4/2-4/9 at Riviera

Laughing a bit at the swimsuit price comments...I'm a big consumer of swimsuits....I swim 3xweek at home, and virtually every day I'm at Disney, so I go through a lot of swimsuits. I've bought expensive ones, cheap ones and some in between. None last all that long (regardless of price)...they get stretched out and faded very quickly after 3 miles 3 times a week in chlorine! So, on average I spend (probably; I've never really done the math) around $35-$50 for a new swimsuit, which generally lasts me (and I wear them til they're basically unwearable any more) 3 to six months...so for me $178 ($151 after the discount) was eye-poppingly expensive. But I love it. And the "extra" $100 could have been spent on a dinner out w/a friend...something I also do reasonably often and don't think a thing of it....wow, I'm good at rationalizing a purely self-indulgent extravagant expenditure, aren't I? Grin...

It's Day 6 and this installment of the TR will cover both yesterday and today....yesterday was a work day....what I'd thought would be 4-5 hours of work totalled closer to 10-11 hours...I started w/a jaunt over to Epcot for early opening, and rode Soarin as basically a walk-on (wait time was posted at 10 minutes, but there was no real waiting at all)....by the time I got off, the wait time was up to 40 minutes...by the time I left Seasons after enjoying a chocolate croissant over there, the wait time was up to 100 minutes. Did I mention it's REALLY crowded here? So I just decided to go back to the Riviera, do a bit of work, then swim (obviously I couldn't do my usual 3-mile swim prior to early opening at Epcot), then go on to another park after 2...only as noted, the "bit of work" turned into an all-day exercise (w/a break for lunch and another few minutes just walking around outside around 3)....I finally finished (or at least reached a point in my project where I was satisfied w/the progress made) around 6. Decision on dinner time.

I wound up going over to Primo Piatto (had their chicken sandwich--good, but not as good as the veggie skewer and not as good as their b'fast choices)....sat pool-side w/my Kindle for an hour or so, and enjoyed "just being"...back to my room in time to watch fireworks from my balcony and that was yesterday. A good day, even tho most of it was spent doing paid work...

Mixed in w/all this was a constant stream of emails & texts from various family and friends who just had to tell me that Disney is again selling APs...news I'd gotten from DVC already and news that makes me happy for those who had been shut out--I hadn't let mine lapse during the pandemic, and so have been able to renew and so the news had very little impact on me personally--the one possibility of it being something I can benefit from is if I put my DS and DDIL on one of my contracts so they can buy Sorcerer's passes....something we're talking about....I already told them I'd give them my Beach Club points (DS would inherit them anyway) but various timing issues make that something we won't do until September (primarily I want to keep/use a BCV reservation in August, booked on BCV points and that reservation would "disappear" in the process of transferring ownership of the points to DS)...and I'm seriously "nervous" about how long APs will remain for sale...so I told DS I'd add him & DDIL to one of my Saratoga contracts if they want me to (they'll inherit those contracts, too), so they can qualify for the Sorcerer's pass...they're thinking about it...we'll see if it works out...two Sorcerer's passes will cost a bit less than $900 less than two Incredi-passes, and they wouldn't go over spring break or Christmas anyway....so we'll see if we can make the add'n of their names to my contract happen in time for them to buy Sorcerer's passes...do you guys have any guesses as to how long it will be before Disney shuts down AP sales again? (They're clearly reserving the right to do so...no clue what "sell-out" level is...do any of you have a guess? And does anyone know how long it takes to add someone to a contract? Have to look into that when I get back home...

Today I decided that while I did want to ride Safari and Dinosaur (park reservation was at AK), I wanted even more to get my swim done early in the day (got a bit of a sunburn--only a little one--swimming mid-day yesterday)...figured I was risking not being able to do those rides (at least not unless I was willing to wait in a very long line, and I wasn't), but I did those rides when I was here in January and I'll be back in June...no biggie if the lines turned out to be too long for me when I got there (around 11)...I was right: the lines were too long (the shortest wait on any ride at AK at 11 this morning was 90 minutes--and FOP was 255 minutes)....did I mention that it's REALLY busy here? So I tapped in so I could go anywhere I felt like going at 2, and then left for my Kidani Sanaa lunch reservation...met a local friend there and we had a great time and a delicious lunch....then took a bus to HS, where I hopped the Skyliner for Riviera and came back here for a nap of about an hour. Now I'm updating this TR; after that I'll go back out...either Disney Springs or Epcot, I think...for dinner.

So, another good day in MagicLand for me. Tomorrow is my last day--park reservation is at Epcot; paid work is done for this trip, so I'll wander at will tomorrow...back home very early (7 a.m. flight) Sunday morning...I guess it's too soon to say "it's been a good trip" (still have a full day of it left), but it has been "just what the doctor ordered"....lots of time to "just be" and calm down...a wonderful (if hideously expensive) new swimsuit, and I got to stay at Riviera--I do like it here altho I'm unlikely to want to stay here again any time soon if at all...it's, as my son would say, "just not my vibe."

Hope everyone has/had a great Easter/Passover/Spring Break....Dani

I don't do many solo trips (this is only my third one since 2006 when I bought into DVC), altho I frequently add a day on the front or back end of a trip w/family...I do like doing Disney on my own, but wouldn't want to do it that way "every" time...I have a whole "crowd" of Disney buddies who like to come to Disney w/me, but my favorite trips are the ones w/my kids--each trip (and each "Disney buddy") is different, w/its own "special elements," including the solo trips.

I'd encourage you to try one if the itch to do Disney comes along at a time when your family or friends aren't available to join you. I'll bet you'll love the experience, even if you prefer your family/friends trips...

I'm just back now from Disney Springs where I discovered a "new-to-me" eatery that is often spoken of w/high praise among my fellow Disney Magic Owners...the "Chicken Guy"...had THE best chicken strips--and I'm still mind-boggled at the price ($5.99)...that's even less than Earl of Sandwich! Now, off to sleep the sleep of the well and thoroughly tired....tomorrow is "the end" of this trip, and I'm ready to go home...no doubt helped by the fact that I know I'll be back--for 12 days next time!--with my DS, DDIL, and DGS in June...

Sounds like you had a very nice and relaxing trip. Thanks for taking the time. I really enjoyed it.

I also love Riviera but agree the points are very high. It's also very hard to get into at 7 months! I had a tower studio once and had trouble getting the murphy bed up & down - also didn't like the teeny little fridge. I had a great view of the Epcot fireworks, and liked the location alright, but I wouldn't seek out a tower studio again.

Congrats on the swimsuit - sounds like it was meant to be!

Thank you for your TR! I read it with great interest, as we are staying in a RR 1BR in October. Our first time! We own SSR, but usually book BWV for F&W. RR was surprisingly quite open in availability at 7 months, but nothing at BWV.
We LOVE Chicken Guy! And Ghirardelli! We go every time we ar at SSR, but rarely go to DS if we are elsewhere.
So sorry about your pup! They truly leave their little paw prints on our hearts!