Steve's Jan/Feb 2012 Trip - Day 2 of 6

[Steve Russo]

January 29 – February 3, 2012
Participants
• Steve –Your humble narrator.
• Barb – My bride of 39 years.

Beach Club Villas– Studio

Day Two - Monday, January 30, 2012 – Disney’s Best Burger, the most
expensive margarita ever and frank-ettes

I wake up, see it’s still dark out and guess it’s probably only 4:00am
or so. Groan. I reach out and turn the iHome toward me and see it’s
10:45pm. What? Yuck. Something must have awakened me – maybe another
child’s body hitting the wall next door. I turn over and fall back to
sleep until 2:45am. Double yuck. That’s what I get for going to bed so
early. I lay there trying to coax myself back to sleep until 3:45 when I
decide I’ve had enough.

I throw on some sweat pants and sneakers, grab my iPod, and head out at
4:00 for a walk. I’m trying to make exercise a daily thing (trying to
strengthen the leg/knee) and have been switching between 4 mile walks
(one hour) and 30 minutes on a stationary bike. This time of year, in
Upstate New York, I’d fully expect a steady diet of the bike due to
freezing temperatures and/or the six feet of snow/ice pack covering the
shoulders of the roads in my neighborhood. This year, however, I’ve been
walking more than riding and actually working up a sweat. We’ve had more
than a few January days with highs in the 40s and even the 50s – and NO
SNOW! There’s not a flake on the ground. We’ve had 3 or 4 storms but the
largest one was 4” that dropped on Halloween. It may all turn around
tomorrow but this has been the mildest winter of my life (uh… so far).

When you’re walking around Crescent Lake at 4:00am, things are pretty
quiet. You’ve got a few cast members cleaning up here and there, maybe
some power washing, and the bakers are busy in the Boardwalk Bakery, but
it’s very quiet. I have a real mix on the iPod but this morning I was
listening to some Adele. Damn, that girl can sing. I just heard on the
news that she’ll be singing at the Grammys – her first appearance after
vocal chord surgery last November. I hope her voice is as strong as ever.

After 3 laps around Crescent Lake, I’m back in the room at 5:00 and put
on some coffee. I use the laptop to catch up on some news and update
these notes. Barb stirs around 5:45 and we flick on the television. The
news is filled with the tragic accident on I-75. Fog and smoke from a
brushfire caused a massive high-speed pile-up early Sunday morning. 10
dead and many injured. One witness described it as the “end of the world”.

I used the Disney supplied coffee and Barb doesn’t like it – this from
the woman who knowingly drinks Nescafe. I head down to the Marketplace
to bring back a coffee for her and some breakfast. While there, I learn
from a fellow guest that the coffee is free until they open officially
at 7:00. I pour a large cup and place a lid on it, then put it on the
windowsill outside when I head back in 3 minutes later when they’re
open. Cheap? Maybe, but I can’t look a gift horse, or a free cup of
coffee, in the mouth. Wait… did I just mix a few metaphors there?

Anyway, I purchase two muffins and bring them back to the room. Walking
back, I take notice that it’s still quite chilly outside, even though
the forecast is for 75 degrees today. I expect a jacket or sweatshirt
will be needed this morning. It’s sort of a typical January Disney day –
warm in the sun, but cool in the shade. Difficult to dress for.

We get showered and dressed, then head around the lake to Thimbles and
Threads at the Boardwalk. They don’t open until 8:00 so we head inside
to Dundy’s Sundries in the lobby. Here I see they have some new and very
nice DVC merchandise – t-shirts, fleeces, hats… stuff I didn’t see at
the Beach Club. We also notice that the second little girl chair is back
in the lobby. Was it out being refurbished – or did it walk away on its
own? We noticed last year that one chair had “Paul” on its back. We
checked this one and it was “Todd”. Hmmmm.

At 8:00, we head downstairs and notice some very nice Boardwalk Resort
clothing there – one jacket in particular really caught my eye (no I
didn’t buy it and I guarantee I’ll regret it when I try to find it on my
next trip).

We used the walkway to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, queued at the
turnstiles for 3-4 minutes and then were let in at 8:50. We browsed the
stores for a few minutes then hustled back to Star Tours – The
Adventures Continue.

I’ve always been a big Star Tours fan. That dates back to my first ride
in 1990. That said, I’ve also been vocal about the need for an update,
even suggesting using the pod races from Episode I. I’ve been eagerly
awaiting my first ride on this new version – and it didn’t disappoint.

We queued up at the ride at 8:57. While we were waiting, I snuck over
for FastPasses for 9:25 – just in case. At precisely 9:00, they let us
in. We rode four times in all using Standby. It was mostly a walk-on.
Interestingly, our first two rides were identical: Darth Vader, Hoth,
Yoda and Couruscant. The next two offered several variations. By the end
of the trip, we had seen all the possibilities except the Imperial Droid
scene (we ALWAYS got Darth Vader) and the trip to Kashyyyk and the
Wookiee forest. By the way, I looked those up – I’m not quite that geeky.

In the store at the exit, we shopped for a red light saber for our
six-year-old grandson, William. He has a blue one but wants a “bad guy”
light saber. Somehow, he’s become very interested in the whole Star Wars
thing. His brother, Christopher, will be easier to shop for. He wants
the aliens from Toy Story and we’ve already located them on Hollywood
Boulevard. Unfortunately, the only red light sabers are ones that are
purely manual –no lights, sound effects, etc. We’ll keep looking.

We walked over to Buy the Book (I know the name changed but I can’t
remember it now (Writer’s Stop! – just looked it up)) for coffee. This
place had the slowest clerks ever. It took me 5 minutes to get and pay
for a single coffee. Then, I produced the needed change, a nickel and
two pennies, after being rung up and the clerk couldn’t handle the math.
Sheesh! Give me back $3 instead of $2.93. This ain’t rocket surgery.

Next up was MuppetVision. We walked in and entered the theater directly
missing the entire pre show. This may be the only attraction where
that’s a bad thing.

Have I mentioned there are lots of Brazilians here? Bazillions of
Brazilians. Mostly teenage girls with backpacks, in groups of 20-25 with
a flag carrying leader. I will say they’re mostly well-behaved. I only
had to endure one instance of them walking 6 abreast through World
Showcase while singing/chanting/clapping/cheering. They did provide a
nuisance when they’d sit on the ground outside an attraction, presumably
waiting for a FastPass window to open but, hey, I guess they have to sit
somewhere.

One of our to-dos on this trip is to take in the Beauty and the Beast
show. We haven’t seen it since 1992(?) and we headed there now. We got
there a little early for the 11:30 show and didn’t feel much like
standing in line outside the theater so we watched a bit of
Streetmosphere (is it still called that?) – a pretty funny show with
three construction workers trying to measure a line on the street. It
was very Laurel and Hardy-esque.

The wait time for Tower of Terror indicated 40 minutes, and then dropped
to 30 as we were watching so off we went. We were on the ride in 20.
Another great ride - I love the theming in this attraction. Upon
exiting, we took another stab at Beauty and the Beast but were turned
away – the theater was now full.

Next, we stopped at 50s Prime Time. We had a late ADR this evening (7:45
at La Hacienda) so we had hoped for a later lunch. Our thinking was that
would hold off the cravings in the early evening. I was hoping for
1:30-2:00. Prime Time could seat us now (12:00) or at 2:45. We passed.

Next up was the Great Movie Ride. We caught the gangster again and even
though this is a good ride that I like, upon exiting I decided I was
done with it for about the next 5 years. It’s not changing at all and,
in my opinion, has lost its “repeatability factor”. Barb agreed. We may
change our minds but, for now, we’ll give it a wide berth.

We then hit Star Tours one last time using the FastPasses I secured
earlier. The Standby time was listed at 20 minutes but we did notice the
entire queue that runs through the Ewok village was filled in.

We decided to walk back to the resort but first stopped on the way out
to purchase the Toy Story aliens for Christopher. We talked to a cast
member there and asked about the red light sabers. He turned us on to a
few other alternatives, including a new Bobba Fett blaster with a brand
new stock. This guy knew way too much about Star Wars weaponry.

Walking toward the walkway to the Boardwalk, Barb noticed buses for
Epcot and Animal Kingdom – from the Studios. Has this been an option
there for a while? I can’t recall seeing it before. The stops were
located in the area by the walkway normally reserved for Downtown Disney
resort buses.

We decided on having our late lunch at Big River Grille and Brewing
Works on the Boardwalk. We ordered two waters. I had a Swiss
cheeseburger and Barb went for the grilled chicken sandwich. Both were
excellent. I don’t eat a lot of burgers but I am a bit of an aficionado.
I still think the best are those I grill myself at home but this burger
reinforced my opinion that Big River’s are the best on property. I
haven’t had one from Beaches and Cream in a few years so I should try
that again. I also remember a trip report where someone claimed Le
Cellier’s burger as the best ever. I may need a cholesterol-raising trip
just to sample burgers.

Big River now takes the TiW card (thank you) so we got out of there for
$24.16 including tip.

We stopped briefly at the DVC offices on the Boardwalk, hoping to view
the Aulani rooms, but learned they’re only at Saratoga Springs. We were
treated well and got a “Welcome home” but Barb was disappointed no one
offered free taffy as in past visits. The woman would give up a kidney
for free taffy.

Back to the Beach Club Villas for quick naps. I’ve found, in my senior
years, that a quick, 20-30 minute power nap has rejuvenating properties.
Any longer than that and I’m a zombie for a while.

We walked to Epcot around 4:30 and made a bee-line for Soarin’. The
Standby sign said 55 minutes but we were determined. I almost never get
in a line longer than 15 or 20 minutes but we wanted to ride. We were
visiting Patrick in the pre-show area in 37 minutes. As we entered the
queue, the cast member gave me the first of many, many red cards I was
asked to carry this trip. These are the cards they swipe at the
beginning of the queue and again as you board to update the wait times.
I was given 6 or 7 of these this trip and even a few in the Fast Pass
queue (what are those used for?).

While in line, we had a mom, dad and late-teens daughter in front of us.
In front of them was a group of five. They were a bit of a problem in
not moving the queue, leaving in groups of 2 or 3 and returning 5
minutes later, etc. As we neared the end of the queue, the mom was
speaking on a cell phone. She then left and returned a few minutes later
with five more people. Annoying? You bet. The woman in front of us
complained to the cast member – even pointing them out. He indicated he
would “tell someone” but I’m betting he didn’t. We really need a better
way to police this sort of thing without having guests confronting other
guests – I just don’t know what it is.

This was a good example of how it’s often hard to dress for Disney World
in January. It’s a cooler evening – probably 50s or low 60s. I’m wearing
a t-shirt and sweatshirt (one of those zipper at the neck types) which
is comfortable outside. In this queue, however, I’m roasting. I remove
the sweatshirt but now have to: a/ carry it – a pain; b) tie it around
my neck and pretend to be a preppie, or; c) tie it around my waist which
always struck me as effeminate. I opted for ‘c’; I guess I’m comfortable
enough in my masculinity to handle it.

As we exited The Land pavilion, we stumble on one of the spots that a
tour group of young girls has chosen to sit on the floor waiting for
something. As I said, they have to be somewhere but they could have made
an effort to keep it to one side so guests moving through didn’t have to
step over them or detour around.

Barb also asked why I always choose to go to the right when entering the
building for Soarin’ when so many seem to go left. I had to think for a
minute but it just makes sense. If you head down the ramp to the right,
you’re on the side with the staircase and down escalator. Going left
means you have to cross in front of the up escalator to get to the
stairs. It just clogs things up unnecessarily.

Next up was Mission: Space which had a 10-minute wait for the green side
(the only side I ride these days). We rode with another couple. In our
capsule we were positioned with Barb on the far left, then me, the other
gentleman and his female companion, respectively. When the ride ends and
Gary Sinise is congratulating us and his cohorts are applauding, the guy
on my right starts clapping – exuberantly. They he’s drumming his hands
on the console and whooping. Now he’s not a kid – I’d say my age, maybe
older. Barb has left and I’m in process of getting up when I see his
outstretched hand offering me a high five. I high fived him but I
thought it a bit peculiar. I’m surmising he expected we would crash and
burn if we didn’t perform our jobs correctly during the flight – sort of
a video game. He was just excited we all pushed the correct buttons at
the correct time.

We picked up a couple of Test Track FastPasses but wound up never using
them. This is a good time to bring up the Larry Wilmot story. If you’ve
ever read one of Larry’s trip reports, he brags about a scheme (scam?)
he has to get multiple, unlimited FastPasses. He’s not shared his secret
that I’m aware of, but I have a couple of theories. I put a few to the
test during this trip but was unsuccessful.

My first theory is that things had unknowingly slipped back in time to
the days when your Key to the World card could be used for a FastPass.
No go. It spit out a ticket that said “Your ticket was not used today
for admission to Epcot”. Curses. My second theory was that there might
be a delay in registering the FastPass to the specific admission media
and reinserting your ticket quickly would result in a second FastPass.
Again, no go. This simply told me I already held a FastPass. I also
tried inserting a ticket backwards and upside down without success. Any
other theories?

We hit MouseGear for some shopping but it was very crowded and very hot
in there – I was once again wearing the sweatshirt. I need to buy some
sweatshirts with full zippers so they’re easier to take off and put on
quickly.

We were still a bit early for our reservation at La Hacienda de San
Angel so we decided to waste some time in the Mexico pavilion. We walked
up there and inside into La Cava del Tequila. I’m not a tequila lover
but I do enjoy the occasional margarita so we ordered two at the bar,
learned they don’t accept the TiW card and was shocked when presented a
bill for $26 plus tax. $13 for a margarita in a plastic cup? Really? Did
I mention I brought my own date?

Another couple came in and slid in next to us. In 30 seconds the woman,
while talking to the bartender, basically nudged Barb out of the way. We
kind of stared at each other in disbelief. After she was served the
bartender told us, “Those glasses are to go” which I took as a
not-so-subtle indication that he didn’t want us standing at the bar
while we drank. Well, excuuuuuse me. I’ve been tossed out of better
places than this, amigo. I wish I hadn’t already tipped this guy.

I harrumphed a bit as we left and we took seats outside on a ledge. To
be perfectly frank, because for this report I’m no longer Steve, I’m
Frank, and if I’m going to be Frank, I should be a perfect Frank. I
don’t think I like the Cave of Tequila. There’s something about the
atmosphere, prices, rude guests and bartenders – plus I don’t like
tequila. Other than that, it’s a fine establishment.

We just sipped and people watched for a bit. I’m always amazed how many
people will don those huge sombreros, take a photo, and then return them
to the rack. In some cases groups of 5 or 6 at a time are doing this.
It’s difficult to get that many sombreros framed without a good
wide-angle lens. I also wonder what the incidence of transferred head
lice is here.

We finished off our $13 margaritas and walked across the promenade for
our 7:45 reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel. We were directed to a
bench in their foyer and given a pager. We were the only people in there
when, five minutes later, the two girls at the desk (10 feet away), had
a brief conversation, pushed a button and my pager went off. There’s
something to be said for a consistent process but one of them could have
just said softly, “We have your table ready.”

We were seated at a banquette table next to a group of ten business
folks (might have been from Coca Cola based upon a logo I saw on a golf
hat). They talked about playing golf that day and they all sported
cardboard crowns. Sort of like those hats they used to give out at
Burger King. I’m sure it had something to do with their corporate
function but I never asked. It’s so much for fun to imagine.

I had booked this restaurant at this time for two reasons: 1) we wanted
to try a new restaurant and 2) we wanted to watch Illumination from the
restaurant. I will say the place is very nice – high ceilings, lots of
large windows looking out on World Showcase lagoon and nicely decorated.
I would also say that, similar to Wishes viewed from the California
Grill, viewing the fireworks here would be a novelty but it’s definitely
not the best place to really enjoy the show. Don’t get me wrong, there’s
a coolness factor to it but, for my money, I’d rather watch
Illuminations from the side of the lagoon where my view wouldn’t be
affected by angles, walls, etc.

We have two Dos Equis (Equises?) Ambers. Our original plan was
margaritas but the Cave has put us off our game. Our server was Gina
from Guadalajara and she does a great job. Our servers on this trip were
excellent across the board (except for the Cave). We were thinking about
a Quesadilla appetizer but it’s no longer on the menu. We were then
discussing the Botana, listed as a sampling of Mexican favorites:
chicken tostado, Chilorio sope (marinated pork), and cheese empanada. It
sounded good but, at this time, Gina brought over a large basket of
chips and salsa – a great spicy salsa and a chipotle sauce that was also
very good. All of a sudden, appetizers didn’t seem like such a good idea.

We hemmed and hawed on the menu and finally decided on ordering the La
Hacienda which serves two. It’s a mixed grill offering flank steak,
chicken al pastor, chorizo and vegetables, served with beans and fresh
salsas for $49.95. We were both impressed. Everything was very good. The
chorizo was excellent but reminded me of cocktail franks – only much
spicier. Speaking of cocktail franks, why are they called that? I think
that practically speaking, franks should only be able to use the prefix
'cocktail' if they are actually served in a cocktail - or at least as a
garnish. Picture a martini with a cocktail frank stuck on the side of
the glass. I don’t see much of a future for meat-based cocktails so we
should probably just call them frank-ettes or frankinis. I’m just saying.

The bill, after TiW and including tip is $65. This is a pretty good
value, in my opinion.

We walked around World Showcase and finally settled on the bridge by
France to watch Illuminations. When it ended, we headed back to the room
for a little balcony time, some TV news and lights out around 10:45.

Miles Walked Today: 2.72 (just me) in the morning. 9.35 all day.

Things I Think I Think: I think Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is
a hit. Based on what I see as wait times, however, it’s not the huge
winner I thought it would be. I think I should record the entire
MuppetVision pre-show so I can enjoy it at home. I think Big River has
the best burger on property. I think I totally take back all those times
I didn’t want to nap as a child. I think $13 for a margarita is
outrageous. I think La Hacienda de San Angel is very good and I’ll look
forward to dining there again. I think we walked a lot today.


--
Steve

[Alpha]

Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in
news:jh3dea$vku$3...@dont-email.me:

> When you’re walking around Crescent Lake at 4:00am, things are pretty
> quiet. You’ve got a few cast members cleaning up here and there, maybe
> some power washing, and the bakers are busy in the Boardwalk Bakery,
> but it’s very quiet.

Can't say I've been out and about *that* early, but I enjoy being out
walking around before all the hubbub gets going. So peaceful.

> We just sipped and people watched for a bit. I’m always amazed how
> many people will don those huge sombreros, take a photo, and then
> return them to the rack. In some cases groups of 5 or 6 at a time are
> doing this. It’s difficult to get that many sombreros framed without a
> good wide-angle lens. I also wonder what the incidence of transferred
> head lice is here.

I've wondered the same thing myself. But there's an irresistibility to
it; in your regular life, how many places do you see a giant sombrero?

> We hemmed and hawed on the menu and finally decided on ordering the La
> Hacienda which serves two. It’s a mixed grill offering flank steak,
> chicken al pastor, chorizo and vegetables, served with beans and fresh
> salsas for $49.95. We were both impressed. Everything was very good.
> The chorizo was excellent but reminded me of cocktail franks – only
> much spicier. Speaking of cocktail franks, why are they called that? I
> think that practically speaking, franks should only be able to use the
> prefix 'cocktail' if they are actually served in a cocktail - or at
> least as a garnish. Picture a martini with a cocktail frank stuck on
> the side of the glass. I don’t see much of a future for meat-based
> cocktails so we should probably just call them frank-ettes or
> frankinis. I’m just saying.

I vote for frankini!

> Things I Think I Think: I think Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
> is a hit. Based on what I see as wait times, however, it’s not the
> huge winner I thought it would be.

Yeah, I was surprised by this back in September. The new incarnation is
fantastic.

-- Alpha

[Steve Russo]

On 2/11/2012 8:16 PM, Alpha wrote:
> Steve Russo<sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in
> news:jh3dea$vku$3...@dont-email.me:
>

>> We just sipped and people watched for a bit. I’m always amazed how
>> many people will don those huge sombreros, take a photo, and then
>> return them to the rack. In some cases groups of 5 or 6 at a time are
>> doing this. It’s difficult to get that many sombreros framed without a
>> good wide-angle lens. I also wonder what the incidence of transferred
>> head lice is here.
>
> I've wondered the same thing myself. But there's an irresistibility to
> it; in your regular life, how many places do you see a giant sombrero?
>

Oh... you'd be surprised.


--
Steve

[Rudeney]

On 2/10/2012 9:34 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>
> I wake up, see it’s still dark out and guess it’s probably only 4:00am
> or so. Groan. I reach out and turn the iHome toward me and see it’s
> 10:45pm. What? Yuck. Something must have awakened me – maybe another
> child’s body hitting the wall next door. I turn over and fall back to
> sleep until 2:45am. Double yuck. That’s what I get for going to bed so
> early. I lay there trying to coax myself back to sleep until 3:45 when I
> decide I’ve had enough.

I'm usually a good guess of time when I wake up. It's funny, the other
night the power went off and my wife and I argued the next morning about
what time it was. I said I though it was around 1:00am, and she swore
it had to be later, like 3:00am. I checked my Internet router logs -
1:16am.

> I used the Disney supplied coffee and Barb doesn’t like it – this from
> the woman who knowingly drinks Nescafe.

I guess when you know it's Nescrap, it's not so bad, but when you expect
it to be decent brewed coffee and it's not, then you have a right to
complain.

> I head down to the Marketplace
> to bring back a coffee for her and some breakfast. While there, I learn
> from a fellow guest that the coffee is free until they open officially
> at 7:00.

Free? At WDW? INCONCEIVABLE!

> At 8:00, we head downstairs and notice some very nice Boardwalk Resort
> clothing there – one jacket in particular really caught my eye (no I
> didn’t buy it and I guarantee I’ll regret it when I try to find it on my
> next trip).

You must not be a Costco member, otherwise you'd learn from them, that
when you see something unique you like, go ahead and buy it because
otherwise it might not be there the next day (or hour!). And if you
have buyer's remorse, you can always take it back.

> I’ve always been a big Star Tours fan. That dates back to my first ride
> in 1990. That said, I’ve also been vocal about the need for an update,
> even suggesting using the pod races from Episode I. I’ve been eagerly
> awaiting my first ride on this new version – and it didn’t disappoint.

I can't wait to see it for myself. I was planning to be there in a few
weeks for Spring Break, but that's not going to happen now since I
changed jobs. Maybe next year!

> We walked over to Buy the Book (I know the name changed but I can’t
> remember it now (Writer’s Stop! – just looked it up)) for coffee. This
> place had the slowest clerks ever. It took me 5 minutes to get and pay
> for a single coffee. Then, I produced the needed change, a nickel and
> two pennies, after being rung up and the clerk couldn’t handle the math.
> Sheesh! Give me back $3 instead of $2.93. This ain’t rocket surgery.

Smart cash registers have created dumb cashiers. And when was the last
time a clerk actually "counted back" change for you?

> Next up was MuppetVision. We walked in and entered the theater directly
> missing the entire pre show. This may be the only attraction where
> that’s a bad thing.

Yep, I'd have waited in the lobby.

> Next, we stopped at 50s Prime Time. We had a late ADR this evening (7:45
> at La Hacienda) so we had hoped for a later lunch. Our thinking was that
> would hold off the cravings in the early evening. I was hoping for
> 1:30-2:00. Prime Time could seat us now (12:00) or at 2:45. We passed.

Well, at least you were able to get a walk-up seating. That's unusual
these days.

> Next up was the Great Movie Ride. We caught the gangster again and even
> though this is a good ride that I like, upon exiting I decided I was
> done with it for about the next 5 years. It’s not changing at all and,
> in my opinion, has lost its “repeatability factor”. Barb agreed. We may
> change our minds but, for now, we’ll give it a wide berth.

Yeah, it's too bad they haven't found a way to work in some new movies.
I know that the end scene montage has had a few small additions over
the years, but the main ride could use some freshening - even if it's
just a small thing like they did with Capt. Jack at PotC.

> Walking toward the walkway to the Boardwalk, Barb noticed buses for
> Epcot and Animal Kingdom – from the Studios. Has this been an option
> there for a while? I can’t recall seeing it before. The stops were
> located in the area by the walkway normally reserved for Downtown Disney
> resort buses.

Yes. And there should have been one for the MK (via TTC), too. Bus
would be the only way to get to AK, of course, and they offer buses for
Epcot for those who don't want to take the boats.

> We stopped briefly at the DVC offices on the Boardwalk, hoping to view
> the Aulani rooms, but learned they’re only at Saratoga Springs. We were
> treated well and got a “Welcome home” but Barb was disappointed no one
> offered free taffy as in past visits. The woman would give up a kidney
> for free taffy.

Hey, you got free coffee that morning, don't press your luck!

> Back to the Beach Club Villas for quick naps. I’ve found, in my senior
> years, that a quick, 20-30 minute power nap has rejuvenating properties.
> Any longer than that and I’m a zombie for a while.

Must be nice! I only wish that I could nap. I have a hard time falling
asleep, so it would take me 20-30 minutes just to start dozing, then I'd
wake up and be cranky. And if I did actually get any sleep, It would
make it that hard to fall asleep that night.

> As we entered the
> queue, the cast member gave me the first of many, many red cards I was
> asked to carry this trip. These are the cards they swipe at the
> beginning of the queue and again as you board to update the wait times.
> I was given 6 or 7 of these this trip and even a few in the Fast Pass
> queue (what are those used for?).

I am guessing they still need to keep up with how long FP return guests
wait in queue. I mean, if the FP queue ends up being 20 minutes long,
then that could be a problem.

> While in line, we had a mom, dad and late-teens daughter in front of us.
> In front of them was a group of five. They were a bit of a problem in
> not moving the queue, leaving in groups of 2 or 3 and returning 5
> minutes later, etc. As we neared the end of the queue, the mom was
> speaking on a cell phone. She then left and returned a few minutes later
> with five more people. Annoying? You bet. The woman in front of us
> complained to the cast member – even pointing them out. He indicated he
> would “tell someone” but I’m betting he didn’t. We really need a better
> way to police this sort of thing without having guests confronting other
> guests – I just don’t know what it is.

I really doubt Disney is going to do much about this unless it's just
blatant line breaking. In the old days, it wouldn't have been much of a
problem, but now, cell phones make it all too easy to coordinate. I
suspect the only thing they might could do is when they see this, count
the breakers as one big group and make them wait, letting several small
groups of people behind them go ahead until they have room for the large
party. That way, the CM's wouldn't seem to be policing, but being
"helpful" in keeping them all together.

> This was a good example of how it’s often hard to dress for Disney World
> in January. It’s a cooler evening – probably 50s or low 60s. I’m wearing
> a t-shirt and sweatshirt (one of those zipper at the neck types) which
> is comfortable outside. In this queue, however, I’m roasting. I remove
> the sweatshirt but now have to: a/ carry it – a pain; b) tie it around
> my neck and pretend to be a preppie, or; c) tie it around my waist which
> always struck me as effeminate. I opted for ‘c’; I guess I’m comfortable
> enough in my masculinity to handle it.

Not me. I guess I'd just have to throw it away and buy a new one. :-)

> Next up was Mission: Space which had a 10-minute wait for the green side
> (the only side I ride these days).

Wimp.

> We rode with another couple. In our
> capsule we were positioned with Barb on the far left, then me, the other
> gentleman and his female companion, respectively. When the ride ends and
> Gary Sinise is congratulating us and his cohorts are applauding, the guy
> on my right starts clapping – exuberantly. They he’s drumming his hands
> on the console and whooping. Now he’s not a kid – I’d say my age, maybe
> older. Barb has left and I’m in process of getting up when I see his
> outstretched hand offering me a high five. I high fived him but I
> thought it a bit peculiar. I’m surmising he expected we would crash and
> burn if we didn’t perform our jobs correctly during the flight – sort of
> a video game. He was just excited we all pushed the correct buttons at
> the correct time.

How do you know you wouldn't have crashed had someone not pressed the
buttons? (You should ask Mr. Schroedinger about his cat)

> We picked up a couple of Test Track FastPasses but wound up never using
> them. This is a good time to bring up the Larry Wilmot story. If you’ve
> ever read one of Larry’s trip reports, he brags about a scheme (scam?)
> he has to get multiple, unlimited FastPasses. He’s not shared his secret
> that I’m aware of, but I have a couple of theories. I put a few to the
> test during this trip but was unsuccessful.
>
> My first theory is that things had unknowingly slipped back in time to
> the days when your Key to the World card could be used for a FastPass.
> No go. It spit out a ticket that said “Your ticket was not used today
> for admission to Epcot”. Curses. My second theory was that there might
> be a delay in registering the FastPass to the specific admission media
> and reinserting your ticket quickly would result in a second FastPass.
> Again, no go. This simply told me I already held a FastPass. I also
> tried inserting a ticket backwards and upside down without success. Any
> other theories?

Larry could be fibbing. I frequent some car forums and there are always
guys that have a friend whose brother's friend was able to do XYZ, and
of course we all know it's not true and when pressed for the details,
it's always covered by being a "big secret that if it gets out, won't
work anymore."

> We hit MouseGear for some shopping but it was very crowded and very hot
> in there – I was once again wearing the sweatshirt. I need to buy some
> sweatshirts with full zippers so they’re easier to take off and put on
> quickly.

I have found that a good vinyl windbreaker is great. The plastic
doesn't breathe so you actually get to be quite warm (think rain
poncho), but it's light enough to easily get in and out of, plus if it
has a hood in the collar, it doubles as a raincoat. I have one that
folds up into its own pocket, making it easy to carry.

> We were still a bit early for our reservation at La Hacienda de San
> Angel so we decided to waste some time in the Mexico pavilion. We walked
> up there and inside into La Cava del Tequila. I’m not a tequila lover
> but I do enjoy the occasional margarita so we ordered two at the bar,
> learned they don’t accept the TiW card and was shocked when presented a
> bill for $26 plus tax. $13 for a margarita in a plastic cup? Really? Did
> I mention I brought my own date?

LOL! I ordered a glass of Scotch (Macallan 15) in Las Vegas once that
was a similar situation - I figured it would be about $12. No, it was
$28! I don't mind paying for quality, but being taken advantage of with
crazy prices "just because of the location" is infuriating.

> Another couple came in and slid in next to us. In 30 seconds the woman,
> while talking to the bartender, basically nudged Barb out of the way. We
> kind of stared at each other in disbelief. After she was served the
> bartender told us, “Those glasses are to go” which I took as a
> not-so-subtle indication that he didn’t want us standing at the bar
> while we drank. Well, excuuuuuse me. I’ve been tossed out of better
> places than this, amigo. I wish I hadn’t already tipped this guy.

Good grief! How un-Disneylike! I think I'd have called him out on
that. I might even have joked about taking back my tip!

> I harrumphed a bit as we left and we took seats outside on a ledge. To
> be perfectly frank, because for this report I’m no longer Steve, I’m
> Frank, and if I’m going to be Frank, I should be a perfect Frank. I
> don’t think I like the Cave of Tequila. There’s something about the
> atmosphere, prices, rude guests and bartenders – plus I don’t like
> tequila. Other than that, it’s a fine establishment.

Surely you jest! (To which you reply, "No, I'm not kidding, and please
don't call me Shirley,", to which I reply, "Let me be perfectly Frank
with you," to which you reply, "I am the one who is Frank." Yes, my
good friend and coworker Frank used to perform this schtick at least one
a week...)

> We just sipped and people watched for a bit. I’m always amazed how many
> people will don those huge sombreros, take a photo, and then return them
> to the rack. In some cases groups of 5 or 6 at a time are doing this.
> It’s difficult to get that many sombreros framed without a good
> wide-angle lens. I also wonder what the incidence of transferred head
> lice is here.

Ewww! It does remind me how when Katie was little, she always wanted
photos of her trying on those novelty hats (Mickey ears, Goofy, etc.) i
always made sure she took a had from the back of the rack.

> We finished off our $13 margaritas and walked across the promenade for
> our 7:45 reservation at La Hacienda de San Angel. We were directed to a
> bench in their foyer and given a pager. We were the only people in there
> when, five minutes later, the two girls at the desk (10 feet away), had
> a brief conversation, pushed a button and my pager went off. There’s
> something to be said for a consistent process but one of them could have
> just said softly, “We have your table ready.”

Maybe it's connected to the computer system to make sure they know which
ADR's are claimed? Nah, it's probably not that sophisticated.

> We have two Dos Equis (Equises?) Ambers.

Yes, Mexican Bud Light, no doubt (well, someone had to say it!)

> We were both impressed. Everything was very good. The
> chorizo was excellent but reminded me of cocktail franks – only much
> spicier. Speaking of cocktail franks, why are they called that? I think
> that practically speaking, franks should only be able to use the prefix
> 'cocktail' if they are actually served in a cocktail - or at least as a
> garnish. Picture a martini with a cocktail frank stuck on the side of
> the glass. I don’t see much of a future for meat-based cocktails so we
> should probably just call them frank-ettes or frankinis. I’m just saying.

Maybe it's because you eat them *with* a cocktail? I think it's really
just because there is this category of "cocktail food" that is like
regular food, only smaller and bit-sized. I'm not sure why people would
need smaller food when drinking cocktails unless maybe it makes it
easier to hold in one hand. Oh, and for a moment there, I thought that
comment was going in whole 'nother direction...sort of along the lines
of why they had to name weenies "Frank". But I digress..

> The bill, after TiW and including tip is $65. This is a pretty good
> value, in my opinion.

Actually, that's not too bad. At our favorite local Mexican restaurant,
we usually end up spending about $50 with tax tip, and that's with 3
entees and me getting a medium top-shelf margarita and a beer for Jan.

> Things I Think I Think: I think Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is
> a hit. Based on what I see as wait times, however, it’s not the huge
> winner I thought it would be.

Maybe it just has enough throughput as not to create long lines?

> I think I should record the entire
> MuppetVision pre-show so I can enjoy it at home.

Hmm, with 3D TV's, maybe Disney needs to create a whole new "Treasures"
series of the #D movies from the parks.

> I think $13 for a margarita is outrageous.

No kidding!

--

- RODNEY

Next WDW Vacation?
Who knows!

Need to know more about RADP (rec.arts.disney.parks)?

http://www.radp.org
http://allears.net/btp/radp_bk.htm
http://allears.net/tp/abrev.htm

Are you still accessing RADP via Google? Why?
Get instructions on how to access to the "real"
RADP Usenet Group here:

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[Rudeney]

On 2/11/2012 7:16 PM, Alpha wrote:
> Steve Russo<sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in
> news:jh3dea$vku$3...@dont-email.me:
>
>> When you’re walking around Crescent Lake at 4:00am, things are pretty
>> quiet. You’ve got a few cast members cleaning up here and there, maybe
>> some power washing, and the bakers are busy in the Boardwalk Bakery,
>> but it’s very quiet.
>
> Can't say I've been out and about *that* early, but I enjoy being out
> walking around before all the hubbub gets going. So peaceful.

I've not gotten out that early, but there was one certain RADP mini-meet
that almost lasted that late...and yes, the Boardwak was peaceful then.

[Steve Russo]

On 2/14/2012 1:01 PM, Rudeney wrote:

>
>> I head down to the Marketplace
>> to bring back a coffee for her and some breakfast. While there, I learn
>> from a fellow guest that the coffee is free until they open officially
>> at 7:00.
>
> Free? At WDW? INCONCEIVABLE!

I *know*!

>
>
>> At 8:00, we head downstairs and notice some very nice Boardwalk Resort
>> clothing there – one jacket in particular really caught my eye (no I
>> didn’t buy it and I guarantee I’ll regret it when I try to find it on my
>> next trip).
>
> You must not be a Costco member, otherwise you'd learn from them, that
> when you see something unique you like, go ahead and buy it because
> otherwise it might not be there the next day (or hour!). And if you have
> buyer's remorse, you can always take it back.

We don't have Costco up here in the backwoods of NY. I keep reading, in
Consumer Reports, about how high they're rated over BJ's, Sam's Club,
Walmart, etc. but I've never even seen one.

>> As we entered the
>> queue, the cast member gave me the first of many, many red cards I was
>> asked to carry this trip. These are the cards they swipe at the
>> beginning of the queue and again as you board to update the wait times.
>> I was given 6 or 7 of these this trip and even a few in the Fast Pass
>> queue (what are those used for?).
>
> I am guessing they still need to keep up with how long FP return guests
> wait in queue. I mean, if the FP queue ends up being 20 minutes long,
> then that could be a problem.

Yeah, that's my guess as well.

>> We rode with another couple. In our
>> capsule we were positioned with Barb on the far left, then me, the other
>> gentleman and his female companion, respectively. When the ride ends and
>> Gary Sinise is congratulating us and his cohorts are applauding, the guy
>> on my right starts clapping – exuberantly. They he’s drumming his hands
>> on the console and whooping. Now he’s not a kid – I’d say my age, maybe
>> older. Barb has left and I’m in process of getting up when I see his
>> outstretched hand offering me a high five. I high fived him but I
>> thought it a bit peculiar. I’m surmising he expected we would crash and
>> burn if we didn’t perform our jobs correctly during the flight – sort of
>> a video game. He was just excited we all pushed the correct buttons at
>> the correct time.
>
> How do you know you wouldn't have crashed had someone not pressed the
> buttons? (You should ask Mr. Schroedinger about his cat)

I've ridden before and not pressed the buttons, pressed the wrong
buttons... I can't crash the thing!

>
>> We picked up a couple of Test Track FastPasses but wound up never using
>> them. This is a good time to bring up the Larry Wilmot story. If you’ve
>> ever read one of Larry’s trip reports, he brags about a scheme (scam?)
>> he has to get multiple, unlimited FastPasses. He’s not shared his secret
>> that I’m aware of, but I have a couple of theories. I put a few to the
>> test during this trip but was unsuccessful.
>>
>> My first theory is that things had unknowingly slipped back in time to
>> the days when your Key to the World card could be used for a FastPass.
>> No go. It spit out a ticket that said “Your ticket was not used today
>> for admission to Epcot”. Curses. My second theory was that there might
>> be a delay in registering the FastPass to the specific admission media
>> and reinserting your ticket quickly would result in a second FastPass.
>> Again, no go. This simply told me I already held a FastPass. I also
>> tried inserting a ticket backwards and upside down without success. Any
>> other theories?
>
> Larry could be fibbing. I frequent some car forums and there are always
> guys that have a friend whose brother's friend was able to do XYZ, and
> of course we all know it's not true and when pressed for the details,
> it's always covered by being a "big secret that if it gets out, won't
> work anymore."

Sue shared his (now) obsolete scam of using the CM button on the back of
the machine. I gave him too much credit for creativity ;-)



--
Steve

[Rudeney]

On 2/14/2012 12:55 PM, Steve Russo wrote:
> On 2/14/2012 1:01 PM, Rudeney wrote:
>
>
> We don't have Costco up here in the backwoods of NY.

I think it's because the houses are too small (you literally need an
extra room or two for all the extra stuff from Costco).

>> How do you know you wouldn't have crashed had someone not pressed the
>> buttons? (You should ask Mr. Schroedinger about his cat)
>
> I've ridden before and not pressed the buttons, pressed the wrong
> buttons... I can't crash the thing!

That was *that* time. Gain, talk to Mr. Shroedinger.

>>
>> Larry could be fibbing. I frequent some car forums and there are always
>> guys that have a friend whose brother's friend was able to do XYZ, and
>> of course we all know it's not true and when pressed for the details,
>> it's always covered by being a "big secret that if it gets out, won't
>> work anymore."
>
> Sue shared his (now) obsolete scam of using the CM button on the back of
> the machine. I gave him too much credit for creativity ;-)

Oh, so he was just a common thief, huh? Well, that's worse than fibbing.

[Jenny]

>
> We don't have Costco up here in the backwoods of NY. I keep reading, in
> Consumer Reports, about how high they're rated over BJ's, Sam's Club,
> Walmart, etc. but I've never even seen one.

We don't have them in my area either.

>
> I've ridden before and not pressed the buttons, pressed the wrong
> buttons... I can't crash the thing!
>

Does it have electronics? then _I_ could crash it. Just FYI- last week
the backup batter thing for my computer caught on fire. Smelled like a
bad home perm. Then the light fixture of the ceiling fan in the living
room started making popping noises--then smoke came out.

My *best* is catching a washing machine ON FIRE with water and clothes
in it.

Jenny

[Steve Russo]

Jenny, I'm sensing a bit of "Firestarter" in you.

--
Steve

[Rudeney]

Have you ever considered becoming Amish?

[Jenny]

>>
>> My *best* is catching a washing machine ON FIRE with water and clothes
>> in it.
>
> Have you ever considered becoming Amish?
>
>

More than once--especially since I already drive a horse and carriage.

Also, I have not had central heat and air in my life for 20+ years.

--
Jenny

[Rudeney]

I can do without the heat. We rarely run our central furnace and
instead rely on space heaters and a fireplace for when it gets cold. Of
course we also like to sleep with it 50F in the house. The lack of A/C
would be a huge problem! (Because we like to sleep with it at 50F in the
house).