Coffee on the Verandah - Two by two - 5/21

[Disney9.9.10]

Love the pictures! Sun, sand, pool, palm trees… ahhh so relaxing lol Sorry about the rain and the bugs though. Oh, and happy belated birthday to Kendall!

[dizneeat]

Great new update.

Did I get something wrong, but didn't you have to rent the loungers? And they kick you out of them at 5pm???????
Love that you had a good drink at the pool and enjoyed the pool time.

Three trips to the store/front desk? Yikes! But at least you got breakfast settled.
The photos of Jeff and his Mickey bars are so funny! I quite like the decorated one.

[Mndisneygirl]

I really want a vacation like that - relax at the beach, relax at the pool, relax at the villa...

Well, I'm glad you got all the things you needed and could eventually stay in the villa for the evening! But your poor feet!!! That sounds awful!

[Poolrat]

A bice way to end the day - always hit the pool when you are kicked off the beach.

Boo on the bug bites and the multiple trip to teh front desk.

YAY on figuring out the dinner and breakfast for the birthday girl.

on Jeff's "first " Mickey Bar. Maybe his first at the beach.....

[tinacaplan]

Hello! I'm back! And, remarkably, all caught up thanks to your chapter links! I kept running commentary in the notes app on my computer.

I know there are definite downsides, but it always seemed cool to me to have a job the requires travel.

As for Evan thinking you're suprememly awesome for being able to get around the DME line... I have found that every time I've gone to Disney with people who haven't gone more than once or twice in their lives, they are amazed at all the little hints, tips, and tricks I seem to know. Most of which, honestly, I've gotten from peoples' TRs on the boards!

Having stayed at OKW I can honestly say it is a beautiful resort and I'm so happy for you that its your home resort. And you were in building 55? We were in 56 right across the parking lot. I thought it was a great location. We were halfway between a bus stop and a pool, although quite a trek from HH.

The OKW main pool is definitely cool, although being an all adult group, we never used it. Sigh.

The turtle krawl is super yummy. Our first afternoon, I really wanted a yummy Disney rum drink, as it would make feel like I was truly on vacation, so one of my friends and I trekked to HH and we had Turtle Krawls. It was also when we discovered that you can quickly hop on the Miller's Road stop to get back your villa, rather than go to the front of HH and wait for an internal bus.

I completely agree with your opinion of Olivia's. It is fantastic. We ate there twice during a very short trip.

Amazing views from the Vero villa. Wow. I'd love to do a Florida beach vacation one of these days.

The turtlewalk sounds amazing.

Sorry about the wi-fi connection. Can I just say that Disney's wi-fi is really bad...and to have to get something done, for real...ugh. No doubt that was seriously frustrating.

The dirt bike trails look gorgeous. All of the pictures are just making me miss Florida, in general.


You got some lovely shots of the beach. I'm surprised it isn't more crowded. Beaches up here are usually wall to wall people in the middle of the summer.

Impressive merman sand sculpture!

Oh...boy...bad bug bites heading into the cruise. Yuck.

[tinacaplan]

Oh, and I just noticed your ticker...adults at Aulani? Sounds awesome!

[Misskitty3]

Oh no about the No See Ums........that doesn't sound good at all!


Great pool pics - looks like heaven!

[PracPerfPatricia]

Originally Posted by eandesmom

Testing is very important! What won? I'm too cheap to offer cocktails, I make everyone bring a bottle of wine. Saves a fortune.

Oh we have wine too but since we're having 12 including the 4 of us... 3 children under the age of 10, 3 senior parents... we don't have that many drinks to make... A combo of bourbon, apple cider and ginger ale won... It was very autumnal tasting...


I am enjoying a lovely "light" eggnog with a little bourbon and nutmeg and DISing by the fire now that the morning's pumpkin roll is made and the pie dough is chilling and the kitchen is clean.

hmmm the eggnog sounds nice... did you doctor up store bought or did you make from scratch... I didn't Dis too much for Thanksgiving and the day after I was in a Turkey/Carb coma... I've got a fire on and am watching the Patrick Stewart version of Christmas Carol...


Well you know that you enabled the SF trip! I was actually looking back at your PM just last night making notes on dining options, I really need to figure out some of our plans. I am so excited for Aulani, it is really lovely to have it to look forward to.

I am always happy to enable traveling... If you want I'll give you my short/medium travel bucket list... and you can enable me... and Aulani is definitely on that list so when you write about that I'm sure I'll be planning a trip there sometime in the next several years...



Thank you Patricia! You too! Are you cooking? I'm assuming so by the cocktail test....

Oh yes I cooked... I am the official Thanksgiving chef... (I really don't mind the cooking...I actually enjoy it... it's the clean up that I don't like...

Happy Belated 16th to Kendall... She is officially a young lady now.. and I hope her pancakes turned out well...

Teeny little bug bites... hmmm... Don't like the sound of that too much...

[Moira222]

Wow Cynthia - talk about being overwhelmed with serious worries for loved ones and friends. Prayers for you all that the Holy Spirit is with you all. Your uncle's story is the perfect example of how you never know what the best answer is (who ever heard of praying to lose a leg!) but He does.

My thought are all jumbled from your updates but YAY for Kendall! How exciting! I hope her UCSD visit goes well too. and a for your couples trip to HI for Aulani. I know you've been wanting to go since they opened. HHOOORRAAYYY

Your Beach afternoon sounds just perfect, and that is a great family shot you have.

sorry you are so tasty to the bugs. Katie and I both get bitten a lot but not as much as you. ow!

I chuckle a bit when I see the E's playing in the sand - they are def in that middle territory, not quite a teen but not a little kid either. sigh. it goes so fast! My own girl goes from wanting high heels and her ears pierced to playing with her dolls. I try to just savor the moment.

Hope you are enjoying an extended Thanksgiving weekend. I am finally having a little kick back time...and enjoying the DIS for a bit.

[MAGICFOR2]

I know the rain wasn't part of your overall plan, but it sounds like it turned out to be a nice, cozy evening. Sorry about the bug bites.

[MeMom]

Originally Posted by eandesmom

We settled in with our pizza, I changed into dry clothes, and as we listened to the rain were even more glad we'd not gone out even if it was just to the grocery store.

...but the best part was not going anywhere and just being able to stay in and enjoy the villa.

Sometimes these can be some of the most needed and memorable nights of a trip.

Except…as the night wore on I realized something.

The no see ums seemed to really like the rain.

Really like the big puddles that I’d sloshed through 6 times back and forth between groceries and pizza pick up.

Really like my feet.

Which were now covered in teeny tiny bites.

That really really itched. And burned.

I really really did not like it.

At all.

I can totally relate. I always have to spray before I go to a beach or soccer field or somewhere where these fellas live. I am apparently particularly yummy to them.

[natebenma]

Not a bad plan going from beach bums to pool hopping.

Hmmm, getting soaked on your last night (of that leg of the trip)- that sounds eerily familiar! You are lucky it happened that night and not on the night of your amazing turtle walk!

That was a great demonstration of parenting- making sure the birthday girl got her request, and everyone would have a decent breakfast, even if you had to brave a deluge and killer no-see-ums!

about Jeff thinking this was his first Mickey Bar.

[brookelizabeth]

The creepy Mickey Bar made me laugh out loud! You are right though...he looks crazy!

Uh-oh on the no see um's...ughhhhhhhhh!

[Captain_Oblivious]

Originally Posted by eandesmom

I’'m glad we didn't BEST margarita of the trip.

Wasting away again...

Originally Posted by eandesmom

Nor were we motivated to drive anywhere. It wasn't even so much the thought of cooking, it was the not having any ideas of what to make (which seems to happen to me on a regular basis at home...meal planning is the bane of my existence) as much as anything.

Time for Pop Tarts and PB&J!

Originally Posted by eandesmom

His first Mickey Bar! Ever.

At least HE was convinced it was his first. It wasn't and I had photographic proof. He had one on the Wonder the summer before, one that he'd decorated with marshmallows, sauce and sprinkles and had turned quite creepy!

Uh oh. Signs of old age approaching. The good news is, you can go back to Disney World time and time again and it will be like the first time!

Originally Posted by eandesmom

The no see ums seemed to really like the rain.

[MEK]

Funny how a couple good ritas can make you compromise on your dinner plans. Of course, the rain didn't help much either making it impossible to grill.

A perfect solution for the birthday girl - room service.

Oh you bug magnet you. How did you manage to fall asleep? Benadryl and cortisone cream? I have serious issues with bug bites, too. But not that bad. When my cats get fleas even the tiniest bit of flea dirt causes irritation, so I feel your pain trying to sleep.