuccino and a mug of hot chocolate for him. Today’s his birthday, so I gave him his card – the gifts were all done prior to the trip. Around 7:30 I got up to start fixing breakfast. Since we won’t have lunch plans due to the early Hoop meal I made SB a breakfast sandwich with 2 eggs, bacon & cheese. I had my usual egg and slice of bacon, followed by a small piece of my cookie.
Breakfast was very good, and I moved my laptop back out to the dining room table to watch some of the Olympics with SB. He gave me the last bite of his breakfast sandwich and he was correct that it was way better than anything we could have bought in one of the restaurants – wow! Love having the full kitchen, but only for breakfast.
We started getting ready for the pool around 8:10 and were out the door by 8:
The pool is by the next loop over so we had a bit of a walk to get over there. Maybe there are shortcuts somewhere, but we’re not familiar with the campground. As we walked past a bus stop I asked the people there if they knew where the pool was. The closest one (ours) was just a little further up. We continued walking and two cast members on a golf cart stopped to ask if we were going to the pool (we were carrying those Styrofoam noodles, so safe bet that’s where we were headed) and they told us the pool was closed. They’d just locked the gate but it would be open in an hour. They apologized, and asked if we’d like a ride back to our cabin, which we accepted. SB had already been grumbling about the walk, although in front of them he was Mr. Sunshine and good cheer.
Speaking of sunshine – there was none. The sky was completely overcast and the humidity was thick! Maybe in an hour we’ll have some sun. SB turned the Olympics back on – beach volleyball, which is of no interest to me. I played around on the computer and killed time until it was time to get the golf cart. Chris, Amanda & Ari would be getting on the road soon and plan to visit Disney Springs when they arrive. I have a fake story in mind for later and will pick them up at the parking area & bring them to the cabin – just need to firm up the time so SB & I can both be showered, dressed & ready.
I checked the Roaring Fork menu again and it does clearly say half chicken, so the price seems appropriate but clearly the kitchen screwed up more than once last night. Hopefully they get that under control, as the food was very good. Just before 9 we headed out to the bus stop to ride over to the golf cart place.
We picked up the golf cart and a birthday button for SB. He told the golf cart lady he was only 15, so she told him he couldn’t drive, lol! We returned to the cabin for a short period while SB checked his many birthday messages. We rode over to the pool again just after 9:30. From here things started going south. We pull up at the pool and a worker tells us over the fence that it’s not open and will be another 10 minutes. We decided to ride around on the golf cart, which killed about 15 minutes or so.
Upon returning the workers were loading their stuff up into a pressure washing company’s van. One couple was inside the pool sitting at a table and told us the pool’s officially still closed but the guy let them sit in here to wait. There were no chaise lounges – they were all stacked up in piles near a building. By now it was 10am.
A cast member came and started unstacking the chaise lounges and setting them up around the pool – another cast member came to assist. Once there were chaise lounges in our area, I set out looking for pool towels and couldn’t find any. I asked the cast member, who said there are none here. He works at the Lodge so doesn’t know any more than that. SB was already in the pool at this point, and we had no towels for drying off later.
I decided to use the app to express my concerns and initially was told towels were provided at the Meadows pool. They verified I was not at that pool, and I thought they might be sending someone over with towels. That turned out not to be true, and I was given the option of speaking with a manager. SB decided he wanted to head back to the cabin since the water in the pool was so warm (91 degrees). I dropped him off and drove over to the Meadow pool area. Of course, I took the wrong turn and ended up parking by the trading post rather than the pool. There’s lots of recreation over here but since I don’t plan to visit with kids, I don’t have any interest in exploring it further.
I went into the pool area and did not see any towel bins. I noticed all the towels on the chaise lounges were from people’s homes. I left in disgust and ran into the two cast members from the golf cart this morning and they asked how I was doing. I explained looking for towels and they explained towels used to be provided but the campers would take them back to their campsites and they’d never be seen again so Disney stopped. That made some sense, and I can appreciate that but there needs to be communication. I accepted to accept the chance to speak with a manager and filled the form out on the app. The nice cast members from this morning got me some towels from the lifeguard – they keep some for-emergency use. I thanked them and returned to the Wilderness pool.
I’d no sooner sat down when the phone rang – it was the manager of the resort. I explained all that had happened, and she said I was definitely given misinformation this morning and apologized for that. We had a nice conversation, and I learned the late opening was due to maintenance they just learned about last minute. I pointed out that with DVC taking over 350 cabins eventually, there needed to be notification to members booking towels would not be provided at the pool – or they needed to put pool/beach towels in each cabin similar to how they did at Hilton Head for a while. She encouraged me to fill out the survey after my stay and explain all that, as the more feedback they can get, the better.
She asked if we had lunch plans today, but I told her we’d be doing the early Hoop with family so no lunch was needed. She did want to do something and asked if she could send something to the cabin, so I thanked her for that. I decided to head on back since the sun was not cooperating and the little breeze we had earlier had died. SB was watching Olympics and doing online stuff. Soon there was a knock on the door and a cast member brought us a cloth bag with a bag of marshmallows, 2 hershey bars and a package of graham crackers – along with 2 long wooden skewers. There was a card inside wishing Floyd a happy birthday.
I decided to take my shower and get that out of the way, but first poured a half-glass of wine and just chilled out online a bit. I also laid the groundwork with SB on the fake story for later. I used my Disney friend Lori B, reminding him she’s the one that did the golf cart tour with us here years ago. I said she’s staying somewhere and hopes to take the bus here, I’ll pick her up so she can see the cabin then she’ll take a bus to the boat to get to MK for her early dinner reservation at Tony’s Town Square. Totally plausible, but with Lori a dinner at the Plaza would have been more realistic. He doesn’t know that, though <g>.
The golf cart was charging outside – the first time I plugged it in the charge didn’t seem to connect. It was 80% and when I checked it later it was still 80%. I tried the other outlet and this time I heard the 3 little beeps, and now it’s up to 90%. The last thing I want is to get stranded at Pioneer Hall, lol – and depending when the Hollands get here we might want to go for a joyride.
While I was finishing drying my hair I got the text that they were on the way from Disney Springs. I quickly got SB up, with him grumbling about someone coming over. I straightened up while he was in the shower, laid his clothes out for him and then headed to meet the Hollands up front. They looked at the horses and I spotted them near the bus stop when I arrived. Once on the cart we headed back to the cabin.
I gave Ari and extra magic band and told him to go inside and surprise Grandpa Floyd. SB was sitting up on the couch and saw this boy come to the door and had no clue who he was, lol! Ari entered, yelled happy birthday, rushed over to SB & grabbed a pillow from him. SB still had no idea what was happening or who he was, lol. When Ari threw the pillow at him and screamed “torpedo” then it all clicked, lol! Ari had made him a birthday card, which was really cute.
We visited for a while, then most of us went out to ride around the campground. We found a couple of campsites that had decorations. One guy had probably 20 different inflatables lined up – most from Nightmare Before Christmas, but also a row of Grim Grinning Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion. Another site had lots of Christmas lights strung all around. It was getting warm even on the cart, so we headed back to the cabin and joined SB in the air conditioning. It was 3pm already, so not long to wait for it to be time to head to Pioneer Hall. We’d stopped over there earlier on the cart, and I was surprised to see so many carts parked in the area. Guess those people must have taken buses to the parks.
Ari spent most of the time in the top bunk in the bedroom – he loved that thing! He would enjoy staying here, just for that reason! We left a little after 3:30, riding the golf cart over to the Pioneer Hall area. Chris spotted a really close parking space and since he was sitting on the back seat, he could give me instructions as I backed in. This way if it’s raining, we’re literally just across the walkway and can pull right out.
.
We checked in and were given a piece of paper with our name and table number. I asked about the discount for passholders and was directed to guest services in the building across the way. Lots of people were gathered in the area to wait in the shade but nobody was at the window. Once I verified my identity and passholder status they issued a refund of $29 to the credit card I have on file. That would be roughly 10% I believe – probably just 10% of the pre-gratuity price. Regardless, that’s $29 in my pocket which will most likely get spent at Disney.
In about 5 minutes they announced Hoop was opening and we joined the mob at the front door. Since everyone’s table is already assigned, there’s no need to worry about whether you enter first or last. I booked the category 1 seating, which is the best. Last year it wasn’t available at 60 days, and we sat upstairs. Tonight, we were on the floor, 1 table away from the front row (and behind the keyboard & banjo players). It was a great spot! I was a little bummed that Carol (Stein) wasn’t working tonight – she will be playing Miss Kitty on the keys next Saturday. Instead, we had John, who I remember (but we don’t know each other) from the Pleasure Island days.
Ari wanted to sit between Grandma Sue and Grandpa Floyd, and since we had a table for 6 set for 5 people, we took the side with 3 chairs. Chris & Amanda were across from us. When seated the salad, cole slaw and corn bread are already on the table, and our waiter (Edward) quickly gave us the beverage menu, explained the meal, and took our drink orders. Chris would normally drink but since he was driving, he stuck with soda. Amanda had orange soda, Ari had lemonade, SB had sangria and I had the chardonnay. Edward brought us each 2 glasses of whatever we ordered. He did a great job throughout the meal, checking on us, bringing more of whatever was asked for, clearing plates, etc. They all work pretty hard here, but I imagine it’s a great job to have! Most of the servers were quite old (around my age – some older), so I’m thinking they’re long-term cast members.
When the show started it didn’t take long for Ari to get into it. There’s a lot of audience interaction and participation, which makes it a fun experience. They do that for a bit, then we get the rest of the dinner, then more fun & singing/dancing/joking, all culiminating with the grand finale and dessert. Right off the bat one of the actors picked our table to be spotlighted in the where they’re from song. When asking about birthdays Ari keep pointing out SB, to SB’s embarrassment. One of the female actors came over to spotlight him, asking where he’s from, what’s his name, and how old is he. SB said 15, lol! She laughed and joked that she never would have guessed that – this was all done as part of the show.
Later when they got ready for the grand finale another female actor came over and asked Ari if he would help them with the show and he agreed. They took him backstage, and he reappeared as the Scout in the final number. He did a great job, and afterwards was presented with a certificate for being an honorary Pioneer Hall Player. He loved it! He returned to the table just in time to get a washboard and something to make noise with – he loved that too.
Overall, it was a great time, and the food was very good too. The main meal included fried chicken, ribs, baked beans, mashed potatoes and mac & cheese. The ribs were surprisingly good – sometimes they’re not that great. Everyone eating chicken really loved that as well. I thought the mashed potatoes were outstanding – not sure what it is with me and mashed potatoes these last two days. To me the mac & cheese was just ordinary, and I don’t like beans so didn’t eat those. Everyone had plenty to eat and seemed to enjoy what they had. Dessert was strawberry shortcake again – same old, same old.
We went outside and were pleased to see it wasn’t raining yet. We hopped on the golf cart and went back to the cabin for a bit. Rain was coming, so I dropped them off at the parking lot and they headed out hoping to beat the rain. It was great that they were able to come up for SB’s birthday.
I went back to the cabin and before long it was raining, but not too heavily. It didn’t last long and I decided to go ride around since I was paying for a golf cart. The rain had pretty much let up by then, and completed stopped while I was out. I drove through many of the camping loops, surprised at the many empty campsites. It’s nowhere near full here, although this time of year is a miserable time to come (unless you have no choice). I saw lots of beautiful RVs, many ordinary ones, and saw some people who had a tent in addition to a small camper. I can’t imagine tent camping in Florida in July! Truthfully, I can’t imagine tent camping anywhere any more – did it as a young person but have no interest in it as an adult.
At some sites the guests had elaborate decorations – I can’t imagine hauling and setting up all that stuff, but I enjoyed seeing it. I assume they’re here for an extended period of time. In December there’s far more – probably October too. I got back to the cabin around 7:30 and decided I was in for the night. Although I love Electrical Water Pageant, it’s just too late and too far from the cabin to bother with. I’ll see it in January when we’re all at Boulder Ridge.
Today started out kind of rough with the pool opening 3 hours late, and the towel situation. Also, no fault of Disney but it was cloudy all morning so getting some sun was not possible. I appreciate the manager contacting me, listening to me and explaining the situation even though I wish it wasn’t so. If I stay here again, I’ll be better prepared. The rest of the day was fabulous, although it seemed to pass too quickly. Having Chris, Amanda & Ari come up to surprise SB was wonderful and we had another great memory made at Hoop.
Tomorrow will be a relaxing day – pool in the morning, and no other plans besides dinner at Steakhouse 71. It’ll be the first time there for SB and I think he’ll like it.
|
|
|
|
Post by tomandrobin on Jul 28, 2024 6:02:37 GMT -5
Fingers crossed for better weather for your trip!
Happy Birthday SB! Hope you have a fantastic Birthday dinner at Steakhouse 71!
|
|
|
|
Post by helenabear on Jul 28, 2024 7:22:07 GMT -5
Happy Birthday SB!
|
|
|
|
Post by Brian5581 on Jul 28, 2024 13:15:43 GMT -5
Happy Birthday to Floyd! Continue to enjoy!
|
|
|
|
Post by wdw1972 on Jul 28, 2024 16:59:25 GMT -5
DAY 3 – Sunday 7/28/24
Who: Sue (65), DVC Member
SB (67), my husband
Plan: Pool, Steakhouse 71
Actual: We slept well again and were both up around 5:30. I love that it’s so quiet here! We got to talking about the next phase of the trip and decided to make a change. Originally we were going to be staying at Chris & Amanda’s for Monday night. However, they’re far relative far from where we need to be, they won’t be there due to their DCL cruise, and due to a change yesterday their two dogs will be home (with someone coming in to check/walk/feed) rather than at the dog resort. SB suggested getting a hotel room and that made sense. It’s the off season right now so room rates are reasonable. I checked online and was able to get a place with a kitchen, located a few minutes (at most) from the dentist, 15 minutes from our home, for $110 with all the taxes and fees. The Minnesota Twins’ complex is right there as well, but the minor league team is off on Monday night, otherwise we would have attended a game.
With that out of the way I enjoyed my cappuccino in bed while we relaxed doing online stuff for a while. SB kept falling asleep out in the living room so around 7:45 I made my breakfast. Around 8 I decided to just go ahead and start his, as this morning was looking better for the pool (blue sky vs totally overcast like yesterday). Thunderstorms are expected after 1pm and continuing the rest of the day, but I imagine it won’t be steady storms.
He enjoyed his breakfast and said he wanted to stay back in the cabin to watch the Olympics today, so I rode over solo around 8:30. It was nice at the pool with a number of other people arriving, but everyone was quiet and the people with young kids kept them away from the adults just lounging or talking to each other in the pool. I did a little reading on my chaise lounge, including an article that reminded me that it’s generally better to book hotels directly with the company vs one of those 3rd party sites like booking.com or hotels.com. The hotel I’d booked this morning I did on hotels.com (which is not like me).
I pulled up the reservation and confirmed it could be canceled with no penalty – I at least had been smart enough not to prepay. Then I went to the hotel’s site and learned it was brand new – just opened, and it’s the premium level of this company. Checking the rates they had a promotional rate that with taxes and fees would be only $84 and change. I booked that – and did not prepay this one either. Going back to cancel the one on hotels .com was a pain in the butt and very frustrating. I clicked to change or cancel the reservation and there was no easy, press a button way to do that. I ended up having to chat with an artificial intelligence thing which looped me around in circles a few times. It wanted me to log in (I don’t have and don’t want an account with them) or download their app (no thanks). Finally, I agreed to sign in via facebook and that eventually worked. I have an email confirmation that it was canceled, so I’ll hold onto that!
Once that was done, I moved into the pool since it was getting hot outside. At first, I brought my kindle to continue reading but soon put that back on the table and got my Styrofoam noodle to just float around instead. Eventually the sky clouded over, and I thought the sun might be finished for the day, so I dried off and headed back to the cabin around 10:30 or so.
SB was watching his Olympics, quite content. He’s looking forward to the basketball but will watch pretty much anything. I decided to go drive around the campground in the golf cart again – since I’m paying for it might as well use it. I once again toured almost every loop. Well more than half the spots are vacant. However, golf cart parking is tough to find, so what is this place like when they’re sold out??
Being a weekend day, several people were packing up and heading out. I was surprised to see so many who transport their golf carts on the back of a pickup truck. How do they get the golf cart up there??? I took pictures of many of the decorated sites. Some people were sitting outside watching the Olympics on the tv on the side of their RVs. Cast members were power washing some of the sites, where I assumed someone would be checking in later today.
I came across a couple deer wandering around munching greenery. They’re pretty used to people here and the golf cart didn’t phase them at all. There are a couple models of the cabins in the loop closest to Pioneer Hall – one regular, one handicapped accessible. I didn’t stop at either one. While I was riding around the sun came out again, so I guess I left the pool prematurely. At this point I was ok with that – with the sun out it’s hotter. I stopped in the trading post up by Pioneer Hall and spotted the 2025 calendar. SB always gets me the new calendar as a birthday or Christmas gift, so I picked that up for him. Normally we get it on the Labor Day weekend trip, but I canceled that this year.
I got back to the cabin around 12:30 and heated up his leftovers for his lunch. He ate it all and said he was full. I told him he better get hungry by the time of our dinner reservation, since I booked it primarily for him! I ate the other half of my caprese sandwich and it was just as delicious as the first half the other day! I will definitely get this again in January when we’re at Boulder Ridge.
I updated the report, he finally had Olympics basketball on the tv, and we hung out relaxing for a while. At some point I started packing up stuff too and moved into the bedroom to watch HGTV. I checked the app to see about pushing dinner back but the earliest available was 8:15. We decided to do it even though it’s later than we normally eat. I don’t think either of us will be hungry in just 4 hours from now at 5:20. I checked the menu, and the sandwiches are only at lunch, so at dinner SB’s only choices are big entrees.
Throughout the afternoon I would check the app in hopes of moving the 8:15 a bit earlier but nothing was showing available. By 4 I could hear the thunder rumbling and it cooled down some. I sat out on the deck reading for a while and it was quite comfortable! I then took another loop around on the golf cart before returning to the cabin after 4:30. I wish the rain would just start already and get done with before we have to head out!
The rain started shortly after I typed that – nice steady rain that sounds good on the roof of the cabin. I got up around 5:15 to take my shower and get dressed. I’m not seeing any lightning so hopefully the boats will be running tonight. We decided to take our showers and head over to the Contemporary, figuring we’d try to get in earlier for dinner and if that wasn’t possible look for space in the lounge. In the interest of not being up late tonight, I’ll cover tonight in tomorrow’s report.
Today was a nice relaxing day, and I enjoyed being here just taking it easy. Looking forward to dinner tonight, hoping transportation isn’t a nightmare in the rain, and then we head out tomorrow.
|
|
