Steve's Jan/Feb 2012 Trip - Day 1 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 One - Sunday, January 29, 2012 – Molested by a TSA agent, Pizza and
Oklahoma

We set the alarms for 3:00am so, naturally, I was up at dark-thirty
(1:44am). Barb didn’t follow until 2:30 or so - still way too stupid early.

I had loaded our luggage into the car last night so we headed out at
5:00. As I was driving up I-90 toward the airport, a car careened out of
an entrance ramp in front of me. I don’t often use the word “careened”
but it fit here. When someone’s out at 5:00am on a Sunday morning, I
wonder if they’re heading out early or coming home late. I fear this guy
was coming home late. I gave him a wide berth which was a good move. I
watched him repeatedly pull onto exit ramps then swerve back to the
highway as he realized a mistake. Scary.

I found a pretty good spot in the airport garage with only a short walk
to the bridge to the terminal. It’s unheated and cold but at least it’s
a covered walkway. I’m thinking more of the return trip when we could be
in the middle of a blizzard.

We joined a short line and checked our two bags then headed up through
Security. Surprisingly, there was almost no line there. Since our last
trip, Albany International Airport has installed those full-body
scanners. I stood with my arms raised, was scanned and then notified
that the image had shown something right around my right ribcage. It was
explained that it could be caused by something as simple as a wrinkle in
my shirt. Nevertheless, I received a very nice pat down, front and back,
and refrained from saying aloud one of the several stupid jokes that
were dancing around my head (“Shouldn’t you buy me dinner first?”, “This
is the most action I’ve had in months”, etc.)

Through Security, we re-dressed and hit McDonald’s for a coffee, juice
and a Sausage McMuffin. I know those things are awful for me but they
sure do taste great.

We made it to our gate at 6:20 and boarded around 6:50. As I mentioned,
these flights were free and I paid the additional $10 for Southwest’s
Early Bird Check-In. As a result, we had boarding passes with A23 (me)
and A24 (Barb). That’s important for later.

Southwest in Albany also offers something fairly unique: a jet way with
a fork in it that allows passengers to veer left and board from the
front or head to the right and board from the rear. The vast majority of
folks want to sit up front so that’s where most people head. Even when
you’re only 5th or 6th in line, as we were, it still slows you down
because the first few people choose a seat in the first few rows then
block the aisle attempting to lift those refrigerator boxes they call
“carry ons” into the overhead compartment. Barb ducked to the right side
and scooted up the aisle snagging us “our seats” – the exit row that
contains only two seats.

After we pushed back from the gate, the plane needed about 15-minutes of
de-icing so we left a bit late. We saw ground the entire trip so it was
especially clear up and down the eastern seaboard. We had wi-fi on our
plane. I didn’t pay the $5 but used Southwest’s free Flight Tracker on
my iPod Touch. It shows your location on a map and gives airspeed,
elevation and ETA. Pretty cool to track progress and better than
listening to the pilot’s garbled announcements that I can never quite
understand anyway.

After a very smooth flight, we landed early at 10:37 but another plane
at was at our gate so we never actually docked until 10:50. We walked to
the Disney’s Magical Express area and had only a 1 minute wait before
boarding but, we then sat for 10-15 minutes waiting for additional
passengers. Once the door closed, our driver, Manuel, delivered a much
too long spiel about the stops we were going to make. This was delivered
in thick accent and accompanied by way too many shouts asking how happy
we were to be here. Hey, Manuel, we’re tired and have been traveling for
hours. Our goal is to get to Disney World and I’m sure we’d all be much
happier if we were on our way.

Barb talked to daughter Stephanie while we made the trip. She and
Michelle were together at a baby shower for a friend and let us know
that all was well at home.

We made quick stops at Riverside and the Boardwalk before arriving at
the Beach Club Villas at high noon. Just about 70 minutes from gate to
check-in. Not bad. A very nice cast member greeted us as we got off the
bus, asked our name and ushered us inside to the area for folks that had
done the Advance Check-In. Within two minutes, we had our welcome
package. As I asked if the room was ready the cast member glanced at the
monitor and said it had just popped up as “Cleaned”. Wahoo!

We were in room 250 which, unfortunately, didn’t offer much of a view.
We looked out at a grassy area and some foliage that blocked the roadway
behind the Beach Club. I did have a similar view a few years ago but it
was on the 5th floor (room 546). From that height, you get a pretty good
view of Illuminations. From the 2nd floor I’m thinking it won’t be near
as good. We’ll see.

I unpack my backpack and hook up the laptop. I have trouble with the
network cable and finally realize there’s a broken connector at one end.
We also notice that we have only a 4-cup coffeemaker. That won’t do. I
called Housekeeping and Engineering on the issues and, while we were
freshening up, they delivered a bag with two network cables and a 12-cup
coffeemaker. I hooked up the cable but there was some kind of issue and
decided to leave it for later. Barb plugged in our coffeemaker and
realized it wasn’t working so we called for another replacement.

Instead of waiting, we headed to Epcot using the side/back exit from the
Beach Club Villas. We made it half-way down the path when I realized I
had forgotten my camera so we headed back up. While there, we noticed a
new 12-cup coffeemaker had been delivered so we plugged that in for a
quick test – success!

While walking to Epcot, I called and chatted with Stephen. He’s taking
the loss of Gunnar as hard as or harder than we are. While Gunnar was
with us 24/7 for his (almost) 12 years, he was Stephen’s dog for most of
that time. In his early years, he slept on Stephen’s bed every night and
they were as close as a boy and dog could be. Just mentioning his name
would give me that catch in the throat and I could tell Stephen was
going through the same thing.

We reached the International Gateway and the first thing I noticed was
something missing. Do you know the grassy area with the large canopy
that looks like a bus stop? The canopy is gone so now it’s just a grassy
area. I checked with a cast member and he said it was removed about 6
months ago. I’m not 100% certain but I think it was once used as a
transportation stop when they ran trams over from the Yacht and Beach
Clubs – before the Boardwalk Resort was built.

I had two goals here: pick up our new Annual Passes (APs) (which I
renewed over the phone last October) and buy a new Tables in Wonderland
(TiW) card. From past experience, I knew I could get the APs at either
the ticket booth or Guest Relations but only Guest Relations could sell
me the TiW card. To avoid having to go to both, we chose Guest
Relations. We walked over and dealt with cast member Eliqua from Brazil.
She made a very good suggestion that I took her up on. This would be
easier to explain verbally but I’ll try it here.

Our APs were expiring last October. We had trips planned for November
and May so I renewed the APs thinking we’d get those two trips on them.
As I said, the November trip was postponed and has become this trip, in
January. We still have the May trip scheduled and have now reserved
rooms in December for a family trip. Elicqua suggested purchasing a new
AP rather than sticking with the renewal that was effective last
October. For $46 each (with the DVC discount) we’d have APs effective
January 29 (instead of October 2011) and would be able to get three
trips on them, assuming our plans don’t change. Done, and thanks to
Elicqua for suggesting that. I thought I had locked in the renewal when
I purchased it back in October.

We entered Epcot and made the Rose and Crown our first stop. It’s not
exactly tradition but Barb and I have made this the start of several of
our “solo” trips. We take stupid pictures of ourselves sipping a beer to
start our vacation. Barb quickly grabbed a small table and I went to the
bar and ordered a Stella Artois for Barb, a Black and Tan for me and an
order of Fish and Chips for us to share. They were $8, $8 and $8.19
respectively (and you know you’re at Disney World when you pay $16 for
two beers and it doesn’t ruin your day – I had to get that in here). I
had a bit of a wait while the bartender searched for a manager to use
the TiW card. He mildly admonished me for not telling him up front that
I was using the card. Sheesh – every time I mention it in a restaurant
they always tell me to hold it until after the meal. They’re starting to
sound like Disney (or airport security) with constant policy changes.

The bill came to $24 and change after TiW and including tip. He gave me
the beers and a numbered sign for the table so the food server could
find us. In less than five minutes a server delivered our Fish and
Chips. The fish is a bit greasy but, overall, very good.

We finished our lunch and beers, walked around the UK a bit, and then
decided to head back to the Beach Club. We visited the Marketplace where
I verified that beer was, again, $5.25 per bottle. We did buy two coffee
mugs here. From experience, I know the coffee cups provided with the DVC
villas are just that – cups. They don’t hold much coffee and I much
prefer a larger mug. The beauty is that they become souvenirs after we
get home – our own version of the refillable mugs which we never buy
anymore. We purchase two mugs with lots of Disney characters on them and
the words “Grandma” and “Grandpa” on the handles. It just seemed fitting.

I did spot some new DVC merchandise in the Marketplace but no resort
merchandise at all – and I had been hearing reports of an increase in
the resort-specific clothing showing up.

We headed up to the room and found our luggage had arrived. Good show
for Disney’s Magical Express. We spent a few minutes unpacking and
storing our stuff. Michelle called and we chatted a bit. I tried the new
cable but was still having difficulties getting online. I finally
switched over to wi-fi and that worked fine. I wound up using it for the
rest of our stay and had no problems at all – with the laptop or the
iPod Touch. I even found the speed more than acceptable.

It was mid-70s and sunny so we changed into shorts, grabbed two of our
canvas Disney bags and headed to the Hess station by the Boardwalk. You
can guess where this is going. By now, everyone knows of my need for
balcony time with an adult beverage. I picked up a 12-pack of Yuengling
(let the Bud Light jokes fly), a bottle of wine (for Barb), some coffee
creamer and a local Sunday newspaper. All that came to $21. This may be
the first time I’ve ever purchased wine from a gas station and, while
I’m sure it will be nothing special, it did at least have a cork (and
hopefully it’s drinkable).

We walked back to the Beach Club and stowed our loot, then headed out
again for Epcot. I knew the British Revolution was playing in the UK
because we could hear them clearly from our balcony. Predictably, by the
time we got there and walked to that back street they were playing the
Troggs’ Wild Thing, which would be the last song of the set. Ah, well.

It was now around 5:00 so we decided to walk around WS slowly, making
our way toward Italy where we had a 5:45 reservation at Via Napoli.
Along the way, I noticed that one of our favorite spots to view
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (IROE), the wall by the lagoon in
Morocco, had been compromised. There were a number of large planters
placed against the wall completely blocking the view. Hmmm… I wonder why
they’ve done that?

We checked in at Via Napoli at 5:30. Gaia was our server and we were
taken to a table by the window. Wow, this place is noisy. It’s an open
kitchen but the acoustics are such that you need to raise your voice to
be heard by your dining companion(s).

I do like an Italian beer, Peroni, but it wasn’t on the menu so I
ordered a Sam Adams lager which for some reason came in a Birra Moretti
mug. Barb had water.

We ordered the Family Style House Salad. It’s “Served Exclusively with
Pizza - minimum 2 people; leaf lettuces, roasted red peppers, marinated
mushrooms, olives, peperonicini, red wine vinaigrette”. The cost is $6
per person and it could have easily fed four or five people. We had two
servings each and consumed less than half.

For a pizza, we chose the Piccante. I believe it’s new because it’s not
listed on any of the online menus. It contains Spicy Italian Sausage,
broccolirabe, tomato and mozzarella. By the way, I have no idea what
broccolirabe is but I’m sure it’s both healthy and tasty. The pizza was
very, very good. We ordered a large ($30) and it was too much but the
next size down, the Small ($16) is not enough for two people, in my
opinion. We brought our leftovers back to the room.

OK… forgot to mention this. When I originally booked this trip it was
for November, beginning about a week after our 39th Wedding Anniversary.
When I booked it, the cast member asked if we were celebrating anything
and I mentioned our anniversary. I cancelled that reservation and, weeks
later, booked this one for January never mentioning the anniversary. Our
welcome package at check-in, however, contained two Happy Anniversary
buttons. Why? I’m not sure. Did the note somehow follow our points into
the Holding Account? Anyway, we said, “What the hell” and decided to
wear them tonight.

At several points during our meal we’d hear a waiter begin singing
loudly “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH”. Heads would turn and he’d be joined by
several servers that would then launch into an Italian version of Happy
Birthday or Happy Anniversary. Which reminds me of a dinner Barb and I
had many years ago in New York City. We were dining at Mama Leone’s and
they had a stereotypical female opera singer roaming the dining room,
singing Italian opera. I know as much about Italian opera as I do about
neurosurgery but she sounded good and I figured it was classy. Anyway,
she winds up at our table, inhales deeply and lets out a loud
“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH”. I expect this to be followed by something
resembling Italian opera but instead get:
“…klahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain…”

This is complete with foot-stompin’ and arm swingin’. I about spit my
gnocchi across the room.

I’m easily distracted. Where was I? Oh, yeah – Via Napoli. After we
finished our dinner, I heard that familiar “OOOOOOOOOOHHHH” and see Gaia
and a troop of servers coming bearing a dessert for us with two candles.
They sang something Italian, we thanked them and Barb blew out the
candles. It was totally unnecessary but appreciated. We each took a few
bites of the dessert (a cookie and cream dessert with chocolate and
raspberry sauce) but, to be honest, we were more than full from the pizza.

We waddled out of Via Napoli and decided to head to Future World to
check out the wait times on Soarin’. The sign outside said 50 minutes
and no FastPasses available but we decided to head in to see if that was
a mistake and the wait was truly only 5 minutes. Inside, we followed a
couple that looked to be 10-15 years older than us. The husband was
tall, wore shorts and a light jacket. Exactly what I had on. The missus
was shorter with silver hair and was carrying a Disney bag. Barb was
taller but silver-haired and carrying that Disney bag (the leftover
pizza) and we joked that was us in a few years. The Soarin’ wait time
has miraculously jumped to 90 minutes so we decide to head instead to
Spaceship Earth. As we begin leaving, we see the “older us”
commiserating and they also start for the escalator. Barb said,
“Wouldn’t it be funny if they follow us to Spaceship Earth?”

Spaceship Earth was a walk-on. We saw our photos on the globe in the
post-show area but, no, we never saw “older us” again.

Outside, we found a bench and took in a fountain show and some shopping
at MouseGear. One of the observations I’ll make is that there’s not much
for men anywhere. It seems the clothing selections for women and
children are vast but guys get to choose from 3 t-shirts, 2 sweatshirts
and a jacket.

Fatigue was setting in so we decided to head back to the resort. There
was a bonfire on the beach, presumably for some marshmallow roasting and
they were projecting Lilo and Stitch on the inflatable screen. There
looked to be all of two people viewing from lounge chairs. As we walked
toward it, I noticed a woman sitting on a bench, playing a ukulele and
singing softly. I couldn’t hear much but she seemed to have a very nice
voice. I filed that under “Things You Don’t See Every Day”.

We hit the room at around 8:00 and watched Once Upon a Time. That show
is really growing on me. Just before it came on, we caught the end of
Funniest Home Videos and one of the weekly finalists was a cute scene
with a guy singing and his dog placing his paw over the guy’s mouth. Of
course, the dog was a Black Lab so that caused a couple of bitten lower
lips for us.

We turned in at 9:00, dead tired. We learned we have a couple of noisy
neighbors that, near as I could tell, were tossing their children
against the adjoining wall. I didn’t hear any screams but it sure
sounded like the thud of bodies. I also determined we could hear the
Illuminations fireworks explosions quite well. That wouldn’t be an issue
going forward because I didn’t expect we’d be turning in this early the
rest of the week. I think I must have fallen asleep about 30 seconds
after the last shell exploded.

Miles Walked Today: 7.25

Things I Think I Think: I know I said I’d try not to mention this but… I
think Gunnar enters my thoughts randomly whenever I’m not focused on
something else. It’s happening in queues, just walking around, waiting
outside the ladies room for Barb. Hopefully it will get easier. I think
I like the Beach Club Villas but I’ll request upper floors from now on.
I think we only hit one attraction all day – we’ll rectify that
tomorrow. I think Via Napoli has very good, but somewhat pricey pizza –
and is very noisy. I think we’ll retire the Happy Anniversary buttons
for the remainder of the trip. I think we purchased an $8 bottle of wine
from a gas station – I’ll bet it’s reeeeeeal goooood. I think we’re
always exhausted at the end of our first day. Something about being up
for 20 hours, traveling, etc. I think it’s been exactly one year since
I’ve been here – and it’s like I never left. Welcome home indeed.

--
Steve

[Alpha]

Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in
news:jh3dce$vku$2...@dont-email.me:

> I did spot some new DVC merchandise in the Marketplace but no resort

> merchandise at all - and I had been hearing reports of an increase in

> the resort-specific clothing showing up.

I noticed that too back in September. Not even a BC pin to be had. In
all, I was kind of surprised by the Marketplace; most other resort shops
we've visited are bigger.

> We ordered the Family Style House Salad. It's "Served Exclusively with
> Pizza - minimum 2 people; leaf lettuces, roasted red peppers,
> marinated mushrooms, olives, peperonicini, red wine vinaigrette". The
> cost is $6 per person and it could have easily fed four or five
> people. We had two servings each and consumed less than half.

I checked your photos online -- that salad looks awesome! So did the
pizza.

> Outside, we found a bench and took in a fountain show and some
> shopping at MouseGear. One of the observations I'll make is that
> there's not much for men anywhere. It seems the clothing selections
> for women and children are vast but guys get to choose from 3
> t-shirts, 2 sweatshirts and a jacket.

We often find there isn't a whole bunch of clothing selections for boys,
either. :-\

-- Alpha

[Rudeney]

Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
> January 29 – February 3, 2012
> Participants
> • Steve –Your humble narrator.
> • Barb – My bride of 39 years.
>
> Beach Club Villas– Studio
>
> Day One - Sunday, January 29, 2012 – Molested by a TSA agent, Pizza and Oklahoma
>
> We set the alarms for 3:00am so, naturally, I was up at dark-thirty
> (1:44am). Barb didn’t follow until 2:30 or so - still way too stupid early.
>
> I had loaded our luggage into the car last night so we headed out at
> 5:00. As I was driving up I-90 toward the airport, a car careened out of
> an entrance ramp in front of me. I don’t often use the word “careened”
> but it fit here. When someone’s out at 5:00am on a Sunday morning, I
> wonder if they’re heading out early or coming home late. I fear this guy
> was coming home late. I gave him a wide berth which was a good move. I
> watched him repeatedly pull onto exit ramps then swerve back to the
> highway as he realized a mistake. Scary.
>

He was probably just from out of town. Alabama, I'd suspect.

>
> We joined a short line and checked our two bags then headed up through
> Security. Surprisingly, there was almost no line there. Since our last
> trip, Albany International Airport has installed those full-body
> scanners. I stood with my arms raised, was scanned and then notified that
> the image had shown something right around my right ribcage. It was
> explained that it could be caused by something as simple as a wrinkle in
> my shirt. Nevertheless, I received a very nice pat down, front and back,
> and refrained from saying aloud one of the several stupid jokes that were
> dancing around my head (“Shouldn’t you buy me dinner first?”, “This is
> the most action I’ve had in months”, etc.)
>

Your have more self control than I.

> Through Security, we re-dressed and hit McDonald’s for a coffee, juice
> and a Sausage McMuffin. I know those things are awful for me but they sure do taste great.
>

Hey, you're on vacation...calories don't count!

> We made it to our gate at 6:20 and boarded around 6:50. As I mentioned,
> these flights were free and I paid the additional $10 for Southwest’s
> Early Bird Check-In. As a result, we had boarding passes with A23 (me)
> and A24 (Barb). That’s important for later.
>
> Southwest in Albany also offers something fairly unique: a jet way with a
> fork in it that allows passengers to veer left and board from the front
> or head to the right and board from the rear. The vast majority of folks
> want to sit up front so that’s where most people head. Even when you’re
> only 5th or 6th in line, as we were, it still slows you down because the
> first few people choose a seat in the first few rows then block the aisle
> attempting to lift those refrigerator boxes they call “carry ons” into
> the overhead compartment. Barb ducked to the right side and scooted up
> the aisle snagging us “our seats” – the exit row that contains only two seats.
>

Very smart! I think you should keep her!

>
> We entered Epcot and made the Rose and Crown our first stop. It’s not
> exactly tradition but Barb and I have made this the start of several of
> our “solo” trips. We take stupid pictures of ourselves sipping a beer to
> start our vacation. Barb quickly grabbed a small table and I went to the
> bar and ordered a Stella Artois for Barb, a Black and Tan for me and an
> order of Fish and Chips for us to share. They were $8, $8 and $8.19
> respectively (and you know you’re at Disney World when you pay $16 for
> two beers and it doesn’t ruin your day – I had to get that in here). I
> had a bit of a wait while the bartender searched for a manager to use the
> TiW card. He mildly admonished me for not telling him up front that I was
> using the card. Sheesh – every time I mention it in a restaurant they
> always tell me to hold it until after the meal. They’re starting to sound
> like Disney (or airport security) with constant policy changes.
>

Carousel of Policy.

>
> It was mid-70s and sunny so we changed into shorts, grabbed two of our
> canvas Disney bags and headed to the Hess station by the Boardwalk. You
> can guess where this is going. By now, everyone knows of my need for
> balcony time with an adult beverage. I picked up a 12-pack of Yuengling
> (let the Bud Light jokes fly),

Even if you had bought Bud Light, would you have admitted it?

> a bottle of wine (for Barb), some coffee creamer and a local Sunday
> newspaper. All that came to $21. This may be the first time I’ve ever
> purchased wine from a gas station and, while I’m sure it will be nothing
> special, it did at least have a cork (and hopefully it’s drinkable).
>

That reminds me of James Gregory, the comedian, who used to joke about
getting homemade biscuits at the Amoco. Of course now, with gas stations
having attached restaurants, that's not such a joke any more.

> OK… forgot to mention this. When I originally booked this trip it was for
> November, beginning about a week after our 39th Wedding Anniversary. When
> I booked it, the cast member asked if we were celebrating anything and I
> mentioned our anniversary. I cancelled that reservation and, weeks later,
> booked this one for January never mentioning the anniversary. Our welcome
> package at check-in, however, contained two Happy Anniversary buttons.
> Why? I’m not sure. Did the note somehow follow our points into the
> Holding Account? Anyway, we said, “What the hell” and decided to wear them tonight.
>
> At several points during our meal we’d hear a waiter begin singing loudly
> “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH”. Heads would turn and he’d be joined by several
> servers that would then launch into an Italian version of Happy Birthday
> or Happy Anniversary. Which reminds me of a dinner Barb and I had many
> years ago in New York City. We were dining at Mama Leone’s and they had a
> stereotypical female opera singer roaming the dining room, singing
> Italian opera. I know as much about Italian opera as I do about
> neurosurgery but she sounded good and I figured it was classy. Anyway,
> she winds up at our table, inhales deeply and lets out a loud
> “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH”. I expect this to be followed by something
> resembling Italian opera but instead get:
> “…klahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain…”
>

So what a you saying? Oklahoma wasn't an opera???

>
> I’m easily distracted. Where was I? Oh, yeah – Via Napoli. After we
> finished our dinner, I heard that familiar “OOOOOOOOOOHHHH” and see Gaia
> and a troop of servers coming bearing a dessert for us with two candles.
> They sang something Italian, we thanked them and Barb blew out the
> candles. It was totally unnecessary but appreciated. We each took a few
> bites of the dessert (a cookie and cream dessert with chocolate and
> raspberry sauce) but, to be honest, we were more than full from the pizza.
>

Well that was a nice surprise! Go Disney for keeping that info in your
folio!

>
> Outside, we found a bench and took in a fountain show and some shopping
> at MouseGear. One of the observations I’ll make is that there’s not much
> for men anywhere. It seems the clothing selections for women and children
> are vast but guys get to choose from 3 t-shirts, 2 sweatshirts and a jacket.
>

Yep, that's always been a complaint of mine.

>
> We turned in at 9:00, dead tired. We learned we have a couple of noisy
> neighbors that, near as I could tell, were tossing their children against
> the adjoining wall. I didn’t hear any screams but it sure sounded like the thud of bodies.
>

Thar last minute room you got must have been meant for Sue. :)

>
> Things I Think I Think: I know I said I’d try not to mention this but… I
> think Gunnar enters my thoughts randomly whenever I’m not focused on
> something else. It’s happening in queues, just walking around, waiting
> outside the ladies room for Barb. Hopefully it will get easier.
>

It do hope it gets easier, too.

> I think we purchased an $8 bottle of wine from a gas station – I’ll bet
> it’s reeeeeeal goooood.

Well, by Florida prices, it may not be too bad, but here in Bama, i wouldnt
open an $8 bottle anywhere near open flames.



--
- Rodney

[Steve Russo]

On 2/13/2012 2:12 PM, Rudeney wrote:

>> It was mid-70s and sunny so we changed into shorts, grabbed two of our
>> canvas Disney bags and headed to the Hess station by the Boardwalk. You
>> can guess where this is going. By now, everyone knows of my need for
>> balcony time with an adult beverage. I picked up a 12-pack of Yuengling
>> (let the Bud Light jokes fly),
>
>
> Even if you had bought Bud Light, would you have admitted it?

I haven't purchased a Bud Light since the public beating I took in
November 2010. Probably won't ever again... Sell Anheuser Busch short.

>> Things I Think I Think: I know I said I’d try not to mention this but… I
>> think Gunnar enters my thoughts randomly whenever I’m not focused on
>> something else. It’s happening in queues, just walking around, waiting
>> outside the ladies room for Barb. Hopefully it will get easier.
>>
>
>
> It do hope it gets easier, too.

I'm sure it will but, so far, not so much.

>
>> I think we purchased an $8 bottle of wine from a gas station – I’ll bet
>> it’s reeeeeeal goooood.
>
>
>
> Well, by Florida prices, it may not be too bad, but here in Bama, i wouldnt
> open an $8 bottle anywhere near open flames.

LOL. I stuck with the Yuengling but Barb had 2-3 glasses over the week
and pronounced it "Fine." I believe it was a California Chardonnay but I
don't recall the brand/vineyard.


--
Steve

[Rudeney]

On 2/13/2012 2:06 PM, Steve Russo wrote:
> On 2/13/2012 2:12 PM, Rudeney wrote:
>
>>> It was mid-70s and sunny so we changed into shorts, grabbed two of our
>>> canvas Disney bags and headed to the Hess station by the Boardwalk. You
>>> can guess where this is going. By now, everyone knows of my need for
>>> balcony time with an adult beverage. I picked up a 12-pack of Yuengling
>>> (let the Bud Light jokes fly),
>>
>>
>> Even if you had bought Bud Light, would you have admitted it?
>
> I haven't purchased a Bud Light since the public beating I took in
> November 2010. Probably won't ever again... Sell Anheuser Busch short.

Key word "purchased". LOL!



--

- 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:

http://meets.radp.org/usenet.htm

[Debbi]

On 2/10/2012 10:33 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>
> Day One - Sunday, January 29, 2012
>

> We reached the International Gateway and the first thing I noticed was
> something missing. Do you know the grassy area with the large canopy
> that looks like a bus stop? The canopy is gone so now it’s just a grassy
> area. I checked with a cast member and he said it was removed about 6
> months ago. I’m not 100% certain but I think it was once used as a
> transportation stop when they ran trams over from the Yacht and Beach
> Clubs – before the Boardwalk Resort was built.

Steve
The original canopy has been gone for many years. Since then, on that
spot has been several party tents and event tents, another
semi-permanent canopy, and a large garden. You are correct - it was
built for trams and buses but I am pretty sure it was never used for
them (except for a double-decked character bus / meet & greet that
lasted 6 months). You know how the best laid plans go ...

ab

[Steve Russo]

Dearest Debbi (eat your heart out, Keane. Hahahahahahaha!)

I'm certain your information is much more solid than my Swiss-cheese memory.

I went digging back through old photos. For someone who has been through
the IG dozens of times, I have precious few photos there - and none
showed the canopy. I knew Keane would come through and I found this on
his site
(http://keanespics.com/ThemeParks/TripReports/200912/200912FL_0235P05125.htm).
He took it at the RADP Big Meet in 2009. You can see the canopy and
notice the area blocked off by a fence - I believe it was for the DVC
Merry Member Mixer.

I'm guessing that's the semi-permanent canopy you mentioned. I can't say
I have a clear image of a permanent one but something dark-colored and
almost copper-like pops into my head. Am I close?


--
Steve

[Debbi]

On 2/15/2012 7:44 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
> On 2/14/2012 4:29 PM, Debbi wrote:
>> On 2/10/2012 10:33 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>>>
>>> Day One - Sunday, January 29, 2012
>>>
>>> We reached the International Gateway and the first thing I noticed was
>>> something missing.
>>

>> Steve
>> The original canopy has been gone for many years. Since then, on that
>> spot has been several party tents and event tents, another
>> semi-permanent canopy, and a large garden. You are correct - it was
>> built for trams and buses but I am pretty sure it was never used for
>> them (except for a double-decked character bus / meet & greet that
>> lasted 6 months). You know how the best laid plans go ...
>>
>> ab
>>
>
> Dearest Debbi (eat your heart out, Keane. Hahahahahahaha!)
>
> I'm certain your information is much more solid than my Swiss-cheese
> memory.
>

> I'm guessing that's the semi-permanent canopy you mentioned. I can't say
> I have a clear image of a permanent one but something dark-colored and
> almost copper-like pops into my head. Am I close?
>

Steve,

You have the copper top correct. As for the color of the supports, I
will have to dig for that one because my old-lady memory is shot. But
you reminded me that I have to look through Keane's photos - to see if I
was captured on any, from RADP meets that I visited, disguised as a
guest gawking at the group.

ab

PS. I love you too but the only RADP man for me is darling Keane

[Steve Russo]

That does it... Keane has to go. He'd better have someone else starting
his car from now on.

If I get some time (retirement is so draining), I'll dig through some of
the old print albums (remember those days pre-digital?) to see if I can
find a photo of the canopy.

--
Steve

[Keane]

On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:15:27 -0500, Debbi <ab...@hwsbi.com> wrote:

>You have the copper top correct. As for the color of the supports, I
>will have to dig for that one because my old-lady memory is shot. But
>you reminded me that I have to look through Keane's photos - to see if I
>was captured on any, from RADP meets that I visited, disguised as a
>guest gawking at the group.
>
>ab
>
>PS. I love you too but the only RADP man for me is darling Keane

"Oh, hot diggity, dog ziggity,
Boom, what you do to me,
When you're holding me tight!"

(Okay, so I reparsed the lyrics... Google Perry Como.)

I do wonder if in any of the RADP meets, or D23 events if there isn't
an anonymous picture of you somewhere...

I will be at the World 3/4 to 3/9, 2BR@Kidani, SV. The hard dinner
reservations I have is for Cape May, Saana and Jiko. If you'd like
to have dinner (or just a libation or two) with BYPT Jenny, Miss Marie
and I, drop me some e-mail. I understand if you can't, but I figure
one day you'll break down and have to come out of hiding... ;-)

I promise I won't try to pry proprietary knowledge from you.
HAhahahha...

Keane
--
When stars are born, They possess a gift or two,
One of them is this, They have the power to make a wish come true...
-- Wishes
Visit my site: http://keanespics.com

[Rudeney]

On 2/15/2012 8:15 AM, Debbi wrote:
> On 2/15/2012 7:44 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>>
>> Dearest Debbi (eat your heart out, Keane. Hahahahahahaha!)
>>

> PS. I love you too but the only RADP man for me is darling Keane

Oh puh-lease! Get a room!

[Keane]

On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:19:01 -0500, Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com>
wrote:

>That does it... Keane has to go. He'd better have someone else starting
>his car from now on.

You're not related to Jake Russo out of Rochester, are you?

(I will get to all the trip reports this weekend. I've been sorting
through some 10K WDW pictures I have...)

[Rudeney]

On 2/15/2012 8:15 AM, Debbi wrote:

> On 2/15/2012 7:44 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>>
>> Dearest Debbi (eat your heart out, Keane. Hahahahahahaha!)
>>

> PS. I love you too but the only RADP man for me is darling Keane

[Steve Russo]

On 2/15/2012 3:17 PM, Keane wrote:
> On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:19:01 -0500, Steve Russo<sru...@nycap.rr.com>
> wrote:
>
>> That does it... Keane has to go. He'd better have someone else starting
>> his car from now on.
>
> You're not related to Jake Russo out of Rochester, are you?

I don't know. Maybe. Is he dangerous?

>
> (I will get to all the trip reports this weekend. I've been sorting
> through some 10K WDW pictures I have...)

Isn't it amazing that no two of them are alike?

--
Steve

[Sandi Femino]

In article <jh3dce$vku$2...@dont-email.me>,
Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:

> I think itąs been exactly one year since
> Iąve been here ­ and itąs like I never left. Welcome home indeed.

Steve,

So glad this trip happened for you and Barb...
Enjoying all the details.
NICE re. the AP CM with good advice :)

--


Sandi
http://capecodcards.blogspot.com/

[Steve Russo]

On 2/16/2012 8:39 AM, Sandi Femino wrote:
> In article<jh3dce$vku$2...@dont-email.me>,
> Steve Russo<sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
>
>> I think itąs been exactly one year since
>> Iąve been here ­ and itąs like I never left. Welcome home indeed.
>
> Steve,
>
> So glad this trip happened for you and Barb...
> Enjoying all the details.
> NICE re. the AP CM with good advice :)
>

Thanks, Sandi.

--
Steve Russo

[Keane]

Boy, I thought I replied to this, but can't find the post...

On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:50:46 -0500, Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com>

wrote:

>On 2/15/2012 3:17 PM, Keane wrote:
>> On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:19:01 -0500, Steve Russo<sru...@nycap.rr.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> That does it... Keane has to go. He'd better have someone else starting
>>> his car from now on.
>>
>> You're not related to Jake Russo out of Rochester, are you?
>
>I don't know. Maybe. Is he dangerous?

Well, not any more. He did a Jimmy Hoffa in 1964, but it was widely
believed he was whacked by Frank Valenti.

>> (I will get to all the trip reports this weekend. I've been sorting
>> through some 10K WDW pictures I have...)
>
>Isn't it amazing that no two of them are alike?

Actually, I have many duplicates, mostly upgrades from earlier tech
(i.e. less than 1.5mp).

But it looks like every theme park is doubling in size...

[Bob Me.]

"Keane" <ke...@keanespics.com> wrote in message
news:0cmqj7hlvgcpcni7m...@4ax.com...

> Boy, I thought I replied to this, but can't find the post...
>
> On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:50:46 -0500, Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com>
> wrote:
>
>>On 2/15/2012 3:17 PM, Keane wrote:
>>> On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:19:01 -0500, Steve Russo<sru...@nycap.rr.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> That does it... Keane has to go. He'd better have someone else starting
>>>> his car from now on.
>>>
>>> You're not related to Jake Russo out of Rochester, are you?
>>
>>I don't know. Maybe. Is he dangerous?
>
> Well, not any more. He did a Jimmy Hoffa in 1964, but it was widely
> believed he was whacked by Frank Valenti.
>

Ah, memories of the Blue Gardenia restaurant. A favorite hangout of those
boys. That and Frank's Chop House.

--
Bob Me.

Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las
puertas.
To reply to me via email, remove the "spam.and.eggs." from my email address.

[Tom Moeller]

"Debbi" <ab...@hwsbi.com> wrote in message news:jhejp0$ego$1...@solani.org...

I think I recall being on a bus leaving that stop, as part of a convention
that met upstairs over Wonders of Life for dinner, then walked behind
flashlights to dessert Illuminations at the UK area, then walked behind
flashlights out the IG to the waiting bus that whisked us back to Coronado
Springs. The bus had dropped us off backstage at WoL / Test Track earlier in
the evening. This would have been in Sept 2003.

tom

[Lisa Cubbon]

On 2/25/2012 8:44 PM, Tom Moeller wrote:
> "Debbi"<ab...@hwsbi.com> wrote in message news:jhejp0$ego$1...@solani.org...
>> On 2/10/2012 10:33 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>>>
>>> Day One - Sunday, January 29, 2012
>>>
>>> We reached the International Gateway and the first thing I noticed was
>>> something missing. Do you know the grassy area with the large canopy
>>> that looks like a bus stop? The canopy is gone so now it’s just a grassy
>>> area. I checked with a cast member and he said it was removed about 6
>>> months ago. I’m not 100% certain but I think it was once used as a
>>> transportation stop when they ran trams over from the Yacht and Beach
>>> Clubs – before the Boardwalk Resort was built.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> The original canopy has been gone for many years. Since then, on that spot
>> has been several party tents and event tents, another semi-permanent
>> canopy, and a large garden. You are correct - it was built for trams and
>> buses but I am pretty sure it was never used for them (except for a

>> double-decked character bus / meet& greet that lasted 6 months). You know

>> how the best laid plans go ...

Yes, that area was used for trams. Trams that went out to the Swan and
Dolphin and right past the boarding that was up during the building of
BWR. We rode the tram several times.

Lisa

[Debbi]

On 2/26/2012 8:28 AM, Lisa Cubbon wrote:
> On 2/25/2012 8:44 PM, Tom Moeller wrote:
>> "Debbi"<ab...@hwsbi.com> wrote in message news:jhejp0$ego$1...@solani.org...
>>> On 2/10/2012 10:33 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>>> The original canopy has been gone for many years. Since then, on that
>>> spot
>>> has been several party tents and event tents, another semi-permanent
>>> canopy, and a large garden. You are correct - it was built for trams and
>>> buses but I am pretty sure it was never used for them (except for a
>>> double-decked character bus / meet& greet that lasted 6 months). You
>>> know
>>> how the best laid plans go ...
>
> Yes, that area was used for trams. Trams that went out to the Swan and
> Dolphin and right past the boarding that was up during the building of
> BWR. We rode the tram several times.
>
> Lisa

Thanks Lisa and Tom, I stand corrected. In fact, after the post I
received a few knocks on the head from others in my group who reminded
me of times we rode the tram and/or buses from/to there. Selective
memory I guess.

ab

[Lisa Cubbon]

Hey, Boom. You help us so much, it's a pleasure to help you! Lisa

[Debbi]

It's tough to be an oldie (ITTBAO). I'm finding that the memory has
started to leak. I find myself looking up so many things (that I should
know from experience) these days too. Maybe it's time to retire and sell
popcorn at the castle hub.

ab

[Lisa Cubbon]

On 2/27/2012 4:05 PM, Debbi wrote:
> On 2/27/2012 10:28 AM, Lisa Cubbon wrote:
>> On 2/27/2012 9:44 AM, Debbi wrote:
>>> On 2/26/2012 8:28 AM, Lisa Cubbon wrote:
>
>>>> Yes, that area was used for trams. Trams that went out to the Swan and
>>>> Dolphin and right past the boarding that was up during the building of
>>>> BWR. We rode the tram several times.
>>>>
>>>> Lisa
>>>
>>> Thanks Lisa and Tom, I stand corrected. In fact, after the post I
>>> received a few knocks on the head from others in my group who reminded
>>> me of times we rode the tram and/or buses from/to there. Selective

>>> memory I guess....

>>>
>>> ab
>> Hey, Boom. You help us so much, it's a pleasure to help you! Lisa
>
> It's tough to be an oldie (ITTBAO). I'm finding that the memory has
> started to leak. I find myself looking up so many things (that I should
> know from experience) these days too. Maybe it's time to retire and sell
> popcorn at the castle hub.
>
> ab

nah... Your brain cells are being used for more useful things now.
Well, that's how I describe it. But selling popcorn at the castle hub
does sound nice.... Don't forget your sunscreen.

Lisa

[Rudeney]

She can't do that! That's going to be MY job!!!

--
- Rodney

[Lisa Cubbon]

Two words.... Job Share......


Lisa

[Rudeney]

Only if I also get to share her current job...


--
- Rodney

[Debbi]

How are you with gunpowder and static electricity ??

ab

[Steve Russo]

I have both in my pants. Why?
--
Steve

[Rudeney]

OK, that wins comeback of the year!!! <bows down>

--
- Rodney

[Rudeney]

Most excellent. And I have managed to keep all of my fingers intact.


--
- Rodney